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ROBESiT WALT^ER vSillTH, Esq. 



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CHICAGO: 

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PUBLISHERS' PBEFAOE. 



IN i-iariiii:; tliis Ilistoi'j of Armstronf^' County before their patrons, the publishers feel that the 
- u-ork will standthetost of candid criticism in every respect. They have spared neither endeavor 
it'ir oxjifP.-i' wliidi o.nikl add to its value, and to make it a volume which would reflect credit upon 
itrt auffior and theuisolves has been their aim, and therefore they rest assured that those citizens who 
hnwr watched with friendly interest the progress of the work since the time it was undertaken by 
?iir. Smitli will not be disappointed with the jn-oduct of that long period of careful labor. Tliat so 
^volurnitu>us u work, containing, as it does, in its eight hundred broad pages, at least six thousand 
'dates and tiity thousand names, should be absolutely free from trivial eriw, tiiinking jieople will not 
■.['LttT ; but the publishers believe that such has been the care bestowed upon it by competent, 
i:X|)crteucod men — writers, engravers, jn-inters and proof-readers — that even inconsequential errors 
l;;sv.'been reduced to the mininumi, and that ij^seiit/'n/' misstatements of statement have been entirely 
■d. TIio rjclie.s of hwiuric loi'<!, j;athored from a thous^iiul (lilU'r<uit sdurces by its aullmr, luivo 
'uiii returned to the patrons of the work in what has seemed the most apiirojH'iato anil acceptable 
i'"vm ; and it has been the study of the publishers, by aid of all that is most excellent in the art of 
typoijraphy and in the bookbinder's >kill, to send the history to the people of Armstrong County 
'uilied a^ its worth doser\i.'S. 

The pviViis»herH wisli to return ino.-.t sincere thanks, on their own behalf and those in their 

inpipy, to all wSjo have aided them in tlie prejjiiration of this volume. To mention the names of 

M wliojie amrtt'ous and cordial co-o{K'iiitioii has been extended to them, and fully appreciated, 

.oulil I* s!it}K>ssib!e, for their number is luitn.li-eds. However, we cannot refrain from presenting 

.e nuniOB of a i'ew whose positions have enabled tliem to be of esjiecial service. To this class 

■.'loiiar Hon. James B. Neale, Grier C. Orr, James Mosgrove, Joseph Butiington, D. A. Ealston 

hd f^oi. Sirwell, of Jvittanning; John Turner, Capt. James P. Murphy, Walter P. MuqJiy, Eobt. 

Morris, Capt. A. S. Warner and John Ralston, of Freeport; Col. S. M. Jackson, John B. Cliambers 

and W. J\[(■^;r^a^, M. D., of Apollo ; John Schwalen, E. P. Hunter, MaJ. -l()sei)h E. Beale and 

11. Jl. WO'ay, of Leechburg; Thomas H. Marshall, William Afarshall, T. M. Elder, of AYayne 

!..<viis1iip; .Idlni W. Marshall, Rev. D. [v. Duff and Smith IS'^eal, of Cowanshannock ; Geoi'ge Putney 

I.! Mon. A. 1). Glenn, of Mahoning township. To this brief list should be added the mend)ers of 

I'ue jn'c^^s and eoiu)ty oiKcials.. 

The exhaustive chapter on "Armstrong in the War of the Rebellion," and the sn|ij)lementary 
-I-'' owes much of its fullness and accuracy to the Grand Army Post of Freejiort, Capt. A. S. 
■, ]■, Ct.'l. Wm. Sirwell and Col. Archibald Blakely, of Pittsburgh. 

WATERMAN, WxiTiaNS & CO. 

''.;;--\iiO, Ii.!.,, ,Iuly 15, ISSo. 






CONTE:t^TS. 



Ul.siDia OF AKMSTKU.NG COUNTY. 

CHAPTKH I UlMOBKlAl. -.SKETeM. OF-.AjL\LiTUO.NG COUSTV,— 

WlUUm IViin— ifFs Iiilluuiiccas I'roprlelor of the Province 
— Ouilino oftht Kiirly llLstory of Penusylvnnla— 'PheOrig- 
ii.al CoiiiiUi.*— F<>tmatiou of AnnstronK~Conti.'sl hctivecn 
'.i:v litieUsh and Frenrlr for^loniinioii in Uie West— The- 
AWrtjnimI Ii)lt«ht»«I3— Thtt-IuiJiftH Town of K-ittnnninK— 
:. vJ. Arti)»trniii^s-*;xiirtition~RjMitnst Hr— The Ballle-nt 
HiiHi tot Hill— Ke^un^JIuICh-^-Scs^^mon^a^»^o-Ar«^st.^ons's 
Valuf-nisd-trCTvitTS — K M :n l n SitteenHent fo the l>estruetioiT' 
wXJviWft»niti){~tficii. BroJheiid (note) — Cajituin Sharp and 
<rli<;f I'loaeors— Indian Atrocities— Obstacles to Settlement 
- More Fiivoralilc r'ia'ninslanees—PopuUulon— Nationality 
'■f jt>e Pioneers— t'aliin-BnildinR—Noishborly Kindness— 
I lame— Fjirly Settlers' Amusements— The Armstrong Pnr- 
(■lia.ve-f.ounty Seal Established— The County Attached to 
'A i.'stiTion'land — Judicial OrKanizntion — The First Ctmrt- 
House and Jitil— Succeeding and I'resent .Structures— Arm- 
-(ronpt Cduruy (.'Ivll Roster— PoUth'ul—Jiidlelal and Legal 
rtcl!si')n?—!^dueutloual—JonmaJistle— Postal atidTravel- 
ini: rueilliius— Seoneiy I'f lti> AlIeRlicny Valley-Mercantllo 
a:'.d t.'oiiiniert:iat~liistll!eiles. Iron ViunaccM and Sail 
iVclls, etc.— PrU'i'v of Jj-.nrl. Uitor and Pnivlslons— Af. i 
'.iliura!— Sun--'" •■>' ">■■ .\r...-.',io,,v ij,-. i-i-_iM!Hi.i;.;,i--n i. 
Um ,.(■ Hij., 

■i. C».l;. fi IN lu:: Wau ov rnt; 1;e- 
ry— the First trompanies- Camp Orr 
iv-arsnre of the Koiimont-i — Amount "f 
■. intheCouiity f.ir UelieforSoIdierv'F.r.ui'i- 
i\t of Ilounly Moni.-y— Siildlers' Aid f.«icty — 
.> MriV'irii'ia "— Koster i>f Anustruns County 
i, , ' ic-- ajid Conn;.anles— Kegiracntal lllsturies — 
■' Crady Alpines"— Elghih and Eleventh Keserves— Fifty- . 
■.':n!li, SUiy Scix-'Ud niid Sixty-Third Regiments— Seveniy- 
ili.elith Rojrlnient- Tlie One Hundred mid Third— One Him- 
ilTvdand Fourth — One Hundred and Thirty-Xiuth — One 
ilaiidred and Filty-Niuth — Two Hundred and Fourth — 
S iMicrs In Other Orgnuizations— Militia CO 

II'.R III.— TiiWNSlltl' IhvIstoN AND Okcanization.— Im- 
; irUmee of the Township Politically- The Townships of 
Annstrons and Whcntlleld in I'iW- The Three Oriijinnl lli- 
vislons of the C'ounty— Allearheny- Buflalo— Toby— Oiii-'in 
of Niinics — Siil>ili\isions of the C'ri^^dnal '!\>\Miships 101 

rir.vi'l'FJ; 1\'.-Tiifc lloiionui or Kittannino.— (iriftin of the 
Nitme— White I'risonovs Among the Indians — Savage 'I'or- 
io«>— fculy Mentihnof the Town Site— Dobert lirowu, the 
Watson-i, James Olaypoole, Patrick XiauRhcrty. .\ndrew 
Ilir.iler, and other Pioneer Settlers— The Town Platted— 
Sale of lots— A Gllmpso of the Villngc in ISM-The First 
yteri-hunts, Law^eni, Physicians and Inn-Keepers— Some 
KeruiuLsconces of the War of 1812- A Groundless Alarm— 
The Posloillcc— The Village in 1S20— Corjiorate History- 
Security Av-alnst Fires— The Streets— Public Imi/rovements 
— Wtiarllng the lUver Bank— Crossing the Alleglieny— Fer- 
rlea and Bridges— First Steamboat Arrivals— River Improve- 
ment Convention— Some Old-Tlme Fourth of July Celebra- 
llons-Other and Later Notable Evonls— Tornadoes, Floods, 
III- Gori^es and Fires— The Churches of Kittnnniug— Public 
Schi>.4s -Aea.icmy— University— College— Public Lilu'ary 
— Lltemry and Ummatie Societies— Lecture Courses— Tcm- 
Itemnee Societies- Secret and Benevolent Organizations — 
ludeiKMident Military Company— Bands— Boat Clubs— Man- 
uuicuivlng, Early and Late— Banking— Insurance— Gas and 



eAcit: 
Waterworks- MercantiloMallers— The Professions— Public 
Buildings- Cemeteries— The town lu KSTii-Sliillstlcs— theo- 
logy of tlie Locality- Mineral Springs Idii 

CHAITER v.— Alleohknv (now Bethet., Parks ani> titi.eiN). 

— Division of the Township iu 1S7S— Origin of tho Kame 
Allegheny — English and French Traders— Conrail Weiser 
and Christian Frederick Post— Tho Eiuliost Land Tract-s 
Surveyed and Seated— Valuation at nill'ercnt Periods — 
Names of Pioneers— Churches — Schools— Mills— A Notable 
Fox Hunt- Old-Time Fourth of July Celebration— Railroad 
Stations— Towrs-^Leeehbnrg— Lively Enterprises— Canal 
Packet Lines— Taxable luhabilanis in 18:52— Steamboat Ar- 
rival iivl8?.8— The Town Incoi-iiorated in IS-W — Iteligious 
History of Lcechburg — Litigation in llie Lutheran church 
—Education — Physicians — Ccmctc!,\ - I'linijijvc and im- 
proved Means of Crossing the lUvci - Mn in iiiiclnrcs — Mer- 
cantile and Other Ociupallous- Soldiers' Ai<l Society - 
Secret Societies — Temperance — Popnhuioli- Borough of 
Alaadlu — Its Schools — Oil Works-Stallsllcs — Gculngy of 
Allegheny Township,. l.'.ii 

. IIMTER Vl.-KnTANN-INo.-BbuikcMllll • Uellcsotthe liatllu 
Fought There— Original Tracts of l.aiKl in tho Township -■ 
Residents in Ise-Bcers' Mills-John Gnld— A Circle lliiiil 
—The Pa)«'rTowii of '■ Benton"— Churehes-l\i|mli:ii(.ii 
Temperance— I'osial — nuniboldt r,urdenN--i';eolog\'. ....... 17:^ 

c'llAnF.I! VIL— Mki. Ham;.- uriijinaily (li'u.nii/.cil iu l.soii — 
Xaine I'crived from Red Bank Creek— Indian Appellations 
for that and Dther Streams — The Creek IJechired by Law 
a Public Highway— Rafting LuraVier from Jefferson County 
to the Allegheny — F'latboats— Red Bank Navigation Com- 
pany-Site of the Indian "Old Town "—Yost Smith and 
Peter Stone— Land Tracts in the Township— Indiana Ixicate 
on the Creek as Late as ISIO— Emanuel Church -Railroad 
Project Agitated in 18o2— Indian Arrow "F.ictory"— Method 
of Making Flintheads — Nunuii.us Tiaii.^lcrs of I'lopcrty — 
Freedoiii Village— Oil Wells— Phenix F'nruace— New Salem 

— .\lbriglit Methodist Church— Independeuco — Milton — 
-Methodist Episcopal Church— Assessment List of the Town- 
>liip for 1S7I>— Census and Educational Statistics- Rocks— 
Coal— All Infci-e.stiugCave !,8il 

CHAPTER Vlll.— Pl.fM CuF.KK.— nerlvali.jii nf ilu- Nanu — Or- 
gaiiliied in I.SIO— Very Early Seltleineul—Llocidiouscs— An 
Indian Attack — Women Making Bullets -I'lilldreii Cap- 
lured by theSavayes — BrldgingCroi.liccI Creek- First Ap- 
liliiatlou to the Court forn Bridge- - Absiilom Woodward — 
I'avid Ralston — A Tavern Tragedy of IsO'.i — The Sharps — 
Laud Tracts Originally Surveyed in ilic Township — Three 
Hundred Acres of Land for Five Shillings- Centennial 
Celebration 1871'. (Note"! — The First Iron Plow — IHUs — 
(;hurches — Schools — Wliitesburg — Some Mentionable 
Events— Items— Borougli of Elderton — Its Early Residents 
—Incorporated— First Officers— Religious History— Educa- 
tional— Teniperance— Soldiers' Aid Society — Geological 
Features 201 

CHAPTER IX.— Wayn-e.- Set oil' from Plum Creek in 1821 — 
Named in Honor of '.' Mad Anthony " — Tho Original Land 
Tracts— Their Early Owners and the Settlers Uiion Thotn- 
The North .Vnu'viean Land Company — Gen. Robert Orr 
Succeeds the Cinnpany in Ownership of Their Lauds In 
Armstrong County — Holland Land Comiai'iy'B Traots — 
.Inlui Brodhcad's Survey District — William and Jcseph 
Marehall— James Shields— A Sparsely Settled Region— slow 



10 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Increase in Population— Religious Historj'— First Sermon— 
lu'v, Kohert McGarrnugli, the Pioneer of Presbyterianism 
— i;.liu'n(li)uul Interests— Pioneer Schools— Later Advan- 
lages — BelkUHii Indepondent Distriet — tTlade Hun Acad- 
emy—Its Clraduatcs- First Gristmill— Distilleries- Olnoy 
Furnace — Iron Foundry — Tl\e First Professional Men — 
Postoffices— Borough of Dayton— Churcties— Dayton Acad- 
emy—Soldiers' Orphans' School— Common Schools- In- 
corporation— Statistics— Appropriateness of the Name of 
Dayton 214 

C'UAPTEI{ X.—KiSKiMiNKTAs,— Indian Origin of the Name — Or- 
gaui:';utiou— iSarly Visits of the Whites— Christopher Gist- 
Persons to Whom the Lands \\'ere Originally Surveyed — 
Oh.l Time Attempts to Divide the Township — Cliurehes- 
"choiils— 'l'emiuM-;ini'e Element— Improving Xavigallon in 
the lsisklii>lnrl!is — Meelumieiil Industries — Statistics of 
tSmiiloMiiriils HM<1 l'(ii.iiliill<ju — Pustollices — An Ancient 
Lamliii;ii'k~i;i'i.l(i!;ir:il I h'scrlptiou— " liiiiiniire's Itock"— 
Borough of Ap(fUu, l^urnierly Warreil — Assessments at Vari- 
ous Dales— Ferries and Bridges— Religious Mailers— Mili- 
tary— Soldiers' Aid Society— Lodges— Trades and Occupa- 
tious— Manufacturing and Mercantile History— Statistics- 
Fires 232 

CHAPTER XL— Pine I lNcLfDi>-a Boggs).— Name— Erected from 
Territory in Kittanning Townsliip- Decreased in Size by 
the Establishment of Boggs in 1S78 — (Note) — Mahoning 
Creel; and its Indian Name — Tlio Old Path to LeBocuf- 
The Indian Town of Mahoning — Orrsville— History of the ' 
Original Land Tracts — Ore Hill Furnace — William Trum- 
bull — His Mill on Pine Creelc, Built Prior to 1700 — Pearl's 
Mills- Ineffective Search for Oil — Associate Reformed 
t'liureh— Tlie Wallis Lands— An Ancient Earthworlv Near 
"Slabtown"— Stcxvardson Furnace— North American Land 
Company's Tracts— Goheenville and Other Hamlets— Pop- 
ulation, Mercantile Appraisement and Assessment of the 
Towjishiii — Educational Statistics— Geology 2-17 

CHAPTER XlI.—M.\pisoN.— Named after the Fourth President 
—Territory of the Township Carved from Tobey and Red 
Paul;— One of Captain Brady's Notable Indian Fights— An 
Olllcial Aeif>unl liy Col, IBrodhead— The Services of u 
Yoiliig Dclawaio Chief— Col. Brodliead's Expedition 
Against the Seneca and Muucy Towns on the Upper Alle- 
gheny— Tlie Land Tracts and Settlers upon Tlicm— Mahon- 
ing Coal Company — AFrcnch Trader's Grave — History of 
tlie Holland Land Company— The American Furnace— Set- 
tlement Law of 1702 — Contested Titles — Titles from the 
Holland Land Company — Vain Searches for Indian Lead 
Mines — Petroleum — Red Baniv Furnace — Kellersburg — 
Middle Creek Presbyterian Chiu'cli — Duncansville — First 
School in tlic 'I'uwnship — Description of the Building— 
Hducalioual and other Statistics 250 

CIIAPTKK Mil. -CoWANsuANNorK.— nsOii'anlznlion inlglS— 
l'ir;;l oihcns In.llan I'uJ'cli^ise Lille of 17I1S— The Original 
Ijiu.l W nniMil:-; -Tlniolby I'ielicriiii; A Co.'sTracls -An An- 
clcut I'lai'lliworli-lteiles -Laud l)is|uilrs Siillod by Ailii- 
Iration— Vlllilge of Atwood- I', I', chinvh ilrceu Dak- 
Town 1)1' llindrord -St. John's Lutlieran Church— llnnkanl 
i'lj\nrh--An fjiiiy Day Indian Eneonntcr— Example of llic 
l.uw Price of Land — Eight Hunched Acres for Sll — The 
Uobcrts Lands— First Store Opened in ISU liy the McElhiu- 
ueys — The I'-indley Lands — Hnskens' Run and the Man it 
was Named After — Riual Valley— Tlie Bryan Lauds — 
Fourth of July, Ls;)7— Salem Uefornied Chnreh— Isaac Simp- 
son— Eoads—Schools—Miscellaueous Statistics— Rural Vil- 
lage— Mercantile and Other Occupations— Educational Mat- 
ters— Religious— PostolUce-LO.O.F. Lodge 2SG 

CHAPTliR XIV.— Manoh.— Formed out of the Western Part of 
Kittanning in 1810— First Townsliip Election- Named from 
one of the Proprietary JIanors— Kittanning, afterward Ap- 
pleby Manor — Ancient Works — Niiineroiis Relies- Specu- 
lation in Regard to the Origin of the So-called "Old French 
Fort "—Soldiers Here in 1777-S— Correspondence of Officers 
Relating Theiclo— Fort Armstrong— Indian Murders— Tlie 
Claypooie Blockhouse — Early Settlers — 'Transfers of Real 



Estate in the .Manor— William Orccn's Mill Built in 17.S0— 
" Fort Green "—The Indians Become Aggressive- Measures 
Taken lor the Protection of the Frontier — Coniplaiiler'H 
Friendship for the Whites— The Militia— Game — Judge 
, Ross— Other Pioneers— Schools— Postolllcc— Cradle Factory 
-Number of Inhabitants— Village of Rosstou- Borough of 
ManorviUe —Its Pioneer Settler— Its Industrial lutercsts— 
Mercantile- Educational-^Temperance— Populatiou of the 
Borough— Geology of Manor Townsliip 310 

CHAPTER XV.— MAii0N3Nn.— Organized ln]S51 from Territory 
iuMadison, Pine, Wayne and Red Bank Townsliips-Bonnil- 
aries— First Election — Mahoning Creek Navigation Com- 
pany—The Early Settlers and First Owners of the Ijiiid 
Tracts— Transfers— Village of Te-xns, now Oakland— Joint 
Stock Company — Methodist Episcopal Church — Baptist 
Church— Brethren in chiisl Congregation— Oalilaiul Chiss- 
h'al and Normal Insliluli — lied Hank CanncI Coal ami Iron 
1 Company -liunliard Clinrcii- Mahiaiing Furnaee-Caspc'r 
Naif and Wife, Ccuteiiiirlans — (fernian Reformed and 
Lutheran Chnrehes — Putney ville — Building I'huboats — 
-Methodist Episcoi)al Church— United Presbyterian Church 
—Firebrick Works- Population — Educational and Other 
Statistics of the Township — Geology. 310 

CHAPTER XVI.— BiijiEiiLL.— Naiiied after Judge BuiTell — Or- 
ganization- Indian Names of Crooked Creek — Original 
Owners of tlie Soil— Warrants Dated in 1776— Names of the 
Citizens of the Township in 18(i5 — Strange Conjugal .\r- 
rangeuicnts—Powder-Mills — Captain Sam Bnidy's Auto- 
graph—An Eccentric Manufacturer of Plows—" Williams- 
burg"— Salt Worlcs— Religious History — Primitive Schools 
—Recent Educational Statistics— Mercantile and Other Oc- 
cupations— Population 3i;i 

CHAPTER XVIL— Vai.i.ey.— Set Apart from Pine— .'^lill.s- ilon- 
Ucello Furnace— The Patentees and SubEciiiient Ownoi-s- 
Lands of Gen. Armstrong's Heirs — Doanville Seminary — 
HoiuUdson Nurseries— Tioy Hill- The Old Slate Road— The 
Collins Lands — Pine Creek .Baptist (,'hurch — Methodist 
Episcopal Church at West Valley— Pino Creek l'"urnac,o — 
Holland Land .Company Warrants — Geological l''eatures.. 37:; 

CHAPTER XVllL— SoirruIlKNIi.— Oigaiiizediii lsi;7 from TiuTl- 
tory in Klskiniinetas and Plum Crnk- The ThirtyUvo 
Original Land Warrants — The I'luiicew and Fiisl Owners 
of the Several Tracts — Transfers of I'lopcrly — " f:aptain 
Tom's Hunting C'arap"— .4, Political Jleeting of ISIO — 
Woodward's Mills — Postoffice — Blockhouses Built l>y the 
Early Settlers— Churches— Primiti\e Schoolholiscs and Pio- 
neer Pedagogues— Later Seiiools — Miscellaneous Items- 
Census and Other Statistics — Jlechanical Industries :\'J 1 

CILU'TER XIX.— li'iiEKCoiiT.- Probalile Presence of the Frcncli 
in this Locality 17Wi-tiO — Adventures with the Indians— 
Craig's Bloekhof.se — Reed's Station — An Iralhin Attack- 
Capture and I'scape of Mas.'<y Haiblson -Murder of Her 
criildreii— Wllllaui and Imvld Todd- "Toddbtown"- Origin 
of till' N'niiu' l'r(^e])orl - The I'':trl>- Sctller't I'cmlnisceia'e.s 
of Old Times - li.ial I'liiildini; ;iill W ill:- - Irish Retlhv 
lueiils ill tS'J.s -TrnnsCci's oC I'loprrly 'I'lir loun Inconio- 
ralcd— l'\-cc[iort Anililtious to hv. a * bounty Town- '['ho Pro- 
fessions — l)r. .Vlters' Discoveries — liidn.-diiil Inirrests— - 
Churches— Srliools— Societies— Mililary-.^nld ins' Md So.. 
ciety — Cemeteries — Roads— Statistics loo 

CHAP'rER .XX.—SiujTrr Bui'TAi.o.—The "Depreciation Lands" 
Described— Early Owners of the Soli and Transfers of Title 
—The Famous Soldier and Pioneer, Samuel Murphy— First 
School House aud Early Teachers— Benjamin Franldiu as 
a Land 0\vner in South Buffalo— Archibald McCail— Relics 
of Antiquity— Clinton's First Masonic Lodge in tlie County 
—Blue Slate Church— Slate Lick Congregation, from which 
Originated the First Presbyterian Church in the Connty— 
United Presbyterian Church of Slate Lick— Sra dor Grove 
Presbyterian Church— Academy and Other Schools— Tem- 
perance- Census Statistics— Geologj' 4'20 

CU.VPTEE XXL— North Bufi'alo.— Erection of the Township 
in 1^17— First Election— White's Claim—" The Green Settle- 



CONTENTS. 



11 



PAGE 

luout "-Fli-st Jlill-Othov Tracts of Lanrt and Their Trans- 
lors-Kaptist Chorcli - population Statistics -School Sta- 
tl-ilc3 18(i0 iind 187G - Industrial - Topography - Keck 

* -156 

Slructure 

. UVITEK XXIT.-West Fkanki.in. — Organization of the Old 
Township of Franklin from Territory in Buffalo and Sugar 
1 ri /•k~LimcstonoTowu.shii>-First Election in West Frank- 
i,,i -firslOiVuera of Laud Tracts-Transfers of Property in 
l-.ulyiind ijiteYeari-John Shield's Beuucst to the Free 
IVsbvtorian t^hurch of Worthington-Hls Wife's CUIl- 
Tlie <rralK Wo"lcnnilll-Fl()urlngmill~Craigsvllle-Bullalo 
Fun\a™-llamil,) Wooleninlll- Regular napllsl Church - 
Jsmesi Barr and the Town of Worthingtou- Early Asscss- 

,H of (lie Village - Incorporation — Evangelical and 

•'.„l,cnm(;lmrvh-l'. P. Church-M. E. Church-Frco 
1 ■ rohy terlau Church - Academy - Schools - Statistics - 

r:.ciih of Jttuics Btttr - l>ocftl Geology "- 

■ |■I^ XXin.— F,AST Fr.ANKi.is.— First Township Election 
• h.-KarlvStittlcraas Shownhy Land Titles-Tribulations 
. ; iliora.is'uarr as Teaclier-An Oil t'onipauy (H-gani/.ed in 
i-.:.i-West ttludi' liun I'rcsbyterian Church — A Notable 
lM\ ?uit-Mlegheny Furaacel-ands— Roads— Coal Mining 
and Oil Manufacturing Company Organized lu 1S.''U— Mont- 
(;omop,-vllle-Cowftn5Vlllo-Middlesex -Union rresbyter- 
iin Cluirch Organized In ISOl — Schools— lUch Uill U. I', 
riiiircb-ropulallou and Other Statistics— Geological Feat- 
urvs-Thc ToHUShip named after Benjamiu Eranklin 

I l!\11f.R XXIV. — SvMiAU Creek. — A Small Remnant of the 
farvT.tToivnship-OrigiunlOwncrs- Cnnveyauccs- Kze- 
k,i.-l Lewis and other PioTiecrs — The Middlesex I'resby- 
w-u:m Church -i«t. Putriclt's Uonian Catholic Chuvch-Tho 
\'"[uuion I jmds.- Lutheran Church — lliihort Orr. Sr.— 
1 1, r^vHIe-- Dainagc-s of the Tornado of l$(iO— Suuar Creek 
.-.jid l-hlllpshurg Ferry Company — Temvletou uilwcli — 

i !,-'.|.ir;d >'U..tolSU\liSlil-3-«U'OlOCT--- ■ 

s\ j.HiH'Xinyx.— The I'owa^bip struck oif 
, . ,, . ,.,. ., .-. , vSi in l-vS-Flrel FJt-ction o( umccrs— .Major 
liirt of the Ti'ivu^hlp Soutli cf the Ihinution Lund Line — 
I h, »"i..n.*rs and First Owners of the Principal Tracts — 
.ireh i-i the Ilrttliron of Christ — Ijinds Xorth of the 
.^.^ati^!l) Line — Van liiiren Laid Out — Wattersou^-ille — 
l _•; hi.^lisl Kpiii-'JIxil Church — Statistics — (jeology 

. . ; i t:f; XX VI.— na.iov's Bk.s-d.— Erection and Organization 
in tsVl — Fir,4! Ofllcers Elected — Successive Owners of and 
lirsidentJ on the several I-iud Tracts— The Great Western 
.'1..I1 Worksand Brady's Beml Iron Ci.mpnuy — Mention of 

I'ouudcrsand Managers 

■ llAiTF-i; XXVII. — r'KitKY. — Organization of the Township — 
The Til. ruMH-s — Their Work and their Hardships — Early 
I: .;ids and Primitive Manufactures — The Pioneer Schools 
- Truby's Mill— The Borough of Ciueenstown 



4U6 



563 



' W iJ'.R xXVIVI.— lIovi-A-.— Orgnnlzali.'U — Dr. .'Simon llovey 
- riu' Hivrly Settl.jrs— nisrovcry of Oil— \\''juderfid I'roduc- 
lii.u of il... U.'liinson Farm — Thoin's Itnu — The Bridge 
U'.M,- ri„ Alliglieny— Miscellaneous InlurmntloD ■ 



OilAl'TKK XXIX.— Pakkeu City.— An Oil Town of Phenomenal 
tirowtli — Setlhanent of the Parker Fantily — An Indian 
Village on the lUver Bottom — Bear Creek Furnace— I.aw- 
reneebuig-Ius Origin and Decline— Parker's Lnndljig— The 
DIaeovery of Oil and the Rapid Upbuilding of a Cltj- — Im- 
portant Events— Leading Industries— Tlie Past and the 
PreseutCoutrasted- Educational and Religious Institutions 377 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

'V. Ijuvi.l, i.,M. i'aniel 585 

Hu Uii-til!, Hum. .Uncfh 58(1 

)■.. 1 Mm '..-,mI, I. iWo 

50u 

007 

-, 1112 

I, i(,,u, ,Mhn 5:W 

-■, • ,iii..liil;ll 11 2;ii; 

. ,.iV,.i.il,n 324 



PAGE 

Cochran, Robert (>16 

Campbell, Joseph and Joseph I GH 

DulT, Rev. D. K 280 

Devers, William 38S 

Doutt, James ,,., Clfi 

Elder,' Rev. T. M GOO 

Elgin, Samuel "0'2 

Fow ler, James ■ 'dl 

Fuhner, , lames ''"8 

Glenn, Hon. A'. T) '''0'.; 

Graham, John _ ''01 

Guthrie, James '-8'J 

lluthric Family, JIargaret Todd, William C '^se, '281 

neincr, Daniel Urodhead 1'28 

IliU, John Ob! 

Hunter, Dr. Itobert P oOf) 

Jackson, Col. Samuel M '238 

Jackson, James Y (ill 

Jackson Family, W. J. Jackson nil 

Jackson, John T I'.IO 

Jackson, John '- 1'.'. 

.Tohuston, Gov. William F :;m 

Kecloy, John Gl? 

Keppel, David b"ii; 

Lias, Jacob id(l 

McBryar, Dr. William. GUI 

JlcCaudless, Prof. Hugh 2'2 1 

Mosgrove, Hon. James S'i'M 

Mar.shall, John W '-.i2 

Morris, Robert GnS 

Marshall. 'I'lmniiis II hk\ 

Marshall, Un!)erl '.S'l 

MrKlnsIvy, William SM 

Murphy, Caps. Sjihiih'I ilnd .bna^'S 1' , -tb'.J 

I Jliirdorl. (Christian Gl.i 

\ McKidlip, Henry K ,. GI7 

1 .Miller Family 018 

} Kenl, Smith ".os 

Nettle, Dr. .'ramuel S ri'i7 

Orr, Gen. Kol«rt r.,S7 

I Ponthis, Wesley -JStf 

] Putney, tieorgc ^^ . S.5G 

Rubiuson.Slisha ? .550 

Ralston, John .'lOl 

Read, Charles W2l 

Rohrer, Frcderieli .""jyil 

Shoemaker, George .and Solomon Gli"> 

Shoemaker, .loseph 218 

Sloaii, George B GO'J 

Schwalm, John ■ Gm'. 

Smith, Robert Waltar ."I'.d 

Sirwell. Col. William ."''.is 

Townsenil, Rnberl ;V.U 

Truitt-Craig families GIS 

Wilson, James D '■''■)(> 

Wriiy, H. H Gil 

Wiay, Koliei'l and John M . . i '2Sl 

i Wilsi'U, Williiun Arnisli-'ing. GOS 

Wiirncr, IsiKic 252 

\^■aunanu^ke^, John ■ 018 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Brodhead, Gen. Daniel 

Bufflngtor., Hon. Joseph 

Bntllngton, Hon. .loseph. Late residence of . 
Brown, James E. 



SS.5 

110 

117 

132 

Butler, Tliomas 5G1 

Beale, Maj. .loseph G 158 

Barnhart, Residence of '500 

Buffalo Milling Co I'-'O 

Calhtam, Hon. .lobn . .; -"'^ 

Chambers, Capt.. .lohn H -■''''• 

Christy, Mr. and .Mrs. .U.lin 3'.M 

Coidiran, W. A 171 

Campbell, J ■'■'^o 

Courtdiouse '•'•'' 

Dull', Rev. I>, K 28G 



12 



CONTENTS. 



rAon 

Duff, Rev. D. K., Resildeueo of 237 

Devcrs, WUIinm 88S 

ElikT. Rov. T. M 212 

KlRin, Smiiiicl 302 

Fri'oport Motlioiltsi. Kplscojinl I'lmroli 'IM 

Jfowlcr. Jnmos Wfi 

I''nliner, ,1iimo» Slis 

tilenn, lion. A, 1> ai8 

Outlirio, Jnmos 282 

CIrnliuiii, John 404 

Cutluio, \V. C 281 

Gulliric, Mrs. Margaret Todrt '■ 280 

I Ivinter, Dr. Robert I' IG'l 

mil, John 102 



Hcliicr, Diinio) 11. 



128 

Jackbon, Col. S. JI 2;i8 

JaekBori, W.J 270 

Jackson, Mrs. Eliziiheth ■. 212 

Jacksou, J. V 250 

Jackson, John T 208 

Johnston, Gov. W. F 35M 

Keeloy, John 264 

Kepiiel, David ISC 

Lias, Jacob flOG 

Mcnrynr, )tr. William .244 

IvroBrynr, Jlra. T)r. William 245 

Mosi^Tove, Hon. James 12 1 

Mar.sliall, Thomas II , 210 

MaisliiiU, Robert ' 204 

Miiislmll. Wlllliim, Residence ol' 2ii5 

MHrshnll, J. W 2;i2 

.■M.-u-shull, J.W., Residence of 29:1 



I'AfJK 

Morrison, Will A., Residence of 148 

MnrjJiy, Sanuiel and James 402 

McCandless, Prof. Ilnsli 221 

MeKlnstry, William. 27<i 

MoKln.stry, William, resideiieu of 277 

Mardorf, ResUloneo of 428 

Neal, .Smtllv afiH 

Neal, SnilMi, Rcsldeiiee of 1109 

llrr, tieu. Eobort Ifacing 108 

Orphans' Home, View of 220 

Putney, George S Hon 

rontius, We.'-ley 2S0 

Read, Charles 52 1 

Uohinstm, Mr. and Mrs. Elisha Ii80 

Robinson, Elisha, Resideniw of 581 

Ralston, Job n 200 

Reynolds"lIonse ; 140 

Ro.ss, Mrs. Margaret, residence of 1!32 

Sloan, D.ll 408 

Shoemaker, Ueorge 200 

Sch\valm,John ; 172 

Scbwalm, John, Residence of I7a 

Shoemaker, Josiah J., Residence of 249 

Shoemaker, iMrs. Salome ^ 218 

St. Patrick's (Uuirch 62.') 

'I'ownsend, Mr. ami Mrs. Rolurt iiU2 

Townsend, llortiestead Z'M 

Wilson, William A '. 532 

Warner, Isaac '2.V2 

Wilson, James D ."I'.K! 

Wray, U, 11 \0S 

Wray, John M '."■I 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



CHAPTER I. 



lilbTORICAL SKETCH OF AUMSTHONG C()UWTY.'= 

iViliiiKu IVrin — [lis Inlliienco us Propvietor of t.lio Province— OutUno of tlie Kiirly History of roiin.sylvaniii— Tlie 
Ori.i,'!!!;!! Counties— Fornmtiim of Arnistvong — Contest botwcom tlio Englisli and French for Dominion in thu 
\V«8t — The Atioriiiinal Inhal)itiuits — The Indian Town of Kittanning— Col. Armstrong's Expedition against 
[t_Xho Battle at Blanket Hill — Return March— Testimonials to Armstrong's Valor and Services— Events 
Subsecjiionl to the Destruction of Kittanning — Gen. Brodhead (note) — Captain Sharp and other Pioneers — 
Indiiui Atrocities — Obstacles to Settlement— More Favorable Circumstances — Population — Nationality of 
the I'ioncers — Cabin-Duilding? — Neighborly Kindness — Game — F^arly Settlers' .\muscments— The Arm- 
strong Pi.ircliase — County Scat Established — The County Attached to Westmorelan<l --Judicial Orgnniza- 
ti,ai — The Fii-st Court-Hou.ae and Jail— Succeeding and Present Structures — Armstrong County Civil 
rJoster— Political — Judicial and I.cgal — Religious — Educational — Journalistic— Postal and Traveling Facil- 
i(if..s— Scenery, of the Allegheny Valley — ^lercantile and Commercial — Distilleries, Iron Furnaces and Salt 
WVIls, etc. — Priiies of Land, I^ibor and Provisions — Agricultural — Surveys of the Allegheny River — 
Patriotism— The War of ISPJ. 



Ul l-E-VS. 



'"f'^ni'. vviiter briciiy refers to tlie person, motives 
-I nid principles oi the firet charter proprietor 
ot live Province, of Pennsylvania, once the owner of 
the soil of this county. Two Imndred and thirty 
\ cars ago was born in the city of London the sub- 
->M|uent founder of that province. He was the son 
td "\Villi:\ni Pcnn, of the county of Wilts, Vice 

! ■;< rji;. t'[ inntter of tbl? chaj'terwas orv-,'iiiiilly prt'piired for 
..;mi i-.inly dcUvereti ns an address on the occnsiou'or the ob;-er\'- 
....I i- of ihe ccnioniiinl anniversiry of American independence, 
: ly 4, 1S7C, at Cherry Run. in Plum Creek township. The author 

i\.-i t "On tlio thirteenth day of March, IS'ii, a joint resolution of 
-Ti' Semite and House of Ktpresontjitives of llic I'nited Stales was 
; ■ii^PlRd and dtdy npprttved, recommending the people to assemble 
i ;> iheir ivsnoctive t^mns or coiinties on Hj Is centoiiuial anniversary 

(■ our national itidrpendeitee, and etiuse to tie then dt;livereil an 
i.!:!>rlei»! skcleh of ilielr town or eoiiuty from lis Ibrmalion, aii.l 
■.itiu either u written or printed (lojn- theretd' he tiled in theeUMl,'> 
elllce of I tie county, and an additional one in tlie (►(lice of tlie. Libra - 
fiHU of t^on^revs, so tlnita eoniplete reeord iiaty thus be otiiained of 
the r-niHtv-'S of onr institutions durinj^ the lirst century of tlieir 
T ::l<;'jnee. The purport of that joint resolution lias very properly 

■ I a biV'U?:ht. to tiie know!ed;je of lite people li\- tlie proelamatiou>j 
. 1 (he President of the I'nited Slates and the Oo'veniors of this and 
<i'.i-;erSt.ttev 

'fo rentier that reeonimemhttion of Congress elheiix e, so far as 
r.!t!> eutinly is eoneerned, these historical sl;etehes were in part ori^d- 
!i lUy |iroi»ar.?d at the instanee of the people of Armstnai^ eounty. 

Iho writer renuirks, in pnssiiis. tliat there is a wide dili'erencc 
h'. i.ueen ii sketeli and a history of either a eounty, state or country. 
i In^ foriaer is simply on outline, n general delineation, or incomplete 
dMrtofone or the other, as the ease may be. A history, ora eoni|ilete 
narrative of the eventswhleh have happened within the territorial 
.units of this county, since its history began, would reipiire a much 
'i''.i:rer period of tiiue for its preparatiou tlian has been allotted to 
i!a writer, and it would be much more voluminous than is the sketch 
.- ,. !eli he has prepared. He may also remark tliat he has studiously 

■ ; [aided from infusing original and speculative ideas into tlus'e 
'.■■MChes, but has rather endeavored to till tliem wilh such facts of 
history us he has gathered in the course of his earlier and more 
reeciit rtsearrhes. Some of them are much older than is the organ- 
l?.iili'n of otir connly, but they are, uevenheless, remotely con- 
nected with it.s history. 



Admiral in tlie time of Cromwell, and whom King 
Charles II knighted for his successful naval ser- 
vices against the Dutch. His sou — our William 
Perm — was a serious youth, lie received religious 
impressions in his twelfth year, which were con- 
firmed by the preaching of Thomas Lowe, a Quakei- 
preacher. In his fifteenth year, while a commoner 
in Christ Church, Oxford, he met with other stu- 
dents who w^ere devoutly inclined, aiid with whom 
he joined in holding private meetings, in which 
they prayed and preached, which, it seems, was 
offensiye to the college authorities, by whom those 
young religionists were confined for non-conformi- 
ty, but continuing in their religious osorcises, they 
were linally expelled. Ytnuig Peim's father vainly 
endeavorc'l to Itirn iiini from his ictigious bent and 
exercises, which the more worldly minded senior 
feared would interfere with his ])roinotion in the 
world, but finding him still determined to adhere 
to his religious convictions, g.ave him a severe 
beating and turned him adrift upon the world. 
The young martjT was restored to his home by the 
intercession of his mother. He afterward visited 
Paris, and after his return was admitted to the 
study of the law in Lincoln's Inn. He soon after 
became a member of the staff of the Duke of 
Ormond, who was then the Viceroy of Ireland. He 
was thus engaged for awhile in military service, of 



u 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUJSTY. 



which he hecame fond. His father, however, would 
not pennit him to enter the army, wliifli he then 
eagerly wished to do. " It was at this interesting 
period of hi.s life," says Wayne McVeagh, in his 
eulogy, "that the authentic portrait of him now 
in the possession of the Historical Society was 
painted — a portrait which dispels many of the mis- 
taken opinions of his por.son and his character 
genenilly entertiiined. It presents him to us clad 
in annor, of frank countonanco, luid features deli- 
cate and beautiful, but resolute, with his hair 'long 
and parted in the center of his forehead, falling 
over his sliduUhu's in massive, natural ringlets.' 
Tliis portrait bears the date of his twenty-second 
birthday, and the martial nu)tto 'P(M' qua-rltur 
bdlo.'' " Having been sent, in his twenty-second 
year, by Ids father, to Ireland to manage an estate, 
he again met Rev. Thomas Lowe, in Cork, by whose 
preaching, and thi-ough his deep sympathy for a 
persecuted sect, he became a confirmed Quaker, 
and, with others, was imprisoned for attending 
Quaker meetings. He was, however, soon released, 
through the intervention of the Earl of Orrery. 
His father ordered liint home, and finding him still 
iiiHexible in his eonvicllon of religious <lnt.y, would 
have compromised witli him if he would have 
agi'eod to remain uncovered before the king, the 
duke, and himself, which, refusing to do, he be- 
came hateful to his father, by whom he was again 
driven from his home, but was again restored. 
Though his father never afterward openly counte- 
nanced him, still he would intercede for his release 
when imprisoned, as he occasionally was, for con- 
science's s-ike. When Sir William died, in 1070, he 
wa.s fully reconciled to his son. He ieft him a 
large estate. In bidding him farewell, he said, 
" Son William, let nothing in this world tempt 
you to wrong your conscience. So will you keep 
peace at home, which wi" be a feast to you in a 
day of trouI)l(\'' 

The wi'iler passes by young Peiiu's ministry, liis 
inari'iage, ami the perseeiUious of his S(H^t. I'^iiid- 
iiig that these persecutions would not cease, he 
resolved to settle in America, remarking : " There 
may be room there, though not here, for such a 
holy experiment." In 1681 he obtained from 
Charles II a patent for a province in North 
America, which the king readily granted, in con- 
sideration of his father's services and a debt of 
sixteen thousand pounds due his estate from the 
Cro^vn, which the government was either unable 
or unwilling to settle with him in money. After a 
long and searching course of proceedings, lasting 
from June H, 1080, till March 4, 1081, the charter 
)vasj granted, in which the boundaries of the 



Province are thus prescribed : " Bounded on the 
east by Delaware River, from twelve miles distance 
northward of New Castle town (Del.) unto the three 
and fortieth degree of northern latitude, if the said 
river doth extend so far northward, but if the said 
river shall not e.vtend so far northward, then by the 
said river so far as it doth extend ; and from the 
head of said river the eastern bounds are to be de- 
termined by a meridian lino, to be drawn from Urn 
head of said river unto the said forty-third degree. 
The said laiul to extend westward live degnses in 
longitude, to be computed from the said eastern 
bounds, and the said lands to be bounded on the 
north by the beginning of the three and fortieth 
degree of northern latitude, and on the south by 
a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New 
Castle, northward and westward, unto the begin- 
ning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude, 
and then by a straight line westward to the limits 
of longitude above mentioned." By a calculation 
of the contents of those ch.arter boundaries the Pro- 
vince contained thirty-five millions three hundred 
anti sixty-one thousand six hundred acres. The 
present area of the State of Pennsylvania, .according 
to the census of ISVOjis forty-six thousand H'puirf! 
miles, or twenty-nine million four hundred and 
I'orty thousand acres. The area was diminished by 
the subsequent adjustment of the boundaries 
between this and the States of IVIaryland, Virginia 
and New York. The impossible southern line, 
mentioned in the charter, caused much dispute 
between Penu and Lord Baltinaore, which was at 
length permanently fixed by Mason and Dixon, 
who were eminent m!ithem.aticians and astrono- 
mers. In 1 V74 Lord Dunmore groundlessly claimed 
that the western boundary of Pennsylvania did not 
include Pittsburgh and the Monongahcla river. 
After Gen. Gage ordered the evacuation of the 
English troops from Fort Pitt, one Dr. John Con- 
nolly, as Dunmore's agent, took possession ol' Fort 
T'itt Avith a military force which he had collected 
ill Virginia, changed the nanw^ of the lort (o tliiit 
of Dunmore, issued his proclamation asserting the 
elaim.of Mrginia to the fort and the territory in 
the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, and com- 
manding the people west of Laurel Hill to submit 
to the authority of Lord Dunmore as the Governor 
of the King of England. Settlers who had de- 
rived their titles from Virginia located in various 
•parts of that region. Governor Penn, however, 
caused Connolly to be arrested and imprisoned, 
and the intruders under the Virginia titles to be 
expelled. 

In December, 1774, the boundary line between 
Pennsylvania and New York was ascertained and 



WILLIAM PENN. 



15 



fixed by David Rittenhouse on the part of the for- 
mer, and Samuel Holland on the part of the latter, 
to be north latitude 42°, with a variation of 4° 20'. 
The forty-third parallel of north latitude, men- 
tioned in the charter, extends through central New 
York. Messrs. Rittenhouse and Holland placed a 
stone on a small island in the western branch of 
the DelaM'are river as a monument on the northeast 
corner of Pennsylvania, with the words and figures 
New Yoek, 1774, and the above-mentioned lati- 
tude and variation cut Tipon the top. They also 
placed another stone, four perches due west from 
the former, cutting on the top thereof the word 
Pennsylvania and the same latitude and variation 
as on the other. The extension of that line farther 
west was postponed until 1786-7, when it was com- 
pleted by Andrew Ellicott, on the part of Pennsyl- 
vania, and James Clinton and Simeon Dewitt on 
the j)art of New York. 

By act of March 27, 1790, £.300 were granted to 
Reading Howell for delineating on his map all the 
lines of this state, as established by law, or other- 
wise ascertained. 

Penn sailed in the ship Welcome, August 30, 
1682, for his newly acquired province. He arrived 
after a long passage at New Castle, Del., where the 
colonists, English, Dutch and Swedes, assembled to 
welcome him as their beloved proprietor. He 
wished the province to be called New Wales, but 
the king persisted in naming it " Pensilvania." 
In reference thereto Penn wrote to his friend, 
Robert Turner, on the 5th of January : " I pro- 
posed, when the secretary, a Welshman, refused to 
have it called New Wales, Sylvania, and they 
added Penn to it, and though I much opposed it, 
and went to the king to have it struck out and 
altered, he said it was past and would take it upon 
him ; nor could twenty guineas move the under- 
secretaries to vary the name ; for I feared lest it 
should be looked on as a vanity in me, and not as 
a respect in the king, as it truly was, to my father, 
whom he often mentions with praise." 

Notwithstanding his rights under that charter, 
he purchased the territory from the Indians at a 
fair price. 

Before leaving England he drafted and published 
the Fundamental Law and Frame of Government 
of Pennsylvania, from which I cite the thirty-fifth 
section : " All persons living in this province who 
confess and acknowledge the one Almighty and 
Eternal God, to be the Creator, Upholder and 
Ruler of the world, and that hold themselves 
obliged in conscience to live peaceably and justly 
in civil society, shall in noways be molested or pre- 
judiced for their religious persuasion or practise in 



matters of faith and worship; nor shall they be 
compelled at any time to frequent or maintain any 
religious worship, place or ministry whatever" — 
wherein was granted a greater degree of religious 
liberty than had been elsewhere allowed. 

A sketch of the early history of the Colonial 
government established by Penn, of the just 
treaties made between him and the Indians, and of 
the disturbed state of affairs in the colony after his 
return to England, properly belongs to state history. 
The -m-iter will not, therefore, dwell on them, but 
proceed to present some of the events which help 
make up the history of our own county. 

TBE THREE ORIGINAL COUNTIES, 

laid out by the immortal founder of Pennsylvania 
in 1682, were Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester.* 
To the last named the territory now included within 
the limits of Armstrong county once, theoretically 
at least, belonged, under the charter of Penn, but 
before he had purchased the Indian title. 

Though the Province was divided in 1682 into 
the three above-mentioned counties, their bounda- 
ries were not distinctly ascertained until several 
years thereafter, i.e. the division lines between those 
three counties. The Provincial Council unanimously 
agreed and ordered what they should be February 
1, 1865. Nevertheless a petition of the justices of 
Chester county for themselves and the inhabitants 
thereof was presented to the council January 25, 
1689, setting forth that Chester county was but a 
small tract of land not exceeding nine miles square, 
and but thinly settled, so that it was " not able to 
support the charge thereof ;" that upon their hum- 
ble request the proprietor and governor (Penn) had 
been pleased, before his departure, to grant an 
enlargement of the same, viz., to run up from the 
Delaware river along the Darby Mill creek, the 
several courses and distances until they took in 
Radnor and Herford townships ; then down to the 
Schuylkill ; then upward along the several courses 
thereof, without limit. The prayer in the petition 
was that the council would confirm these bounds so 
that the people of Chester county might in some 
measure be able to defray their necessary charge. 
The allegation that the proprietor before his return 



* We know that King Charles christened this state, and why he gaTe 
to it the name which it still bears. But how came the original county 
from which this county has descended to be christened Chester? 
Clarkson, in his "Life of Penn" (vol. 1, p. 259), alluding to the 
assembly being called at Upland, says: "This was a memorable 
event, and to be distinguished by some marked circumstance: he 
determined, therefore, to change the name of the place, iurnmg 
round to his friend Pearson, one of his own society, who had accom- 
panied him in the ship Welcome, he said, 'Providence has brought 
us here safe ; thou hast been the companion of my perils : what wilt 
thou that I should -caU this place?" Pearson said, 'Chester, in 
remembrance of the cits' from whence I came. William Penn re- 
plied that it should be caUed Chester, and that when he divided the 
laud into counties he would also call one of them by the same 
name." 



16 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



to England had indicated his wishes respecting the 
increase of the area of that county was corroborated 
by the written attestations of John Blunston, 
Randall Vernon and Thomas Usher, and by the 
assei-tions of some of the members of the council, 
that these courses and distances accorded with the 
map of the Province. John Blackwell, being then 
governor, directed that the minutes of the council, 
held February 1, 1682, be examined. It was found 
that the copy which was then before the council 
agreed in substance with the entry of the minutes. 
On February 26, 1689, the council reaffirmed their 
vote of February 1, 1682, fixing the dividing lines 
between the counties of Chester and Philadelphia, 
so that the area of Chester county was enlarged. 
To what extent ? Not expressly, yet impliedly or 
inferentially, so as to include all the territory of 
the Province not included in Bucks and Philadel- 
phia counties. At all events, the jurisdiction of 
the courts of Chester countj'', after its enlargement, 
over the settlements as they extended westward, 
until the formation of Lancaster county forty- 
two years later. Its western and northwestern 
boundaries were not expressly designated — they 
were left open. It is, then, a reasonable infer- 
ence that Armstrong county is a descendant from 
Chester. 

LANCASTER COUNTY. 

The petition for its organization was presented 
to the Provincial Council, February 6, 1828-9. (It 
appears from the 41st chapter of the Acts of the 
First General Assembly, passed December V, 1682, 
that the first settlers of this state began the year on 
the first of March ; that sixth of February was, ac- 
cording to their calendar, in 1828, but according to 
ours, in 1829.) That was " a petition of the inhabi- 
tants of the upper [western] parts of Chester" 
which " was laid before the board and read, setting 
forth that by reason of their great distance from 
the county town, where courts are held, offices are 
kept, and annual elections are made, they lie under 
very great inconveniences, being obliged, in the re- 
covery of their just debts, to travel one hundred 
miles to obtain a writ ; that for want of sufficient 
number of justices, constables, and other officers, 
in these parts, no care is taken of the highways ; 
townships are not laid out, nor bridges built, when 
there is an apparent necessity for them ; and further, 
that for want of a gaol there, several vagabonds and 
other dissolute people harbor among them, think- 
ing themselves safe from justice in so remote a 
place ; and therefore praying that a division line 
be made between the upper and lower part of said 
county, and the upper part thereof erected into a 



county, with all the immunities, rights and privi- 
leges which any other county of this province does 
now enjoy." 

This petition led to the formation of another 
county. York, including also what is now Adams 
county, was separated from Lancaster by act of 
August 9, 1749. 

CUMBERLAND COUNTY 

was formed out of Lancaster county by act of 
January 27, 1750: "All and singular the lands 
lying within the Province of Pennsylvania, to the 
westward of the Susquehanna, and northward and 
westward of the county of York, and is hereby 
erected into a county, named and hereafter to be 
called Cumberland, bounded northward and west- 
ward with the lines of the Province, eastward partly 
with the river Susquehanna, and partly with the 
county of York, and partly with the line dividing 
the said province from Maryland." 

BEDFORD COUNTY 

was formed out of Cumberland county by act of 
March 9, 1771 : "All and singular the lands lying 
and being within the following boundaries : Be- 
ginning where the Province line crosses the Tusca- 
rora mountain, and running along the summit of 
that mountain to the gap near the head of Path 
valley ; thence with a north line to the Juniata ; 
thence with the Juniata to the mouth of Shaver's 
creek ; thence northwest to the line of Berks 
county " — which had been formed from Philadel- 
phia, Chester and Lancaster counties, March 11, 
1752 ; "thence along the Berks county line north- 
westward to the western bounds of the Province ; 
thence sonthwai-d according to the several courses 
of the western boundary of the Province to the 
southwest corner of the Province ; thence eastward 
Avith the southern line .of the Province to the place 
of beginning" — from which, and from Berks, 
Northumberland county was separated by act of 
March 21, 1772, and then extended to the north 
and west boundaries of the Province ; and from it 
Lycoming county was formed by act of April 1-3, 
1795, and comprised all the northwestern part of the 
State beyond Huntingdon, Mifflin and West- 
moreland counties. 

WESTMORELAND COUNTY 

was formed out of Bedford county by act of Feb- 
ruary 26, 1773 : "Beginning in the Province line 
where the most westerly branch, commonly called 
the South or Great branch, of Youghiogheny river 
crosses the same ; thence down the easterly side of 
the said branch and river to the Laurel hill ; thence 



ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES. 



17 



along the ridge of the said hill northeastward so 
far as it can be traced, or till it runs into the Alle- 
gheny hill ; thence along the ridge dividing the 
waters of the Susquehanna and Allegheny rivers to 
the purchase, line at the head of Susquehanna; 
thence due west to the limits of the Province ; and 
by the same to the place of beginning," from which 
Washington county was separated by act of Marcli 
•28, 1781. It was provided bj' act of April 8, 1785, 
"That all the land within the late purchase from 
the Indians, not heretofore assigned to smy other 
particular county, shall be taken and deemed, and 
they are hereby declared to be, within the limits of 
the counties of Northumberland and "Westmoreland, 
and that from the Kittanning up the Allegheny to 
the mouth of Conewango creek, and from thence 
up said creek to the northern line of this state, 
shall be the line between Northumberland and 
Westmoreland counties in the aforesaid late pur- 
chase." 

ALLEGHENY COUNTY 

was formed out of parts of Westmoreland and 
Washington counties by act of September 24, 1788 : 
"Beginning at the mouth of Flaherty's run, on the 
south side of the Ohio river ; from thence by a 
straight line to the plantation on which Joseph 
Scott, Esq.,' then lived,' on Montour's run, to include 
the same ; from thence by a straight line to the 
mouth of Miller's run, on Chartier's creek ; thence 
by a straight line to the mouth of Perry's Mill run, 
on the east side of the Monongahela river ; thence 
up the said river to the mouth of Becket's run ; 
thence by a straight line to the mouth of Sewick- 
lay creek, on Youghiogheny river ; thence up 
Turtle creek to the main fork thereof ; thence by a 
northerly line until it Strikes Rickety's creek ; 
thence down said creek to the Allegheny river ; 
thence up the Allegheny river to the northern 
boundary of the state ; thence along the same to the 
western line of the state ; thence along the same to 
the river Ohio, and thence up the same to the place 
of beginning." To which another piortion of 
Washington county was annexed in 1789; and a 
ti-act of between two and three hundred thousand 
acres, on Lake Erie, purchased by the Governor of 
Pennsj^lvania, March 3, 1792, from the United 
States (to which it had been ceded by New York 
and Massachusetts), for §151,740.45, continental 
money, was declared, by act of April -3, 1792, to be 
a part of Allegheny coimty. 

ARMSTRONG COUNTY 

was formed out of parts of Allegheny, Westmore- 
land and Lycoming counties by act of March 12, 



1800. All that portion west of the Allegheny 
river was taken from Allegheny county ; all that 
portion on the east side of that river, between the 
Kiskiminetas river and the then northern boundary 
of Westmoreland county, viz, a line due west from 
the purchase line at the head of the Susquehanna, 
striking the Allegheny river a short distance below, 
the mouth of Cowanshannock creek, was taken 
from Westmoreland county ; and all that part 
between the northern boundary of Westmoreland 
county east of the Allegheny river and Clarion 
river was taken from Lycoming county which had 
been formed out of Northumberland county by act 
of April 13, 1795. 

The original boundaries of Armstrong county 
were: "Beginning on the Allegheny river, at the 
mouth of Buffalo creek, the corner of Butler 
county," which was also erected by act of March 
12, 1800 ; " thence northerly along the line of said 
county of Butler to where the northeast corner of 
the said county of Butler shall strike the Allegheny 
river ; thence from the said corner, on a line at a 
right angle from the first line of the county of 
Butler, until the said line shall strike the Alle- 
gheny river ; thence by the margin of said river to 
the mouth of Toby's creek" — Clarion river — 
" thence crossing the river and up said creek to the 
line dividing Wood's and Hamilton's ' districts ; 
thence southerlj- along said line to the present line 
of Westmoreland county ; thence down the [Kiski- 
minetas] river to the mouth thereof on the Alle- 
gheny river ; thence across the said river to the 
westwardly margin thereof ; thence down the said 
river to the mouth of Buffalo creek, the place of 
beginning." By act of March 11, 1839, that part 
east of the Allegheny river and between Red Bank 
creek and the Clarion river was detached from 
Armstrong and annexed to Clarion county. Thus 
it appears that the territory of Armstrong county 
has been successively included in the counties of 
Chester, Lancaster, Cumberland and Bedford, 
wholly, and in Northumberland, Westmoreland, 
Allegheny and Lycoming, partly. 

It may not be so well and generally known a 
hundred years hence as it is now why our county 
received the name which it bears. It may then be 
a matter of greater interest and curiosity than it 
now is to know why it was thus christened. The 
writer, therefore, turns back in the chronological 
order of events beyond the middle of the last cen- 
tury. 

CONTEST BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH. 

From and after 1 744, both the British and French 
governments claimed a large portion of the terri- 



18 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



tory west of the Allegheny mountains, embracing 
portions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. In 
1743, one Peter Chartier, a half-blood and trader, 
and a French spy, residing most of the time in 
Philadelphia, attempted to cause the Shawanee 
Indians on the Ohio, who had become hostile to the 
English and friendly to the French, to wage war 
against the Six Nations, who were in the main 
friendly to the English. With four hundred 
Shawanee warriors, he captured two provincial 
traders on the Allegheny, and, showing his com- 
mission as captain, granted by the French govern- 
ment, seized their goods, worth sixteen hundred 
pounds. Thus began open hostilities in the French 
and Indian war. The French authorities were 
watching, with a jealous eye, the settlements made 
by the Ohio Company and others on the disputed 
territory. The then governor of Canada, Gallison- 
iere, resolved to establish evidences of the claim 
and occupancy of the French to and of that disputed 
region. Hence he ordered one Louis Celeron, with 
a body of soldiers, to place plates of lead, whereon 
was inscribed the claim of France, in the mounds 
and at the mouths of the Ohio. Several of those 
plates were afterward found. On the one at the 
God-rock was this inscription, as translated from 
the French : 

" In the year 1'749, during the reign of Louis XV, 
king of France, we, Celoron, commandant of a 
detachment sent by the Marquis de la Gallisoniere, 
commander-in-chief of New France, to restore tran- 
quillity in some Indian villages of these districts, 
have buried this plate at the confluence of the 
Tch-a-da-koin," — now called French Creek — "this 
29th of July, near the river Ohio, otherwise Beau- 
tiful River [Belle Riviere), as a monument of our 
having retaken possession of the said river Ohio 
and of those that fall into the same, and of all the 
land on both sides as far as the sources of said rivers, 
as well as of those which the preceding kings of 
France have enjoyed possession of and maintained, 
partly by force of arms, partly by treaties, espe- 
cially by those of Ryswick, Utrecht and Aix-la- 
Chapelle." 

The Allegheny was then called Ohio, so that 
the claim mentioned in that inscription covered the 
tributaries of the Allegheny and the land in our 
county as well as elsewhere. 

The English claim to the same territory was 
asserted thus: "That all the lands or countries 
westward from the Atlantic ocean to the South 
Sea, between 48° and 34° of north latitude, were 
expressly included in the grant of King James I, 
to divers of his subjects, so long since as the year 
1606, and afterward confirmed in 1620 ; and under 



this grant the colony of Virginia claims extent so 
far west as the South Sea, and the ancient colonies 
of Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut were, by 
their respective charters, made to extend to the 
said South Sea, so that not only the right to the 
sea-coast, but to all the inland countries, from sea 
to sea, has at all times been asserted by the Crown 
of England." 

Thus it was that the territory of our county, in 
common with that of others, was disputed territory — 
claimed by both French and English. 

The French early and vigorously endeavored to 
fortify themselves along the Ohio and Allegheny 
rivers for the purpose of substantiating their claim 
and title to the contiguous territory. 

From information derived by Washington while 
on his mission to Logstown and Venango, in 1 '7.5.3-4, 
and from prisoners who had escaped from the 
French and Indians, it became evident to the 
English that the French were making timely and 
vigorous efforts to establish a cordon of forts from 
Lake Erie to the Ohio, and thus hem in the English 
east of the Allegheny mountains. The conflict 
could be settled only by the wager of battle, to 
which neither party was eager to appeal, but each 
sought otherwise to fortify their claims, and gain 
over to their respective interests the favor, good 
will and aid of the Indians. The French appear 
to have been more adroit and successful in winning 
the Indians to their side of the contest than were 
the English. There was a misunderstanding 
between the Six Nations and the English as to the 
extent of territory embraced in the sale and pur- 
chase of the treaty made at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 
June 22, 1744, which was produced at a meeting, or 
conference, held at Logstown, seventeen miles below 
Pittsburgh, June 9, 1752. When the sales, in pur- 
suance of that treaty, were urged as valid, the chiefs 
replied : " We have not heard of any sale west of 
the warriors' road, which runs at the foot of the 
Allegheny ridge." So intense was the feeling of 
the Indians respecting this matter, that William 
Fairfax said that in the conference with the Indians, 
held at Winchester, Virginia, in September, 1753, 
he had not dared to mention to them either the 
Lancaster or Logstown treaty. 

The Shawanees had already gone over to the 
French, and the Delawares were just waiting for a 
favorable opportunity to follow them and wreak 
their vengeance on the English colonists for their 
instrumentality in forcing them to leave the forks 
of the Delaware — that is, the territory of North- 
ampton county between the Lehigh and Delaware 
rivers. When ordered off from their homes in the 
forks by the Six Nations, at the instigation of the 



THE INDIANS. 



19 



colonists, they removed to Wyoming, carrying 
with them a keen sense of the wrongs which they 
conceived had been done them, among which was 
the famous imlking jnirchase, or the Indian walk, 
a transaction which was said not to have been 
creditable to the proprietary government, and by 
which, it was alleged, the Indian title to the land 
in the forks was extinguished, and by which the 
Indians thought they were wrongfully overreached 
as to the quantity of land or extent of territory 
embraced in that sale and purchase. That was one 
of the prominent causes which incited the Dela- 
wares, Shawanees and Maumees to become allies of 
the French in 1755.* 

THE INDIANS. 

It is probable that the aboriginal inhabitants of 
the territory within the limits of this county be- 
longed mainly to the Lenni Lenape, who held that 
they were the original people and of western origin. 
The Delawares claimed that their ancestors lived, 
many hundred years ago, in the far distant wilds 
of the West, and were the progenitors of forty 
other tribes ; that after many years of emigration 
toward the rising sun, they reached the Mississippi 
river, where they met the Mengwe, who came from 
a very distant region and had reached that river 
higher up toward its source ; that they found a 
powerful nation east of the Mississippi, who were 
called Alligewi, and from whom originated the 
name of the Allegheny mountains ; that the Le- 
nape wished to settle near the Alligewi, which the 
latter refused, but allowed them to cross the river 
and proceed farther to the east ; that when the Al- 
ligewi discovered how multitudinous the Lenape 
were, they feared their numerical strength and slew 
the portion that had crossed the river, and threat- 
ened to destroy the rest if they should attempt to 
cross ; that the Lenape and Mengwe united their 
forces against the Allegewi, and conquered and 
drove them out of that part of the country ; that 
the Lenape and Mengwe lived together in peace 
and harmony for many years ; that some of the 



*A part of the evidence to the contrary was the statement of 
Nicholas Scull, Surveyor-General, made before the Provincial Coun- 
cil, Tuesdav, January 25, 1757, in wliicli he alleged that in Sei^teraber, 
1737, he was present at the running of the line of the Indian pur- 
chase of those lands, and that he had reduced to writing what he 
remembered about it. His statement having been signed and 
affirmed bv him before the Governor in council, it was duly entered. 
He aftirmed that the day and a half 'sw-alk begun near Wrightstown, 
in Buclis oountv, and continued thence some distance beyond tlie Kit- 
tatinnv mountains; that he believed the whole distance walked did 
not exceed lifty-flve statute miles ; that Benjamin Eastburn, the then 
Sun-evor-General. Timothy Smith, sherift' of Bucks county, and liim- 
self, attended that walk from beginning to end ; that particular care 
was taken not to exceed eighteen hours; that he always thought 
and believed that walk to have been fairly performed, the walkers 
not having run or gone out of a walk at any time : that he did not 
remember of any of the Indians then present making any complaint 
of unfair practice; and that Eastburn, he and others lodged the 
night after the walk was completed at the Indian town Poaeopokunk, 
where were Cant. Harrison, a noted man among the Indians, and 
many of the Delawares, none of whom did he remember as having 
made any complaint or shown any uneasiness concerning that walk. 



Lenape hunters crossed the Allegheny mountains, 
the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers, and ad- 
vanced to the Hudson, which they called the Ilohi- 
cannituck river ; that on their return to their peo- 
ple they represented the country which they had 
discovered so far toward the rising sun to be with- 
out people, but abounding in fish, game, fowls and 
fruits ; that thus the Lenape were induced to emi- 
grate eastward along the ieno^e-whittuck, the river 
of the Lenapes, also called Mac.k-er-isk-iskan, which 
the English named the Delaware, in honor of Lord 
de la Ware, who entered Delaware Bay in 1610 and 
was Governor of the Colony of Virginia from about 
that time until 1618. The Dutch and Swedes 
called it the South river to distinguish it from 
North river, which bears the name of Hudson. 

That such was the tradition preserved by the 
Delawares is truthfully stated by Rev. John Heck- 
eweldei', a Moravian missionary, in his "Account of 
the History, Manners and Customs of the Indian 
Nations who once Inhabitated Pennsylvania and 
the Neighboring States," published, in 1819, under 
the auspices of the historical and literary commit- 
tee of the American Philosophical Society. The 
passing remark may here be made that Indian laws 
and historical events were not preserved on parch- 
ment, paper or in books, but by tradition they were 
handed down from one generation to another. 
William Rawle, in his able " Vindication of Heck- 
ewelder's History,"* pertinently says : " The ancient 
history of every part of Europe depends on such 
traditions, the probable truth of which is some- 
times supported by circumstances that are subse- 
quently authenticated. In the Lenapian history of 
the total extirpation of the Alligewi we see nothing 
inconsistent with that well-known ferocity of sav- 
age tribes which still unhappily continues to rage 
among them." 

The Shawanees were driven out of Georgia and 
South Carolina, and came to the mouth of the 
Conestoga, within the present limits of Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, about 167 7, and spread thence 
over what was afterward Cumberland county, along 
the west branch of the Susquehanna, in the Wy- 
oming valley, and thence to the Ohio. As early 
as, if not earlier than, I7l9, Delaware and Shawanee 
Indians were settled on the Allegheny. About 1724, 
says Bancroft, the Delaware Indians, for the con- 
venience of game, emigrated from the Delaware 
and Susquehanna rivers to the branches of tlie 
Ohio; in 1728, the Shawanees gradually followed 
them, and they were soon met by Canadian traders, 
and loncaire, an adopted citizen of the Seneca 



*Eead at a meeting of the council of the Historical Society of 
Pennsylvania, February 15, 1826. 



20 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



tribe, used his power of intrigue to win them over 
to the French. 

THE INDIAN TOWN OF KITTANNING. 

The old Indian town of Kittanning was settled by 
the Delawares, prior to 1730.* It subsequently be- 
came an important point. Shingas, king of the 
Delawares, on whom Washington called, in 175-3, 
at his residence near McKee's Rock, in the vicinity 
of Pittsburgh, occasionally resided with Capt. 
Jacobs, at the Kittanning, on the left bank of the 
Allegheny, or, as it was then called, Ohio, which 
the Indians jJronounced Oh-he-hu or Ho-he-lm, mean- 
ing heaiiUful or handsome, of which name the Sen- 
eeas are said to be very tenacious. In 1673, when 
.loliet and Marquette passed from Quebec, through 
the lakes, and down the Wisconsin to the Missis- 
sippi, there was no account of any white man visit- 
ing the head of the Ohio, that part of the stream 
below the mouth of the Wabash being then called 
Ouabache, or Wabash, and being so named on maps 
made before 1730. Heckewelder says : " Ohio, cor- 
rupted from Ohio-peek-lmnne, signifying very deep 
and white stream, by its being covered all over with 
white caps." It does not appear just when that 
part north of Pittsburgh received the name of Al- 
legheny,! wbich was derived from the Allegheny 
mountains. It is a general impression, so far as 
the writer has learned, that the meaning of Alle- 
gheny is clear or fair water. Benjamin Smith 
Barton, M. D., who had a very extensive knowledge 
of the aboriginal dialects, informed Rev. Timothy 
Alden, former President of Allegheny College, that 
Allegheny means " the great lear 2Ktth," which cor- 
responds with what the chiefs at the Logstown 
conference called " the warriors'' road which ran at 
the foot of the Allegheny ridge." ( Vide infra, the 
sketch of the present Allegheny townshij).) 

In consequence of the failures of the exjseditions 
against Forts Niagara and Du Quesne, and espe- 
cially Braddock's terrible defeat in 1 755, hundreds of 
miles of the frontier of Pennsylvania and Virginia 
were exposed to the ravages of the Indians. In the 
autumn of 1755, the inhabitants along the fron- 
tier of Pennsylvania were in constant j)eril from 
the attacks of scalping parties of Indians, who wei-e 



*,Ionah Davenport, an Indian trader, in his examination or affi- 
davit, taken l.efore Lieut. Gov. Gordon, at Philadelpliia, October 20, 
1731, says : " Last spring was four years, as lie remembers, a French 
Gentleman in appearance, with five or six Attendants, came down 
the Kiver to a settlement of the Delaware Indians, called Kithau- 
ning, with an Intention, as this Examit believes, to iiiquire into 
the number of English Traders in those parts, and to sound the minds 
of the Indians," etc. James Le Tort's examination, taken at the same 
time, gives the name of that French gentleman as M. Cavalier. A list 
of Delaware and other Indians on the Connumach and Kithenning 
rivers and elsewhere is attached to those examinations, in which is 
this item: "Kithenning River— Mostly Delawares. Fam. 50; men, 
150. Dist. 50." The last probably means the distance from Fort Du 
Quesne. 

t It was called both Ohio and Allegheny as early as 1748. 



instigated to and assisted in their bloody attacks 
by the French. At a council held at Carlisle, Penn- 
sylvania, about the middle of January, 1756, at 
which Gov. Morris, James Hamilton, William Lo- 
gan, Richard Peters and Joseph Fox, commissioners, 
George Croghan and Conrad Weiser, interpreters, 
and Belt, Seneca George and other Indians were 
present, Mr. Croghan informed the governor and 
council " that he had sent a Delaware Indian, called 
Jo Hickman, to the Ohio for intelligence, who had 
returned to his house the day before he came away ; 
that he went to Kittanning, an Indian Delaware 
town on the Ohio" (now Allegheny), "forty miles 
above Fort Du Quesne, the residence of Shingas 
and Capt. Jacobs, where he found 140 men, chiefly 
Delawares and Shawanees, who had there with 
them above one hundred English prisoners, big and 
little, taken from Virginia and Pennsylvania. From 
the Kittanning Jo Hickman went to Logstown, 
where he found about one hundred Indians and 
thirty JEnglish prisoners ; that he returned to Kit- 
tanning, and there learned that ten Delawares 
had gone to the Susquehanna to persuade, as he 
supposed, those Indians to strike the English who 
might have been concerned in the mischief " then 
" lately done in Northampton." Mr. Croghan said 
he was well assured by accounts given by other 
Indians that the Delawares and Shawanees acted 
in this hostile measure by the advice and concur- 
rence of the Six Nations, and that such of them as 
lived in the Delaware towns went along with them 
and took part in their incursions." 

King Shingas, who, Heckewelder says, was "a 
bloody warrior, cruel his treatment, relentless his 
fuVy, small in person, but in activity, courage and 
savage prowess unexcelled," heading a party of war- 
riors fell upon the settlements west of the Susque- 
hanna and committed the most cruel murders. To 
guard against such and other deiaredations a cordon 
of forts and blockhouses was erected along the 
Kittatinny hills, from the Delaware river to the 
Maryland line, east of the Susquehanna river. West 
of that river were Fort Louther, at Carlisle, Forts 
Morris and Franklin at Shippensburg, Fort Gran- 
ville, near Lewistown, Fort Shirley, at Shirleys- 
burg, on the Sugwick branch, Fort Littleton, near 
Bedford, and Fort Loudon, in what is now Franklin 
county. Still Indian depredations continued to be 
committed through the spring and summer of 1756. 
In July of that year Fort Granville was stormed, 
and a number of prisoners taken and transferred to 
Kittanning. 

Mr. Morris informed the governor and council, 
August 2, 1756, that he had concerted an expedi- 
tion against Kittanning, to be conducted by Col. 



EXPEDITION AGAINST KITTANNING. 



21 



John Armstrong, who was to have under his com- 
mand the companies under Capt. Hamilton, Capt. 
Mercer, Capt. Ward, Capt. Potter, and besides 
to engage what volunteers he could. The affair 
was to be kept as secret as possible, and the officers 
and men were ordered to march to Fort Shirley 
and thence to set out on the expedition. Mr. 
Morris had given Col. Armstrong particular in- 
structions, which were entered in the orderly book. 
In pursuance thereof and agreeably to the plan 
concerted. Col. Armstrong had made the necessary 
preparations and had written to Mr. Morris a letter 
from Fort Shirley in which he gave an account of 
the capture of Fort Granville by the French and 
Indians, and stated that they intended to attack 
Fort Shirley with 400 men, and that Capt. Jacobs 
said, " I can take any fort that will catch fire, and 
I will make peace with the English when they learn 
me to make gunpowder." 

EXPEDITION AGAINST KITTANNING. 

Eight companies of soldiers, constituting the 
second battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment, 
under the command of Lieut. Col. John Armstrong,* 
were stationed at the forts on the west side of the 
Susquehanna. For the purpose of carrying out the 
expedition against Kittanning, planned as above 
stated. Col. Armstrong, with a part of the force 
assigned to him, consisting of 307 men, marched 
upon Fort Shirley, Monday, September .3, 1756, and 
joined his advanced party at Beaver Dam, near 
Frankstown, which they left on the 4th and 
advanced to within fifty miles of Kittanning on the 
the 6th, whence an officer, one of the pilots, and 
two soldiers were sent forward to reconnoiter the 
town. These men returned on the 7th and in- 
formed Col. Armstrong that the roads were entirely 
clear of the enemy, but it appeared from what else 
they said that they had not approached near enough 
to the town to learn its situation, the number of 
persons in it, or how it might be most advantage- 
ously attacked. The march was continued on the 
8th with the intention of advancing as near as pos- 
sible to the town that night. A halt was, however, 
made about nin'e or ten o'clock on account of infor- 
mation received from one of the guides that he had 
seen a fire by the roadside a few perches from the 
front, at which were two or three Indians. The 
pilot returned again in a short time and reported 
that from the best observations he could make 
there were not more than three or four Indians at 
the fire. It was determined not to surround and 



* For personal sketches of Col. Armstrong, and other officers en- 
gaged in the expedition against Kittanning, the reader is referred to 
the note at the close of this chapter. 



cut them off immediately, lest, if only one should 
escape, he might communicate their presence to his 
people in the town, and thus their well-laid plan of 
attack would be, in a measure at least, frustrated. 
Lieut. James Hogg, of Capt. Armstrong's company, 
with twelve men and the pilot Avho first discovered 
the fire, was ordered to remain, watch the enemy 
until the break of day, on the 9th, and then cut 
them oft', if possible, at that point, which was about 
six miles from Kittanning. The tired horses, the 
blankets, and other baggage, were left there, and 
the rest of the force took a circuit off the road, so 
as not to be heard by the Indians at the fire, which 
route they found to be stonJ^ That condition of 
the route and the fallen trees along the way greatly 
retarded their march. Still greater delay was 
caused by the ignorance of the pilots, who, it seems, 
knew neither the real situation of the town nor the 
paths leading to it. 

After crossing hills and valleys, the front reached 
the Allegheny river shortly before the setting of 
the moon on the morning of the 9th, about a 
hundred rods below the main body of the town, or 
about that distance below Market street, at or near 
the present site of the poorhouse, on lot nuinber 
241, in modern Kittanning. They were guided 
thither by the beating of the drum and the whoop- 
ing of the Indians at their dances, rather than by 
the pilots. It was necessary for them to make the 
best possible use of the remaining moonlight, but 
in this they were interrupted for a few moments by 
the sudden and singular whistling of an Indian, 
about thirty feet to the front, at the foot of a corn- 
field, which was at first thought by Col. Armstrong 
to be a signal of their approach to the rest of the 
Indians. He was informed by a soldier by the name 
of Baker that it was the way a young Indian called 
his squaw after the dance. Silence was passed to 
the rear and they lay quiet until after the going 
down of the moon. A number of fires soon flashed 
up in various parts of the cornfield, which. Baker 
said, were kindled to keep off the gnats, and would 
soon go out. As the weather was warm that night, 
the Indians slept by the fires in the cornfield. 

Three companies of Col. Armstrong's force had 
not, at daybreak on the 9th, passed over the last 
precipice. Their march of thirty miles had wearied 
them and most of them were asleep. Proper per- 
sons were dispatched to rouse them ; a suitable 
number, under several officers, were ordered to take 
the end of the hill at which they then lay, and to 
march along to the top of it at least one hundred 
perches, and so much farther as would carry them 
opposite the upper part, or at least the body of the 
town. Col. Armstrong, presuming that the Indian 



i 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



I 



warriors were at the lower end of that hill, kept the 
larger portion of his men there, promising to post- 
pone the attack eighteen or twenty minutes, until 
the detachment along the hill should have time to 
advance to the point to which they had been 
ordered. They were somewhat unfortunate in 
making that advance. The time having elapsed, a 
simultaneous attack was made as expeditiously as 
possible, through and upon every part of the corn-, 
field. A party was dispatched to the houses, when 
Capt. Jacobs and several other Indians, as the En- 
glish prisoners afterward stated, shouted the war- 
whoop and yelled : " The white men are come at 
last and we will have scalps enough," at the same 
time ordering their squaws and children to flee to 
the woods. 

THE BATTLE. 

Col. Armstrong's m.en rushed through and fired 
the cornfield, where they received several returns 
from the Indians in the field and from the opposite 
side of the river. A brisk fire commenced soon 
after among the houses, which was very reso- 
lutely returned from the house of Capt. Jacobs, 
which Avas situated on the north side of Market, a 
short distance above McKean street, on Jacobs' 
Hill, in the rear of the site at the northern end of 
the stone wall in the garden, on which Dr. John 
Gilpin built, in 1834-35, that large two-story brick 
mansion now owned and occupied by Alexander 
Reynolds. Thither Col. Armstrong repaired and 
found that several of his men had been Avounded, 
and some had been killed, from the port-holes of 
that house and other advantages which it afforded 
to the Indians within it. As the returning fire 
upon that house proved ineffectual, he ordered the 
adjoining houses to be fired, which was quickly 
done, the Indians seldom failing to wound or kill 
some of their assailants when they presented them- 
selves. Col. Armstrong, while moving about and 
giving the necessary orders, received a bullet-wound 
in his shoulder from Capt. Jacobs' house. It is 
stated in " Robinson's Narrative," that Col. Arm- 
strong said : " ' Are there none of you that will set 
fire to these rascals that have wounded me and 
killed so many of us ? ' John Furgeson, a soldier, 
swore he would. He went to a house covered with 
bark and took a strip of it which had fire on it, 
and rushed up to the cover of Jacobs' house and 
held it there till it had burned about a yard squ^are. 
Then he ran and the Indians fired at him. The 
smoke blew about his legs and the shots missed 
him." That house contained the magazine, which 
for a time caused it to be observed, to see whether 
the Indians, knowing their peril, would escape 
from it. They, as we say nowadays, " held the 



fort " until the guns were discharged by the 
approaching fire. 

Several persons Avere ordered, during the action, 
to tell the Indians to surrender themselves prison- 
ers. On being thus told, one of them replied : " I 
am a man, and I will not be a prisoner." Being 
told, in his own language, that he would be burned, 
he said : " I don't care, for I will kill four or five 
before I die." Had not Col. Armstrong and his 
men desisted from exjDosing themselves, the Indians, 
who had a number of loaded guns, would have 
killed many more of them. As the fire approached 
and the smoke thickened, one of the Indians 
evinced his manhood by singing. A squaw being 
heard to cry was severely rebuked by the Indians. 
But after aAvhile, the fire having become too hot for 
them, two Indians and a squaw sprang out of the 
house and started for the cornfield, but were imme- 
diately shot by some of their foemen. It was thought 
that Capt. Jacobs tumbled out of the garret or cock- 
loft window when the houses were surrounded. 
The English prisoners who were recaptured offered 
to be qualified that the powder-horn and pouch 
taken from him were the very ones Avhich Capt. 
Jacobs had obtained from a French officer in ex- 
change for Lieut. Armstrong's boots, which he had 
brought from Fort Greenville, Avhere the lieutenant 
was killed. Those prisoners said they were per- 
fectly assured of Capt. Jacobs' scalp, because no 
other Indians there wore their hair in the same 
manner, and that they knew his squaw's scalp by a 
particular bob, and the scalp of a young Indian, 
called the king's son. 

The report of the explosion of the magazine 
under Capt. Jacobs' house, says Patterson's History 
of the Backwoods, was heard at Fort Du Quesne, 
whereupon some French and Indians, fearing an 
attack had been made on the town (Kittanning), 
instantly started up the river, but did not reach the 
place until the day after the explosion and battle, 
Avhen the troops had been withdrawn. They found 
among the ruins the bodies of Capt. Jacobs, his 
squaw and his son. 

Capt. Hugh Mercer, who Avas wounded in the 
arm early in the action, had been, before the attack 
on Capt. Jacobs' house, taken to the top of the hill 
aboA^e the town, where several of the officers and a 
number of the men had gathered. From that 
position they discovered some Indians crossing the 
river and taking to the hill, with the intention, as 
they thought, to surround Col. Armstrong and his 
force, and cut them off from their retreat. The 
colonel received scA'eral A-ery pressing requests to 
leave the house and retreat to the hill, lest all should 
be cut off, which he would not consent to do until 



BLANKET HILL. 



23 



all the houses were fired. Although the spreading 
out of that part of the force on the hill appeared to 
be necessary, it nevertheless jjrevented an examina- 
tion of the cornfield and river-side. Thus some 
scalps, and probably some squaws, children and 
English prisoners, were left behind tliat might have 
otherwise been secured. 

Nearly thirty houses were fired, and while they 
were burning, the ears of Col. Armstrong and his 
men were regaled by the successive discharges of 
loaded guns, and still more so by the explosion of 
sundry bags and large kegs of powder stored away 
in every house. The English prisoners, after their 
Vecapture, said that the Indians liad often told them 
that they had ammunition enough to war ten years 
with the English. The leg and thigh of an Indian 
and a child three years old were thrown, when the 
powder exploded, with the roof of Capt. Jacobs' 
house, so high that the^^ appeared as nothing, and 
fell into an adjacent corn-field. A large quantity 
of goods which the Indians had received from the 
French ten days before was burned. 

Col. Armstrong then went to the hill to have his 
wound tied up and the blood stopped. Then the 
English prisoners, who had come to his men in the 
morning, informed him that on that very day two 
batteaux of Frenchmen, with Delaware and French 
Indians, were to join Capt. Jacobs at Kittanning, 
and to set out early the next morning to take Fort 
Shirley, and that twenty-four warriors who had 
lately arrived were sent before them the previous 
evening, whether to prepare meat, spy the fort, or 
make an attack on the frontier settlements, these 
prisoners did not know. 

Col. Armstrong and others were convinced, on 
reflection, that those twenty-four warriors were all 
at the fire the night before, and began to fear the 
fate of Lieut. Hogg and his party. They, there- 
fore, deemed it imprudent to wait to cut down the 
corn, as they had designed. So they immediately 
collected their wounded and forced their way back 
as well as they could, by using a few Indian horses. 
It was diflicult to keep the men together on the 
march, because of their fears of being waylaid and 
surrounded, which were increased by a few Indians 
firing, for awhile after the march began, on each 
wing, and then running off, whereby one man was 
shot through the legs. For several miles the march 
did not exceed two miles an hour. 

BLANKJET HILL. 

On the return of Col. Armstrong and his force to 
the place where the Indian fire had been discovered 
the night before, they met a sergeant of Capt. 
Mercer's company and two or three others of his 



men who had deserted that morning immediately 
after the action at Kittanning, who, in running 
away, had met Lieut. Hogg, lying by the roadside, 
wounded in two parts of his body, who then told 
them of the fatal mistake which had been made l>y 
the pilot in assuring them that there were only 
three Indians at the fireplace the previous night, 
and that when he and his men attacked the Indians 
that morning, according to orders, he found their 
number considerably superior to his own. He also 
said that he believed he had killed or mortally 
wounded three of the Indians at the first fire ; that 
the rest fled, and he was obliged to conceal himself 
in a thicket, whei'e he might have lain safely if 
" that cowardly sergeant and his co-deserters," as 
Col. Armstrong stigmatizes them in his report, had 
not removed him. When they had marched a short 
distance four Indians appeared and those deserters 
fled. Lieut. Hogg, notwithstanding his wounds, 
with the true heroism of a brave soldier, was still 
urging and commanding those about him to stand 
and fight, but they all refused. The Indians then 
pursued, killed one man and inflicted a third wound 
upon the gallant lieutenant — in his belly — from 
which he died in a few hours, having ridden on horse- 
back seven miles from the place of action. That 
sergeant also represented to Col. Armstrong that 
there was a much larger number of Indians there 
than had appeared to them to be ; that they fought 
five rounds ; that he had seen Lieut. Hogg and 
several others killed and scalped ; that he had 
discovered a number of Indians throwing them- 
selves before Col. Armstrong and his force, which, 
with other such stuff, caused confusion in the 
colonel's ranks, so that the officers had difficulty in 
keeping the men together, and could not prevail on 
them to collect the horses and baggage which the 
Indians had left, except a few of the horses, which 
some of the bravest of the men were persuaded to 
secure. 

From the mistake of the pilot in underrating the 
number of Indians at the fire the night before, and 
the cowardice of that sergeant and the other desert- 
ers, Col. Armstrong and his command met with a 
considerable loss of their horses and baggage, which 
had been left, as before stated, with Lieut. Hogg 
and his detachment when the main force made 
their detour to Kittanning. 

Many blankets were afterward found on the 
ground where Lieut. Hogg and his small force 
were defeated by the superior number — about 
double — of their Indian foes. Hence that battle- 
field has ever since borne the name of " Blanket 
Hill." It is on the farm of Philip Dunmire, in 
Kittanning to-miship, to the right, going east, of 



24 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the turnpike road from Kittanning to Elderton and 
Indiana, about four hundred and seventy-five rods, 
a little east of south, from the present site of the 
Blanket Hill postoffice, and two hundred and sev- 
enty-five rods west of the Plum Creek township 
line. 

Various other relics of that fight have been found 
from time to time, among which a straight sword 
with the initials " J. H." on it, which is owned by 
James Stewart, of Kittanning borough, was on ex- 
hibition with other relics at the Centennial Exposi- 
tion, Philadelphia. 

It was impossible for Col. Armstrong to ascertain 
the exact number of the enemy killed in the action 
at Kittanning, since some were burned in the con- 
flagration of the houses and others fell in different 
parts of the cornfield ; but he thought there could 
not be less, on a moderate estimate, than thirty or 
forty either killed or mortally wounded, as much 
blood was found in various parts of the cornfield, 
as Indians were seen crawling from several parts 
thereof into the woods, whom the soldiers, in their 
pursuit of others, passed by expecting afterward 
to find and scalp them, and as several others were 
killed and wounded while crossing the river. 

THE RETURN MARCH. 

When the victors commenced their return march 
they had about a dozen scalps and eleven English 
prisoners. Part of the scalps were lost on the road, 
and some of them and four of the prisoners were 
in the custody of Capt. Mercer, who had separated 
from the main body, so that on the arrival of the 
main body at Fort Littleton, Sabbath night, Sep- 
tember 14, 11 56, Col. Armstrong could report to 
Governor Denny only seven of the recaptured pris- 
oners and a part of the scalps. 

RECAPTURED PRISONERS. 

The English prisoners recaptured from the In- 
dians at Kittanning were Ann McCord, wife of 
John McCord, and Martha Thorn, about seven 
years old, captured at Fort McCord ; Barbara 
Hicks, captured at Conolloway's ; Catherine Smith, 
a German child, captured near Shamokin ; Marga- 
ret Hood, captured near the mouth of Conago- 
cheague, Md.; Thomas Girty, captured at Fort 
Granville ; Sarah Kelly, captured near Winchester, 
Va.; and one woman, a boy, and two little girls, 
who were with Capt. Mercer and Ensign Scott 
when they separated from the main body, and who 
had not reached Port Littleton when Col. Arm- 
strong made up his report. 

Not having met with a description of the man- 
ner in which the Indians constructed their houses 



in Kittanning, which were burned by Col. Arm- 
strong, the writer inserts here the following from 
the " Narrative of James Smith," hereinafter men- 
tioned, which, it is presumed, gives in the main a 
correct idea of the manner in which they were con- 
structed. He saw a cabin erected when he was a 
captive among the Indians, along Lake Erie. 
" They cut logs," says he, " about fifteen feet long, 
and laid them upon each other, and drove the posts 
in the ground at each end to keep them together ; 
they tied the posts together at the top with bark, 
and by this means raised a wall fifteen feet long 
and about four feet high, and in the same manner 
they raised another wall opposite to this, at about 
twelve feet distance ; then they drove forks in the 
ground in the center of each end, and laid a strong 
pole from end to end on these forks; and from these 
walls to the poles they set up poles instead of raf- 
ters, and on them tied small poles instead of laths ; 
and a cover was made of lynn [linden] bark which 
will run even in the winter season. * * * At 
the end of these walls they set up split timbei- all 
round except a space at each end for a door. At 
the top, in place of a chimney, they left an open 
space, and for bedding they laid down that kind of 
bark, on which they spread bearskins. There were 
fires along the middle from one end to the other of 
the hut, which the squaws made of dry split wood, 
and stopped up whatever open places there were in 
the walls with moss which they collected from old 
logs ; they hung a bearskin at the door. Notwith- 
standing our winters here are hard, our lodging- 
was much better than I expected." Perhaps the 
Indian houses in Kittanning, especially that of the 
chief, Capt. Jacobs, were somewhat better and 
differently built. 

KILLED, WOUNDED AND MISSING. 

In Lieut. Col. John Armstrong's company — 
Thos. Power and John MeCormick, killed ; Lieut. 
Col. Armstrong, James Carruthers, James Strick- 
land and Thomas Foster, wounded. Capt. Hamil- 
ton's company — John Kelly, killed. Capt. Mercer's 
company — John Baker, John McCartney, Patrick 
Mullen, Cornelius McGinnes, Theophilus Thomp- 
son, Dennis Kilpatrick and Bryan Carrigan, killed; 
Capt. Hugh Mercer and Richard Fitzgibbons, 
wounded ; Ensign John Scott, Emanuel Minshey, 

John Taj'lor, John , Francis Phillips, Robert 

Mori-ow, Thomas Burk and Philip Pendergrass, 
missing. Capt. Armstrong's company — Lieut. 
James Hogg, James Anderson, Holdcraft Stinger, 
Edward O'Brians, James Higgins, John Lasson, 
killed ; William Lindley, Robert Robinson, John 
Ferrall, Thomas Camplin, Charles O'Neal; 



TESTIMONIALS. 



25 



wounded ; Jolin Lewis, William Hunter, William 
Baker, George Appleby, Anthony Grissy, Thomas 
Swan, missing. Capt. Ward's company — William 
Welsh, killed ; Ephraim Bratton, wounded ; Pat- 
rick Myers, Lawrence Donnahow, Samuel Cham- 
bers, missing. Capt. Potter's company — Ensign 
James Potter and Andrew Douglass, wounded. 
Rev. Capt. Steele's company — Terrence Canna- 
berry, missing. 

Killed, 17. Wounded, 13. Missing, including 
Capt. Mercer, who reached Fort Cumberland, 19. 

Col. Armstrong regretted that the advantages 
gained over the enemy were not commensurate 
with the desire of himself and his command ; and 
that they were less than they would have been if 
the pilots had better understood the situation of 
the town and the paths leading to it. 

Lieut. Gov. Denny, in his speech to the assembly, 
on Monday, October 18, 1756, among other things, 
said: "An express arrived from Major Burd, with let- 
ters giving an account of our old friend Ogagradari- 
shah's coming a second time to Fort Augusta on pur- 
pose to tell several things of consequence which he 
had heard at Diahogo." A part of that " Honest 
Indian's Intelligence," given at Shamokin October 
11, then instant, was: "Ten days ago, being at 
Diahogo, two Delaware Indians came there from 
the Ohio, who informed him that the English had 
lately destroyed the Kittanning town and killed 
some of their j)eople, but avoided mentioning to 
him the number." If that was the first intelligence 
received at Diahogo of the battle at Kittanning, 
nearly a month must have elapsed before it reached 
there, that is, in traveling from Kittanning to the 
junction of the Susquehanna and the Cheming 
rivers. Ogaghradarishah belonged to a " village in 
the Six Nation country." 

AN ANCIENT PAY LIST. 

The original of the following voucher and sig- 
natures thereto was recently found among the 
papers of the late Judge Buffington, who obtained 
it, the writer is informed, from a kinsman of Capt. 
Potter. For the privilege of copying it here, the 
writer is indebted to Joseph Butfington, a kinsman 
of the late Judge Buffington, and a descendant of 
Richard Buffington, born in Chester countj^ in 
1679, being the first Englishman born in Pennsyl- 
vania, according to Hazard's "Annals of Pennsyl- 
vania," which fact was peculiarly commemorated in 
the parish of Chester May 30, 1739 : 

" We the Subscribers Acknowledge that we have Ee- 
ceived our full pay from the time Capt. James Potter 
came into Colonell John Armstrong's Company to the 
first day of August, 1759." 



Signed by John Brady Serg't, Hugh Hunter, Sergt, 

his bis 

Wm Brady Corp., Andrew X Halleday, Joshh X Leany, 



John X Neal, George X Clark, John X Cunningham, 

nmrlE mark mark 

his liis his 

John X Cahaner, Jaremia X Daytnj'', Wm. X Craylor, 



mark 
his 



Robert X Hpston, George Gould, Jolm Mason, John X 

mark murk 

Dougherty, Wm. Kyle, Wm. Bennet, Jos McFerren, 

hla bis 

William Layser, Alexander X Bootli, Thos X Christy, 

mark mark 

bis bis bis 

John X Devine, William X McMullan, Dennis X Miller, 

mark mark mark 

liis bis 

James X Lainon, James Semple, Thos X C'anlay, Michael 

mark mark 

his his his 

X Colman, Robert X Colman, Rob. X Huston, John 

mark mark mark 

his his 

Burd, George Ross, Thos D. X Henlay, Potter X Lap- 



pan, Robert McCullough, James X McElroy, James 

mark 

Marces, William Waugh, AVm Little, Archibald Marshall, 
Andrew Pollock. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

The destruction of Kittanning and so many of 
its inhabitants was a severe blow to the French and 
Indians, and afforded hope of security to those of our 
own race who had settled along the then frontier 
of the Province. 

For the signal success which Col. Armstrong and 
his force achieved in the destruction of Kittanning, 
and thus breaking up a formidable base of French 
and Indian incursions, the corporation of the city 
of Philadelphia, October 5, 1756, voted him and 
his command the thanks of the city and other 
favors. 

From the minutes of the common council : 

" It being proposed that this Board should give some 
public testimony of their regard and esteem for Col. John 
Armstrong, and the other officers concerned in the late 
expedition against the Indians at Kittanning, and the 
courage and conduct shown by them on that occasion, 
and also contribute to the relief of the widows and chil- 
dren of those who lost their lives in that expedition ; 

"Resolved, That this Board will give the sum of £150 
out of their st'jck in the Treasurer's hands, to be paid out 
in pieces of plate, swords, and other things suitable for 
jjresents, to the said officers and toward the relief of the 
said widows and children." 

Description of the medal sent to Col. Armstrong : 
" Occasion. — In honor of the late Col. Arm- 
strong, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for destroying 
Kittanning Indian towns. 

" Device. — An officer followed by two soldiers ; 
the officer pointing to a soldier shooting from 
behind a tree and an Indian j^rostrate before him. 
In the background Indian houses are seen in flames. 



26 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



"■Legend. — Kittanning destroyed by Col. Arm- 
strong, September, 1756. 

" Reverse Device. — The arms of the corporation 
of Philadelphia, consisting of four devices : On 
the right a ship under full sail ; on the left a pair 
of scales equally balanced ; in the right, above the 
ship, a wheat sheaf ; on the left, two hands locked. 

" Legend. — The gift of the corporation of the 
city of Philadelphia." 

To Col. John Armstrong : 

Sie: The corporation of the city of Philadelphia 
greatly approve your conduct and public spirit in the 
late expedition against the town of Kittanning, and are 
highly pleased with the signal proofs of courage and 
personal bravery given by you and the officers under your 
command in demolishing that place. I am, therefore, 
ordered to return you and them the thanks of the Board 
for the eminent service you have thereby done your 
country. I am also ordered by the corporation to pre- 
sent you, out of their small public stock, with a piece of 
l)late and silver medal, and each of your officers with a 
medal and a small sum of money, to be disposed of in a 
manner most agreeable to them ; wdiich the Board desire 
you will accept as a testimony of the regard they have 
for your merit. Signed by order, 

January 5, 1757. Atwood Shdte, Mayor. 

To the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Council of 
the Corporation of the city of Philadelphia : 

Gentlemen: Your favor of the 5th instant, together 
Avith the medals and other genteel presents made to the 
officers of my battalion, by the corporation of the city 
of Philadelphia, I had the pleasure to receive by Capt. 
George Armstrong. 

The officers employed in the Kittanning expedition 
have been made acquainted with tlie distinguished honor 
you have done them, and desire to join with me in ac- 
knowledging it in the most public manner. The kind 
acceptance of our past services by the corporation gives 
us the highest pleasure and furnishes a fresh motive for 
exerting ourselves on every future occasion for the bene- 
fit of His Majesty's service in general and in defense of 
this province in particular. In behalf of the officers of 
my battalion, I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your 
most obedient and obliged humble servant, 

Carlisle, January 24, 1757. John Armstrong. 

Governor Denny, April 9, 1757, wrote to the 
proprietaries : " After Col. Armstrong's successful 
expedition against the Kittanning and the conclu- 
sion of peace at Easton, the back inhabitants en. 
joyed rest from the incursions of the savages and 
the poor people who were driven from their plan- 
tations generally returned to them. Since the 
affair of Kittanning the Indians on this side of the 
Ohio [Allegheny] have mostly retired with their 
wives and children under the French forts on that 
river." 

Hence it was that the legislature gave our county 
the name which it bears, adding another testimonial 



to the memory of Col. Armstrong. As Hersohel, 
by his genius and astronomical discoveries, wrote 
his name upon a star, so Armstrong, by his skill, 
prowess, patriotism and military achievements, 
wrote with his sword his name upon the beauti- 
fully and ruggedly varied face of this county. 

AFTER THE DESTEUCTIOlf OE KITTANNING. 

Although the success of Armstrong's expedition 
resulted in the removal of hostile Indians from the 
east side of the Allegheny river, various other 
causes operated to prevent this and other parts of 
northwestern Pennsylvania from being rapidly and 
permanently settled by the whites. William Find- 
ley, in his history of the Whisky Insurrection, says: 
" The western and southwestern portions of what 
is now Westmoreland, and the southeastern part of 
what is now Armstrong, were settled about the year 
1 769, the next year after the proprietary of Penn- 
sylvania had purchased the country from the Indi- 
ans as far west as the Allegheny and Ohio rivers." 
In 1769 the land office, for the sale or location of 
the lately purchased land, was opened. Several 
thousands of locations were applied for on the first 
day. The settlement on the east side of the 
Monongahela and Allegheny was very rapidly 
extended from the Monongahela forty miles north- 
ward, as far as Crooked creek, and the first settlers 
were generally a more sober, orderly people than 
commonly happens in the first settlement of new 
countries." 

At that time all of Pennsylvania west of the 
western boundary of Lancaster was in Cumberland 
county. Whatever peofile had then settled in what 
is now Armstrong county must have been few. 
Among the petitions sent to Gov. Penn, in 1774, 
from inhabitants near Ilanna's Town, imploring 
protection and relief, it was, among other things, 
set forth that the petitioners were rendered very 
uneasy by the order of removal of the troops, that 
had been raised for their general assistance and pro- 
tection, "to Kittanning, a place at least twenty-five 
or thirty miles distant from any of the settlements," 
and that it was theirs, " as well as the general 
opinion, that removing the troops to so distant and 
uninhabited apart of the province as Kittanning is, 
cannot answer the good purposes intended, but 
seems to serve the purposes of some who regard 
not the public welfare." 

Later in the chronological order of events 
occurred the following correspondence : 

"Kittanning, the 5th December, 1776. 
" Sir: I last night received your order from the Board 
of War, in consequence of which I have this day issued 
the necessary orders and sliall march with all possible 



AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF KITTANNING. 



27 



dispatch to the place directed. I beg leave to inform 
you at the same time that scarcity of Provisions and other 
disagreeable circumstances obliged me to permit a num- 
ber of men to go to particular stations to be sujiplied, but 
have directed a general rendezvous on the 15th inst., at 
a proper place, and from thence shall proceed as ordered. 
" As I would not choose that the Battalion should labor 
under every disadvantage when at Brunswick, being now 
in need of everything, I shall be obliged to make Phila- 
delphia in my route, in order to be supplied. I there- 
fore hope the proper Provision will be made of Kegi- 
mental Camp Kittles and Arms, as mentioned to Col. 
Wilson, per Capt. Boyd. 

" Aen's Mackey," C. 8th R. P. F." 



Directed to Richard Peters, 
Board of AVar, Philadelphia. 



Esq., Secretary of the 



"Hanxa's Town, April 18, 1777. 
"Sir: We received yours, dated the 12th inst., inform- 
ing us of the incursions made by the Indians on ouf 
Neighboring Frontiers, for which we return you our most 
hearty thanks. Any person appointed for the victualing 
at the Kittanning is an appointment that's not clear to 
us ; but, we apprehend, Devereux Smith, Esq., is ap- 
pointed for that Post, which appointment we approve of, 
and would be glad if some method could be introduced 
to furnish JMr. Smith with money for victualing the 
troops at that Post, &c. 

"The Delawares applying to you for Powder and Lead, 
&c., we refer that to your wisdom, and will acquiesce 
with you in every measure that can be taken to preserve 
peace with any Tribe or Nations of Indians on whose 
friendship we can depend; and we are of opinion that 
it would be advisable to supply them with ammunition, 
&c., providing that confidence and trust could be de- 
pended in them, which we look upon you the only per- 
son to judge in that matter, and we repose confidence in 
your wisdom and abilities in Indian affairs. We shall, 
therefore, readily concur with you in every measure that 
you may recommend for the safety and defense of this 
Infant Country. Your humble servants, ' 

"Samuel Si.o.vx, Chn., 
"James Hamilton, Cl'k. 

"Signed by order of the Committee of Westmoreland 
County. 

" Directed to Col. George Morgan, Apent for Indian 
Affairs, Pittsburgh. 

" Laid before Council, Jime 18, 1777." 

Col. A. Lechery to President Reed. 

" H anna's Town, .July 20, 1779. 
" May it please youe Excellency : 

* "" * "The two Companies raised by Gen. Mcin- 
tosh's orders are nearly completed, and iire now at the 
Kittanning, or scouting in that neighborhood, but I am 
sorry to inform you their times will shortly expii-e, so 
that it will be necessary for Council to give directions 
concerning them." 

"Read in Council Aug. 14." 



" PiTTSBUEcn, Dec. 13, 1779. 
" Dear Sir : I should have been glad to have had an 
earlj'cr information respecting the (Jorps of Rangers. 
But being uninformed, I thought it very extraordinary 
that they should be subsisted out of the public Maga- 
zines, and yet be under the separate direction of a County 
Lieutenant. The Companies have hitherto been sta- 
tioned at Kittanning (l<"ort Armstrong) and Poketas (Fort 
Crawford), but as the terms of the Men were nearly ex- 
pired, and the river likely to close with ice, I ordered 
the Troops to this place because I apprehended no dan- 
ger from the enemy during the winter season, and if 
provisions had been laid in at those posts, they would 
have been exposed to loss, besides it would have been 
quite impracticable to have supplied them with provi- 
sions, and the Quarters at those posts were too uncom- 
fortable for naked men. For, though the State haxe 
provided the Troops with Shoes and Blankets, they are 

not yet arrived. 

" * * * * » » » 

(Signed) " Daniel Bkodhead.* 
"Directed to his Excellency Governor Reed." 

" Hanna's Town, .Jan'y 9, 1780. 
" May it please youe Excellency : 

* * * "The two ranging Companies were stationed 
at the Kittanning and Fort Crawford, at the mouth of a 
creek called Poketas creek, on the Allegheny river, 
which posts were well calculated to cover the country. 

" Col. Brodhead, for some reasons best known to liim- 
self, and without consulting me, or any of the Gentle^ 
men of this County, ordered both Companies to Fo: 
Pitt. * * * 

(Signed) ''A. Lociiery, Col." 

After Armstrong's expedition there was a lull iu 
Indian hostilities. They were, however, afterward 
renewed, and the peace and safety of the early 
settlers on and near Crooked creek, in what is now 
Plum Creek and South Bend townships, and just 




* Col. Mackey was a citizen of Westmoreland county, where he 
owned a plantation. 



* Gen. Brodhead. whose name appears above, was the command- 
ant of Fort Pitt in I77S^9. He enjoyed, to a high degree, the esteem 
and confidence of Gen. Washington, who said in his letter to him in- 
forming him that he had been selected to succeed Gen. Jlclntosh at 
that post : " From my opinion of your abilities, your former acquaint- 
ance with the ))uck country, and the knowledge you must have ac- 
quired on this last tour of duty, I have appointed you to the com- 
mand ; but if you quit the post, I apprehend there will be no other 
officer left of sufficient weight and ability." 

Col. Brodhead was also very popular with the Indians. The Dela- 
ware chiefs resolved to confer upon him the greatest honor in their 
power. Accordingly, April 9, 1779, they did so. At a conference of 
those chiefs and others, then held at Fort Pitt, they addressed him 
as the Great Warrior thus : " Of our ancestors, the good men of our 
nation, Ave now hand vou down a name, as we look upon you to be 
an upright man. You" are henceforth called by us the Delaware na- 
tion, the 'Grail Mnoii,' that is in Delaware, 'Manhingua AVo/iocA-.' 
Hereafter our great-grandchildren, yet unborn, when they come to 
years of understanding, shall know that your name is handed down 
as their great-grandfather. All the speeches younow send to the na- 
tions must be signed with your present name, Maghingua Kceshock, 
and all the nations will address you by that name. There were five 
great, good kings of our nation. One of their names you have. 
TaimcBiend is another. We have yet two to bestow. Our ancestors 
in former times were of a good disposition, and on the cause of our 
now Ijeing as one man, we now place you in the same light with us. 
Now hereafter, perhaps, those of our nation yet unborn are to knoiv 
that that was the name of the ancestor, the good man and the great 
warrior of the thirteen United States, given to him by the eliiefs of 
the Delaware nation, at the great council fire at Fort Pitt.' It is 
related that he was a tall, fine, noble-looking man, Avith a strikingly 
bland and open countenance and a mirthful, laughing blue eye. -Al- 
though his services were important, valuable and ably rendered, yet 
thev w-ere not such, no matter by whom rendered, as would be likely 
to be blazoned before the nation, so that he may not have received— 
in fact, he did not receive— the fuU guerdon of praise which was 
richly his due." 



28 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



over the western line of Indiana county, were 
thereby disturbed and endangered. 

There were several blockhouses along down the 
Allegheny river below Kittanning, and one near 
South Bend, to which the families of the early 
settlers sometimes fled for safety. 

CAPTAIN SHAEP AND OTHER PIONEERS. 

Among the pioneers in the Plum Creek region 
was Capt. Andrew Sharp, who had been an officer 
in the revolutionary service, under Washington. 
He, with his wife and infant child, emigrated to 
this region in 1784, and purchased, settled upon 
and improved the tract of land, consisting of 
several hundred acres, on which are Shelocta and 
the United Presbyterian church, near the county 
line, on a part of which John Anthony and the 
Wiggins now live, being then in Westmoreland 
county. The writer mentions his case in the gen- 
eral sketch of this county because he has reliable 
information concerning it, because many of his 
descendants now live in the county, and because it 
is illustrative of dangers and hardships, varying in 
kind, encountered and endured by the inhabitants 
of this region in those times. 

Capt. Sharp, after residing about ten j'ears on 
his farm, revisited his kindred in Cumberland 
county, procured a supply of school-books and 
Bibles for his children, and returned to his home 
in the wilderness. Determined that his children 
should have facilities for education which did not 
exist there, he traded his farm there for one in Ken- 
tucky. In the spring of 1794 he removed with his 
family to Black Lick Creek, where he either built 
or purchased a flatboat, in which he, his wife and 
six children, a Mr. Connor, wife and five children, 
a Mr. Taylor, wife and one child, and Messrs. 
McCoy and Connor, single men, twenty in all, with 
their baggage and household effects, embarked on 
the proposed passage down the Kiskiminetas and 
Allegheny rivers to Pittsburgh, and thence on to 
Kentucky. Low water in the Black Lick ren- 
dered their descent down it difficult. They glided 
down the Conemaugh and Kiskiminetas to a jioint 
two miles below the falls of the latter, at the 
mouth of Two Mile run, below the present site of 
Apollo. Capt. Sharp tied the boat there, and went 
back for the canoe which had been detached while 
crossing the falls. When he returned the children 
were gathering berries and playing on the bank ; 
the women were preparing supper, and the men 
who led the horses had arrived. It was about an 
hour and a half before sunset. A man then came 
along and reported that the Indians were near. 
The women and children were called into the boat, 



and the men having charge of the horses tied 
them on shore. It was then thought best that the 
party should go to the house of David Hall, who 
was the father of David Hall, of North Buffalo 
township, this county, and the grandfather of Rev. 
David Hall, D. D., the present pastor of the Presby- 
terian church at Indiana, Pennsylvania, to spend 
the night. While the men were tying the horses, 
seven Indians, concealed behind a large fallen tree, 
on the other side of which the children had been 
playing half-an-hour before, fired on the party in 
the boat. Capt. Shai-p's right eyebrow was shot 
off by the first firing. Taylor is said to have 
mounted one of his horses and fled to the woods, 
leaving his wife and child to the care and protection 
of others. While Capt. Sharp was cutting one end 
of the boat loose, he received a bullet>wound in his 
left side, and, while cutting the other end loose, 
received another wound in his right side. Never- 
theless, he succeeded in removing the boat from its 
fastenings before the Indians could enter it, and, 
discovering an Indian in the woods, and calling 
for his gun, which his wife handed to him, shot and 
killed the Indian. While the boat was in the 
whirlpool, it whirled around for two and a half 
hours, when the open side of the boat, that is, the 
side on which the baggage was not piled up for a 
breastwork, was toward the land, the Indians fired 
into it. They followed it twelve miles down the 
river, and bade those in it to disembark, else they 
would fire into them again. Mrs. Connor and her 
eldest son — a young man — wished to land. The 
latter requested the Indians to come to the boat, 
informing them that all the men had been shot. 
Capt. Sharp ordered him to desist, saying that he 
would shoot him if he did not. Just then young 
Connor was shot by one of the Indians, and fell 
dead acioss Mrs. Sharp's feet. McCoy was killed. 
All the women and children escaped injury. Mr. 
Connor was severely wounded. After the Indians 
ceased following, Capt. Sharp became so much 
exhausted by his exertions and loss of blood, that 
his wife was obliged to manage the boat all night. 
At daylight the next morning they were within 
nine miles of Pittsburgh. Some men on shore, 
having been signaled, came to their assistance. 
One of them preceded the party in a canoe, so that 
when they reached Pittsburgh, a physician was 
ready to attend upon them. Other preparations 
had been made for their comfort and hospitable 
reception by the good people of that place. 

Capt. Sharp, having suffered severely from his 
wounds, died July 8, 1794, forty days after he was 
wounded, with the roar of cannon, so to speak, re- 
verberating in his ears, which he had heard cele- 



OBSTACLES TO SETTLEMENT. 



29 



bratiiig the eighteenth anniversary of our national 
independence, which he, under Washington, had 
helped achieve. Two of his daughters were the 
only members of his family that could follow his 
I'emaius to the grave. He was buried with the 
honors of war, in the presence of a large concourse 
of people. His youngest child was then only eleven 
days old. As soon as his widow had sufficiently 
recovered, she was conducted by her eldest daughter, 
Hannah, to his grave. 

Major Eben Denny makes this mention in his 
military journal, June 1, lYQ-t : " Two days ago, the 
Indians, disappointed in that attack" — on men in 
a canoe on the Allegheny river, elsewhere men- 
tioned — " crossed to the Kiskiminetas and unfortu- 
nately fell in with a Kentucky boat full of women 
and children, with but four men, lying to, feeding 
their cattle. The men, who were ashore, received 
a fire without much damage, got into a boat, all but 
one, who fled to a house not far distant. The 
Indians fired into the boat, killed two men and 
wounded the third. The boat had been set afloat, 
and drifted down in that helpless condition, twenty- 
four women and children on board." 

Col. Charles Campbell, in his letter to Gov. 
Mifflin, June 5, 1794, respecting the stopping of the 
draft for the support of the Presque Isle station, 
stated : " The Indians, on the evening of May 30, 
fired on a boat that left my place to go to Kentucky, 
about two miles below the Falls of the Kiskimine- 
tas, killed three persons and wounded one, who 
were all the men in the boat, which drifted down 
to about twelve miles above Pittsburgh, whence 
they were aided by some persons on their way to 
Pittsburgh." 

Mrs. Sharp — her maiden name was Ann Wood — 
and her children were removed to their kindred in 
Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. Having re- 
mained there three years, they returned to the farm 
near Crooked Creek, of which they had been repos- 
sessed, where the family remained together for a 
long time. The eldest daughter, Hannah, married 
Mr. Robert Leason, who, for many years before his 
death, resided at Scrub Grass, Butler county, Penn- 
sylvania. He was probably a descendant of John 
Leason, whose name appears as an ensign on the list 
of officers for Lancaster county, which then ex- 
tended to the western limits of the province, to 
whom commissions were granted between the 
entries of minutes in the council books of the prov- 
ince of March 8 and 29, 1748. (See Col. Rec, vol. 
V, p. 210.) It is from her statement, written by 
herself , August 3, 1863, that the writer has gleaned 
most of the facts herein presented concerning Capt. 
Sharp and his family. 
3 



Mrs. Leason further states that the Indians who 
had attacked and followed the above-mentioned 
party on and down the Kiskiminetas River con- 
sisted of twelve, who had previously been to Pitts- 
burgh, and, because the people refused to trade with 
them, became indignant and determined to kill all 
the whites they could. Of three men, who had 
descended that river in a canoe shortly before her 
father and the rest of his party did, one was shot 
dead and the other two were wounded, one of whom 
died. 

Such is a type of the hardships, inconveniences, 
dangers and sufferings to which white settlers in 
this region were subjected prior to 1796. 

Mrs. Leason, speaking of her father's family 
after their return to the farm on Crooked Creek, 
says, " Providence was very kind to them." 

Mrs. Sharp's death occurred fifteen years after 
her husband's. Their daughter Agnes is said to 
have been the first white child born this side, or 
west, of Crooked Creek, in this section of Pennsyl- 
vania. She was born on that farm February 21, 
1785 ; married to David Ralston in 1803, and, after 
his deatii, to James Mitchell in 1810, and died 
August 2, 1862, and was buried in the Crooked 
Creek cemetery. 

OBSTACLES TO SETTLEMENT. 

The Indian wars, the uncertainty of land titles, 
and the frequent litigation growing out of unwise 
land laws, retarded the settlement of this in common 
with other portions of the northwestern part of this 
state. Hence many emigrants who would other- 
wise have been attracted to this region jiassed on 
to Ohio and other parts of the Northwest Terri- 
tory. Many who had even settled in northwestern 
Pennsylvania, having been harassed with litigation, 
abandoned their claims and went west, where land 
titles were settled.* Less than a century ago nearly 
all the region within the limits of Armstrong county 
was uninhabited by white people — was a howling 
wilderness. 

MORE FAVORABLE CIECUMSTANCBS. 

Wiser legislation. Gen. Wayne's treaty with the 
Indians at Fort Grenville, Ohio, and other causes, 
operated favorably in causing jaermanent settle- 
ments to be made in this section of the state, from 



* At a meeting of the Armstrong county bar, held at ICittanning, 
May 3, 1871, on the occasion fpf the retirement of Judge Buffington 
from the bench, ex-Gov. Johnston, in the course of hisremarlcs, said: 
"I remember well the conflicts to settle land titles in this county, 
growing out of the many questions connected with the " Donation 
Lands,' the ' Stuck District,' the ' Depreciation Titles,' the ' Old Mili- 
tary Permits,' the ' New Descriptive Warrants,' the ' Shifting Loca- 
tions ' and the titles arising under the ' New Purchase,' as well as the 
original grants from the Penn family, and the stormy disputes and 
controversies arising under the act of April 3, 179-.', with its warrants 
of acceptance, and the rights relating to settlers under its supple- 
ments, el id omne genus, how warm and energetic our contests were." 



30 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and after 1796. Sucli had been the increase of 
population therein that the Legislature, by act of 
March 12, 1800, organized the counties of Arm- 
strong, Beaver, Butler, Erie, Venango and Warren. 

POPUXATION AND NATIONALITY OF EAELY 
SETTLERS. 

In 1800 the population of Armstrong county, 
when its territory was more extensive than it now 
is, was 2,339; in 1810 it was 6,143; in 1820 it was 
10,324; in 1830 it was 17,625; in 1840 it was 
18,685. After deducting the number in that por- 
tion detached in the formation of Clarion county, 
in 1850, it was 29,500; in 1860 it was 35,797; in 
1870 it was 43,382. The number of taxable inhab- 
itants in 1870 was 9,355. Dividing the whole popu- 
lation by the number of taxables gives 4:-i%%\, or 
about 4f inhabitants for each taxable. The num- 
ber of taxables this year is 1 1,843, which, multiplied 
by 4f, gives 54,477 as the total population of this 
county in the centennial year, 1876. The colored 
population was 96 in 1830,129 in 1850, 178 in 1860, 
179 in 1870. 

The early settlers of this county were chiefly of 
Scotch-Irish and German descent. Most of the 
former came from Westmoreland and adjacent 
counties, and most of the latter from Lehigh and 
Northampton. 

CABIN BUILDING NEIGHBORLY KINDNESS. 

In early times, in this as in other counties, neigh- 
bors were sparse and less independent than in older 
and denser society. Neighborly kindness was then 
cordial as well as necessary. The interchange of 
obliging acts was frequent and pleasing. If, for 
instance, a log cabin was to be raised, the inhabi- 
tants from several miles around would assemble 
where the cabin was to be erected, with their teams, 
axes, and other imjjlements needed for the purpose. 
Such a cabin was generally one and a half stories 
high, roofed with clapboards and weight-poles, 
with openings cut in the side and end of the build- 
ing for a door and chimney. The logs were round, 
the loft was covered with split puncheons, and the 
chimney was chunked and daubed. The walls and 
roof were made from the stump in a single day. 
The work was cheerfully done by neighbors for a 
neighbor. At the close of the day, when their 
work of charity was done, the ground floor was 
cleared and then followed a jolly hoe-down until 
midnight, the dancers and lookers on being exhila- 
rated by what was left of the contents of a five- 
gallon keg of whisky, which was placed, at the 
beginning of the dance, in a corner of the room. 
The light of science had not then disclosed to these 



good-hearted pioneers in the wilderness the true 
character of the mocking fiend that lurked in their 
whisky-kegs! 

GAME. 

For years after the early settlement there was an 
abundance of deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, 
foxes, crows and partridges. Wolves must have 
been troublesome, for there are several items of 
amounts paid for wolf scalps, and wolf orders in the 
statement of the final settlement made between the 
commissioners of Armstrong and Westmoreland 
counties in 1808 : For 1803, wolf scalps, $195.67 ; 
for 1804, wolf orders, $139.33; for 1805, wolf 
orders, $96,60 ; for 1806, wolf orders, $104 ; for 
1807, wolf orders, $8 ; for 1808, wolf orders, $24. 
Total for those years, $567.60. The bounty paid 
for a full-grown wolf's or panther's scalp was $8 
vmtil 1820, and after that $12. Trivial amounts ai-e 
still paid annually for fox scalps. Crows and squir- 
rels must have been destructive pests, for it was 
provided by the act of March 4, 1807, that a tax of 
$300 be levied, out of which the county treasurer 
was required to pay for all scalps produced to and 
receipted by a justice of the peace and then burned, 
viz., for each crow's scalp, three cents ; for each 
squirrel's scalp, one and one-half cents. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

The amusements in rural districts in early times 
consisted chiefly of frolics, or, as elsewhere called, 
bees, grubbings, rail-maulings, corn-huskings, 
quiltings, singing-schools at private houses, and 
occasional dances at frolics. In 1828 there was a 
prevalent mania for circular fox and wolf hunts. 
The areas of the several circles covered nearly the 
entire territory of the county. Several columns in 
the papers were filled with notices of the routes, 
times and arrangements. Those hunts temporarily 
excited a deep and general interest in the aged, 
middle-aged, and the young. They were designed 
not only for amusement, but for the beneficial pur- 
pose of exterminating these pestiferous and de- 
structive animals; Yet the Indiana and Jefferson 
Whig denounced them as demoralizing and caus- 
ing a useless waste of time. 

THE ARMSTRONG PURCHASE. 

Gen. Armstrong purchased from the proprietors 
of the then Province of Pennsylvania 556^ acres 
with the usual allowances. The tract was surveyed 
to him by virtue of a proprietary letter to the sec- 
retary, dated May 29, 1771, on November 5, 1794. 
The patent for that tract bears date March 22, 
1775. It is thus described : "A certain tract of 



COUNTY SEAT. 



31 



land called ' Victory,' etc. Beginning at a marked 
black oak* by the side of the Allegheny River ; 
thence by vacant hills east thirty-eight perches to 
a marked white oak ; south four degrees, west one 
hundred and ten perches to a marked maple ; south 
seventy-nine degrees, east forty-seven perches to a 
marked white oak ; north thirteen degrees, east one 
hundred and thirteen perches to a marked white 
oak ; south seventy-seven degrees, east forty-nine 
fierches to a marked black oak ; south forty degrees, 
east ninety-six perches to a marked white oak ; 
south two and three-fourths degrees, east four hun- 
dred and fiftjf-four perches to a marked sugar-tree ; 
south six degrees, west eighty-four perches to a 
marked hickoryf at the side of the Allegheny River 
aforesaid ; thence up the same river seven hundred 
and two jierches to the place of beginning, contain- 
ing five hundred and fifty-six and one-half acres 
and the usual allowances, including the Indian 
town and settlement called Kittanning." That 
tract of land, with other j)roperty, was devised by 
the will of Gen. Armstrong, proven July 25, 1797, 
to his two sons, John and James. The former was 
secretary of war during a part of Madison's admin- 
istration. 

COUNTY SEAT. 

The seat of justice of this county was directed 
by act of assembly to be located at a distance not 
greater than five miles from " Old Kittanning 
Town." By the same act of March 12, 1800, John 
Craig, James Sloan and James Barr were named 
and constituted trustees to receive and hold the 
title for the necessary public buildings ; and for 
that purpose they were authorized to receive pro- 
posals in writing from any person or body corporate 
for the conveyance or grant of any lands Within 
the limits of that act. That portion of that act 
was repealed by the act of April 4, 1803, and James 
Sloan, James Matthews and Alexander Walker 
were appointed trustees for the county, for locating 
the county seat and organizing the county. The 
last-named declined to act, and the duties were 
performed and the powers exercised by James Sloan 
and James Matthews. It having been contem- 
plated by the legislature to lay out a town to be 
called Kittanning, in the most convenient place for 
the seat of justice of this county, and the above- 
described tract of land having been considered the 
most convenient therefor, application was made to 
Dr. James Armstrong, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, 
one of the devisees of Gen. Armstrong, for so much 



* At the corner of the tract surveyed and patented to Robert 
Patrick, which now belongs to Gen. Orr s estate. 

t A short distance below the rolling-mill, anda little less distance 
below the present southern limit of the borough of Kittanning. 



of that tract as might be necessary for that purpose, 
who, in behalf of himself and his brother, John 
Armstrong, the other devisee, as well for enhancing 
the residue of the tract as for and in consideration 
of one-half of the purchase-money of all the town 
lots to be laid out, executed and delivered to the 
governor of this state, to and for the use of this 
county, an obligation whereby he bound himself 
and his brother John to make and execute a deed 
of conveyance in fee simple to the trustees of this 
county, which offer the trustees were, by an act of 
1803, empowered to accept. In pursuance thereof, 
John Armstrong and Alida his wife — a daughter 
of Chancellor Livingston — and Dr. James Arm- 
strong and Mary his wife, did, by their deed dated 
December 17, 1804, convey to James Sloan, 
James Matthews and Alexander Walker, the 
trustees or commissioners of this county, and their 
successors, that part of the above-described tract 
bounded thus : " Beginning at a post on the 
Allegheny River, thence north fifty-one degrees, 
east one hundred and fifteen and one-tenth perches 
to a post; thence south thirty-nine degrees, east 
one hundred and sixty-three and nine-tenths perches 
to a post ; thence south fifty-one degrees, west 
thirty-five and five-tenths perches to a post ; thence 
south thirty-nine degrees, east forty and seven- 
tenths perches to a post ; thence south fifty-one 
degrees, west twenty-four perches and seven-tenths 
to a post; thence south thirty-nine degrees, east 
thirty-six and seven-tenths jDerches to a white oak ; 
thence south fifty degrees, west fifty-four and nine- 
tenths i^erches to a walnut-tree on the Allegheny 
river aforesaid ; thence up the same north thirty 
degrees, west two hundred and forty-one and nine- 
tenths perches to the place of beginning, contain- 
ing one hundred and fifty acres, be the same more 
or less." 

By the act of 1804 the trustees or commissioners 
of this county were authorized to lay out in that 
one hundred and fifty acre tract lots for the public 
buildings, and to sell the remainder in town lots, 
containing not less than one-fourth nor more than 
two-thirds of an acre each. Two acres were re- 
served for public use, namely, one acre on the south- 
east corner of Market and Jefferson streets, where 
the first court-house and public ofiices were erected, 
and the other acre on the northwest corner of Mar- 
ket and McKean streets, on which the first jail was 
erected. One-half of the proceeds arising from the 
sale of those lots went to the donors, and the other 
half was to be applied to the erection of the public 
buildings. 

Our county town was laid out in 1803, with con- 
venient streets and alleys crossing one another at 



32 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



right angles. It was divided into two hundred and 
forty-eight in-lots and twenty-seven out-lots. One 
hundred and sixty-one in-lots were sold soon 
after and assessed at $1,858, or an average of 
$11.54 jjer lot. The eighty-seven in-lots then re- 
maining unsold were assessed at $882, or an average 
of $10.14 per lot. The twenty-seven out-lots at 
$288, or the average of $10.67 per lot. 

ATT.iCHBD TO VTESTMOEELAND. 

This county was for several j^ears after its or- 
ganization by the act of 1800 attached to West- 
moreland county, until there was an enumeration 
of its taxable inhabitants. The first settlement of 
accounts between the boards of commissioners of the 
two counties was in 1808, when there was found to 
be a balance due from Westmoreland to Armstrong 
county of $2,9*78.11, which was certified by the 
commissioners of the former, and for which they 
also certified that they would draw an order on the 
treasurer of their county in favor of the treasurer 
of our county. 

JUDICIAL OKGANIZATION. 

Armstrong county was organized for judicial 
purposes in 1805, and the first court was held in a 
log house, on lot number 121, the present site of 
the Reynolds House, in December of that year. 
The bench was a very primitive one, and consisted 
in part of a carpenter's bench. The chair in which 
the president judge then sat is now in the posses- 
sion of Mrs. Jane Williams, of Kittanningborough. 
It is a splint-bottom arm-chair. 

At that and subsequent terms, until the bell for 
the court-house was procured, the times for open- 
ing the daily sessions of the court were signified 
by the blowing of a horn by the court crier, who 
was James Hannegan. 

John Young, of Greensburgh, was soon after 
appointed president judge of the judicial district, 
then composed of Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana, 
Somerset and Westmoreland .counties, and Capt. 
Robert Orr, George Ross and James Barr, Esqs., 
were appointed associate judges of the several 
courts of this county. The constitution of 1790 
prescribed that the governor should appoint, unless 
otherwise directed by law, "not fewer than four 
judges in each county." The act of February 24, 
1806, prescribed that if a vacancy should thereafter 
happen in any county then organized, by the 
death, resignation or removal of any associate 
judge or otherwise, the governor should not supply 
the same ujiless the number of associates should 
thereby be reduced to less than two ; in which case, 
or in case of any county thereafter organized, he 



should commission so many as would complete 
that number in each county, and no more. The 
act of April 14, 1834, prescribed that the courts of 
common pleas of the several counties of this com- 
monwealth, except Philadelphia, should consist of 
a president judge and two associate judges, who, as 
was the case before, were also constituted judges of 
the courts of Oyer and Terminer, quarter-sessions 
of the peace and orphans' courts. 

The courts were held in the jail after it was 
built until the first court-house was erected. 

THE FIRST COURT. 

From the minutes of December sessions, 1805, 
recorded in the neat and legible chirography of 
Paul Morrow, the first prothonotary of the Court of 
Common Pleas and clerk of the other courts, it ap- 
pears thus : Present, Samuel Roberts, Esquire, 
President, and James Barr, Robert Orr and George 
Ross, Esquires, Justices of the same court. Sheriff : 
John Orr, Esq. Coroner : • . Consta- 
bles : Alexr. Blair, Buffalo township ; James Scott, 
Allegheny township ; and Joseph Reed, Toby 
township. Attorneys admitted : Samuel Massey, 
Samuel Guthrie, George Armstrong, John B. Alex- 
ander and Wm. Ayers. John B. Alexander was 
sworn to execute the oflice of Attorney -General 
within the county of Armstrong. 

Grand Jurors : Wm. Parker, Esq., James McCor- 
mick, Adam Maxwell, Joseph Shields, Gideon Gib- 
son, James Elgin, John Laughlin, Isaac Townsend, 
John Corbett, Wm. Freeman, Sam'l Orr, Esq., 
Sam'l Walker, Capt. Thos. Johnston, Janres Coulter, 
Jacob Allimony, John Craig, Esq., James Lindly, 
Col. Elijah Mounts, Thos. Barr, John Henry, James 
Clark, Esq., James Thompson and David Todd. 

Traverse Jurors : James Smith, Jacob Young, 
Philip Bolin, Sam'l Hill, Parker Truitt, Jacob 
Wolf, James Gaff, Thos. Herron, George Beck, 
John Week, Eli Bradford, Tate Allison, Peter Le 
Fever, John Beatty, Wm. Cochran, Michael Ander- 
son, Gilbert Wright, Timothy Lermonton, Thos. 
Foster, John Patrick, Andrew Milligan, Thos. Wat- 
son, Abraham Gardner, Sam'l Elder, Philip Temple- 
ton, Ezekiel Lewis, John Davis and Joseph McKee. 

Petitioners for tavern licenses recommended : 
David Reynolds, David Shields, Joseph Wiles and 
Wm. Cochran. 

Ex. orders : Petitions were also presented for the 
division of this county into townships, for the 
Crooked Creek bridge, and for public roads from 
Kittanning to Toby's Creek, from Freeport to the 
Butler county line, from Freeport to Brown's Ferry, 
and from Thomas's Mill to Reed's Mill. Viewers 
were appointed. 



THE SECOND COURT-HOTJSE. 



33 



In the Common Pleas nine suits and one certiorari 
were brouglit to December term, 1805, none of 
which, were then tried. Eight judgments by con- 
fession on warrant of attorney were also entered 
as of that term. 

It appears from the court minutes that Judge 
Barr was on the bench, for the last time, at Decem- 
ber term, ISlV ; Judge Ross, at March term, 1829, 
his successor Joseph Rankin ; Judge Orr, at June 
term, 1833, his successor the late Gen. Robert Orr ; 
Judge Young, at September term, 1836, his successor 
Thomas White, of Indiana, Pennsylvania. So 
that the first Judges of the courts of this county 
held their respective positions as follows : Judge 
Barr 12 years, Judge Ross 24 years. Judge Orr 28 
years, and Judge Young 31 years. The act of 1806 
obviated the filling of the vacancy caused by the 
retirement of Judge Barr. Joseph Rankin, then a 
Member of Assembly, was appointed, though not 
an ostensible applicant, to fill the vacancy caused 
by the death of Judge Ross. There were several 
earnest applicants for the vacancy caused by the 
death of Judge Orr in 1833. Governor Wolf was 
not a little perplexed by the eager contest between 
them, to compromise which he tendered the appoint- 
ment to the son of the deceased, the late Gen. 
Robert Orr, who at first declined it because he did 
not wish it, but was finally persuaded by the Gov- 
ernor and Philip Mechling, who was then in the 
State Senate, to accefit it. The tendering of the 
appointment to Gen. Orr was suggested to the 
Governor by Mr. Mechling. 

The circuit court was occasionally held at Kit- 
tanning by Chief-Justice Tighlman, and Justices 
Yeates and Huston, of the Supreme Court of Penn- 
sylvania, from ISO"? until 1834, when it was abol- 
ished. 

THE FIRST COUET-HOTJSE 

was built on one of the acres reserved for public build- 
ings, situate on the southeast corner of Market and 
Jefferson streets, on the present sites of J. A. Gault 
& Co.'s and McConnell & Campbell's stores in the 
then town of Kittanning. It was a substantial 
brick edifice, about fifty feet square, two stories 
high, with two one-story brick wings containing 
the county oflices, the one fronting on Market and 
the other Jefferson street. The roof of the main 
building was hipped, in the center of which was a 
cupola in which the bell was suspended. The 
court-room, in the first or lower story, lacked proper 
means of ventilation. The jury-rooms were in the 
second story. Both the brick and wood work, the 
latter especially, was, in its day, considered a fine 
specimen of architectural taste and skill. For about 
two-fifths of a century that edifice was used as a 



temple of justice, and for a considerable portion of 
that period as a temple of religion by various de- 
nominations, and for political and other secular 
meetings. 

Its erection must have been begun in 1809, as the 
date of the first order for brick, viz., 120,000 at $5 
per thousand, is October 1, 1809. It and the public 
offices were not probably completed until about 1819. 
An order was issued February 29, 1812, for 1-5.20 
for boards and nails to close it up; July 10,1816, 
one for $100, the first payment for plastering and 
painting the first and second stories ; August 1, 
1818, one for $2 1 2. 8 1^ for the bell — 28-3J lbs. at 
75 cents; and September 23, 1819, one for $290 for 
building the register's oflice. The latest order on 
account of that court-house and its annexes appears 
to have been issued March 21, 1820, for $33.78 for 
carpenter work in the " new room." The commis- 
sioners' order-book shows the total amount of orders 
issued on that account to have been $7,859.19. 

In 1805 a substantial two-story stone jail was 
erected on the acre reserved for public use, extend- 
ing from Market, along the west side of McKean 
street, to a public alley near the present site of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

THE SECOND COUET-HOUSE. 

New public buildings at length became necessary. 
But the county commissioners hesitated to erect 
them, more on account of the expense that would 
be incurred than their lack of conviction that they 
were needed. By the act of April 8, 1850, they 
were authorized to divide the two acres reserved 
for public buildings into lots, sell them, and use 
the proceeds in the erection of new buildings else- 
where within the Borough of Kittanning, which 
they did. A new two-story brick court-house, 
with its westerly end fronting toward the river, the 
offices on the first floor and the court-room in the 
second story, was erected in 1852-3, at the head of 
the easterly extension of Market street. The good 
acoustic properties of the court-room were, to say 
the least, among the chief excellencies of that edi- 
fice, which was not so well constructed and heated 
as a court-house ought to be. It was destroyed by 
fire, which was discovered about noon, March 10, 
1858 — shortly before or during the noon adjourn- 
ment of the courts. The writer was absent at the 
time, but was informed on his return that some peo- 
ple from the country, taxpayers, regarded its 
destruction with complacency, and some of them 
even exclaimed "Let it burn!" The dockets and 
papers in the county oflices were saved, but were 
sadly disarranged in their hurried removal to the 
rooms that were temporarily used as oflices. 



34 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



THE SECOND JAIL. 

A new stone jail was ei'eoted cotemporaneously 
with, and a few yards northwardly of, the second 
court-house. It was a two-story structure with a 
two-story brick jailer's house attached, fronting the 
road or street extending northwardly from the head 
of Market street. That jail at length proved to be 
insecure both for the health and custody of the 
prisoners. Their escapes through the roof and 
elsewhere became frequent. After several present- 
ments by the grand jury respecting its condition, 
the county commissioners contracted with Harrison 
Bros, of Pittsburgh for raising the walls several 
feet higher, and putting on a new and secure roof. 
On the removal of the old roof it was discovered 
that the walls were insufficient for sustaining the 
increased weight of such a new roof as would be 
adequate for the retention of the prisoners. It 
therefore became necessary to tear down the old 
walls and build new ones. A farmer, passing by 
one day and observing the material of the old walls 
as it lay before him, remarked, " Those were never 
fit for prison walls." 

THE THIRD AND PEESENT COUET-HOUSE 

was erected by Hulings & Dickey, on the site of 
the burned one, in 1858-60, at a cost of about 
$32,000. It is a substantial building, partly of 
brick and partly of stone, of the Corinthian order 
of architecture. Its sides front nearly west and 
east. There is an elegant portico on its west front, 
with stone columns, and cajsitals and all parts of 
that order, the whole resting on an arcade of cut 
stone. The dimensions of this edifice are 105 feet 
by 65 feet. A beautiful cupola or dome, highly 
ornamented, crowns the center, with a large bell 
therein suspended. The first story, which is reached 
from the western side by a flight of stone steps of 
the same length as the portico, is divided into a 
cross hall, with a floor laid with English variegated 
tile, grand-jury and witness rooms, the commis- 
sioners', prothonotary's, register and recorder's, 
sheriff's and county treasurer's oflices, three of 
which offices are substantially fire-proof. The 
court-room is in the second story. It is elegantly 
frescoed, ceiling twenty-three feet, length sixty-two 
feet, and breadth fifty-eight feet. Being so nearly 
square in shape, its acoustic properties are very 
unfavorable for both speaking and hearing. That 
defect has been obviated by suspendin_g a screen,* 
twelve feet wide, from the ceiling, the entire width 
of the room, making that part of the room where 
the speaking is done, so far as sound is concerned. 



' It was suspended Saturday, December 9, 1873. 



a parallelogram 58X31 feet, causing an almost 
entire cessation of the previous excessive reverbera- 
tion incident to a large room that is square, or 
nearly so, in shajse. The rest of the second story 
contains vestibules separated by flights of stairs in 
the lower or southerly end, and a hall twelve feet 
wide, reached by a flight of stairs, and two traverse 
jury rooms in the upj^er or northerly end. In the 
northerly end of the third story are two other 
rooms, one of which is used for an office by the 
county superintendent of common schools. 

THE THIRD AND PRESENT JAIL. 

On the presentments of two grand juries, after 
the tearing down of the second jail, recommending 
the erection of a new jail and jailer's house, the 
plan and specifications of the present structure 
having been before these grand juries, were 
adopted, and the contract for building both was 
made with Harrison Bros., and for superintending 
the work with .las. McCullough, Jr. The erection 
was commenced in 1870, and was completed in 
187.3. The whole structure cost $252,000. It is 
one of the strongest, securest and most substantial 
buildings in the United States. It is constructed 
of stone, brick and iron. It contains twenty-four 
cells, 8X13 feet each. The ceiling is 1 3^ feet high. 
The ventilation is good. The main corridor is 
68X16 feet, and 38 feet high. The jailer's house 
contains eight rooms with proper ventilation. The 
woodwork of the whole building is of North Caro- 
lina pine, with iron guards on the outside of the 
windows of the jailer's house, made of l^inch 
round iron. The dimensions of the entire struc- 
ture on the ground are 114X50 feet. Its founda- 
tion is 24 feet deep, doAvn from the surface, and 
7 feet wide at the bottom. It required that depth 
for a solid foundation, which greatly increased the 
cost. The tower is 96 feet high, 18 feet square at 
the base and 10 feet square at the top, all of solid 
stone, neatly tooled, and surmounted with battle- 
ments. All the outer surface of the house and 
jail, including gutters and cornices, is an Ashlar 
facing of wrought stone, neatly tooled. The outer 
walls are 2^ feet thick, and are lined on the inside 
with brick 4 inches thick. All the floors are 
brick, 13 inches thick. The arches are of solid 
concrete 4 inches thick, and of cast iron 1 inch 
thick. The flagging in the main corridor and 
cells is 2^ inches thick — brick in the former and 
wood in the latter. There are four large rooms 
in the jail part to be used as hospitals when needed. 
Both the house and jail are well supplied with gas 
and water from the Kittanning Gas and Water 
Works. The house part of the structure is oc- 



ARMSTRONG COUNTY CIVIL ROSTER. 



35 



tagonal, with bay fronts and surmounted with 
battlements. All the window and door openings, 
the tower, battlements and outer walls are of cut 
stone, the facing on the front side of the house 
being finely wTOUght, and the doors and windows 
capped with elaborately wrought, substantial and 
beautiful keystone arches. All the stone of which 
all the outer walls of both house and jail are con- 
structed was obtained from the sandstone quarry 
at Catfish, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, and is 
said to be among the best for outer walls and to 
stand the chemical test better than any other stone 
used for building in Pittsburgh. All the stone- 
work is laid or put together with the best of 
hydraulic cement, no lime having been used except 
in plastering the inner walls. 

This jail is on the site of the second one, a little 
west of north of the present court-house, with an 
interval between the two of nearly thirteen feet. 
The material and workmanship of it and the jail- 
er's house are such that both will stand for centu- 
ries, unless they be i^urposely torn down by official 
authority and human instrumentality, or over- 
thrown by some powerful convulsion of nature. 

AEMSTEONG COUNTY CIVIL EOSTEE. 

Governors. — William F. Johnston, of Pennsyl- 
vania ; Andrew J. Faulk, of Dakota Territory. 

Oongressmen. — Gen. Robert Orr, Samuel S. 
Harrison, Joseph Buffington, Darwin Phelps and 
James Mosgrove — all citizens of Kittanning. 
Walter A. Burleigh, a former citizen of this 
county, delegate to Congress from Dakota Terri- 
tory. 

State Senators. — Robert Orr, Jr., 1822-25 ; 
Eben Smith Kelley, 1825-29 (died in the dis- 
charge of his duties at Harrisburg, Saturday, 
March 28, 1829); Philip Mechliug, 1830-34; 
William F. Johnston, 1847, until he was inaugu- 
rated Governor in January, 1849 ; Jonathan E. 
Meredith, 1859-62. 

Members of Assembly, or Mepresentatives. — 
James Sloan, 1808-9; Samuel Houston, 1817-18- 
19 ; Robert Orr, Jr., 1818-19-20-21 ; James Doug- 
lass, 1834-5-6; William P. Johnston, 1836-7-8, 
and 1841 ; John S. Rhey, 1850-1-2 ; J. Alexander 
Fulton, 1853; Darwin Phelps, 1856; John K. 
Calhoun, 1857-8 ; Philip K. Bowman, 1872-3 ; 
Andrew W. Bell, William G. Heiner, 1877-80 ; 
W. F. Rumberger, Lee Thompson and Frank 
Martin, 1880; Thompson and A. D. Glenn, 1882. 

Member' of Constitutional Convention for 
1873-4.— John Gilpin. 

United States Commissioner.-^ Grier C. Orr. 



Collector of U. S. Taxes in 1816-17.— Philip 
Mechling. 

Collector of Inttrnal Revenue, Ttcenty-third 
District. — Robert L. Brown. 

Deputy Collector for this County. — William H. 
H. Piper. 

Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. — 
James Thompson.* 

President Judges. — John Young, Westmoreland 
county ; Thomas White, Indiana county ; Jere- 
miah M. BuiTell, Westmoreland countj^ ; John C. 
Knox, Tioga county ; Joseph Buffington, Arm- 
strong county ; James A. Logan, Westmoreland 
county ; John V. Painter, Armstrong county ; 
Jackson Boggs and James B. Neale. 

Associate Judges. — Robert Orr, Sr., James Barr, 
George Ross, Joseph Rankin, Robert Orr, Jr., 
Charles G. Snowden, John Calhoun, Andrew 
Arnold, Hugh Bingham, Robert Woodward, 
Michael Cochran, Geo. F. Keener, John Woods, 
Josiah E. Stevenson, H. A. S. D. Dudley, John F. 
Nulton, Robert M. Beatty, James M. Stevenson. 

Prothonotaries of Common Pleas and Clerks of 
the Courts of Oyer and Terminer and Quarter 
Sessions. — Paul Morrow, James Sloan, George 
Hiccox, Eben S. Keley, James E. Brown, Frederick 
Rohrer, Simon Torney, W. W. Gibson, James 
Douglass, Jonathan E. Meredith, Samuel Owens, 
Simon Truby, Jr., James S. Quigley, John G. Parr, 
James G. Henry, A. H. Stitt. 

County Commissioners. — Appointed: James 
Sloan, James Matthews and Alexander Walker. 
Elected : Jonathan King, Adam Ewing, James 
Jackson, Thomas Johnston, John Henery, George 
Long, Alex. McCain, John Davidson, David Johns- 
ton, Philip Clover, Isaac Wagle, David Reynolds, 
Joseph Rankin, Joseph Waugh, Daniel Reichert, 
Philip Templeton, Sr., Joseph Shields, Hugh Reid, 



*Mr. Thompson, although not a citizen of Kittanning when 
elected, or while on the bench, was so for several j-ears prior to 1830, 
He came here from Butler, Pennsylvania, in 1S20, being then twenty- 
two years of age. He was a printer, and took Josiah Copley'.^; place 
in the office of the Kittanning Qazelte while the latter was absent 
getting married in Philadelphia, He afterward assisted in printing 
Bennett's Lectures uu Theology, and read law in the office of Thomas 
Bhiir, working at his trade three hours a day to pay for his boarding. 
During a part, if not all, the period of his clerkship, he boarded 
with Mr. Copley, who says he found him " a verj' pleasant and 
genial member of his family. He was a good printer and had liter- 
ary genius of a high order for one of his age and opportunities," 
On Wednesday, March 19, 1828, he was admitted to, and then for a 
year and a half or so practiced at the bar of this county, having in 
the meantime married a daughter of Rev. Nathaniel G, Snowden, 
after which he removed to Franklin, Venango countj', Pennsyl- 
vania, In an old number of the Gazette, and of the Voltimbiaii, is 
his professional card in these words : 

" James Thompson, attorney at law, has opened an office on 
Jefferson street, in the borough of Kittanning, next door to the office 
of David Johnston, Esq., where he will be found at all times, and 
readv to transact any business in the line of his profession. Deeds, 
bonds, mortgages, etc,, will be drawn at a short notice, in legal form, 
and on moderate terms. 

" Kittanning, April 19, 1828." , . ,. ^ 

His residence here was not long continued. The omce which he 
had then ojiened must have been on lot No, 152, on the west side ot 
Jefferson, and the third lot above Jacob street, for on that lot was 
the office of David Johnston, afterward occupied by Darwin Phelps, 
and now by John Kennerdell, 



36 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



James Barr, George Williams, John Patton, 
Samuel Matthews, James Green, Job Johnson, 
Jacob Allshouse, James Reichert, Alex. A. Lowry, 
John R. Johnston, William Curll, Jacob Beck, 
George W. Brodhead, Lindley Patterson, James 
Stitt, Joseph Biillman, William Coulter, Amos 
Mercer, Philip Hutchinson, John Boyd, Robert 
Mcintosh, Arthur Fleming, Andrew Roulston, 
John Shoop, William Mcintosh, Archibald Glenn, 
Wilson Todd, Thos. H. Caldwell, James Douglass, 
David Beatty, George B. Sloan, William W. 
Hastings, John M. Patton, Wm. H. Jack, James 
Blair, Thomas Templeton, James Barr, Daniel 
Slagie, George H. Smith, Augustus T. Pontius, 
Peter Heilman, William P. Lowry, Thomas Mont- 
gomery, Thomas Herron, Wm. BuiSngton, Brice 
Henderson and Owen Ilandcock, Lewis W. Cor- 
bett, John Murphy, James White, John Alward, 
T. V. McKee. 

County Treasurers. — Appointed annually by the 
county commissioners, as provided by acts of April 
11, 1799, and April 15, 1834 : Adam Elliott, Rob- 
ert Brown, Samuel Matthews, Guy Hiccox, 
Thomas Hamilton, James Pinks, Alexander Col- 
well, David Johnston, Jonathan H. Sloan, Samuel 
McKee, Andrew Arnold, James Douglass, Samuel 
Hutchinson, John F.Nulton. Some of them were 
reappointed once or twice. • 

Elected as provided by act of May 27, 1841 : 
John F. Nulton, George Beck, James McCullough, 
Sr., Absalom Reynolds, Henry J. Arnold, Aleican- 
der Henry, Thomas McMasters, Andrew J. Faulk, 
Samuel Crawford, Robert Anderson, William 
Brown, William McClelland (George Kron ap- 
pointed to fill unexpired term of Wm. McClelland, 
deceased), J. Norman McLeod (Samuel McLeod 
ajjpointed to fill unexpired term of J. N. McLeod, 
deceased), Samuel W. Hamilton, Samuel C. Davis, 
John E. Alward, James Piper, James H. Monroe, 
T. Jeff. Elwood," John C. Walters. The present 
constitution of this state makes the term of county 
treasurer three years instead of two, as it was un- 
der the act of 1841. 

JHegisters and Recorders and Clerks of Orphans'' 
Courts. — Paul Morrow, James Sloan, George Hic- 
cox, Eben S. Kelley, David Johnston, Philip Mech- 
ling, Frederick Rohrer, John Croll, John Mech- 
ling, John R. Johnston, Joseph Bullman, William 
Miller, David C. Boggs, Philip K. Bowman, Wm. 
R. Millron, James H. Chambers and H. J. Hayes. 

Until 1821 the offices of prothonotary, clerk of 
the courts, and register and recorder were held by 
one person. 

Deputy Attorneys- General. — Deputy attorneys- 
general were appointed by the attorney-general 



until, by act of May 3, 1850, the name was changed 
to district attorneys, one of whom was thereafter 
to be elected for by the voters of each county. 
Thos. Blair,' Wm. F. Johnston, Michael Gallagher, 
J. B. Musser, John B. Alexander, John Reed, Geo. 
W. Smith, John S. Rhey, Thos. T. Torney, Daniel 
Stanard, Hugh H. Brady, Ephraim Carpenter, J. 
G. Barclay, John W. Rohrer, James Stewart. 

District Attorneys. — John W. Rohrer, Franklin 
Mechling, William Blakeley, Henry F. Phelps, 
John V. Painter, John 0. Barrett, Jefferson Rey- 
nolds, Joseph R. Henderson, M. F. Leason, R. S. 
Martin. 

Sheriffs. — John Orr, Jonathan King, James Mc- 
Cormick, Joseph Brown, Philij) Mechling, Robert 
Robinson, Thos. McConnell, Jacob Mechling, Jas. 
Douglass, Chambers Orr, Samuel Hutchinson, Job 
Truby, George Smith, John Mechling, William G. 
Watson, Joseph Clark, Hamilton Kelly, George B. 
Sloan, Jonathan Myers, Robert M. Kirkadden, 
George W. Cook (appointed vice Kirkadden, de- 
ceased), David J. Reed, Alexander J. Montgom- 
ery, John B. Boyd, George A. Williams, James G. 
Henry, James H. Chambers. 

County Superintendents. — J. A. Campbell, Rob- 
ert W. Smith, John A. Calhoun, James Richey, 
William Davis, Hugh McCandless, Samuel Mur- 
phy, A. D. Glenn, D. C. Stockdill. 

Deputy Surveyors- General. — Robert Richards, 
J. E. Meredith, Jackson Boggs. 

County Surveyors. — James Stewart, Robert S. 
Slaymaker, John Steele, Robert H. Wilson. 

POLITICAL. 

Armstrong county, 1825, Congress: Robert Orr, 
Jr., had 1148 votes, and Abner Lacock 111. Orr's 
majority, 1037. 

Constitutional convention, 1825. Against, 921; 
for, 379 votes; majority against calling a conven- 
tion to revise the constitution, 542. 

The foregoing statistics were obtained from 
papers published in 1825. From 1828 to 1854 
there was uniformly a democratic majority of 
several hundred, except that a volunteer whig 
candidate was, now and then, elected to some 
county office. In 1854 a new secret political 
organization, commonly called " Know Nothings," 
swept the political field with, to the uninitiated, 
an unexpected and astounding majority. 

In the campaign of 1856 the republican party, 
newly organized, entered the political arena with 
the following result in this county: Presidential — 
Fremont, Rep., 2,963; Buchanan, Dem., 2,680. 
Rep. maj. 283. In 1858: Judge of Supreme 
Court — Read, Rep., 2,386; Porter, Dem., 2,003. 




Af^MSTF^ONG County 



STUDENTS AT LAW AND ADMISSION OF ATTORNEYS. 



37 



Rep. maj. 383. In 1860: Governor — Curtin, Rep., 
3,474; Foster, Dem., 2,698. Rep. maj. 776. The 
presidential election was not earnestly contested 
by the democrats, so that the republican majority 
for Abraham Lincoln was large. 

In 1862: Auditor General — Cochran, Rep., 
2,250; Slenker, Dem!, 2476. Dem. maj. 226. In 
1863: Governor — Curtin, Rej3., 3,146; Woodward, 
Dem., 2,977. Rep. maj. 169. In 1864: Constitu- 
tional amendment allowing soldiers to vote in 
camp and field. For, 2,466; against, 1676. Maj. 
for amendment, 790. In 1865: Auditor General — 
Hartranft, Rep., 2,810; Davis, Dem., 2,506. Rep. 
maj. 304. In 1866: Governor — Geary, Rep., 
3,758; Clymer, Dem., 3,078. Rep. maj. 660. In 
1867: Judge of Supreme Court — Williams, Rep., 
3,439; Sharswood, Dem., 3,079. Rep. maj. 360. 
In 1868: Auditor General — Hartranft, Rep., 3,987; 
Boyle, Dem., 3,459. Rep. maj. 528. In 1869: 
Governor — Geary, Rep., 3,439; Packer, Dem., 
3,079. Rep. maj. 360. In 1870: Assembly — Put- 
ney, Dem., 3,208; Steele, Rep., 3,197. Dem. maj. 
109. In 1871: Auditor General — Stanton, Rep., 
3,515; McCandless, Dem., 3,144. Rep. maj. 371. 
In 1872: Governor — Hartranft, Rep., 4,434; 
Buckalew, Dem., 3,469. Rep. maj. 965. In 1874: 
Lieut. Governor — Olmstead, Rep., 3,858; Latta, 
Dem., 3,523. Rep. maj. 335. In 1875: Governor 
— Hartranft, Rep., 3,605; Pershing, Dem., 3,121. 
Rep. maj. 484. Brown, Prohib., 196. 

JUDICIAL AND LEGAI,. 

The learned judges who have presided over the 
courts of this county have adorned their positions 
by their ability, integrity, impartiality and pro- 
found and varied knowledge of the law, and the 
learned professions have not been barren of devoted, 
well-read and eminent members who have held a 
high rank in the esteem of their brethren in other 
counties of our state. To the heritage of this 
county also belongs some of the credit and use- 
fulness of inventive genius. 

STUDENTS AT LAW AND ADMISSION OF ' ATTOENETS. 

Prior to September 1, 1873, any man, irrespect- 
ive of his literary attainments, was allowed to 
study law without being registered as a student 
by the prothonotary, and members of the bars of 
other counties coidd be admitted to practice gen- 
erally and permanently in this county on mere 
motion. At the time last above mentioned Judge 
Logan suggested and the court adopted a set of 
new rules, requiring all persons desiring to study 
law in this county to undergo a preliminary ex- 
amination in all the branches of a thorough 



English education and the elements of the Latin 
language, by the board of examiners created by 
these rules, and each to produce and file with the 
prothonotary a certificate, signed by at least a 
majority of the members present, that the applicant 
is prei^ared and qualified to commence the study 
of the law, and that they have received satisfac- 
tory evidence of his good moral character, and 
that each ajjplicant give in writing one month's 
notice to the secretary of the board of his desire 
to be registei-ed, before he shall come before them 
for examination, and making it the duty of every 
attorney of the courts of this county to register 
with the prothonotary the name, age and place of 
residence of every person studying the law under 
his direction, and the time of clerkship to be com- 
puted from the date of such registry. If the appli- 
cant is under the age of twenty-one years when 
registered, his clerkship is to be three years, and 
two years if he has then arrived at his majority, 
under the direction and in the oflice of a practic- 
ing attorney or a judge of said court ; but if he 
shall have studied in a law school of good repute, 
the time thus spent may be counted as part of the 
term, except the last year, which must be spent in 
the ofiice of his preceptor. After the expiration 
of the term of his clerkship he must undergo an 
examination by the board of examiners on the 
principles and practice of law and equity, and 
produce and file with the prothonotary, when 
his admission is moved for, a certificate signed 
by all the examiners who were present at his 
examination, that he is sufiiciently qualified 
for admission to the bar, and that they have 
received satisfactory evidence of his good moral 
character. Every such examination shall consist 
partly of written questions to be answered by the 
student in writing, which questions and answers 
are to be rejjorted to the court. By a rule adopted 
and published December 6, 1875, each apiDlicant 
for preliminary examination must pay to the sec- 
retary of the board of examiners the sum of S3, 
and each applicant for final examination the sum 
of $5, before he be entitled to his certificate of 
registration or a report in favor of his admission 
to the bar, for purchasing such books as the board 
may need and defraying such other expenses as 
may be incurred by the board. 

Members of the bars of other counties of this 
state or of other states cannot be admitted to 
practice in the courts of this county until they 
shall have appeared before the board of examiners 
and produced a certificate signed by them, wherein 
all the examiners present shall certify that they 
have received satisfactory evidence of his moral 



38 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



character and professional qualifications, includ- 
ing at least two years' diligent study or practice 
of the law, and recommending his admission to 
the bar. Written notice of any such applicant's 
intention to apply for admission must be given to 
the board at least two weeks prior to the applica- 
tion, accompanied with the certificate of the presi- 
dent judge of the court in which he last practiced 
of his good moral character and of the length of 
time he had practiced therein. An attorney of 
another court can be admitted for special cases 
without the foregoing requisites. 

The board of examiners consists of five mem- 
bers, a majority of whom constitute a quorum. 
At September term, 1873, the court appointed as 
members thereof Darwin Phelps, Edward S. 
Golden, John V. Painter, John Gilpin and Robert 
W. Smith. At June term, 1874, James A. McCul- 
loch was appointed, vice John V. Painter, by reason 
of the vacancy occasioned by the latter's accession 
to the bench. 

RELIGIOUS. 

In the early part of this century the facilities 
for the enjoyment of religious worship and privi- 
leges in this county were, as is the case in newly 
and sparsely settled regions, very meager. Two 
Presbyterian churches were organized and two log 
church edifices, about eight miles apart, were erect- 
ed on the west side of the Allegheny river, in what 
was then Buffalo township, in 1802. From those 
two churches have sprung all the other churches of 
that denomination in this county. Those and other 
churches will be more specially noticed in the 
sketches of their respective localities. 

Rev. T. M. Hudson, a venerable clergyman of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, had that portion 
of this county east of the Allegheny river in his 
circuit of three hundred miles, which he traversed 
fifty-four years ago. There were then, he informed 
me, no church edifices within that part of his cir- 
cuit included in this county. Meetings were held 
in private houses and in the open air, under 
trees, in pleasant weather, to which women, in 
some instances, went a distance of five-or six miles 
with infants in their arms. The dwelling-houses 
did not lack ventilation. They were not as warm 
as modern dwellings. In one instance, said he, the 
feet of another clergyman were frozen while he 
was preaching in such a mansion. 

Sabbath schools began to be organized in 1818- 
20. They were at first regarded, by at least some 
of the pastors and church members, as innovations 
upon the proper functions of the church, as the 
writer is informed by a gentleman who was cogni- 
zant of their first establishment in this county. 



That unfavorable view soon vanished, so that they 
have here, as elsewhere, been accepted and cher- 
ished, by pastors and people, for many years as 
imj)ortant adjuncts to the church. 

The number of churches in the county in 1850 
was 65. 

That the great interests of religion have been 
liberally fostered in this county is evident from 
the following statistics : 

Preshyterian — 1876 — No. churches, 24; No. 
members, 2,989 ; No. Sabbath schools, 20 ; No. 
scholars, 2,097. 

Methodist Episcopal — No. churches, 19 ; No. 
members, 1,814; No. Sabbath schools, — ; No. 
scholars, about 1,523, exclusive of the number at- 
tending the Union Sabbath school at Worthing- 
ton. 

United Preshyterian — 1875 — No. churches, 13 ; 
No. members, 1,038 ; No. Sabbath schools, 12 ; No. 
scholars, 744. 

Episcopalian — No. churches, 5 ; No. members, 
330 ; No. Sunday schools, 4 ; No. scholars, 265. 
(Number of members and Sunday school scholars 
partly estimated.) 

Lutheran (both synods) — No. churches, 29 ; No, 
members, 2,672 ; No. Sabbath schools, 25 ; No, 
scholars, 1,907. 

Reformed — No. churches, 12 ; No. members, 825 
No. Sabbath schools, 11 ; No. scholars, 630. 

Baptist — No churches, 10 ; No. members, 650 
No. Sabbath schools, 12 ; No. scholars, 500. 

JDunkard — No. churches, — ; No. members, — 
No. Sabbath schools, — ; No. scholars, — . 

Roman CatJiolic — No. churches, — ; No. mem- 
bers, — ; No. Sunday schools, — ; No. scholars, — . 

During the winter of 1876 there was a peculiarly 
deep and extensive interest awakened in religious 
matters, which resulted in considerable accessions 
to many churches of the different denominations. 

THE AEMSTEONG COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY. 

The first meeting was held on Monday, Septem- 
ber 15, 1828, at the court-house. Thomas Hamil- 
ton was chosen president, and James E. Brown sec- 
retary. A series of resolutions were adopted indi- 
cating, 1. An approval of the benevolent object of 
the Philadelphia Bible society to give a copy of the 
Bible to every family in Pennsylvania unable or 
unwilling to pay for it. 2. That a society for this 
county be formed. 3. That the business of the so- 
ciety be conducted by a president, six vice-presi- 
dents, and twelve other managers, who were to 
choose from their own body a secretary and treas- 
urer. 4. The appointment of four for each town- 
ship to visit every family in their respective town- 



EDUCATIONAL. 



39 



ships. A permanent organization was effected at 
the evening session by electing Rev. John Dickey, 
president ; Rev. John Reddick, Rev. Gabriel Adam 
Reichert, Rev. Henry Koch, Rev. John Core, Thos. 
SmuUen, and Samuel Green, vice-presidents ; Thos. 
Hamilton, Simon Torney, Philij) Mechling, Fred- 
erick Rohrer, Robert Brown, Sr., Samuel Mat- 
thews, James Green, John Monroe, James Brown, 
Jr., David Johnston, Alexander Colwell, and James 
E. Brown, managers. The committees for the sev- 
eral townships were also appointed. The society 
was made auxiliary to the Philadelphia Bible So- 
ciety. 

The executive committee, D. Phelps, secretary, 
issued a circular November 17, 1841, inviting the 
aid of individuals in each township to distribute 
Bibles and Testaments, and visit each family in 
their respective districts. Application was directed 
to be made to Alexander Colwell before the 1.3th, 
and to enter upon their duties on December 27. 
Clergymen and church officers of all denominations 
were solicited to co-operate. The committee de- 
sired to ascertain the names of individuals in cen- 
tral situations who would be willing to keep depos- 
itories of Bibles and Testaments for the supply of 
their respective neighborhoods. 

That society still exists. A special effort, the 
centennial year, to see that every family in this 
county is supplied with the Bible. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

The only educational facilities, except those 
afforded by the Kittanning academy, vmtil after 
the passage of the act of Assembly of 1834 estab- 
lishing a system of free schools, were afforded 
by pay or subscription schools, sparsely located, 
kept in log shanties in some filaces, and in octag- 
onal log houses built expressly for school purposes, 
in other places, with puncheon floors, primitive 
desks and seats, and long openings in the walls, a 
little above the desks, which were attached to the 
walls, covered with greased paper for windows. 
Spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic — the 
last-named in many instances to a limited extent — 
were about all that was taught in most of those 
schools. The teachers were generally men of ma- 
ture age, of severe aspect and discipline. At least 
some of them were "Irish schoolmasters." The 
teacher in those pristine days, in most instances, 
might be described as Goldsmith describes the 
teacher of the village school : 

" A man severe he was, and stern to view. 
****** 
Wen had the boding tremblers learned to trace 
The day's disasters in his morning face ; 
Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee 
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he ; 



Full well the busy whisper, circling round. 
Conveyed the dismal tidings wlien he frown'd, 

****** 
While words of learned length and thundering sound 
Amazed the rustics ranged around ; 
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew. 
That one small head could carry all he knew. 
Hut past is all his fame. The very spot 
Where many a time he triumph'd, is forgot." 

Several academies were founded in later years, 
which will be elsewhere noticed. 

Among the county expenses for 1828 is the sum 
of $9.53 for t-eaching poor children. The mixed 
system of paying tuition by those who were able 
to pay, and the county paying it for those who 
were unable to j^ay, proved to be impracticable, and 
was rarely of any avail to those for whose benefit 
it was designed, on account of their strong and 
natural rei^uguance to attending school as depend- 
ents, unlike their wealthier companions, on public 
charity for acquiring an education. 

The free-school system placed all on an equal 
footing, and it has steadily progressed in accom- 
plishing its beneficent purpose. When it was op- 
tional with each school district — %. e., borough or 
township — whether it would accept the system or 
not, it was readily accepted by all the districts in 
this county. 

As required by the act of April 1, 1834, the 
county commissioners and the delegates api:)ointed 
by the several boards of school directors convened 
in the court-house on Tuesday, November 4, 1834. 
The number of delegates present was eleven. The 
Plum Creek district, and that consisting then of 
Kittanning borough and township, were not repre- 
sented. On the question : " Will the convention 
agree to appropriate for the establishment and sup- 
port of common schools?" the vote was : 

Yeas — Jacob Mechling, Franklin township; 
James Adams, Sugar Creek township ; George 
Means, Toby township ; Samuel Marshall, Perry 
township ; John Calhoun, Wayne township ; Jacob 
McFadden, Clarion township ; Sherman Bills, Kis- 
kiminetas township, and James McCall, Freeport. 

Nays — John Hidley, Red Bank township, and 
James Hindman, Franklin township. 

A resolution was passed providing that a tax of 
11,920,18, or double the amount of the quota ap- 
propriated by the state, should be appropriated for 
that year. 

In the convention held on Monday, November 
2, 1836, the vote to appropriate for the support of 
common schools was unanimous. The districts of 
Allegheny, Freeport, and Perry were not repre- 
sented. Double the amount of state appropriation 
to this county was ordered to be levied. 

In 1840 there were fourteen school districts and 



40 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



120 schools, which were kejat ojien four months in 
the year. 

By the general act of 1854 and its supplements 
each city, borough and township is made a district 
for school purposes, made subject to one board of 
directors or control, and causing to be selected, 
triennially, by the directors of the several school 
districts in each county except Philadelphia, a suit- 
able person to be appointed (by the superintendent 
of public instruction) a county superintendent, 
whose duties are to examine all the applicants for 
teaching the public or common schools in his 
county, no applicant being permitted to teach such 
a school unless he or she has a valid certificate of 
qualification granted by that officer ; to visit all 
the schools in the county as often as practicable, 
and perform various other duties prescribed by the 
school law. The intent of the law requiring 
teachers to be examined and their schools to be 
visited by the county superintendent is to exclude 
from the useful, honorable and responsible voca- 
tion of teaching such as are incompetent morally, 
intellectually, and by the want of proper culture. 

The number of school districts reported in this 
county in 1837 was 14; whole number, 61; number 
then required, 81; average number months taught, 
4^; male teachers, 58; female teachers, 10; average 
salaries of male teachers per month, $17.71 ; average 
salaries female teachers per month, $11.61; male 
scholars, 1,155; female scholars, 1,088; average 
number in each school, 46i; cost of each per month, 
52^ cents. 

In 1850 the number of pujiils attending the pub- 
lic schools was 6,477, and the number attending 
academies and private schools, 135. 

The number of common schools in this county 
in 1858 was 199; then still required, 12; average 
number of months taught, 4.52; male teachers, 163; 
female teachers, 50; average monthly salaries, male, 
$24.17; female, $18.18; number of scholars, male, 
5,094; female, 4,472; average attendance of scholars, 
7,32-3; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 48 
cents. Tax levied: For school purposes, $22,970.26; 
for building schoolhouses, $5,235.07; total amount 
levied, $28,205.33. Mills on the dollar for school 
purposes, 8.72; for building schoolhouses, 3.96; re- 
ceived from state appropriation, $2,654.38; from 
collectors of school tax, $18,114.60; cost of instruc- 
tion, $19,358.11; fuel and contingencies, $1,593.22; 
cost of schoolhouses, viz, purchasing, building, rent- 
ing, repairing, etc., $5,192.66. 

In 1876 the whole number of common schools in 
this county was 261; average number of months 
taught, 5.9; male teachers, 163; female teachers, 
106; average salaries per month of male teachers. 



$41.12; female, $34.40; scholars, male, 6,730; female, 
5,933; average attendance, 8,252; cost of teaching 
each scholar per month, 76 cents; tax levied for 
school purposes and building schoolhouses, $75,- 
719.25; received from state appropriation, $10,- 
480.08 ; from taxes and all other sources, $87,854; 
total receipts, $98,334.08. Expended : For build- 
ing, renting and rej)airing schoolhouses, etc., 
$22,949.37; teachers' wages, $47,711.68; fuel, fees 
of collectors, etc., $21,068.53; total expenditures, 
$91,729.58, being $3,000 less than for 1875. Con- 
tribution to Centennial fund, $36.50. 

Thus it appears by comparison that the interest 
of and facilities for popular education in this 
county have progressed with its increase of popu- 
lation and development of material resources. 

It is a part of the educational history of this 
county that there was for awhile considerable 
opposition to the county superintendency on the 
part of many of the sujsporters of the common 
school system. It was at first so strong that the 
first convention of school directors. May, 1854, 
fixed the annual compensation of the first county 
superintendent at the meager sum of $300, some of 
them thinking, as the writer was informed, that no 
one would serve for that sum, and that they would 
thus discharge the duty imposed on them by law of 
selecting a suitable person and fixing his compen- 
sation, and in that way dispense with the superin- 
tendent. They did not seem to consider that the 
law also prescribed that every teacher of common 
schools must be examined by that officer, and that 
if any schools in a district should be taught by 
teachers not having proper certificates there would 
have been a forfeiture of the state appropriation to 
the schools of such district, which, for all the dis- 
tricts in the county, amounted to several thousand 
dollars. The gentleman then selected, Rev. J. A. 
Campbell, after deliberation, concluded that he 
could not devote the time, labor and attention 
which the law required for that compensation, but 
proposed to accept the position for a year if the 
amount fixed by the convention would be increased 
to $400. In order that the school districts of this 
county might not lose their state appropriations, 
several citizens — the writer does not remember the 
names of all of ' them — pledged the additional hun- 
dred dollars, which they paid out of their own 
pockets, and the first incumbent of the new and 
to some extent obnoxious office entered upon the 
discharge of his official duties, in which he con- 
tinued during the first two years and a part of the 
third year of the term, teaching part of the time a 
normal class and preaching to his congreg^ation. 

At the triennial convention of school directors in 



JOUBNALISTIC. 



41 



this county, May, 1857, the annual compensation of 
the county superintendent "was fixed at $800. A ma- 
jority of the directors subsequently elected deemed 
that too large a compensation, some of them thinking 
it ought to be about the average salary of clergymen 
in the rural districts. On the other hand, a 
minority of the directors thought otherwise, and 
favored an increase. In the attempt in the trien- 
nial convention. May, 1860, to reduce it to |600, it 
was, in the clashing of resolutions for increasing 
and diminishing, through want of sufficient knowl- 
edge of parliamentary rules, unintentionally re- 
duced to $400, and thus it remained until May, 
1865, when, on the petition of the requisite number 
of the board of school directors, the state superin- 
tendent ordered a reassembling of the convention, 
by which it was raised to the rate of $800 per 
annum for the rest of the term, which expired on 
the first Monday of June, 1866. It was afterward 
raised to $1000. For the present term it is $1200. 
The state pays the salaries of county superintend- 
ents out of state revenue, but allows them to be 
fixed by the conventions of school directors of the 
respective counties. There is now little if any 
opposition in this county to that office, which State 
Superintendent Hickok used to denominate the 
" right arm " of the educational service in Penn- 
sylvania. 

teachers' institutes, 
district and county, are impiortant features of our 
present school system. They have proved, when 
properly conducted, to be useful agencies in im- 
proving teachers. In conducting the former the 
teachers rely chiefly upon their own resources. 
Until the generous provision made by act of 1867, 
the county superintendent and teachers were 
obliged to rely principally upon their own mental 
and material resources in conducting the latter, 
which were, prior to 1868, local, that is, held in 
different parts of the county, and in which teachers 
were obliged to do a large part of the work. They 
were thus benefited, because " self-dependence is 
the great principle to be aroused," and because 
teachers will not attain their full statures if allowed 
to remain solely under the shadows of eminent 
instructors from abroad, however useful and serv- 
iceable the latter may be. The earlier county 
institutes, though less prominent before the public 
and more dependent on home talent than those 
held since 1867, were nevertheless busy, working, 
improving ones, which awakened a lively interest 
in both members and spectators. For instance, 
the one held at Worthington in April, 1860, 
attracted thither a certain candidate* for nomina- 



* Josiah. Copley. 



tion as candidate for an important county office, 
who, supposing a large number of people would 
be there, which proved to be the case, thought that 
that would be an available point for electioneering. 
He went into that institute and became so deeply 
interested in its proceedings that he didn't elec- 
tioneer worth a cent, or rather worth a vote. He 
afterward wrote a graphic account of '\\'hat was 
done in the institute, wliich was published in the 
Free Press, and reproduced in the then next May 
or June number of the Pennsylvania SchoolJournal. 
The material aid afforded by the j)rovisions of 
the act of 1867, and realized from elocutionary 
and musical entertainments and series of able 
lectures, which have been liberally patronized, 
has enabled the county superintendent, since 
1867, to secure the valuable services of some of 
the ablest, most skillful, and experienced educators 
of this and other states in rendering the more 
modern institutes attractive and efi^ective. They 
have thus far been held at Kittanning, and 
attended by most of the teachers in the county. 
Stores of knowledge useful to teachers and 
highly practical have thus been bestowed which 
ought not to be fruitless in enhancing their cult- 
ure and refinement. Progress in the intellectual 
and esthetic culture of teachers and pupils, and 
imjjrovement in school-buildings and furniture 
within the last two decades, has been consider- 
able, though not to so high a degree as devoted, 
enthusiastic and j)erfection-loving educators de- 
sire. Every section of the county is now dotted 
over with comely temples of knowledge, in which 
every child of proper age can receive at least a 
good common English education. 

JOUENALISTIC. 

As early as 1810, a newspaper, bearing the name 
of The Western Eagle, was established at Kittan- 
ning, by Capt. James Alexander. The first num- 
ber was issued September 20, 1810. It was dis- 
continued while its proprietor was in the military 
service, but was revived for a short time after his 
return. Its size was 18X11 inches. It contained 
sixteen columns, «. e., the above-mentioned first 
number. 

The Kittanning Columbian and Farmers'' and 
Mechanics' Advertiser was the next newspaper 
established in this county. Its proj)rietor and 
publisher was Frederick Rohrer, assisted by his 
younger brother, George Rohrer. It was of me- 
dium size, published weekly, and democratic 
republican in politics. Its issue of June 5, 1819, 
No. 14, Vol. I, is before the writer, from which it 
appears that its first issue was on Saturday, 



42 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Marcli 6. (It was finally merged with the Ga- 
zette?) The presidential election proclamation in 
the issue of October 7, 1820, shows that Philip 
Meohling was still sheriff. It also appears from 
other contents that the late Gen. Orr was then a 
candidate for assembly, on the democratic repub- 
lican ticket, and the late Samuel Houston for the 
same, on both the democratic-republican and In- 
diana county tickets; that John Cribbs, James 
Pinks, Robert Robinson and Thos. McConnell 
were volunteer candidates for sheriff, and An- 
thony Montgomery, Peter Klingensmith and Jas. 
Jackson were candidates for county commissioner 
at the October election. 

The Kittanning Gazette was established by 
Jasiah Copley and John Croll, and its first num- 
ber was issued August 17, 1825. It was con- 
ducted under the firm name of Copley, Croll & 
Co. until 1829, when Copley withdrew. It and 
the Columbian were merged about April 12, 
1831, and was published as the Gazette and Co- 
lumbian, by Simon Torney and John Croll, under 
the firm name of John Croll &, Co., until Novem- 
ber 6, 1832, when Croll withdrew, and Copley 
became the editor and publisher for the estate of 
Simon Torney, deceased, until 1838 — the Co- 
lumbian part of the name having been dropped 
prior to 1836 — when, i. e., about April 5, 1838, it 
passed into the eontrol of the late Benjamin 
Oswald, who, in the first week of May, 1841, 
changed the name to that of the Democratic 
Press, and afterward to the Kittanning Free Press, 
which name was retained until May, 1864, when 
it was purchased from Mrs. Oswald by an associa- 
tion, and its name changed to Union Free Press, 
which it still retains. Marshall B. Oswald suc- 
ceeded the association as j)ublislier of the paper, 
and in 1876 sold an interest to James E. Neale, 
Esq., who, after being elected to the bench in the 
spring of 1881 (April 9), transferred his half to 
G. S. Crosby, Esq. 

It was issued under the name of Gazette unin- 
terruptedly, except the short period during which 
it bore the name of Gazette and Columbian, from 
1825 until 1841. It was, for a few years, while it 
bore the name of Gazette and Columbian, the 
organ of the democratic-republican party in this 
county. It was afterward a whig paper. On the 
dissolution of the whig party it became a repub- 
lican organ, which it still is. It was never a pro- 
fessedly antimasonic paper, though for a year or 
two it acted in harmony with the antimasonic 
organization, while it bore the name of Gazette. 
As Gazette and Free Press it has flourished more 
than half a century. 



In February, 1830, the publication of the Arm- 
strong Advertiser and Antimasonic Free Press was 
commenced by the late Judge Bufiington, which 
was subsequently continued by William Badger 
until August or September, 1833, when the type 
and other materials thereof were transferred to 
Freeport, and thereafter used in the publication 
of the Olive Branch. 

Though not germain to the history of journalism, 
it is to the history of printing in this county, — 
the fact that fifty years ago, in 1826, Copley, 
Croll & Co. entered into book-printing. In that 
year they printed for the author, a Kittanning cler- 
gyman, a book of 286 pages duodecimo, entitled 
" Lectures on Theology, or Dissertations on some 
of the most important Doctrines of the Christian 
Religion, by the Rev. Moses P. Bennett, Minister 
of the Episcopal Church," which did not prove to 
be pecuniarily profitable to either the author or 
the printers. There are thirteen lectures on as 
many different topics, written in a perspicuous 
style, and evincing much study and research. 
The reasoning is logical, but whether all the ideas 
accord with those of such as are held to be ortho- 
dox is a question for the theologians to settle. 

Proposals were made in 1830 for publishing a 
weekly German paper, to be called the Armstrong 
Republican and Friend of Liberty , by Simon Torney 
& Co., as soon as suflicient encouragement should 
be afforded. That project was not consummated. 

The Armstrong Democrat was established by 
Frederick Rohrer and John Croll June 4, 1834. It 
continued to be a democratic paper under their 
proprietorship, under that of Andrew J. Faulk, and 
under that of Wm. McWilliams, until 1864, when 
it espoused the cause of the republican party. Its 
name was soon after changed to that of Arm- 
strong Republican. It has been owned and con- 
ducted for several years past by A. G. Henry, 
whose son, W. M. Henry, local editor, has also 
been manager since 1880. 

The Mentor was established in the fall of 1862, 
by J. A. Fulton, and was published and edited by 
him until May or June, 1864, when he disposed of 
it to an association, and its name was changed to 
that of Democratic Sentinel, which has since been 
published and edited by John W. Rohrer. The 
Mentor was the organ of the peace wing of the 
democratic party in this county. The Sentinel is. 
democratic in politics. 

The Centennial, an amateur juvenile monthly, 
owned and published by Reichert Bros., near the 
corner of Water and Mulberry streets, was first 
issued in April, 1874. Its size for the first three 
months was about 7X5 inches; it was then en- 



READINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOURNALS. 



43 



larged to about double that size, and in Apr il, 
ISYS, to 10X14 inches. 

The Valley Times was transferred to Kittan" 
ning from Freeport, the first number being issued 
here May 6, IS^e. It is published by Oswald & 
Simpson in Reynolds' building, northeast corner 
of Market and McKean streets. 

The first newspaper published in Freeport was 
the Olive Branch, of which William Badger was 
the proprietor and editor, who had previously pub- 
lished and edited the Armstrong Advertiser and 
Antimasonic Free Press at Kittanning, the type 
and material of which he transferred hither in Au- 
gust or September, 1833. Its publication continued 
for about two years. The Freeport Columbian and 
Leechburgh and Warren Advertiser was established 
here by A. J. Foster in 1839, which was transferred 
in Ajjril, 1842, to John and Samuel McCulloch, by 
whom it was published as a democratic paper until 
about 1845. The Visitor, after making divers visits 
to the domiciles of its patrons here and round 
about, departed. The Freeport Ledger was pub- 
lished by A. J. Gibson from 1853 until 1855-6. 
The New Era was established by Simon Shoop in 
the spring of 1872, who, a few years afterward, 
ti-ansferred it to James A. McCulloch, and its name 
was changed to that of the Valley Times, which, 
in the early part of 1876, was transferred to Os- 
wald <fc Simpson, and removed to Kittanning. The 
seventh and present paper published here is the 
Freeport Journal, edited in jjart by Rev. John J. 
Francis. Those were all issued weekly, and were 
neutral in politics, except the Columbian. 

The first newspaper published in Apollo was the 
Warren Lacon, the first number of which mvist 
have been issued on or about November 6, 1835. 
It was of medium size, and printed by Robert Mc- 
Kissen. The writer is indebted to Dr. Robert E. 
McCauley for No. 47, Vol. Ill, issued on Wednes- 
day, October 31, 1838, which contains but a part of 
a column of editorial matter ; it was a democratic 
paper ; most of the advertisements were from 
abroad ; it is barren of items of local interest save 
the election returns and the list of letters for 
twelve individuals remaining in the Apollo post- 
office on the first day of October, then instant, fur- 
nished by Samuel Owens, postmasticr. Its publica- 
tion ceased, as the writer is informed, in a few years 
thereafter, probably in 1840. The Apollo Lacon 
and Kiskiminetas Review was established in Sep- 
tember, 1875, by Miss Jennie Stentz, who shortly 
afterward transferred it to J. Melhorn, its present 
publisher. 

The Leechburgh Enterprise is the title of a 
monthly journal that was established in 1873, and 



was edited and published by Mr. Robertson for 
several years. It was conducted later by H. H. 
Wray, and was made a valuable special medium for 
the presentation of the various branches of busi- 
ness and the facilities therefor peculiar to Leech- 
burgh and its vicinity. 

The people in Dayton being in an extreme cor- 
ner of the county, where they were not easily 
reached either by the city or Kittanning papers, 
resolved at a late day to have a journal of their 
own. Thus it came about that the Dayton Nevjs 
company was organized, and on November 10, 1882, 
the first number of the paper issued. It soon ac- 
quired a circulation, and has since been in pros- 
perous condition. The publishers of the JSTews are 
Messrs. Elder, Orr & Co. 

EEADINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOtTENALS. 

A few old newspapers, published here at differ- 
ent periods, are before the writer. The oldest of 
them is the first number* of the first volume of 
the Western Eagle, which was issued on Thursday, 
September 20, 1810, by James Alexander, whose 
office was then on lot No. 217, at or near the corner 
of Water and Mulberry streets, and subsequently 
lot No. 122, below the alley on the north side of 
Market street. The quality of the paper is fair 
and reasonably tough. The type must have been 
new or nearly so. The size of the sheet is 18X11 
inches. Its sixteen columns are filled chiefly with 
foreign news, and contain but little of domestic or 
local interest. 

That Eagle, figuratively speaking, took its flight 
from its eyrie the second day before the autumnal 
equinox, but as it did not utter a single screech 
indicating stormy weather, it is presumable that 
its first aj)pearance to the then 250 inhabitants of 
"Kittanning town," as this place is written on 
some of the old assessment lists, was in a genial 
flood of September sunlight. Dropping the figure, 
the reader may readily imagine that groups of Kit- 
tanningers, at least the reading jjortion of them, 
devoured the contents of that first Kittanning 
newspaper, and gathered in groups in the inns, j 
stores and offices, or in the shade of that large old 
wild-cherry tree that stood in Market below Jeffer- 
son street, or beneath the thrifty and fruitful 
hickory trees that were frequent along the river 
bank, to welcome their new visitor and discuss the 
foreign and domestic news thus wafted to them. 

That number of the Eagle contains only three 
advertisements, which fill a column and a half. 
One of them is a reference to lands in other parts 
of the county. Another one is the proclamation 



* Furnislied to the writer by George Stimson. 



44 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of Jonathan King, the then high sheriflE of this 
county, for the election of one person for member 
of the House of Representatives of the United 
States, for the district composed of the counties 
of Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland, Somerset, 
Jefferson and Cambria ; one member of assembly 
in conjunction with Indiana county ; and one 
county commissioner. The remaining one is the 
letter list, dated September 1 7, of that year, by which 
it appears that David Lawson was then postmaster, 
and letters of seventy-six persons were then remain- 
ing in that office, a considerable number of whom 
must have resided from fifteen to twenty or more 
miles from this point. It may here be mentioned 
as quite remarkable that David Lawson had in all 
eleven children, four of whom were boys and seven 
girls, and that every one of them is still living, 
the youngest being about fifty-four years of age. 
That family circle, excepting by the deaths of the 
jjarents, is still unbroken. 

The only original matter in that number of the 
Western, Eagle is a column and a third of intro- 
ductory remarks by the editor, announcing the 
price of the paper to be ^2 a year, exclusive of 
postage, payable in cash or rags, at 2-J- cents per 
pound, half-yearly in advance ; that the paper 
would be forwarded immediately after publication 
by a private post, if there should be a suflicient num- 
ber on the route to defray the expense, at 50 cents 
a year each, payable half-yearly in advance ; and 
during the then existing arrangemoit for the arrival 
of the mail the publication day would be every Fri- 
day. The other portions of those remarks are well 
written, and contain correct ideas as to the prov- 
ince and duty of an editor in relation to laying 
before the people correct information concerning 
the foreign and domestic policy of our govern- 
ment and the treatment of public and private 
individuals. He says that " in conducting the 
Western Eagle, it is determined that foul and 
malicious calumny shall not be permitted to 
vilify its columns. If the public character of any 
man be necessarily examined, the examination 
shall be made fairly but not maliciously ; it shall 
be confined to him as a public character, and shall 
not descend to a scrutiny of his private conduct 
unconnected with his public station. The inten- 
tion on this subject, as well as on all others, is not 
to abuse, not to descend to scurrilous invective, 
but on all occasions to present an open, candid and 
honest statement to the public scrutiny." His 
prospects seemed to be "flattering. Friends ap- 
pear on all sides determined to exert themselves 
in fostering a paper and assisting its continuance 
in the county of Armstrong." The name of Wm. 



McCorkle, written in ink on the m^argin, indi- 
cates that he was one of the first or original sub- 
scribers. The office in which it was published 
was, I am informed, in a log building on lot No. 
122 on the north side of Market street near the 
public alley, which was afterward destroyed by 
fire while occupied by the late Nathaniel Henry 
as a cabinet-shop. 

Passing over a period of ten years, the writer's 
eye falls upon No. 83, Vol. II, of the Columbian, 
issued October 7, 1820. " Jefferson street, south' 
west corner of the public lot, near the court- 
house." 

From the proclamation of Philip Mechling, then 
sheriff of this county, for the general election, on 
Tuesday, the 10th of that month, it appears that 
the law then required two persons to be voted for 
for sheriff and two for coroner. By the act of 
181*7-18 the court-house was made the place for 
voting at the general elections by the voters 
residing in the election district, then composed of 
Kittanning township, which, until the formation 
of Pine township, embraced all the territory on 
the east side of the river between Crooked and 
Mahoning creeks, and extending east from the 
river to the present western boundary lines of 
Plum Creek, Cowanshamock and Wayne town- 
ships; and that election district also embraced 
that part of the territory on the west wide of the 
river between the Allegheny river and a line 
beginning at the mouth of Glade run, now in the 
township) of North Buffalo, thence to the place 
where the line of what was then Buffalo township 
crossed that run, which point is in the present 
township of East Franklin, about one mile and 
forty rods southeast of Middlesex, and thence 
to Cummins' Rock, on the Allegheny river, which 
is a short distance above the mouth of Mahoning 
creek, at the foot of Kelly's chute. There are 
now within the limits of that district six entire 
election districts and parts of three others. 

The number of business advertisements, aside 
from those connected with the printing office, did 
not exceed six, and there are only nine announce- 
ments of candidates for county offices in that 
issue of the Columbian. The claims, merits and 
demerits of the gubernatorial and congressional 
candidates then before the people for election 
were sharply but not scurrilously discussed by 
contributors. 

The issue of October 5, 1825, contains seven 
legal notices, among which are the proclamation 
of Thomas Burnside, speaker of the Senate, and of 
Thomas McConnell, sheriff of. this county, for the 
election of a State Senator, in the district then 



READINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOURNALS. 



45 



composed of the couuties of Armstrong, Cambria, 
Indiana, Jefferson, Venango and Warren, to fill 
the vacancy in our State Senate caused by the 
resignation of Robert Orr, Jr.; four announce- 
ments of candidates for Senator — Eben. Smith 
Kelly was elected; five for Member of Assembly; 
five for county offices; six business advertisements; 
two lists of letters, one of which is that of Samuel 
Houston, postmaster, dated October 1, 1825, and 
containing the names of sixty-one persons, some of 
whom must have resided at least twenty miles 
distant; and the apjieal made by divers citizens in 
favor of the election of David Reynolds as County 
Commissioner, in which is the following para- 
grajjh, showing the then embarrassed condition of 
our county finances : " Mr. Reynolds was elected a 
Commissioner in 1816, when our finances were as 
gloomy, if not more so, than at present; when his 
term of service expired, by his exertions and the 
co-operation of his colleagues, the situation of the 
treasury was so much improved that upward of 
five hundred dollars in cash remained in the 
treasury after extinguishing existing debts and 
the current expenses of the county, without impos- 
ing any extraordinary burthen upon the citizens 
thereof." 

It is noticeable that in the issue of June 21, 
1828, the number of legal and official notices and 
business advertisements had increased to twenty- 
four. The report of John Galbraith, the borough 
treasurer, signed by S. S. Harrison, burgess, and 
attested by James Douglass, clerk, appears 
therein, showing the receipts into the borough 
treasury, for the year ending May 27, 1828, to have 
been $392,254-, and the expenditures for borough 
purpioses for that year $355. 34f. 

It also appears from the Columbian of June 21, 
1828, that a "large and respectable Jackson repub- 
lican meeting" was held at the court-house on 
Thursday evening, June 19, 1828. Resolutions 
were unanimously adopted concurring with the 
nomination of James S. Stevenson, of Allegheny 
county, theretofore made in that county, and 
instructing the two delegates — Frederick Rohrer 
and John Mechling — from this county to support 
that nomination in the general convention to be 
held at Butler. That candidate was not, however, 
nominated by that convention. But John Gil- 
more was. So it is nothing new under the sun 
for Butler to secure the nominations of candi- 
dates for important offices. It is a fact of his- 
tory, at least of political history, that Butler 
county has been favored with very many, if not 
more than her full share, of such nominations, 
as well as important appointments. 
4 



In No. 526, issue of October 3, 1829, the num- 
ber of notices and advertisements is thirty-seven, 
yet occupying nearly a column less than those of 
the issue of June 19 of the previous year. Among 
the advertisements is the professional card of the 
late Governor, William F. Johnston, dated Septem- 
ber 26, 1829, in which he tendered his services as 
attorney at law to the citizens of Armstrong and 
the adjacent counties. His office was then " di- 
rectly opposite Mr. Reynolds' inn," which was on 
lot No. 126, south side of Market below Jefferson 
street. Among the legal and official notices are 
the proclamations of Daniel Sturgeon, then 
speaker of our State Senate, and of Jacob Mech- 
ling, then sheriff of this county, for the special 
election of a senator to represent the Twenty- 
fourth senatorial district, mce Eben Smith Kelly, 
deceased, to be held on Tuesday, October 13, then 
instant. That paper contains announcements of 
candidates, viz., three for State Senator, four for 
Assemblyman, eight for County Commissioner, 
three for County Auditor, three for Sheriff, and 
four for Coroner. 

Those papers contain but very little original 
editorial matter, and no information of imme- 
diate local intei'est, except such as may be gleaned 
from the above-mentioned notices and advertise- 
ments. 

Leaving the Columbian., and glancing at its 
successor, the Gazette and Columbian, new series. 
Vol. I, No. 42, Whole No. 458, 18X13 inches, 
issued on Wednesday, September 3, 1834, it is 
found that four of its twenty columns are filled 
with legal and official notices and advertisements. 
Among the former is the proclamation of Cham- 
bers Orr, then sheriff, dated August 6, giving 
notice to the qualified voters that an election, as 
required by the act of April 1, 1834, would be 
held at the usual places of holding elections in 
the various boroughs and townships of this 
county, on Friday, September 19, then next, for 
the purpose of choosing six persons to serve as 
school directors in each school district, which 
consisted of either a township or borough, which 
was the first election of directors by virtue of the 
first act of assembly establishing a system of com- 
mon schools in this state. A contributor had dis- 
covered some opposition to that system, which, 
he found, arose from two classes of citizens — one 
opposed it from sordid and selfish motives, and 
the other for political purjjoses. After giving 
cogent and substantial reasons for supj)orting the 
system, he urged the people to turn out on that 
day and elect directors whom they knew to be 
" sterling friends of the system." 



46 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Nearly a column of that issue is filled with a 
forcible editorial in favor of " Our Immediate 
Interests," and insisting on the Allegheny river 
and French creek as a better and more direct route 
for the extension of the Pennsylvania canal to Lake 
Erie than the Beaver and Shenango one, which was 
afterward adopted. 

Meetings had been previously held in favor of 
the former canal extension route. An unusually 
large and respectable one of the citizens of Kit- 
tanning was held Wednesday evening, January 16, 
1828, of which Thomas Hamilton was president, 
and Frederick Rohrer and James E. Brown were 
secretaries, by which resolutions strongly condem- 
natory of the latter and as strongly in favor of the 
former route were adopted. A committee to draw 
up a memorial to the Legislature on the subject 
was appointed, consisting of Samuel S. Harrison, 
Robert Robinson, Thos. Blair, Geo. W. Smith, 
John Francis, Philip Meehling and Robert Brown. 
Another committee of correspondence was also 
appointed, consisting of Samuel Houston, Thos. 
Hamilton, Frederick Rohrer, James E. Brown and 
Josiah Copley. Similar meetings were recom- 
mended to be held elsewhere, in counties inter- 
ested in the navigation of the Allegheny river. 
In pursuance of that recommendation, meetings 
were held at Lawrenceburgh and other places. 
On February 2 another large meeting was held at 
Kittanning, of which S. S. Harrison was presi- 
dent, and Thos. Blair and G. W. Smith were sec- 
retaries. The suggestion of the Lawrenceburgh 
meeting, relative to the call of a general conven- 
tion at Franklin, Venango county, was approved, 
and David Lawson, Thos. Blair and Philip Meeh- 
ling were appointed delegates. That general con- 
vention was held at Franklin, on Monday, March 
25, and strong resolutions in favor of the Alle- 
gheny and French creek route were adopted. Still 
the Beaver and Shenango route was adopted by 
the Canal Commissioners and the Legislature. 

About three columns are occupied by the corre- 
spondence between J. McCullough, Sr., A. W. 
Lane, James Douglass and many other citizens, 
and John Gilmore, of Butler, who was then a vol- 
unteer candidate for Congress, which clearly indi- 
cates that they were mutually in favor of a 
national bank, and presents their reasons for 
being so. Among the miscellaneous matter is an 
amusing narrative of a scene in the first court 
held in Butler county, which was both serious and 
comical, taken from Brackenridge's Recollections 
of the West. 

Among the ofiicial notices is that issued by 
James McCullough, adjutant, for the Seventh bat- 



talion of volunteers to meet at the house of Fred- 
erick Yockey, in Kittanning (now Valley) town- 
ship, at 10 o'clock A. M., on Wednesday, September 
10, then next, completely armed and equipjaed for 
training. It also appears from that number or 
issue that the regular nominees of the "demo- 
cratic-republican " party that year were Samuel S. 
Harrison, of Kittanning, for Congress, and Meek 
Kelly, of Indiana, for State Senate. The volun- 
teer candidates were John Gilmore, of Butler, for 
Congress, and Joseph Buffington, of Kittanning, 
and Alexander McCalmont, of Franklin, Venango 
county, for State Senate. The regular nominees 
were elected. There were thirty causes on the 
trial list for the third week of September, that 
year. 

Turning to the Kittanning Gazette, new series, 
Vol. Ill, No. 9 — 113, whole number 529, same size 
as the preceding, issued on Wednesday, January 
20, 1836, the writer finds four of its columns filled 
with advertisements and official notices. Among 
the latter is a list of letters remaining in the post- 
oflice January 1, 1836, Alexander Reynolds, post- 
master, giving the names of sixty-seven persons, 
some of whom resided several miles distant. 

The slavery question had then begun to be 
freely discussed in the columns of the Gazette. A 
contributor who had resided in one of the slave 
states fills more than a column of that number in 
showing the fallacy of the postulate assumed by 
McDuffie and other slaveholders : " That the Af- 
rican negro is destined by Providence to occupy 
this condition of servile dependence, is not less 
manifest. It is marked on the face, stamped on 
the skin, etc." He shows from the Bible that 
man-stealing and man-selling are crimes, whose 
penalty, prescribed therein, was death. As to 
the mark on the face and stamp on the skin, he 
asks how came they? And then argues, if all on 
whom they are found may be pressed into the ser- 
vice of the South as menial slaves, then some, at 
least, who were born with as pure blood as any 
son of liberty, may fall under this dreadful doom; 
for instances are not wanting in our own country, 
and one of a very remarkable character in the 
State of New Jersey, of a gentleman becoming as 
dark as an aboriginal African, in consequence of 
disease, and continued so for more than twenty 
years after the recovery of his health. This was 
the natural effect of a jiieculiar state and condition 
of the bile, and such an appearance from this 
cause is urged by Dr. Blumenbach as undoubtedly 
analogous with the natural color of the skin in the 
African race." He further argues that this 
" mark " is produced by natural causes, principally 



POSTAL AND TRAVELING FACILITIES. 



47 



by the intlueiice of climate, citing the physiolog- 
ical fact that the true skin or cutus in people of 
all the different grades of color is white, and the 
external or scarf-skin is the most perfectly trans- 
parent in those of the darkest color, and instanc- 
ing the graduation of color — the perfectly white, 
the less white, the olive, the tawny and 
the black — caused by the influence of the 
varying heat of the sun from the highest lat- 
itudes to the equator, so that with the ex- 
ceptions made by the operations of particular 
local causes, every parallel of latitude presents us 
with a different shade of complexion. He then 
pertinently asks: Where shall the line be drawn 
to designate those who are so manifestly marked 
out for slavery from those who have an un- 
doubted right to liberty? 

Nearly two other columns of that number are 
filled with a portion of the debates on the slavery 
question, in the then recent synod of Virginia. 

It is announced in another column of that num- 
ber of the Gazette that a copy of a printed protest 
of the American Anti-Slavery Society against the 
denunciations of the President of the United 
States in his message, signed by Arthur Tappan, 
William Jay, and others, had been sent to each 
member of congress, and the following reply from 
J. Speight, M. C. from North Carolina : "I here- 
with return you your protest, inclosing, as a testi- 
mony of my high regard for your necks, a piece of 
rope. You will no doubt appreciate my motives." 

In another part of that issue are some of the 
proceedings in the "Investigation of Masonry" in 
the legislature of this state. 

Such was some of the reading matter which agi- 
tated the minds and stirred the blood of the read- 
ers of the Gazette in Kittanning and elsewhere 
over twoscore years ago. 

The writer has casually picked up the Kittan- 
ning Free Press, Vol. XII, No. 23, issued July 14, 
1853, size 23X16 inches. Advertising had then 
considerably increased, for in that issue are nine 
and a half columns of business advertisements and 
legal and oflicial notices. Among the latter is the 
statement of state appropriations to the common 
schools of this county for that year, showing that 
the amount then appropriated to the school in this 
borough was $159.12 ; also the list of letters re- 
maining in the Kittanning postofRce July 1, then 
instant, Simon Truby, postmaster, containing 266 
names of individuals and firms. 

POSTAL ANB TRAVELING FACILITIES. 

In 1818 there was only one postofiioe between 
Kittanning and Indiana, and only a weekly mail, 



which was carried on horseback.. In 1820, people 
living several miles above Red Bank creek received 
at least some of their mail matter from the Kit- 
tanning office. The mail route in 1818 was from 
Indiana via Absalom Woodward's and the Blanket 
Hill battle-field to Kittanning and Butler ; and 
thence via Freeport, Kittanning, the Peter Thom- 
as' (afterward Robert Woodward's) mills, on Plum 
creek, back to Indiana. In 1819 the route was 
more circuitous, extending from Indiana via 
Greensburgh, Freeport, Roseburgh (now in Clarion 
county), Lawrenceburgh (now Parker City), to 
Butler, and thence via Kittanning back to Indiana. 
The mail-carrier over these routes was Josiah Cop- 
ley, then an apprentice to James McCahan, the 
proprietor and publisher of the American, a 
weekly newspaper published at Indiana. McCa- 
han had the contract for carrying the mails over 
these and other routes, and his contract with his 
apprentice was that the latter should spend one- 
half of the first three years of his apprenticeship 
in carrying the mail on horseback. Thus the con- 
tractor got his mail-carriers without cost, and dis- 
tributed his paper, carried in open saddle-bags, to 
many of his subscribers along these and other 
routes. 

The number of postoffices has been so increased 
from year to year since then that there are now 
fifty-one, distributed at convenient distances over 
this county, at several of which daily mails are 
received. 

At the early settlement of this county there were 
not any well-made roads. From 1805 till 1810 the 
court of quarter-sessions granted orders for open- 
ing twenty-five public roads in various sections 
within the present limits of this county. Yet 
those who traversed the county as late as 1821 say 
that most of the roads then afforded very poor 
facilities for travel and transportation of goods. 
Most of the traveling was done on foot and horse- 
back, and for lack of bridges the fording of 
streams was often hazardous. Some of the turn- 
pikes began to be made about 1815. Prior to 1810, 
before the manufacture of iron was begun on the 
Connemaugh, and salt on the Kiskiminetas, those 
articles were transported, viz.: iron from Win- 
chester, Virginia, and salt from Hagerstown, 
Maryland, as well as other goods from the east, on 
pack-horses, over the Allegheny mountains. After 
the commencement of the manufacture of salt and 
iron west of the Allegheny mountains, they were 
transported to Pittsburgh, in flatboats, down the 
Connemaugh, Kiskiminetas and Allegheny rivers. 
After the completion of the turnpike from Pitts- 
burgh to Philadelphia, goods purchased in the lat- 



48 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ter for this region were left at Blairsville, and dis- 
tributed thence to their various places of destina- 
tion. They were generally hauled by six-horse 
teams in large covered Conestoga wagons, bells be- 
ing a part of the horses' trappings. One of the 
writer's informants says that he had seen as many 
as twenty of these teams stop at a country tavern 
over night. The drivers, each having his own 
hammock, would lie in every direction in the bar- 
room. Each prided himself on having the best 
team and hauling the heaviest load. When in- 
toxicated, they would get into broils and scuffles 
in making good their respective claims to those 
merits, from which blackened eyes were occasional 
results, which were then deemed but trivial circum- 
stances. It behooved travelers stopping at those 
wagon taverns, in those days, not to cast any dis- 
respect upon any of the teamster fraternity, for if 
they did, especially such as happened to be well 
dressed, they soon " got into hot water." 

The commercial traffic between the upj)er coun- 
try and Pittsburgh yvas chiefly carried on by means 
of canoes and keelboats, which were propelled by 
manual power. Large numbers of rafts of sawed 
lumber, many of them from Olean, N. Y., de- 
scended the Allegheny river in those days, and on 
which it was common for emigrants to migrate 
westward. Josiah Copley informed the writer that 
he had seen fully a hundred men, women and 
children on a single raft. While he was standing 
on the shore one evening, at Freeport, he saw a 
large Olean raft swinging to the landing to lie 
over night. While some of the men were manag- 
ing the raft, he saw one grooming and feeding a 
span of horses, a girl milking a cow, another mak- 
ing mush in a shanty, an old lady sitting at her 
wheel spinning flax, and all seeming to be quite at 
home. Thus they were qviietly floating toward 
their new homes which they were seeking in Ohio 
and Indiana. 

Twenty years afterward, from 18.35-40 and later, 
the lumber floated down the river exceeded 50,000,- 
000 feet of boards and plank, which, with various 
kinds of timber, exceeded in value $1,000,000. 

According to the " Western Navigator," a vol- 
ume published in Pittsburgh in 1811, the quantity 
of boards and lumber floated down the Allegheny 
annually was 3,000,000 of feet, at $9 per 1,000, 
amounting to ^27,000, and from 12,000 to 16,000 
barrels of Onondaga salt had the year before arrived 
by keelboats down that stream at Pittsburgh, 
averaging §8 a barrel, amounting to about $104,000. 
The keelboats returned with cargoes of whisky, 
iron, castings, cider, apples, bacon, other articles of 
home production, and foreign goods. 



Those primitive modes of transporting goods 
from the east were obviated by the completion of 
the Pennsylvania canal, skirting the southern 
border of this county, in or about 1828. Freeport 
thereafter became an entrepot for merchandise and 
other freight from the east, and of considerable 
quantities from Pittsburgh for the region drained 
by the Allegheny river. 

By act of March 9, 111 I, the Kiskiminetas, and 
by act of March 21, 1798, the Allegheny river and 
the Sandy Lick or Red Bank creek were declared 
public highways, the Allegheny to the northern 
boundary of the state and the Red Bank from its 
mouth to the second great forks. 

An order was issued by the county commissioners, 
June 22, 1819, to Saml. C. Orr, for $77.68, for his 
services as a commissioner, appointed by act of 
assembly to superintend the expenditure of $1,000 
appropriated for the improvement of Red Bank, 
and $200 for the improvement of Toby's creek. 
On the same day an order was issued to Alexander 
Wilson for $16, and on September 22 to David 
Lawson for $12, for their services for examining 
the improvement of the navigation of those two 
creeks. 

From and after 1828, passengers, goods and other 
freight were transported up and down the Alle- 
gheny river in steamboats and barges towed by 
them during such portions of the year as there was 
a sufficient stage of water. The increase of vari- 
ous branches of business, resulting from the rapid 
increase of population along and east and west of 
that river, and the multiplicity of furnaces for the 
manufacture of pig iron, caused a vast deal of 
transportation by steamboats. The last trip of a 
steamboat for passengers was made by the Ida 
Reese, Capt. Reese Reese, in April, 1868, and the 
last trip of a keelboat from Pittsburgh to Warren 
was by the Yorktown, the next month thereafter. 

As early as 1825 there was a mail-stage line from 
Ebensburgh, Cambria county, Pa., via Indiana, 
Elderton and Kittanning, to Butler, leaving Ebens- 
burgh at 3 o'clock p. M. on Thursday and reaching 
Butler at 10 o'clock a. m. on the following Saturday. 
That was considered a yery important line, be- 
cause it opened up a direct communication between 
the eastern and most western counties of this state, 
and a cheap and expeditious mode of conveyance. 
The fare from Ebensburgh to Butler was $8.75, 6 
cents a mile for way passengers, and the time be- 
tween those two points was forty-three hours. 

Either before or shortly after 1825 lines of stages 
were established extending from Freeport via Slate 
Lick, Worthington, Brady's Bend and Catfish, 
with a branch from Slate Lick via Kittanning, to 



POSTAL AND TRAVELING FACILITIES. 



49 



Clarion, and another brancli from the mouth of 
Mahoning to Brookville, which were withdrawn 
after the completion of the Allegheny Valley rail- 
road and its branches. 

There were for awhile two opposition lines of 
stages running north from Freeport, and so brisk 
was the competition that passengers were carried 
for almost nothing, and in some instances furnished 
with meals and grog gratis. 

While the canal was closed through the winter, 
and the river was too low for steamboats, stages 
were the public conveyances for jDassengers from 
this region to and from Pittsburgh. While the 
canal was open they were conveyed by packet- 
boats from Pittsburgh to Freeport, thence by 
stage — some of the time by a packet-boat towed by 
horses, to Kittanning and other points, and by 
canal packets also to Leechburgh, Apollo, and 
other points along the canal, and thence to their 
respective destinations by private conveyances. 

Those who traveled those routes know the rate 
of speed with which trips used to be made. But 
for the information of those who will succeed us 
a century hence, it may be appropriate to state, in 
this connection, that it required about eighteen 
hours to make a trip by stage and canal from Kit- 
tanning to Pittsburgh. To us who used to be all 
night and half a day thus traveling forty-five 
miles, it is not as apparent as the sun at noon- 
day that travelers now-a-days have good reason to 
coniplain, as they sometimes do, in the accommo- 
dation trains on the Allegheny Valley railroad, 
which convey them very safely and comfortably 
the same distance in three hours. 

By act of April 4, 18-37, when the late Wm. 
Th. Johnston, represented this county in the 
lower house of our state legislature, a charter was 
granted for constructing the Pittsburgh, Kittan- 
ning & Warren railroad. Various supplements 
were afterward passed, by one of which the name 
was changed, as suggested by Josiah Copley, to 
the Allegheny Valley railroad. Nothing was 
done toward making the road until about fifteen 
years after the granting of the original charter, 
when Mr. Johnston, the first jiresident of the 
board of managers, and other earnest and ener- 
getic friends of the project, began to utilize the 
power and privileges conferred by that charter, 
and succeeded in raising a sufiicient amount of 
stock to build it as far as Kittanning, to which 
point it was completed in January, 1856, which 
was its northern terminus for about nine years, 
when the late William Phillips became the lead- 
ing energetic spirit in prosecuting its extension to 
Brady's Bend, and thence to Oil City, and in leas- 



ing other roads above, until the company now con- 
trols the lines through to Brocton, N. Y., and 
Irvineton, on the Philadelphia & Erie railroad, in 
Warren county. Pa. Within the past few years 
the Bennett's Branch, or Low Grade Division, and 
several less branches, have been completed from 
the mouth of Red Bank Creek to Driftwood. Thus 
vast regions of country which were theretofore 
dependent on freshets in the Allegheny and its 
ti'ibutaries, and had country roads as means of 
travel and transportation, are now subserved bj^ 
rapid transit on well-constructed and well-managed 
railroads, which enable the various classes of pro- 
ducers to throw their products into market when- 
ever they can command the highest prices there- 
for. In this connection the following incident is 
illustrative, and which is related substantially as 
the writer heard it : A farmer of this county, who 
was a stockholder in the Allegheny Valley rail- 
road, remarked on a certain occasion after the 
opening of the road to Kittanning, that he would 
be a gainer, even if he should not receive any div- 
idend on his shares of stock, because having on 
hand a considerable quantity of rye, in the winter 
when navigation was closed, he was enabled by 
the railroad to throw it into market so as to reap 
the benefit of the sudden advance in the price 
of his product, which soon after declined, so that 
by that one operation he cleared enough to com- 
pensate him for the money which he had invested 
in railroad stock. 

Four daily passenger trains going north and the 
same number south traverse that f)art of this 
county lying along the Allegheny river, between 
the mouth of Kiskiminetas and the mouth of Red 
Bank, a distance of about thirty-five miles. The 
River Division on the Clarion side of the Alle- 
gheny river, and the Bennett's Branch or Low 
Grade Division, on the Clarion side of the Red 
Bank Creek, subserve the wants of the people 
of those portions of this county adjacent to those 
streams above their junction. The freight trains 
are numerous. 

Two narrow-gauge railroads intersect the Alle- 
gheny Valley railroad, respectively, at Pine Creek 
and Parker stations. 

The number of stations on the Allegheny Valley 
railroad in this county is thirteen. A telegraph 
line, belonging to the road, extends along the 
entire routes of the river division and the main 
branches, with several oflices at proper distances 
between the Kiskiminetas and Red Bank. 

The Allegheny valley is diversified with a pleas- 
ing variety of grand, beautiful and picturesque 
scenery, abounds in varied and valuable natural 



50 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



resources, many of which have not yet been devel- 
oped, and is pervaded by a salubrious atmosphere, 
which is free from the miasma caused by sluggish 
streams and stagnant water. As its comely as well 
as rugged features, its hidden stores of wealth and its 
salubrity become more generally known, it must 
become more and more attractive to settlers, tourists 
and artists. Views of some of the finest and most 
varied scenery in the world can be enjoyed from 
the rear windows of the rear cars of ti'ains passing 
up and down the Allegheny Valley railroad, to say 
nothing of the comfort and gratification and sense 
of security resulting from able and skillful manage- 
ment and the courtesy of obliging employes. 

Bayard Taylor, in some of his correspondence 
several years ago, expressed his high appreciation 
of Alleghany Valley scenery, and especially that 
from the lower part of the Manor to the bend above 
Kittanning. The latter, he said, is not surpassed in 
beauty by any that he had seen in Italy or else- 
where. 

On Friday night, May 5, 1876, Dom Pedro II, 
the present emperor of Brazil, passed through the 
Allegheny valley, from Pittsburgh to Oil City, on 
a special train of the Allegheny Valley railroad, 
and returned next day, reaching Kittanning about 
1 p. M., from which point the train reached the 
union depot, Pittsburgh, in fifty-seven minutes. 
His majesty must have been very favorably im- 
pressed with what he saw between Oil City and 
Pittsburgh, for he remarked, in the presence of the 
conductor, Richard Reynolds, that " this (the Alle- 
gheny) is one of the finest valleys I have ever 
passed through." He said that his transit over the 
Allegheny Valley railroad had been more rapid 
than over any other railroad in the United States. 
That was after his return from California. 

There is, verily, scope and verge enough of fine 
scenery along the Allegheny valley to attract to it 
the skill, genius and pencil of the best of artists. 

The telegraph line was first extended into this 
county in the fall of 1863. There were for awhile 
two competing lines, the Western Union and the 
Atlantic & Pacific. The latter was discontinued 
in the course of a year or two after it was estab- 
lished, so that the former and the one belonging to 
the Allegheny Valley railroad are the only ones 
now in operation along the Allegheny valley. 

MERCANTILE AND COMMEECIAL. 

For several years after the organization of this 
county, the stores were few, and all, or nearly all, 
of them were located in the county town. Goods 
must have been sold sixty years ago at a reasonably 
large profit, for a Kittanning merchant of the olden 



times having been asked, while making one of his 
purchases in Philadelphia, what percentage of 
profit he charged on his goods, replied that he 
didn't know anything about percentage, but if he 
bought an article for $1, and sold it for |2, he 
reckoned he didn't lose anything. 

An act of 1823-4 required the county treasurers 
to publish annually, in November, a list of the 
names of all persons returned to them as retailers 
of foreign merchandise, designating those who had 
and those who had not taken out licenses in their 
respective counties. In pursuance of that require- 
ment the lists of such retailers, dated November 16, 
1824, were published by James Pinks, the then 
treasurer of Armstrong county, in the Cohanbicm 
of November 30, 1825, as follows : 

" Lists of Retailers of Foreign Merchandise in 
Armstrong County who have taken out Licenses : 
Samuel Houston, Philip Mechling & Co., Alex- 
ander Colwell & Co., Jonathan H. Sloan, Richard 
Reynold & Co., Robert Robinson, Henry S. 
Weaver, David Stoner, William D. Barclay, John 
Elliott, Jr., Joseph Marshall, James Fitzgerald." 
List of such as had not taken out Licenses ; 
"Michael McCullough, John Fullerton, James 
Adams, Bear Creek Furnace, William P. Sterrett, 
Thomas Johnston (of Ind.), Andrew Hickenlooper, 
Andrew Sterrett." 

Thus it appears that then the total number of 
stores in this county, which then extended up to 
the Clarion river, was twenty. The number of 
stores of all kinds in 1840 was seventy-nine. 

The mercantile appraiser's list for 1876 presents 
358 wholesale and retail dealers, rated thus : In 
the 14th class, or those selling less than $5,000 
worth of goods a year, 278 ;* 13th class, selling 
from $5,000 to $10,000 worth a year, 45; 12th 
class, selling from $10,000 to $15,000 worth a year, 
21 ; nth class, selling from $15,000 to $20,000 
worth a year, 9 ; 10th class, selling from $20,000 
to $30,000 worth a year, 2 ; 9th class, selling from. 
$30,000 to $40,000 worth a year, 2 ; 4th class, sell- 
ing from $50,000 to $100,000 worth a year, 1. 

DISTILLERIES. 

The number of distilleries in 1840 was twenty- 
five, and they produced 20,633 gallons of distilled 
spirits, or nearly a gallon to each man, woman and 
child in the county. There is now only one distil- 
lery, which annually produces about 50,000 gallons 
of whisky, or a little less than a gallon to each 



* Twelve of those appraised in this class M'ere exoneratetl from 
paying mercantile license, because they proved that they were not 
engaged in the mercantile business at all. So that the real number 
of wholesale and retail dealers in all classes is 346 instead of 35S, and 
the number in the 14th class is 266 instead of 278, 



AGRICULTURAL. 



51 



man, woman and child, if it were sold in this 
county. Heretofore there was but one brewery, 
now there are two. 

IRON FURNACES. 

Three furnaces for making iron were in blast in 
this county in 1830, one of which was then the 
largest in the United States, yielding forty tons 
per week, and the other two respectively fifteen 
and fourteen tons. All of them went out of blast 
or ceased to be operated many years since. Of the 
eleven others which followed them only three are 
now in blast. 

The four rolling-mills heretofore operated are at 
present idle. 

Some other industrial interests will be noticed 
in the more local sketches. 

SALT WELLS. 

The number of salt wells in this county in. 1830 
was twenty-four, which produced annually 65,500 
barrels of salt, each containing five bushels, which 
sold at $2.12 per barrel. Those wells were chiefly 
along the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers. 
They were from 500 to 650 feet deep, three inches 
in diameter for the first 200 feet, and two inches 
in diameter below that depth. 

To aid in jjerpetuating a knowledge of the cost 
of boring salt wells, and the art of making salt, a 
few facts in relation thereto ai-e here inserted. The 
boring or drilling of a salt well then cost |2 a foot 
for the first 500 feet, and $3 a foot below that depth. 
To prevent the fresh fi-om mingling with the salt 
water, copper tubes with bags of flax-seed tied 
around them were inserted into the wells to just 
above the point where the salt water is reached. 
The swelling of the flax-seed filled the hole around 
the tube, and thus prevented the fresh from reach- 
ing the salt water below. The brine, after having 
been pumped through those tubes by steam power 
into large reservoirs, flowed thence into the 
boiling pans, whence, after boiling the requisite 
length of time, it was turned, into a cooling vat, 
where the sediments settled and was passed thence 
into the graining pan, where, after evaporation, the 
salt remained in the bottom. Those pans were 
eight feet wide, twenty feet long, and placed over 
furnaces in which the requisite heat was main- 
tained. Each establishment consumed daily from 
175 to 200 bushels of bituminous coal. The cost 
of boring such a well in 1840 was about $3,500. 
The annual yield of salt from a single well was 
from 1,000 to 5,000 barrels. 

MANUrAOTUEINS STATISTICS FOE 1850. 

Grist mills, 21 ; saw mills, 13 ; salt-boiling estab- 
lishments, 12 ; carpentering and building estab- 



lishments, 5 ; manufactories of brick, 9 ; manufac- 
tories of tin and sheet-iron ware, 3 ; manufactories 
of woolen fabrics, 3 ; manufactories of nails, 1 ; 
rolling-mills, 2 ; furnaces for making iron, 6 ; iron 
foundries, 2 ; tanneries, 8. 

PErCES OF LAND. 

In 1825 Charles C. Gaskill, agent of the Holland 
Land Company, oft'ered 150,000 acres for sale, a 
considerable portion of which was in this county, at 
from $1.50 to $2 per acre, on these very easy terms : 
if at $2 per acre, 5 per cent of the purchase money 
was to be paid at the time of the purchase ; if at 
$1.75 per acre, 25 per cent in hand; and in case 
one-half of the purchase money was paid in hand, 
$1.50 per acre, and the balance in either case to be 
paid in eight equal annual payments, with interest 
after the second year. Mr. Gaskill stated among 
other things that the county was considerably im- 
proved bygoodroads, mills, and other conveniences 
which do not usually exist in infant settlements. 

In 1830 the best imjH'oved farming land sold 
from $12 to $20 per acre. The best improved 
farming land is now worth from $60 to $100 and 
upward per acre. 

VALUE OF PEOPEETT. 

The report of the commissioner of statistics of 
Pennsylvania for 1873 shows the assessed valuation 
of real and personal property in Armstrong county 
to have then been as follows : Real estate, $11,- 
488,318 ; personal estate, $2,259,795. Total, $13,- 
748,113. Multiple to produce true value, 3. True 
value of real and personal estate, $41,244,339. 

PEICES OF PEOVISIONS AND LABOR. 

In and before 1830 : flour, $3 a barrel; beef, 
3 cents a pound; venison hams, 1^ cents a pound; 
fowls, 6 cents each; butter, 6 to 8 cents a pound; 
eggs, 6 cents a dozen. 

The price of labor was fifty cents a day per 
hand, besides boarding, but very little cash was 
paid. 

There is a great contrast between those and 
present prices. For instance, flour is now quoted 
at $7 to $8 a barrel; butter varies from 14 to 35 
and 40 cents a pound through the year, and eggs 
from 10 to 20 or more cents a dozen, and so on. 

AGRICULTURAL. 

The people of this county have been generally 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. The number 
of those engaged in other avocations is compara- 
tively small. 

There were raised and made in this county in 
1870, according to the census, 298,194 bushels of 
wheat, 135,257 bushels of lye, 680,314 bushels of 



52 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



corn, 883,846 bushels of oats, 33,192 tons of hay, 
126,068 pounds of wool, and 964,020 pounds of 
butter, besides large quantities of other agricultu- 
ral products. 

The report of the secretary of internal affairs 
shows the area of this county to be 612 square 
miles, or 391,680 acres, of which nearly two-thirds 
are under cultivation. 

THE ARMSTEONG COUISTTT AGEICULTTJEAL SOCIETY 

was organized in 1855.* Its object was to foster 
agricultural, horticultural, domestic and mechan- 
ical arts, and for a while excited a lively interest 
in these objects. A fair ground was leased for a 
term of years and put in proper condition. Cred- 
itable and largely attended fairs were held in Octo- 
ber, 1856 and 1857, after which they ceased to be 
held, and the society languished and died. 

The order of Grangers or Patrons of Husbandry 
has been introduced into this county within the 
last three years. The present number of lodges or 
granges is twenty-two, and the number of mem- 
bers about 1,550. The object of this order is to 
advance the interests of agriculturists by the inter- 
change of opinions, diffusion of useful knowledge, 
and by dispensing, as far as possible, with the aid 
of middle-men in their purchases of store goods 
and agricultural implements — purchasing those 
articles, as far as practicable, directly from the 
manufacturers and wholesale dealers. As those 
middle-men constitute a considerable percentage 
of the consumers of agricultural products, a ques- 
tion to be solved is: What will be the effect of 
changing that class of consumers into producers? 

The agricultural implements in former years 
were quite primitive. The plow, for instance, 
was of the old wooden moldboard kind. Spring 
carriages and wagons began to be used at a com- 
paratively recent date. Small quantities of grass- 
seed were sown. The principal crops were rye, 
wheat, corn, oats and buckwheat. In 1819-20 the 
price of wheat was fifty cents a bushel, rye, forty 
cents, and oats twenty cents. Threshing ma- 
chines began to be used in this county about 1849. 
A few mowing machines and reapers began to be 
introduced about 1859-60. They and sulky rakes 
were brought into use from 1863 to 1865. The 
various labor-saving agricultural machines now in 



* A movement must have been inaugurated as early as 1823, for 
organizing an agricultural society in this county, which, so far as 
the writer can learn, was not consummated. That an attempt was 
then made to organize such a society is evident from the following 
clause in a letter from Malthus A. Ward, who had previously been a 
resident physician at Kittanning, to the late Eben Smith Kelly, dated 
Salem, Mass., August 8, 1823 : " I rejoice to see the doings toward an 
agricultural society, and wish that in a few years your cattle-show 
may rival that at Brighton. I fear, however, 'that it will be many 
years before Armstrou" county can show such a farm as .Tosiah 
Quincy's, or Henry Denby's." 



use are as numerous, or nearly so, as the broken 
surface of the territory of this county will permit. 
The culture of the soil is becoming more effective 
as the light of science and the tests of experiments 
are more freely enjoyed. 

About 1888 a superior breed of sheep was intro- 
duced into this county. Other stock have since 
been improved by importations of choice breeds 
from abroad. 

Some of the soil, especially along the streams, is 
very fertile. Much of the rest is strong, and may, 
with proper culture, be made remunerative. Some 
other portions are unfit for cultivation. 

SUEVEYS OP THE ALLEGHENY EIVEE. 

By resolutions of Congress, surveys of the Alle- 
gheny river were heretofore ordered to be made. 
One was made, in 1829, under the superintendence 
of James Kearney, Lt. Col. Topographical En- 
gineers, from Pittsburgh to eleven miles above the 
mouth of French creek, and another, in the sum- 
mer and autumn of 1837, under the superintend- 
ence of George W. Hughes, U. S. Civil Engineer. 
The maps"; charts and plan of the latter, who was 
required to examine into the practicability of con- 
structing a canal along the valley of the Allegheny 
river, were unfortunately destroyed by the burning 
of the building occupied as an engineer office. 
Nothing was saved but a mutilated portion of the 
profile, and the journal which was kept by the gen- 
tleman charged with the soundings and making an 
examination of the bed of the stream, so that he 
was obliged to avail himself of the report of Col. 
Kearney's survey, from which the writer has 
gathered the following : The Allegheny river, 
above the Kiskiminetas, flows generally through a 
deep, rocky and precipitous ravine. Its bed is 
formed of a succession of eddies or ponds, with 
intervening natural dams, having an inclination or 
slope in the direction of the current, the limits of 
which, in terms of the altitude and base, may be 
expressed by the fraction yV and yrff nearly. The 
bottom is mostly of sandstone in place, except upon 
the ripples or obstructions, where it is usually 
covered with gravel and stones broken and rounded 
by attrition. The navigable depth of water on 
these obstructions does not exceed two feet ; and 
upon some of them there is not more than eighteen 
inches — a depth which is often confined to a very 
narrow space ; the greater part of the shoals being 
nearly, and, in some places, quite bare at low water. 
Following the lines of the survey, which are not 
always parallel to the axis of the stream, the dis- 
tance from the mouth of French creek to the Kis- 
kiminetas would be ninety-four and a half miles, 



SURVEYS OF THE ALLEGHENY RIVER. 



53 



nearly, with a descent of the stream of two hun- 
dred and sixteen feet ; and from the Kiskiminetas 
to Pittsburgh, twenty-seven miles, with a fall of 
forty feet. 

From Cumming's trunk, which is at or near the 
northwestern corner of this county, down along 
the river to Freeport, the numbers of obstructions 
in, and the geological features on each side of the 
river, are noted as follows: 

Cumming's trunk — obstruction No. 34. Sand- 
stone and timber in abundance. 

Clarion river — obstruction No. 35. Sandstone 
and timber in abundance. 

Parker's Falls, Bear Creek — obstruction No. 36. 
Bed of river chiefly of sandstone rock in this 
vicinity. Right bank rises 10' in 15 yards; soil 
sandy. Left bank rises 15' in 40', and is also 
stony. Obstruction No. 31. Right bank : soil, 
clay: rises 23' in 70'. Left bank stony, with a rise 
of 15' in 40'. 

Fox Island Rapid — obstruction No. 38. Right 
bank rises 60' in 25', and left bank is at an angle 
of 35°: soil stony. 

Eagle Island Rapid — obstruction No. 39. Head 
of shoal. Right bank retreats 30 yards; sandy, 
then rises 15' immediately. 

Armstrong's Rapid — obstruction No. 40. Left 
bank slope of 45°, and is a mixture of sand and 
clay; rubble along shore, and continues much the 
same to the 356th picket (below Catfish), at which 
point the right bank rises from shore 14' in 30'. 
Left bank generally at an angle of 45° as before, 
and composed of a mixture of sand and clay. 

Catfish Falls — obstruction No. 40^. Banks gen- 
erally mixture of sand and clay, with stony beach 
receding from to 5 yards, and then rising about 
14' in 30'. Left bank genei'ally at an angle of 45° 
in this vicinity. 

Opposite Sugar Creek — obstruction No. 41. 
Banks generally mixture of sand and clay, with 
stony beach receding from to 5 yards, and then 
rising about 14' in 30'. Left bank generally at an 
angle of 45° in this vicinity. 

Goose Bar — obstruction No. 42. Banks gener- 
ally mixture of sand and clay, with stony beach 
receding from to 5 yards, and then rising about 
14' in 30'. Left bank generally at an angle of 45° 
in this vicinity. 

Above Frazer's run or Denneston's — obstruction 
No. 43. Banks generally mixture of sand and 
clay, with stony beach receding from to 5 yards, 
and then rising about 14' in 30'. Left bank gen- 
erally at an angle of 45° in this vicinity. 

Red Bank Ripple, near Red Bank Creek — ob- 
struction No. 44. Right bank rises at an angle 



of 35°; soil clay. Left bank rises 18' in 50', and 
is rocky; the bed of the stream gravel; rubble 
along the shore. 

Early's Ripple — obstruction No. 45. Right 
bank rises 20' in 60', and is a mixture of sand and 
clay; plenty of rubble along the beach. Left bank 
rises 25' in 40"; soil a mixture of clay and stones 
(debris). 

Dixon's Falls — obstruction No. 46. Right bank 
stony, at an angle of 45°. The beach on the left 
is about 24' in width, and the bank of sandy soil; 
rises suddenly to an altitude of fifteen feet. 

The dam at this place is about 10' high. It 
does not back the water more than about ten 
rods above the highest point of the dam. Banks 
angular, 15° slope; sandstone. 

Nelly's Chute — obstruction No. 47. Hills very 
steep on each side of river; rubble in abundance. 
Banks nearly the same as at Dixon's Falls. 

Near Mahoning Creek — Obstruction No. 48. 
Right bank rises 32' in 80', and is a mixture of 
sand and clay. The left bank is sand, with a rise 
of 26' in 56 yards. 

Near Col. Orr's — obstruction No. 49. Right 
bank rises 32' in 80', and is a mixture of sand and 
clay. The left bank is sand, with a rise of 26' in 
56 yards. 

Near Pine Creek — obstruction No. 50. Banks 
perpendicular; strata of sandstone rock; 12' high, 
timbered. 

Cowanshannock Creek — obstruction No. Si. 
Banks perpendicular; strata of sandstone rock; 



12' high, timbered. 



Right 



Above Kittanning — obstruction No. 52 
bank is stony, with a rise of 25' in 26 yards. Left 
bank steep, having a rise of 28' in 20'; soil sandy. 

Kittanning Ferry — obstruction No. 53. Very 
small stone on beach. Right bank recedes from 
the river 120 yards, with a very gradual rise of 
from 12 to 15 feet; sandy soil. Left bank soil the 
same, rising 20' in 30 yards. 

Cogley's Island — obstruction No. 54. Very small 
stone on beach. Right bank recedes from the 
river 120 yards, with a very gradual rise of from 
12 to 15 feet; sandy soil. Left bank soil the 
same, rising 20' in 30 yards. 

Cogley's Island — obstructions Nos. 55 and 56. 
Bed of stream rocky; sandstone. 

Crooked Creek Island — obstruction No. 57. 
Banks rise at an angle of 30°. Soil a mixture of 
sand and gravel. 

Nicholson's Run, Shafer's Mill — obstruction 
No. 58. Banks rise at an angle of 30°. Soil a 
mixture of sand and gravel. 

Nicholson's Run, Shafer's Mill — obstruction 



54 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Xo. 59. Banks ascend at an angle of 45°; soil 
sand and gravel. 

Above tlie mouth of Kiskiminetas, and below 
where the aqueduct was — obstruction Nos. 60, 61 
and 62. Banks the same as before, soil sand and 
stones. 

In the middle of July, 1842, the stage of water 
in the Allegheny was such that its navigable con- 
dition was very good, which had been and which 
has since been an unusual occurrence at that sea- 
son of the year. The water was so high that 
rafts of the largest size passed down it to Pitts- 
burgh, and the steamers Izak Walton, Warren, 
Ida, Pulaski and Forrest made trips to points in 
the upper Allegheny. 

MINEEAL. 

Every section of this county is pervaded by dif- 
ferent systems and species of bituminous coal, 
sandstone and iron ore. Here and there are veins 
of excellent fire-clay, from one of which specimens 
have been tested that proved to be equal in 
quality to any in the world, except one in Ger- 
many, from which crucibles are made. According 
to an estimate made by J. McFarlane from facts 
collected by him, 355,586 tons of bituminous coal 
were rained in the county in 1870. Large quanti- 
ties of petroleum have been produced in the north- 
western section during the last ten years. 

LOCOMOTION. 

The increased need of facilities for locomotion, 
arising from increasing population, has been met 
by the public authorities, in the construction of 
numerous roads and bridges. Iron superstructures 
of bridges have, within the last few years, taken 
the place of wooden ones in several instances, 
because they are found to be the best, and in the 
end the cheapest. There are now nine county 
bridges of that material, most of which are 
already completed. 

PATRIOTIC. THE WAR OF 1812. 

Whenever war's dread tocsin has sounded in our 
land, the hardy sons of Armstrong county, imbued 
as it were with the martial spirit of him whose name 
it bears, have patriotically rallied in defense of our 
country's glory, honor and integrity. 

During the progress of the revolutionary war 
there was but a mere handful of permanent resi- 
dents within what are now the limits of this county, 
so that the number therefrom that engaged in that 
war, if any, must have been very small. 



In the war of 1812, when the population of this 
country was still small and sparse, one full com- 
pany volunteered its services and was ordered to 
Black Rock, N. Y. It was recruited by Capt. 
James Alexander, the editor and proprietor of the 
Western Eagle. 

Another company was drafted, of which John 
Banuckman was caj)tain, and assigned to the army 
of the Northwest. Its members, in common with 
the rest of the militia from Pennsylvania, must 
have evinced true valor and patriotism. Their six 
months' tour of duty had expired before the arrival 
at Fort Meigs of the reinforcements which Gen. 
Harrison was then awaiting. Impending charges 
from the hostile foes appeared to threaten all 
around. That fort was exposed — it was besieged. 
Longer services of those whose terms had exj)ired 
were needed. Then, April 1 or 2, 181-3, it was that 
our late fellow citizen, Gen. Robt. Orr, then hold- 
ing the rank of major, and others of the Pennsyl- 
vania detachment, numbering two hundred, volun- 
teered, officers and all, as private soldiers, for fif- 
teen days longer in defense of the fort. They were 
honorably discharged on the I7th of that month, 
on the arrival there of the expected reinforcements 
from Kentucky and elsewhere. From the general 
orders then issued by Gen. Harrison, which the 
writer finds in the Pittsburgh Mercury of April 29, 
1813, he cites this paragraph: 

" The General, on behalf of the government, 
gives his thanks to Majors ISTelson, Ringland and 
Orr, and every other officer, non-commissioned 
ofiicer and private of this detachment for their 
services and magnanimous conduct upon this oc- 
casion." 

The Mercury said: " Fort Meigs is now " — Thurs- 
day, April 29, 1813 — "in aperfect state of security 
and defence in men and works. The conduct of 
these men in volunteering for its defense when left 
nearly destitute was truly patriotic and deserving 
the notice of government." 

The writer has learned from another source that 
Major Orr kindly administered to the wants of the 
men under his command, and if a private soldier 
became sick or unable to march, the major would 
dismount and give the disabled the use of his 
horse. 

In the Mexican war the services of an organized 
company were tendered to and almost accepted by 
the government. About half a dozen citizens of 
this county served through that war in other com- 
panies. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



55 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



COL. JOHN AEMSTEONG. 

Col., afterward Gen., John Armstrong was born 
in the north of Ireland in the year 1720. About 
1746 he came to Pennsylvania, and settled in 
what was then called the Kittatinny, now the 
Cumberland valley, on the southeast side of the 
Kittatinny or Blue mountains. The passing re- 
mark may here be made, that on Reading Howell's 
map of Pennsylvania, published in 1792, the valley 
south of Bedford and between Will's and Evit's 
mountains, through which flows Evit's creek, is 
named Cumberland. On the historical map of 
this state the word and query, "Armstrong (?)," 
are along the Kittatinny or Blue mountains in the 
northwest part of the present county of Franklin. 
It may be that that is the place where Armstrong 
first settled, which was then a part of the western 
frontier of Pennsylvania. He was a good surveyor. 
After the organization of Cumberland county, in 
1750, he and a Mr. Lyon were employed by the 
then proprietaries to lay out Carlisle. In 1762 
the fonner resurveyed and laid it out according to 
its present plan. He was sent, in 1754, by Gov. 
Morris to the then colony of Connecticut, respect- 
ing the, as it turned out to be, illegal purchase of 
land in Pennsylvania by the Susqiiehanna com- 
pany, or Wyoming settlers, from the Indians. He 
accordingly visited New Haven and conferred 
with Gov. Fitch and others concerning that pur- 
chase, and on December 11, 1754, reported to Gov. 
Morris the discoveries which he had made while 
in Connecticut. He ascertained that Gov. Fitch, 
some of the prominent men, and the generality of 
the people of that colony believed that purchase 
to be entirely of a private nature, and contrary to 
the laws of both colonies, while some instanced 
the antiqxiity and extent of their charter on which 
the claims of that company were based. He was 
selected, the next year, to be the surveyor and one 
of the commissioners for laying out roads from 
Carlisle to "Turkey Foot," in the forks of the 
Youghiogheny, in the present county of Somerset, 
and to Will's Creek, the present site of Cumber- 
land, Md. He was apj)ointed a captain of a com- 
pany in the second battalion of provincial troops 
in January, 1756, and lieutenant colonel May 11 
following. In 1757 he rendered valuable services 
in arranging the defenses along the frontier. He 
was appointed colonel May 27, 1758, and j)artici- 
pated as commandant of the advance division of 
the Pennsylvania troops in Gen. Forbes' march to 
and capture of Fort Du Quesne. Five years later, 
while Pontiac's war was raging, he recruited 300 



volunteers, and in the latter part of September 
moved against the Indian towns on the west 
branch of tlie Susquehanna, Great Island and 
Mauniqua — the latter at the junction of Kettle 
creek with that river. The Indians had left, leaving 
behind them large quantities of provisions, which, 
with those towns, were desti'oyed. He was ap- 
pointed the first on a committee of correspondence 
by a large meeting of the citizens of Cumberland 
county, held at Carlisle, July 12, 1774, for the pur- 
pose of expressing their sympathy with the people 
of Boston. He was also the first one on a com- 
mittee appointed to tender to Benjamin Franklin, 
who was then president of the committee of safety, 
their services in raising a full battalion in that 
county. He was the first of the six brigadier 
generals who were chosen by Congress, February 
29, 1776. In the following April he was ordered 
to South Carolina, Avhither he proceeded and took 
command of the troops collected at Charleston, 
which place was in danger of being attacked by 
the British fleet under the command of Sir Peter 
Parker. Gen. Charles Lee, who was commandant 
of the southern department, having arrived there 
in the fore part of April, assumed command, keep- 
ing Gen. Armstrong with nearly 2000 men at 
Haddrell's Point, which was a mile or so from Fort 
Moultrie, as the fort on Sullivan's Island was 
afterward called in honor of Col. Moultrie, who, 
under the immediate orders of Gen. Armstrong, 
so heroically commanded it during the bombard- 
ment of the British fleet for ten hours, June 28, 
when it was defeated. 

Gen. Armstrong, having resigned his position 
in the Continental army, April 4, 1777, was the 
next day appointed first brigadier general, and, 
June 5, major general of the troops in Pennsyl- 
vania, to whom Gen. Washington wrote, July 4, 
and expressed his " pleasure at this honorable 
mark of distinction conferred upon him by the 
state." He afterward, during the last named year, 
rendered eflicient and valuable services in erecting 
works of defense along the Delaware river, and at 
the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and 
when an invasion was apprehended at Philadelphia 
he was ordered thither to command the militia. 
His public life ended with his services in Congress, 
to which he was elected for the years 1779-80 
and 1787-88. 

Judging from a likeness of him which the writer 
has seen, his personal apj^earance must have been 
somewhat like that of Washington, his presence 
commanding and dignified and well calculated to 
win the esteem and confidence of those who came 
in contact with him. He was a citizen of Cumber- 



50 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



land county, Pa., where he lived and died* highly 
esteemed and gratefully remembered, and, says 
Bancroft, in his cursory notice of the battle at 
Kittanning, " famed as inheriting the courage and 
piety of the Scotch covenanters." Gen. James 
Wilkinson, in his memoirs, pays this tribute to 
him : " The hero of Kittanning in the war of 1756, 
and one of the most virtuous men who has lived 
in any age or country." 

And William B. Reed, iu his oration, delivered 
on the occasion of the reinterment of the remains 
of Gen. Mercei-, paid him this just tribute : " To 
feai-less intrepidity of the highest cast there was 
united in his character a strong sense of religious 
responsibility that rarely blends with military 
sentiment. He belonged to that singular race of 
men, the Scottish Covenanters, in whom austerity 
was a virtue of high price, and who, in the con- 
flicts to which persecution trained them, never 
drew the sword or struck a mortal blow without 
the confidence, which enthusiasm seemed to give 
them, that agencies higher and stronger than 
hiunan means were battling in their behalf, and 
that their sword, whether bloodless or bloody, was 
always ' the sword of the Lord.' Educated in 
these sentiments, John Armstrong never swerved 
from them. He was foremost in his country's 
ranks, whether her cause was defense against a 
foreign foe or revolt against oppression — iu the 
colonial conflicts as well as in the war of the revo- 
lution. He was always known to kneel in humble 
devotion and earnest prayer before he went into 
battle, and never seemed to doubt in the battle's 
fui'y that the work of blood was sanctifled to some 
high purpose. Under this leader did young 
Mercer — for a common sympathy, at least on -this 
soil, united the Jacobite and the Cameronian — 
fight his first American battle ; and it was in the 
arms of the son of this his ancient general that he 
was carried mortally wounded from the bloody 
field of Princeton." 

Gen. Armstrong became a Presbyterian, and 
was an active and influential member of the first 
church at Carlisle, whose first church edifice was 
erected in 1757. 

CAPT. MEECEE. 

Capt. Hugh Mercer, in the action at Kittanning, 
was induced by some of his men, as Col. Arm- 
strong believed, to detach himself with his ensign 
and ten or twelve others from the main body by 
being told that the main force was in great danger 
and that they could take him into the road by a 
nearer route. He had not, however, been heard 



« He died at Carlisle, Pa., March 9, 1795. 



from when Col. Armstrong closed his report to 
Gov. Denny. He and those with him were then 
supposed to have been lost. From another source 
than Col. Armstrong's report, I learn that he was 
wounded in the wrist and discovered there was 
danger of his being surrounded by the hostile 
Indians, whose war-whoop and yell indicated their 
near approach. Having become faint from the 
loss of blood, he concealed himself in the hollow 
trunk of a large tree. The Indians came there, 
seated themselves for rest, and then disappeared. 
Capt. Mercer then left his hiding place and pur- 
sued his course through a trackless wild, a hundred 
miles, to Fort Cumberland, subsisting, in part at 
least, on the body of a rattlesnake which he had 
killed. Some writers state that it was in the battle 
of the Monongahela that he was separated from the 
main force, and that he started on that lonelj' tour 
to Fort Cumberland from Fort Du Quesne. In con- 
firmation of the opinion that Capt. Mercer's lonely 
and perilous journey and escape to Fort Cumber- 
land was when he was separated from the main 
force at Kittanning, instead of near Fort Du 
Quesne, Bancroft, in his brief account of the affair at 
the former place, says : " Mercer, who was wounded 
severely and separated from his companions, 
tracked his way by the stars and rivulets to Fort 
Cumberland." His authority for saying that Kit- 
tanning was the starting point of that journey is 
the above mentioned oration by William B. Reed. 
Patterson's " History of the Backwoods " con- 
tains the following account of Capt. Mercer's 
escape, compiled from Robinson's narrative, which, 
though varying as to some parts of his journey 
from the foregoing account, which the writer has 
adopted as correct, is confirmatory of the fact 
that it was from Kittanning, and not from near 
Fort Du' Quesne, that Capt. Mercer started on 
that lonely and perilous journey. It is there 
stated, " Capt. Mercer, who had had his arm 
broken in the engagement, was unhappily per- 
suaded by some of his men to leave the main 
party ; and, as they were old traders, they proposed 
to conduct him a nearer way home. They accord- 
ingly detached themselves from the company, but, 
unhappily, soon fell in with the Indians with 
whom Lieut. Hogg had had the engagement in the 
morning, by whom several of the party were killed, 
and the remainder dispersed. Mercer made his 
escape in company with two others. But the 
bandage on his arm having become loosed, they 
stopped to rebind it, whereby he grew faint. At 
that moment an Indian was seen approaching 
them. The Captain's two companions, having 
abandoned him, sprang upon his horse, from which 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



57 



he had alighted, and hurried away. Having I 
thrown himself behind the log on which he sat, 
which happened to be overgrown with weeds, he 
concealed himself from the Indian, who approached 
to within a few feet of him, when, on discovering 
the two others fleeing on horseback, he gave the 
war-whoop and pursued them. 

" Shortly afterward, Capt. Mercer crawled from 
his place of concealment and descended into a 
plum-tree bottom, where, hidden by the thick 
undergrowth, he remained till night. Having re- 
freshed himself with the plums, which he found 
abundant, and which afterward were his only 
food for a whole month while he struggled on his 
homeward way, except a rattlesnake which the 
cravings of hunger had induced him to kill and 
eat raw. 

" One day when he had reached the north side of 
the Allegheny mountain, he discovered a person 
whom he supposed to be an Indian. The other saw 
him. They both took trees and remained a long- 
time. At length Mercer concluded to advance and 
meet his enemy; but when he came near he found 
him to be one of his own men. Both rejoiced to 
meet, while both were so faint and weary that they 
were scarcely able to walk. They pushed on over 
the mountain, and were not far from Frankstown, 
when the soldier lay down, not expecting evermore 
to rise. Mercer struggled on about seven miles 
further, when he also lay down on the leaves, aban- 
doning all hope of ever reaching home. There 
was at that time a company of Cherokees in Brit- 
ish pay; and being at Fort Lyttleton, some of 
them had been sent out to search along the foot of 
the mountain to see if there were any signs of In- 
dians on that route. Those Indians by chance 
came upon Mercer while he was unable to rise. 
They gave him food, and he told them of the other. 
They took Mercer's track and found the soldier, 
and brought him to Fort Lyttleton, having carried 
him on a bier of their own making." 

Captain, afterward General, Hugh Mercer was 
a native of Scotland, born near Aberdeen about 
1723, liberally educated, a physician who had acted 
as surgeon's assistant at the battle of Culloden. 
He emigrated to Pennsylvania and settled near the 
present town of Mercersburg, Franklin county, and 
thence to Virginia, where he settled. Before he 
engaged in Armstrong's expedition, he had been 
engaged with Washington in the Indian wars of 
1755. Having been promoted to the rank of 
colonel, he participated in the campaign under 
Gen. Forbes, was present at the capture of Fort 
Du Quesne, and after its evacuation by the French 
and occupation by the English, was left in com- 



mand of it, or rather Fort Pitt, during a part of 
1759, and there judiciously participated in the 
conference held with the nine chiefs of the Six 
Nations, Shawanese and Delawares, from a town 
up the Ohio (Allegheny) about a hundred miles 
above Venango (Franklin), near the Boughelloor, 
on January 4, 6 and 7 of that year. They " came 
from Weayough, the king, or Great Chief of Kon- 
nawagogh," who had heard " that their friends, the 
English and Delawares, had talked together, and 
we (they) are come to talk with you likewise." 
Whether they came down the Allegheny or took 
the land route from Venango to Fort Pitt, is not 
stated. At that season of the year, when there \\-as 
probably too much ice in the upper Allegheny foi- 
navigation, they likely took the other route. On 
the evening of the 6th five of the head-counsel- 
lors went to the tent of Col. Mercer, where he and 
Capt. Ward were present, who informed the chiefs 
that they were " to unbosom themselves and freely 
open their minds " to those officers, which they 
did, telling them, among other things, that " the 
Delawares and Shawanese are not to be depended 
upon." They made quite a long speech, giving 
assurances of their fealty to the English, strings 
of wampum, and finally a large belt. On the after- 
noon of the 7th, the officers of the garrison and 
a large number of Indians being present, the chiefs 
made another sjseech, to which Col. Mercer replied, 
concluding thus: "Brothers! When the French 
came here, they made us quarrel with our good old 
friends, and by so doing they have hurt both you 
and us; your brothers, the English, are a great 
people. Their eyes are now opened, and while the 
sun shines and the rivers run, they will never suf- 
fer a Frenchman to sit here. Brothers! I return 
you this belt; what you have now said must be 
told to General Forbes ; if you have a mind to send 
this belt to him, I will send one along with you." 
The Six Nations said: "Brothers! Listen and be 
attentive to what I say; I am sorry that you have 
returned the belt which I gave you; but if you 
will give me one keg of rum, I shall feel perfectly 
well again." 

Another conference commenced on July 4, and 
continued at intervals until the 16th, between 
George Croghan, deputy agent to Sir William 
Johnson, Col. Mercer, commandant, and a number 
of other officers of the garrison, and chiefs and 
warriors of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawanese 
and Wyandots. About five hundred Indians 
were there during the conference. The object 
of this conference seemed to be the settlement 
and confirmation of peace, and the regulation of 
trade between the English and the Indians, the 



58 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



finale of which was, that at the request of the 
Indians and with the approbation of Col. Mercer, 
Capt. Croghan sent a speech by two Wyandotxo 
Venango, in which it was asserted, among other 
things, that " the English are not come here to 
war with the Indians, btit to carry on trade and 
commerce with all nations of them, as far as the 
sun-setting," and sent along with the speech 
twelve fathoms of white wampum. Indians of 
the several nations there represented sent their 
speeches to enforce Croghan's. 

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War 
Col. Mercer left a large medical practice and 
sided with the colonists. On June 5, 1776, he 
was appointed a brigadier-general. "It is not 
impi-obable," says Reed, "that his services were 
solicited by Washington himself," whose confi- 
dence he enjoyed beyond most of his fellow-offi- 
cers, " as it appears from his correspondence that 
tlie Commander-in-chief repaired to Philadelphia 
to concert with Congress plans for the organiza- 
tion of the army, and that he remained there until 
the day after the date of his commission, and 
those of two others of his most valued friends.* 
General Mercer soon left, and forever, his peaceful 
home, his young wife and children, and joined the 
army at New York." 

General Mercer afterward won distinction, es- 
pecially in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. 
While at Bristol, Pa., his quarters were at Mr. 
Keith's, a little out of town. It is related that 
when the American army marched to McCoukey's 
Ferry, he told Mrs. Keith that he had dreamed the 
previous night that he had been attacked and over- 
powered by a huge black bear. 

In the battle of Princeton he commanded the 
van of the American army. While exerting the 
utmost valor and activity his horse was killed 
under him. Being thus dismounted he was sur- 
rounded by some British soldiers, with whom, 
when they refused to give quarter, he fought des- 
perately until he was completely overpowered. 
After stabbing him with their bayonets and inflict- 
ing several blows on his head with the butt ends 
of their muskets they left him, under the impres- 
sion that he was dead, on the field, whence he was 
taken to the house of Thomas Clark, some of 
whose kindred now reside at Princeton. 

Says Barber in his Historical Collections of 
New Jersey: "Mr. Josej^h Clark states that Gen- 
eral Mercer was knocked down about fifty yards 
from his barn, and after the battle, was assisted by 
his two aids into the house of Thomas Clark, a 



* Joseph Reed, adjutant-general, and Stephen Moylan, colonel. 



new house about one and a quarter miles from the 
college." He was nursed by Miss Sarah Clark and 
a colored servant. " Nor was his dying bed," says 
Reed, " a bed of utter desolation. The house 
whither the wounded soldier was carried was ten- 
anted during that day by two delicate females, who, 
wearing the garb and professing the principles of 
peace, were too brave to fly from the field of battle 
or the bed of death. While the conflict raged around 
their humble dwelling those tender, helpless women 
lost no confidence in the protection which the God 
of innocence rarely withholds — and when the 
dying warrior was brought to their threshold and 
left beneath their roof, their ministering charities 
were ready to soothe his solitary anguish and 
smooth the passage to the grave. One of these 
American women of better times has died near 
Princeton within the last few months (1840), aged 
upward of ninety years. It was part of her house- 
hold story that she had watched the deathbed of a 
soldier of the Revolution." 

General Mercer died January 12, in the arms of 
Major George Lewis, a nephew of General Wash- 
ington, who was commissioned by his uncle to 
watch over him. His mangled corpse was re- 
moved under a military escort to Philadelphia, 
and there exposed in the Coffee House, with the 
design of exciting the indignation of the people. 
Though a lion in battle he was uncommonly 
placid, and almost difiident in private life. That 
he should thus perish at the age of fift/-six sent a 
thrill of anguish and indignation through every 
patriotic American heart. Gen. Wilkinson in his 
Memories 'remarks: "In Gen. Mercer, we lost at 
Princeton a chief who, for education, disposition 
and patriotism, was second to no man but the 
Commander-in-chief, and was qualified to fill the 
highest trusts of the country." 

It had been erroneously stated that Gen. Mercer 
was bayoneted after having surrounded. That 
statement is corrected in Custis' " Recollections of 
Washington." When Major Lewis expressed the 
extreme indignation which prevailed in the Ameri- 
can army at that treatment, the magnanimous 
Mercer observed: The tale which you have heard, 
George, is untrue. My death is owing to myself. 
I was. on. foot endeavoring to rally my men, who 
had given way before the superior discipline of 
the enemy, when I was brought to the ground by 
a blow from a musket. At the same moment the 
enemy discovered my rank, exulted in their hav- 
ing taken a rebel general, as they termed me, and 
bid me ask for quarters. I felt that I deserved not 
so opprobrious an epithet, and determined to die 
as I had lived, an honored soldier in a just and 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



59 



righteous cause; and without begging my life or 
making reply, I lunged my sword at the nearest 
man. They then bayoneted and left me. 

While the surgeons were dressing his wounds, 
of which he had received thirteen, the General 
remarked: "Never mind those; they are mere 
scratches. Look under my arm, and there you 
will find a fellow that will soon do my business." 

Gen. Mercer was buried in Christ Church ceme- 
tery, Philadelphia, January 16, 1777, where for 
years a plain slab with the initials H. M. denoted 
liis last resting place. His bones, being remarkably 
well preserved, were raised November 26, 1840, 
and reinterred in Laurel Hill cemetery, over which 
an appropriate monument was erected, on the 
north side of which is this inscription: " He re- 
ceived a medal from the corporation of Philadel- 
phia for his courage and conduct against the Indian 
settlement of Kittanning." 

A fort on the Delaware, towns and counties in 
various states bear his honored and illustrious 
name. 

CAPTAIN POTTBE. 

Captain, afterward (General, James Potter,* 
whose voucher or pay-list is alone given, was 
born " on the bank of the river Foyle, Tyrone, 
Ireland, in" 1729, and was about twelve years of age 
when his father, John Potter, landed at New Cas- 
tle, Delaware. In 1742 he was a lieutenant in a 
border militia company, and captain in 1756, in 
Armstrong's expedition to Kittanning, in which 
they became attached friends. He was in active 
service as major and lieutenant colonel in 1763 
and 1764, dvu'ing all which period he was a suc- 
cessful farmer. He was eminent and influential 
in the agitation which preceded the beginning of 
the revolutionary war. There was not, it is said, 
a meeting of the patriotic inhabitants of the then 
large county of Northumberland held without his 
presence and influenced by his advice. He was 
appointed a colonel in 1775, and a brigadier gen- 
eral along with John Armstrong, John Cadwalader 
and Samuel Meredith — all of whose names, it will 
be perceived, in som^e of the more local sketches 
have been impressed upon the face of this county — 
April 5, 1877. Potter's services in the campaign 
of that year were very distinguished. With the 
troops under his command-, in the counties of 
Philadelphia, Chester and Delaware he gained for 
Washington important information respecting the 
movements of the enemy, and with great vigilance 



« Vid. Pa. Mag. of Hist, and Biog., Vol. I, p. 346 et seq. 



gave all possible annoyance to the foraging parties 
sent out from Philadelphia. While the army 
under Washington were marching to Valley Forge, 
after,a portion of it had crossed the Schuylkill at 
Matsou'g Ford December 11, it was found that the 
enemy under Cornwallis were in force on the other 
side. Washington wrote: " They were met by 
Gen. Potter with great bravery and gave them 
every possible opposition till he was obliged to 
retreat from their superior numbers," and the next 
spring he wrote from Valley Forge: " If the state 
of Gen. Potter's affairs will admit of returning to 
the army, I shall be exceedingly glad to see him, 
as his activity and vigilance have been much 
wanted during the winter." He was Vice Presi- 
dent of this state; was commissioned a major gen- 
eral in 1782; and was one of the council of censors 
in 1784, when he was within a few votes of defeat- 
ing for President of the council the very distin- 
guished John Dickenson. He rendered military 
service during the entire revolution, and won the 
confidence of Washington, Greene, Pickering, 
Mifilin and his fellow brigadiers. He resided in 
Penn's Valley in the present county of Center from 
1772 until his death in November, 1789, being then 
one of the associate judges of the courts of North- 
um.berland county, and leaving a very large and 
valuable estate. He was stout, broad-shouldered, 
courageous, five feet and nine inches in height, with 
a dark comj)lexion, a strong type of the Scotch-Irish 
race. His father was the first sheriff of Cumberland 
county, Pa. His family relations have furnished two 
other Generals Potter, one United States Senator, 
a Governor of this state, several law judges and 
members of the State Legislature. He served 
with marked fidelity and acceptance in the various 
civil and militaiy positions which he filled, and 
was in private life one of the most enterprising and 
successful of all our revolutionary officers. 

[The writer regrets that he has been unable to 
ascertain the parentage, native place and antece- 
dents of Lieut. James Hogg, who so dauntlessly 
braved an overwhelming force of the enemy, im- 
mortalized hit name and rendered Blanket Hill 
memorable by his sanguinary struggle and heroic 
death.] 

Such are but glimpses of the illustrious careers 
! of gallant soldiers who in September, 1756, mois- 
tened the soil of what is now Armstrong county 
with their blood in defense of the families, the 
homes, the security and the happiness of the set- 
tlers along the then frontier of the Province of 
Pennsylvania. 



CHAPTER II. 



ARMSTRONG COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



Introductory — The First Companies — Camp Orr Established — Departure of the Regiments — Amount of Money 
Raised in the County for Relief of Soldiers' Families — The Amount of Bounty Money — Soldiers' Aid So- 
ciety — "In Perpetuam Memoriam" — Roster of Armstrong Count}' by Regiments and Companies — Regimental 
Histories — "Brady Alpines" — Eighth and Eleventh Reserves — Fifty-Ninth, Sixty-Second and Sixty-Third 
Regiments — Seventy-Eighth Regiment — The One Hundred and Third — One Hundred and Fourth — One 
Hundred aud Thirty-Ninth — One Hundred and Fifty-Ninth — Two Hundred and Fourth — Soldiers in 
Other Organizations — Militia. 



WHEN the great Rebellion came, and men 
and means were needed to crush treason and 
preserve our cherished Union and the heritage of 
our Revolutionary fathers, the fires of patriotism 
glowed brightly and fervidly in the hearts of the 
great mass of the people of this county. The 
patriotic response to the reverberations of the first 
gun, fired upon Sumter, was prompt and willing. 

The following facts speak more forcibly and elo- 
quently of that response than any words of mine 
can do. 

In less than six days after President Lincoln 
issued his call for 75,000 men to aid the govern- 
ment in repossessing the forts, arsenals and other 
national property which had been violently seized 
by the insurgents, and in re-establishing law, order, 
and the dominion of the legitimate government, a 
company of 114 men of this county, under the 
command of Capt. Wm. Sirwell, left Kittanning by 
rail, April IS, 1861,* for Pittsburgh, and thence 
went to Harrisburg. 

During its tour of duty the company visited 
Harper's Ferry, where the gallows on which John 
Brown was hung was then standing, a piece of 
which Col. Sirwell has in his possession. Having 
served well and faithfully through the period for 
which they enlisted, the men were honorably dis- 
charged, at Pittsburgh, Pa., August 14, 1861, and 
on its return to Kittanning, where most of its 
members resided, was honored with an ovation. 

On April 22, 1861, another company enlisted, 
which was afterward assiarned to the 8th Regi- 
ment of Pennsylvania Reserves. And soon after 
the enlistment of the last named company fol- 

* On April IS, 1861, a large concourse of people from the town and 
country assembled to witness the departure of the company of three 
months men, organized in pursuance of the call of President Lincoln. 
The. sky was clear and the weather pleasant for an April day. The 
company formed in the Diamond, at the intersection of Market and 
Jefferson streets, where the ladies presented to each member a copy 
of the New Testament. The sum of nearly four thousand dollars 
was soon after raised by the people of Kittanning and vicinity for 
the support of the families of such of these as depended on their 
labor to subsist them. The night of August 14 was made memorable 
by the return of that company, the first since 1812 that had gone 
hence to meet the hardships and perils of war. 



lowed that recruited by Capt., aftei'ward Col., S. M. 
Jackson, consisting largely of men from Apollo 
and elsewhere in the southern part of this county. 
It was assigned to the 11th Regiment of Pennsyl- 
vania Reserves. 

Soon after the return of the first, or three 
months' company, Camp Orr was established on 
the Fair Ground, a short distance above Kittan- 
ning, where the 78th and 103d Regiments of Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers were recruited, drilled, and 
mustered into the United States service. The 
former, under command of Col. William Sirwell, 
moved by railroad to Pittsburgh, October 14, 
1861.* 

The 103d Regiment, under the command of Col. 
Theodore F. Lehman, left Camp Orr, 24th Febru- 
ary, 1862. 

Large numbers of people from this and other 
counties were present to witness the departures of, 
and bid reluctant farewells to, both of these gal- 
lant regiments, which, as well as the rest of the 
patriotic hosts that participated in that struggle, it 
was fondly though vainly hoped, would have re- 
turned, crowned with the laurels of final victory, 
from the battlefields of the Rebellion before the 
then next September equinox. 

The recruiting of several other companies and 
parts of companies for other regiments followed 
later in the conflict. Capt. W. C. Beck's for the 
62d, Capt. C. W. MoHenry's in part for the 63d, 
Capt. Joseph Steele's for the 59th (cavalry), Capt. 
James L. McKean's and Capt., afterward Col., 
John G. Pan's for the 139th, Capt. John A. Cline's 
for the 155th, Capt. John E. Alward's for the 
204th, Capt. J. K. Calhoun's (the short term for 
the defense of Pennsylvania) for the 22d, Capt. V. 
W. E. Welty's (who succeeded Capt. E. M. Daily, 
promoted), Capt. D. K. DuflE's, Capt.W. H. Libbel's 



* The regiment presented a fine, military, and, to most of the spec- 
tators from town and country, an unaccustomed a^jpearanoe as, in 
the clear sunlight of that beautiful October day, it moved down 
Jefferson street to the depot. 



IN PERPETUAM MEMORIAM. 



61 



and Capt. R. M. Kirkadden's for the 1.59th or 14th 
Cavalry, and five of one of the companies in the 15th 
Cavalry or Anderson's Troop. How many other 
men of Armstrong county enlisted in other regi- 
ments recruited in other counties the writer can- 
not now state. The aggregate, exclusive of the 
latter, furnished by this county, according to Col. 
Sirwell's calculation, is, of officers, musicians and 
men, three thousand six hundred and fifty-two. 

The amount paid out of Armstrong county 
treasury, by authority of law, for the relief of 
soldiers' families, from 1861 to 1866, was $57,- 
063 54 ; for county and veteran ' bounties, from 
1864 to ISeY, $33,220 50. Total, 190,284 06.* 
An immense quantity of clothing, provisions and 
other things were also sent to the men in the army 
from this county by Soldiers' Aid Societies and 
branches of the Christian and Sanitary Commis- 
sions, and by individuals. 

soldiers' aid society of KITTANNING.f 

The ladies of Kittanning borough and its vicini- 
ty were active from the outbreak of the war, in 
collecting material aid for the comfort of the men 
in the field. Their efforts in this behalf finally 
crystallized in the organization of the Ladies' Sol- 
diers' Aid Society, March 28, 1863, the members of 
which were zealous and persistent in accomplish- 
ing its beneficent purpose during the continuance 
of the war. It is to be regretted that the records 
of this patriotic society have not been preserved, 
so that from them a full and accurate statement of 
its transactions may be given. From some of the 
monthly presentations of its doings by its presi- 
dent, the late Mrs. Catherine Bufiington, it appears 
that it was instrumental in collecting large quan- 
tities of lint, handkerchiefs, clothing, books, maga- 
zines, newspapers, fruits and vegetables, which 
were grateful to the soldiers in field or camp, 
while the reports of the treasurers. Misses Marga- 
ret McElhenny, Alice Colwell and Fannie E. Orr, 
show that the cash receipts and disbursements 
amounted to $1,489.54. The balance of $33.49, 
finally remaining in the treasury, was transferred 
to the society connected with the Christian Com- 
mission. Besides direct appeals to individuals 
for contributions, a supper was given by the so- 
ciety in 1863, the net proceeds of which amounted 
to about $250; in March, 1864, a grand musical 
concert was given in the courthouse, which was 
well patronized, but run the society in debt $4.20; 



* Of this amount, the sum of 815,170 38 was raised in Kittanning 
of which tlie sum of S5,033 83 was raised by tax, and the residue, 
S10,136 55, was contributed by individuals. 

t Accounts of other aid societies will be found in the history of 
those places in which they were organized. 



in December following Prof. Kidd gave two of 
his masterly elocutionary entertainments, and di- 
vided the proceeds with the society, from which 
the latter, without any trouble or expense, realized 
the sum of $32.25. 

The people of this county may justly claim to 
hold a high rank among the patriotic hosts of 
other parts of our state and country, in aiding our 
imperiled government in maintaining the pei'pe- 
tuity of the free institutions, founded by the wis- 
dom, valor, patriotism and philanthropy of the 
fathers of our republic. 

While attending the obsequies of a Union 
soldier in July, 1863, it occurred to the writer that 
the names and patriotic deeds of the hosts of sub- 
ordinate officers and privates who fell in the War 
of the Rebellion, should in some way be rescued 
from the oblivion into which the names of such 
usually fall, and so the ideas contained in the fol- 
lowing and closing paragraphs in this general 
sketch of our county then sprang up in his mind, 
which he subsequently shaped into an article pub- 
lished in the Kittanning Free Press, January 1, 
1864, and which is here reproduced: 

IN PEEPETUAM MEMOEIAM. 

All who have gone and all who may yet go forth 
to defend our country, its free institutions, its best 
of civil governments, and the cherished flag for 
which our fathers fought against the ruthless 
attacks of conspirators and traitors, should be held 
in perpetual remembrance. The names and heroic 
deeds of our generals and other prominent officers 
will be perpetuated on the historian's enduring 
pages. But the names and frequent equally heroic 
deeds of thousands of private soldiers, because too 
numerous, cannot thus be rescued from oblivion. 
Yet they will deserve to be kept in grateful 
remembrance at least by those of their countrymen 
who now inhabit, and who will continue to inhabit, 
the respective localities which gave them to the 
service of the country. Wherein the injustice of 
history, if we may so speak, withholds from sub- 
ordinates and privates their well earned meed of 
praise and immortality of fame, the people who 
are the recipients of the benefits resulting from 
their devotion, prowess, privations, hardships, 
dangers and bloody sacrifices should so far as 
possible remedy this unavoidable' injustice of his- 
tory. The names of all, it is true, will be on the 
rolls in the war office. But is this enough ? We 
think they should also be permanently enrolled in 
the respective cities, boroughs and townships from 
which they entered the army. 

Hence we beg leave to suggest that a proper 



62 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



sense of respect for and gratitude to our country's 
defenders in this war should prompt the citizens 
of each city, borough and township in our own and 
other states, respectively, to spontaneously cause 
to be recorded in a durable volume the name of 
every officer and private whom such city, borough 
or township has already supplied, or may hereafter 
supi)ly, his regiment and company, the battles in 
which he has participated or may yet participate, 
his casualties and heroism, and such other matters 
of interest as can be concisely noted in a suitable 
space to be left after each one's name. It would 
not now be difficult to make up such records, which, 
when made up, should be sacredly preserved. 

Although it may be truly said of those lamented 
ones who have fallen, as Byron says of the Greeks 
at Thermopylffi : 

" They fell devoted but undying, 
The very gale their names seemed sighing, 
The waters; murmur of their name, 
The woods are peopled with their fame. 
The silent pillar lone and gray 
Claims kindred with their sacred clay; 
Their spirit wraps the dusky mountain. 
Their memory sparkles o'er the fountain, 
The meanest rill, the mightiest river, 
Rolls mingling with their fame forever." 

Yet each city, borough or township, by erecting in 
a suitable locality an enduring .monument to their 
memory, with their honored names thereon indel- 
ibly inscribed, would but render such a tribute of 
grateful regard for the names and fame of its own 
dead heroes as their services, patriotism and valor 
demand. Thus, too, would the youth of this and 
future ages, when their services may be needed, 
be incited to achieve patriotic and heroic deeds. 
Does it not become the people, while this year 
is new, to volunteer for the laudable purpose of 
accomplishing a work which will be so honorable 
to them and so gratifying to and so well deserved 
by the soldiers of our republic ? A grateful people 
should never suffer the names of such benefactors 
to perish. Let enduring tomes and marble or 
granite pillars rescue them from oblivion. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIP- 
TIVE ROSTER.* 

BEADY ALPINES — NINTH EEGIMENT. 

The Brady Alpines were mustered into the three 
months service, April 22, 1861, and attached to the 
9th Pa. Vol. Inf., Col. Longneoker. About April 1 
it was generally understood that the South would 
rebel against the North, when Capt. William 

* This roster has been compiled with much care and at consider- 
able expense, under the direction of the publishers, as an addition 
to Mr. Smith's history. — Editor. 



Sirwell, who was commanding the Brady Alpines 
and the Kittanning Yeagers, with his military 
forethought, tendered the services of his company 
to Gov. A. S. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, in case war 
should be declared. Capt. Sirwell received notice 
from the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania that 
the tender of his company to the state had been 
received and placed on file. At the firing of the 
first gun on Fort Sumter, Capt. Sirwell received 
orders to form his company at once and proceed to 
Harrisburg. When this order was received the 
day was very pleasant, and the town was quiet as 
though it was Sunday. In less than an hour the 
whole town was up in arms. Recruiting at once 
commenced for the camp, and in forty-eight hours 
the company was in Harrisburg, 114 strong, able- 
bodied men. The maximum strength of a company 
at the breaking out of the war was seventy-seven, 
officers and privates. Hence that was a surplus of 
thirty-seven men. Eighteen of the men joined 
other companies and regiments, leaving still a 
surplus of fifteen men. Those fifteen, all being 
from Kittanning and Armstrong county, utterly 
refusing to join any other company, but would 
remain with the Brady Alpines, and did remain 
during the three months' service, and asked noth- 
ing for their service. The captain managed to get 
three of his men attached to the quartermaster's 
department, and by that means was enabled to get 
as many rations and clothing as fed and clothed 
the men during the service and rations to spare. 
In fact, so careful were the men of their rations 
that they fed Capt. John Hastings' company, from 
Pauxatawny, supper and breakfast, that company 
having run out of provisions. When Capt. Sir- 
well returned home he could only count ninety-one 
men, when he finally discovered he never counted 
himself, which would have made the number 
correct on the rolls. Only seventy-seven of those 
men have ever been paid by the government only 
what Capt. Sirwell gave them, he having divided 
his own pay with the extra men. There were in this 
company twenty-two men, each of whom measured 
over six feet, sixteen that weighed 200 pounds each. 
The good citizens, men and women alike, con- 
tributed all their time, labors and money to make 
the soldiers comfortable in their departure for the 
war. A splendid silk flag was presented to this 
company, and each member was presented with a 
Bible by the ladies of Kittanning. All that the 
mind could imagine was done to make the soldiers 
comfortable. After the company left, the citizens 
organized a committee to visit the families and 
provide everything that was needed by the families 
to make them comfortable. . 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESORIPTIVE ROSTER. 



63 



This infant company was the root of all the 
military organizations that left Armstrong county 
during the war. 

OFFICERS. 

Capt. William Sirwell, 1st Lieut. Norwood G. Penuy, 2d Lieut. 
Samuel Robertson, 1st Sergt. James L. McCain, 2d Sergt, James Hill- 
berry, 3d Sergt. James Lowther (resigned), 4th Sergt. James Gates, 
1st Corp. Darwin Phelps, 2d Corp. Henry Grazier, 3d Corp. Henry 
Glauts, 4th Corp. Matthias Freese. Musicians Theo. Barrett (14 years 
old), Dan A. Golden (12 years old). 

PRIVATES. 

George Armstrong, William Bell, Joseph P. Beggs, Joseph Brown, 
William Bauer, Francis Boyd, Samuel Bouvard, Murray Cunning- 
ham, Alexander S. Davidson, James Dugan, George W. Davis, Philip 
Edwards, Alfred L. Fluke, John Frederick, August Frederick, 
Michael Fishter, George S. Frailey, William Frailey, Joseph Gates, 
Joseph Garver, William Hill, Jacob Hobaugh, Henry W. Hoaks, 
James Hetherington, Hiram Henry, Aldin Henry, George Hilterbran, 
James Huston, Samuel Jordan,* Charles M. King, Valentine Kerr, 
Samuel F. Keiner, Scott King, William A. Logan,* John Mott, 
George W. Mackey,' George Mathews, George McComb, George W. 
McMillen, James McMasters, George McCandless, David L. McVey, 
Robert McNett, Milton McCormlck, Charles McManus, John L, 
McElwain, Archibald McMuUin, Martin McCann, John McElravey, 
James McGarvey, George Mathews, Randolph Oswald, Henry F. 
Phelps, Harrison Premkard, Isaac A. Price, James Porter, Jefferson 

Reynolds, Albert Robinson, James Rhoads, Rogers, Orlando 

W. Russ, John Roth, Rumbaugh, James H. Stevenson, Charles 

W. Smith, August Singer, Francis Shoup, George Sintser, George Se- 
rene, John Scott, John H. Truby, Charles Trew, Jefferson Truit^ 

Vourhour, Samuel Walker,* James B. Welty, Samuel Wasson, 

Henry Wygant, Frederick Wagoner, Peter Whal, William W. Wal- 
lace, Thomas C. Wilson. 

THIKTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT EIGHTH RESERVES. 

Company A of this regiment was an Armstrong 
organization, and the second raised in the county. 
The regiment was formed from companies recruited 
for the three-months service, but not accepted, which 
had rendezvoused at Camp "Wright, twelve miles 
above Pittsburgh, on the Allegheny river. The regi- 
ment was organized June 28, 186], George S. Hays, 
M.D., of Allegheny county, being elected colonel; S. 
D. Oliphant, lieutenant colonel; and J. B. Gardner, 
major. On July 20 it was ordered to Washington, 
where it remained until August 2, when it was 
assigned to the first brigade, and located in the 
Reserve Camp atTenallytown; from thence it went 
to Great Falls, on the Potomac, to assist the 7th in 
checking the advance of the enemy. Returning 
to Tenallytown the 8th, moved October 9 across the 
Potomac to Langley, Va., where it took position 
with the division in line with the army of the 
Potomac, and where it subsequently went into 
winter quarters. During its three years' service, 
the regiment (including Company A, of which the 
roster is given below) participated in the follow- 
ing battles: Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862; Gaines 
Hill, June 27, 1862; Charles City Cross-roads, 
June 31, 1862;- Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862; second 
battle of Bull Run, August 28, 29, 30, 1862; South 
Mountain, September 14, 1862; Antietam, Septem- 



*The men whose names are thus marked were soldiers in the 
Mexican war. 



ber 17, 1862; Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862; 
Gettysburg, July 3, 4 and 5, 1863; Wilderness, 
May 5 and 6, 1864; Laurel Hill, May 8, 9, 10, 11, 
12 and 13, 1864. Company A crossed the Potomac 
with 104 men, and afterward had sixteen recruits. 
Only thirty men were present at the muster out at 
Pittsburgh, May 24, 1864. A number had been 
transferred to other regiments, but the graves of 
many had been made on the battle-fields of the 
army of the Potomac After their muster out, 
and upon their arrival at Kittanning, the few sur- 
vivors of this gallant company Avere greeted by a 
concourse of enthusiastic citizens. Speeches were 
made, and in the evening the war-worn veterans, 
with many of their old friends, were regaled with 
a sumptuous supper at the Reynolds House. 

'I ■ Company A. 

OFFICERS. 

Captain L. S. Cantwell, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; res. Dee. 4, 1861. 

Captain James G. Henry, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; pro. from first ser- 
geant Dec. 4, 1861 ; m. o. with company.* 

First Lieutenant Felix McManus, m. i. s. April 22, 1861; res. Dec. 30, 
3861. 

First Lieutenant Samuel McCandless, m. i. s. Jvdy 3, 1861 ; pro. to 
first lieutenant Deo. 31, 1861 ; m. o. with company. ' 

Second Lieutenant Geo. W. Cook, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; dismissed 
Jan. 30, 1862. 

Second Lieutenant Patrick H. Murray, m. i. s. April 22, 1861; pro. 
from sergeant Jan. 30, 1862 ; res. March 12, 1863, for wounds 
received in action. 

Second Lieutenant John E. Alward, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; pro. from 
sergeant to second lieutenant Sept. 14, 1863 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

First Sergeant Wm. H. Dickey, m. i. s. April 23,1861; dis. Dec. 19, 
1863, for wounds received in action. 

First Sergeant Wilson A. Williams, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with 
company. 

Sergeant Henry M. Wick, m. i. s. April 23,1861; pro. to sergeant; 
m. 0. with company. 

Sergeant Thos. M. Huston, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; pro. from corporal ; 
killed at Mechanicsville June 26, 1862. 

Sergeant Andrew J. Elliott, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; pro. from corporal ; 
m. o. with company. 

Sergeant Robt. K. Hine, m. i. s. July 10, 1861 ; pro. to corporal, to 
sergeant ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant Daniel W. Hill, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; pro. to sergeant ; m. o. 
with company. 

Sergeant V. F. Shackhouse, m. i. s. — : died Aug. 20, 1864 ; buried at 
Hampton, Va. 

Corporal Benjamin F. Weaver, m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

Corporal John S. McGeary, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; died Feb. 6, 1863, of 
wounds received at Fredericksburg ; buried in Military Asylum 
cem., D. C. 

Corporal Christopher Hoss, m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; died Jan. 3, 1863, of 
wounds received at Fredericksburg ; buried in Military Asylum 
cem., D. C. 

Corporal James H. Truby, m. i. s. June 15, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 
certificate Dec. 18, 1862. 

Corporal Alex. J. Baily, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal Scott W. Furnee. m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; wounded at Wilder- 
ness May 6, 1864 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal Wm. G. .lack, m. i. s. June 22, 1861 ; pro. from musician ; 
m. o. with company. 

Corporal Richard M. Shawl, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

Corporal Thos. Casserly, m.i. s. Aug. 20, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. 
Vols. May 15, 1864. 



* The company was mustered out May 24, 1864. 



64 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Corporal Jerome C. Douze, m. i. s. April 23, ISiil; traus. to 191st reg. 

Pa. Vols. May W, 18114 ; vet. 
Corporal Wm. Troutner, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 : trans, to 191st reg. 

May 15, 18M ; vet. 
Corporal S. E. Lines, m. i. s. ; died June 18, 1861 ; buried near 

Meade Station, Va. 
Musician Henry O. Jack, m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 



Atkinson, Geo. B., m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; absent sick at m. o. 
Armstrong, Lee, m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; killed at Charles City crossroads 

June SO, 186.'. 
Anderson, Coursan, m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; died Jan. 2, 1863, of wounds 

received at Fredericksburg; buried in Military Asylum cem., 

D. C. 
Brown, Jos. C, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Brennan, John, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; wounded at Spottsylvania C. H. 

May 8, 18 U : m. o. with company. 
Brooks, Henry, m. i. s. May 7, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Bell, James, m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Barnelt, Wm. H.. m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 20, 1863. 
Badger, Mat. P., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; died of wounds received at 

Charles City crossroads June 30, 1862. 
Barnett. Wm. W.. m. i. s.Jan. 27, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, ISM. 
Baker, James, m. i. s. Jan. 27, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, ISM. 
Bellinger, Jai'Ob, m. i. s. Aug. 15, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May l-'i, IW'4. 
Brodhead, Fnink D., enl. Sept. 21, 1861 ; wounded three times ; dis. 

Sept. 21. 18M, expiration of lerm. 
Bailey, .Wes... enl. May, 18 11 ; (iis. Sept. 21, 1864, expiration of term. 
Brown, Andrew, m. i. s. Feb. 10, 1864 ; trans, to lalst reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, lh54. 
Crumey, John C, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Clark, James C, m. i. s. May 4, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Crouch, William S., m. i. s. April 23, 1S61 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 8, 1862. 
Campbell, Knox G., m. i. s. Jan. 27, 1862 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864. 
CroU, J 'hn F., m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill June 27, 

1862. 
Christy, James E., m. i. s. April 2.3, 1861 ; died Sept. 8, 1862; buried at 

Military Asylum cem., D. C. 
Campbell, John, m. i, s. July 6, 1861; killed at Bull Kun August 30, 

1^62. 
Davis, David W., m. i. s. April 23, 1861; wounded at Fredericksburg 

Dec. 13, 1862; m. o. with company. 
Duncan, Robt. B., m. i, s. July 6, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Detbaum, William L., m. I. s. April 22, 18:12 ; m. o. with company. 
Davidson, Alex. S., m. i. s. Aug. 20, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864. 
Elgin, Daniel, m. i. s. July 23, 1861 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864 ; vet. 
Espy, Frederick, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Nov. 12, 

1862. 
Fuller, Benj. F., m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864 ; vet. 
Gallagher, Hugh, m. i. s. April 23, 1861; trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Nov. 

12, 1862. 
Galbraith, Geo. H., m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864. 
Green, John F., m. i s. April 25, 1861; killed at Charles City cross- 
roads June 30, 1862. 
Grey, Aaron, m. i. s. Jtily 6, 1861 ; killed at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 

13, 1862. 
Heiner, John H., m. i. s. April 25, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hammond, John D., m. 1. s. April 25, 1861 ; wounded at Bull Run 

Aug. 30, 1862 ; absent at m. o. 
Hunter, Jos. W., m. i. s. April 25, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Henry, Nelson, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 

4, 1863. 
Isaacson, John P., m. i. s. April 25, 1861 ; wounded at Fredericksburg 

Dec. 13, 1862; m. o. with company. 
Jordon, Jos. C, m. i. s. May 15, 1871 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 

1, 1862. 
Klingeusmith, G. W., m. i. s. April 23, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Keys, John, m. 1. s. July 6, 1861 ; absent, on detached service, at m. o. 



Kritzer, David, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 4, 1863. 
King, Jonas J., m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 

4, 1863. 
King, Wm. R., m. i. s. Aug. 20, 1862; trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Nov. 12, 

1862. 

Keys, Wm., m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; . 

Lightly, Geo. T., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Lewis, Lewis, m. i. s. May 7, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
McManus, John, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
McPherson, Jas. S.. m. i. s. April 23, 1861; m. o. with company. 
McCartney, Washington, m. i, s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Moore, Wm. H., m. i. s. April 23, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Moorehead, D. Milton, m, i. s. May 15, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Montgomery, P. C, m. i, s. April 23, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 16, 1863. 
McMasters, Wm., m. i. s. May 4, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Sept. 17, 1862, 
McWilliams, John, m. i. s. Aug. 20, 1862; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dee. 1, 186-2. 
Morris, John G., April 23, 1861 ; trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Nov. 12, 1862. 
Milligan, Edward, m. i. s. April 26, 1861 ; trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Nov. 

12, 1862. 
Musser, John B., m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1864; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864. 
McClarren, Wm., m. i. s. Feb. 1, 1864 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864; vet. 
Moore, Frank F., m. i. s. July 19, 1861 ; killed at Fredericksburg, Va., 

Dec. 13, 1812. 
McGregor, James T., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; died Dee. 17, 1862 ; buried 

in Military Asylum cem., D. C. 
McAfoos, Geo. W., m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; died April 11, 1863, of wounds 

received at Fredericksburg ; buried at Philadelphia. 
McColburn, Alex., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; died of wounds received at 

Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863. 
Newell, James, m. i. s. April 23, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Sept. 23, 18i;2. 
Neuergold, John B., m. 1 s. May 10, 1861; died of wounds received at 

Laurel Hill May 8, 1864 ; buried on field. 
Oswald, Randolph, m. i. s. Aug. 20, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864. 
Richards, Daniel, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Richards, Varner, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Rodgers, AlviuS., m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Ross, Wm., m. i. s. June 10, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 1, 

1863. 
Renshaw, Frank M., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 10. 1862. 
Reynolds, Jefierson, m. i. s. Feb. 15, 1862 ; dis, on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 13, 1863. 
Reed, Archibald, m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; trans, to 6th reg. U. S. Cav. 

Nov. 42, 1862. 
Ross, John W., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1862 ; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864. 
Ross, Andrew J., m. i. s. Feb. 21, 1862; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864; vet. 
Shoof, John R , m. 1. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Shawl, Josiah, m. i. s. April 23, 1861; wounded at Meehanicsville 

June'26, 1862; absent at m. o. 
Schrecenghost, P. H., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Sharrow, AVm., m. i. s. July 6, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Stien, Jacob, m. i. s. July 10, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate Sept. 

10, 1861. 
Shauer, Sam'l S., m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1864; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. May 

15, 1864. 
Smith, A. Wilson, m. i. s. Sept. 1, 1861 ; pro. to sergeant major July 5, 

1862. 
Smith, Valentine, m. i. s. April 2, 1861 ; killed at South Mountain 

Sept. 14, 1862. 
Truby, Robt. B., m. i. s. May 15, 1861 ; kiUed at Antietam Sept. 14, 

1862. 
Todd, Charles, m. i. s. April 22, 1861 ; pro. to commissary sergeant 

March 1, 1863. 
Weaver, Roderick D., m. i. s. July 19, 1861; m. o. with company. 
W^estwood, John, m. i. s. July 6, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Winters, John M., m. i. s. April 23, 1861 ; detailed to Kearne's battery 

March 7, 1862 ; absent at m. o. 
Wadsworth, John, m.i.s. Aug. 10,1861; trans, to 191st reg. Pa. Vol. 

May 15, 1864. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



65 



Wilson, Sam'l T., m. i. s. May 15,1861; died of wounds received at 

Gaines Mill June 27, 1862. 
Wagner, Simon J., m. i. s. May 12, 1861 ; killed at Cbarles City Cross 
BoadsJuneSO, 1862. 

Company E. 
Peter Drum, John Piper. 

Company F. 
Simon HoUey, John Gallaher. 

THIETY-EIGHTH REGIMENT NINTH EESEEVE. 

Company F. 

[Except where otherwise indicated, the Arm- 
strong men, about thirty in number, in this com- 
pany, were mustered into service in July, 1861, and 
mustered out with the company Maj 11, 1864.] 

OFFICERS. 

Sergeant J. Hudson Miller, dis. March 20, 1863, for wounds received 

in action. 
Sergeant Samuel Schreeenghost, trans, to Vet. Ees. corps Aug. 1, 1863. 
Sergeant James R. Gibson, trans, to Vet. Res. corps, Aug. 1, 1863. 
Sergeant T. Clark Miller. 
Corporal J. E. Turk, died Aug. 1, 1862, of wounds received at Gaines' 

Mills, June 27, 1862; buried in Military Asylum cem. 
Corporal Hartings D. Stoofs, m. i. s. June 27, 1861 ; killed at Mechan- 

icsville, June 26, 1862. 
Corporal T. Clark Stookdale. 
Corporal Samuel Young. 

PRIVATES. 

Allen, William F., trans to 1st U. S. Cav. Nov. 20, 1862. 

Birch, Shunk, trans, to Bat. C, 5th C. S. Art., Nov. 20, 1862. 

Cable, Jesse, trans, to 69th reg. Pa. Vol. Nov. 10, 1863. 

Hosack, James R. 

Hyskill, J. Fletcher. 

Hawley, Francis, dis. Nov. 2, 1862, for wounds received in action. 

Henderson, J. F., dis. Aug. 10, 1862, for wounds received in action. 

Hindeman, Thos., dis. Oct. 1, 186-', for wounds received in action. 

Hamilton, Jeff. H., dis. Nov. 8, 1862, lor wounds received in action. 

Hill, Peter, killed at Charles City Cross Roads June 30, 1862, 

Lamb, William, dis. on surgeon's certificate. 

Moore, Adam. 

McQubwn, 0. D. 

Miller, Charles W., dis. Sept. 6, 1862, for wounds received in action. 

Milliron, William, dis. March 20, 1862, for wounds received in action 

at DranesviUe, Va., Dee 20, 1861. 
McPherson, H. A., trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. May, 1864; vet. 
Painter, Ashford, trans, to Bat. C, oth U. S. Art., Nov. 20, 1862. 
Painter, Linus, trans, to Bat. C, 5th U. S. Art., Nov 20, 1862. 
Smiley, David, died Feb. 13, 1864: vet 

Stark, Thos. S., killed at Charles City Cross Roads June 30, 1862. 
Travis, C. Glaston, trans, to 6th U. S. Cav. Oct. 20, 1862. 
Turner, Alfred, killed at Charles City Cross Roads June 30, 1862. 
Wagner, William, trans, to Bat. C, 6th U. S. Art., Oct. 20, 1862. 

FOETIETH EEGIMENT ELEVENTH EESEEVE. 

Company G of this organization was from Arm- 
strong (the Independent Blues of Apollo) and the 
others from adjoining or near counties. Most of 
the companies were raised for the three months 
service, but failing of acceptance still preserved 
their organizations, and when the call for the 
reserve corps was issued marched to the rendez- 
vous at Camp Wright, near Pittsburgh. On July 
1, 1861, the regiment was organized by the choice 
of the following officers: Thos. F. Gallagher of 
Westmoreland county, colonel; James R. Porter 
of Indiana county, lieutenant-colonel, and Samuel 
M. Jackson of Armstrong county, major. The 
regiment already mustered into the service of 



Pennsylvania was mustered into the service of the 
United States, nine hundred strong, at Washing- 
ton, on June 30. Soon after it was ])laced in the 
reserve camp at Tenallytown, where the men were 
drilled until they were proficient in all movements 
and the use of arms. Their skill proved of inesti- 
mable value on many a contested field. The regi- 
ment was assigned to the second brigade of the 
reserve corps. In the month of September it was 
sent to Great Falls to picket the Potomac from a 
short distance below to a point six miles above, 
and while engaged in that duty Company G 
obtained its first experience with the enemy in 
a skirmish. From Tenallytown the regiment 
moved with the division and took position in line 
with the army beyond Langley, Va., where it 
subsequently went into winter quarters. The For- 
tieth was present at the battle of Mechanicsville, 
and fought bravely at Gaines Mill, only to be 
taken prisoners at the close. The men were sent 
to Richmond, and thence to Belle Isle, wliere they 
remained until August 5, when they were released. 
The regiment, greatly reduced by battle and the 
diseases consequent to imprisonment, reassembled 
at Harrison's Landing, and thence to Gainesville, 
where it joined the main body of Pope's army, and 
engaged in the second Bull Run campaign. In 
the battle of Gainesville upon August ^9 and 30, 
the Eleventh reserve took a prominent part. Sub- 
sequently it was engaged in the battles of South 
Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, 
Bristoe Station, Rappahannock Station, New Hope 
Church, Wilderness and Bethesda Church. The 
regiment was mustered out at Pittsburgh, June 



13, 1864. 



FIELD AND STAFF. 



Colonel Samuel M. Jackson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from Capt. Co. 

G to Major July 2, 1861 ; to Lt. Col. Oct. S, 1861; to Col. April 10, 

18G3 ; to Bt. Brig. Gen. March 13, 1863 ; m. o. with reg. June 13, 

1864. 
Major James P. Speer. m. i. S.June 8, 1861 ; pro. from Capt. Co. G to 

Major May 28, 1863; to Bt. Lt. Col. March 13, 1865 ; dis. August 

27, 1863, for wounds received in action. 

COMPANY G. 

OFFICERS. 

Captain Samuel M. Jackson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. to Major July 

8, 1S61. 
Captain James P. Speer, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; wounded at Gaines 

Mill June 27, and Fredericksburg Dec. 13, 1862 ; pro. to Major 

May 28, 1803. 
Captain James H. Mills, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from Corp. to 

1st Sergt. July 2, 1861 ; to Capt. Aug. 17, 1863 ; to Bt. Major 

and Bt. Lt. Col. March 13, 1865 ; m. o. with company.* 
1st Lieutenant Joseph P. Cliue, m. i. s. June 29, 1861 ; res. Dec. 27, 

1861. 
1st Lieutenant John F. Jackson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from Corp. 

to Sergt, Nov. 1, 1862 ; to 2nd Lt. Sept. 22, 1863 ; to 1st Lt. March 

4, 1864; to Bt. Capt. March 13, 1865; m. o. with company. 



* Company G, 40th reg., 11th Reserve was mustered out June 13, 



66 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



2d Lieutenant Walter F. Jackson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; killed at 

South Mountain Sept. 14, 1862. 
1st Sergeant Samuel T. Stewart, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from Sergt. 

Jan. 1, 1862 ; killed at South Mountain Sept. 14, 1862. 
1st Sergeant Andrew G. Mehaffey, m. i. s. June 8, 1361 ; pro. to 1st 

Sergt. ; dis. on surgeon's certificate March 26, 1863. 
1st Sergeant Wm. J. Ford, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Aug. 17, 

1861 ; to Sergt. Jan. 1, 1862 ; to 1st Sergt. Sept. 23. 1863 ; m. o. with 

company. 
Sergeant Daniel Jack, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Sergeant John A. Speer, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; dis. on surgeon's cer- 
tificate May 17, 1862. 
Sergeant Richard P. Jack, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; died at Camp Pier- 

pont, Va., Feb. 15, 1862. 
Sergeant James Johnson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. to Sergt. ; killed 

at South Mountain Sept. 14, 1862. 
Sergeant George S. Gourley, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; pro. from Corp.; 

killed at Antietam Sept. 17, 1862. 
Sergeant A. K. Vantine, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. 

VoJ. June 1,1864; vet. 
Sergeant Henry C. Trout, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from private July 

1, 1863 ; m. o. with company. 
Sergeant Samuel Maguire, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; pro. from private 

Dec. 1, 1S63; wounded May 6, 1864; absent at m. o. 
Corporal Levi Shauer, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to Marine Corps — 

date unknown. 
Corporal John A. Shearer, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; died at Alexandria 

June, 1862. 
Corporal Thomas Young, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill 

June 27, 1862. 
Corporal Robert W. Hunter, m. i. s. July 5, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate May 1, 1862. 
Corporal Geo. W. Jlagulre, m. i. s. June 22, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate April 28, 1863. 
Corporal Wm. Artman, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps Feb. 16. 1864. 
Musician Hugh F. Forbes, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190 reg. Pa. 

Vol. June 1,1864; vet. 
Musician D. D. P. Alexander, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

PKIVATES. 

Armstrong, Robt. G., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Arnold, James D., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Anderson, Andrew J., m. i. s. July 9, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 2, 1863. 
Artman, James W., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Feb. 

16, 1864. 
Anderson, Alonzo, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; died at Richmond, Va., Aug. 

24, 1862. 
Beatty, Eobt., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Brunton, James M., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; wounded at Bethesda 

Church May 30, 1864 ; absent at m. o. 
Bovard, Charles, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

April 2, 1862. 
Brown, Johnson W., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Sept. 8, 1862. 
Bovard, Joseph H., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol, 

June 1,1864; vet. 
Beobout, James A., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Antietam Sept. 17, 

1862. 
Bentley, Frank, m. i. s. June 8, 1S61 ; killed June 30, 1862. 
Cupo, W. D., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Colver, Jacob H., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June, 1862, 
Coulter, Thos. B., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 10, 1863. 
Cline, Wm. F., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. June 

1, 1864, vet. 
Carney, Johnson, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill June 27, 

1862. 
Crofut, Charles M., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill June 27, 

1862. 
Cunningham, W. B., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines MOl June 

27, 1862. 
DuiBeld, Calvin, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Duff', John E., m. i. s, June 8, 1861; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. June 

1, 1854 ; vet. 
Edgar, John S., m. i, s. June 8, 1861; trans, to Bat. B, 5th V. S. Art., 

Feb. 25, 1864, vet. 



Faulk, David, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Fulton, Henry B., m. i. s. June 8,1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 2, 1863. 
Fuller, John A., m. i. s. June 8, 1661 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. June 

1, 1864, vet. 
Fry, George, m. i. s. Sept. 2, 1862 ; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Sept. 1, 1863. 
Foster, James S., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; died at Craney Island Aug. 24, 

1862. 
Gamble, John M., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Oct. 10, 1862. 
Gallagher, Graves, m. i, s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gettysburg July 2, 

1863. 
Huey, Sam'l, m. i. s. July 10, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate March 

27, 1863. 
Hawk, David A., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 7th reg. U. S. Inf. Oct., 

1862. 
Harper, Washington, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; killed at Gaines Mill June 

27, 1862. 
Howell, Wm. W., m. i. s. Sept. 6, 1861 ; died Dee. 25, 1872, of wounds 

received at Fredericksburg; buried in Military Asylum cem., 

D. C. 
Ivory, Andrew, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

19, 1863. 
Jack, John, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Inf. Oct., 1862. 
James, Thomas, m. i. s. July 10, 1861; killed at South Mountain Sept. 

14, 1862. 
Jack, Geo. E., m. i. s., Sept. 21, 1861 ; died at Richmond, Va. Dec. 22, 

1862, of wounds received at Fredericksburg. 
Kunkle, John S., m. i. s. June 3, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Klingensmith, A., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; m. o. with conipany. 
Kliugensmith, H., m. i. s. Sept. 21, 1861 ; prisoner from May 5, 1864, 

to Feb, 27, 1865; dis. March 5, 1865. 
Lieblang, Wm, N., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

May 6, 1863. 
Marsh, Fred'k P., m. i. s. July 19, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Mcllwain, James X., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. . 
Maun, David R. P., ra. i. s. June 8, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 31, 1862. 
Maguire, Robt. N., m. i. s. Junie 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. 

Junel, 1864; vet. 
Maguire, James N., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. 

June 1,1864; vet. 
Marsh, Geo. J., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; died at Washington, D. C, of 

wounds received at Fredericksburg Deo. 13, 1862. 
Maguire, Washington, m. i. s, June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill 

June 27, 1862, 
Nolder, Johu, m. i. s. 'June 8, 1861 ; prisoner from May 5, 1864, to 

March 4, 1865 ; dis. March 10, 1865. 
Ogden, Thomas, m. i. s. Sept. 1861 ; di.s. date unknown— minor. 
Patterson, James A., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; wounded at Spottsylvania 

court-house May 10, 1864 ; absent at m. o. 
Potter, Samuel L., m. i. s. June 8, 1861; prisoner from May 30 to Nov. 

26, 1864 ; dis. Dec. 3, 1864. 
Rutter, Wm., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa Vol. June 1. 

1864; vet. 
Rutter, James, m. i. s. July 19, 1861 ; died at Richmond, Va., Jan. 9, 

1863, of wounds received at Fredericksburg. 
Scott, John W., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Stuart, David G., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Shauer, Simon P., m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1861 ; died Aug. 4, 1862 ; buried in 

Prospect Hill cem., York, Pa. 
Sweeney, Charles, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa, Vol. 

June 4, 1854; vet. 
Scott, Wm. D., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol, June 

1, 1864 ; vet. 
Sarver, Labanah, m. i. s. June 8, 1861; killed at South Mountain 

Sept. 14, 1862. 
Shauer, Peter, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Mill June 27, 1862. 
Taylor, David L., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa, Vol. 

June 1, 1864 ; vet. 
Toomey, John, m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; prisoner from May 5 to Dec. 6, 

1864 ; dis. Dec. 12, 1864. 
Withington, W, H,, m. i, s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 12, 1863. 
Williamson, A. J., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; mis'd in action at Bethesda 

church May 30, 1864; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. June 1, 1864; 

vet. 
Williamson J. D., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; trans, to 190th reg. Pa. Vol. 

June 1,1864; vet. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



67 



Withington, A. W., m. i. s. July 23, 1861; trans, to Bat. L 5th U. S. Art. 

October, 1862. 
■Whitllnger, B. F., m. i. s. June 20, 1861 ; killed at South Mountain 

Sept. 14, 1862. 
Young, James M., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; m. 0. with company. 
Young, Wallace W., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; killed at Gaines Jlill June 

27, 1862. 
Young, Henry, m. i. s. July 24, 1861; killed at Bristoe Station, Va., 

Dec. 29, ISeS. 
Zimmerman, A. L., m. i. s. June 8, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 19, 1862. 
Zimmerman, C. L., m. i. s. June 20, 1861. 

FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENT — SECOND CAVALRY. 

Company M of' this regiment was from Arm- 
strong. The regiment ■was principally recruited 
in Philadelphia, and rendezvoused at Camp Pat- 
terson, near that city, in the spring of 1862. 
Richard Butler Price, of Philadelphia, was com- 
missioned colonel. The 2d Cavalry arrived at 
Washington April 25, and advanced into Virginia 
June 27. It -was assigned to the brigade of 
Gen. Buford, and at once entered upon an active 
campaign, making a series of long forced marches 
and successful reconnaissances. After taking part 
frequently in skirmishes, and being almost con- 
stantly engaged in scouting, the regiment went 
into winter quarters at Accotink, which were left 
in April, 1863. Subsequently the 59th was in the 
battle- of Gettysburg, and then followed a series 
of effective raids, which resulted in the destruc- 
tion of great quantities of stores and many miles 
of railroad, being a portion of the time under 
Gen. Phil Sheridan. It was in the unsuccessful 
attempt to cut the rebel lines at Gordonsville that 
Capt. Walker, of Company M, was killed. After 
the conclusion of Sheridan's second grand raid the 
command returned to the Army of the Potomac, 
and confronted the enemy before Petersburg, and 
afterward participated in the engagements at Deep 
Bottom, Malvern Hill, Charles City Cross Roads 
and Ream's Station. It was now reduced to a 
strength of about 200 men, but still performed 
active service at Wyatt's Farm, Boydton Plank 
Road, McDowell's Hill and Five Forks, and was 
present at the surrender of ApjDomattox Court- 
House. It participated in the grand review at 
Washington, on May 23, 1865, was consolidated 
with the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry June 17, and 
was finally mustered out upon July 13. 

COMPANY M. 

(OFFICERS.) 

Captain Joseph Steele, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861; pro. to Major May 1, 

1863. 
Captain Albert C. Walker, m. i. s. Nov. 20, 1861 ; pro. from Adjt. May 

1, 1863 ; died Aug. 3, 1864. 
Captain Joseph A. Steele, m. i. s. Oct. 6, 1863 ; pro. from 1st Lt. Sept. 

26, 1864 ; dis. June 17, 1865. 
1st Lieutenant James E. Gates, m, 1. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; res. Sept. 15, 

1862. 
iBt Lieutenant Hugh B. Campbell, m. 1. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; pro. from 2d 

Lt. Feb. 25, 1863 ; res. Oct. 5, 1863. 



1st Lieutenant Jacob Hobaugh, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; pro. from 1st 

Sergt. Nov. 25, 1S04 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; 

vet. 
2d Lieutenant David L. Ferguson, m. i. s. October, 1861 : pro. to 2d 

Lt. Feb. 3, 1863 ; m. o. Oct. 1, 1864. 
2d Lieutenant James H. Morrow, m, i. s. Dee. 17, 1863; pro. fromQ. M. 

Sergt. Dec. 12. 1864; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865; 

vet. 
1st Sergeant Quintin Armstrong, m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; dis. by G. O. 

June -8, 1865 ; vet. 
Quartermaster Sergeant John C. Powell, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans. 

to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Commissary Sergeant John K. Swan, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to 

Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1S65 ; vet. 
Commissary Sergeant Solomon Wiant, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; died Oct. 

12, 1864; buried in Cyprus Hill cem., L. I.; vet. 
Sergeant John W. Rinker, m. i. s. Dee. 17, 18()3; trans, to Co. M, 1st 

Pro. Cav. June 17, 18(i5 ; vet. 
Sergeant Isaac MilUken, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav. June 17, 1865 ;^vet. 
Sergeant Henry Tray, In" i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; dis. by G. O. June 28, 1865 ; 

vet. 
Sergeant Jacob S. Haines, m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1871 ; dis. by G. O. June 28. 

1865; vet. 
Sergeant Samuel Steck, Dec. 17, 1863; not accounted (or; vet. 
Corporal Murry Cunningham, m. i. s. Dec. 17, lSu3; trans, to Co. M, 

1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal Emanuel Rummel, m i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st 

Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal Samuel A. Jordan, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st 

Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal Simon Penrod, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; pro. to Corp. March 1, 

1S65 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865; vet. 
Corporal Thomas Shaw, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; pro. to Corp. March 1, 

1865; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal James R. C. Fink, m. i. s. Oct. 1851; dis. by G. O. June 28, 

1865; vet. 
Corporal John L. Fink, m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; dis. by G. O. June 28, 1865; 

vet. 
Corporal Michael Smith, m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; dis. by G. O. June 28, 

1865; vet. 
Corporal Dominick Gallagher, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; not accounted 

for; vet. 
Bugler Joseph Allshouse, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav. June 17, 1865 : vet. 
Blacksmith George Hanes, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st 

Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Blacksmith Jacob Smith, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; not accounted for; 

vet. 
Farrier Orlando W. Ross, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st 

Pro. Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Saddler Isaac A. Price, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav. June 17. 1865 ; vet. 

PRIVATES. 

Anthony, George W., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro 

Cav. June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Abel, George, m. i. s. ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 17, 

1865 ; vet. 
Austin, Benjamin F., m. i. s. Sept. 23, 1861 ; not accounted for. 
Armstrong, John, m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Brown, Jesse G., m.i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Bechtel, Emanuel, m. i. s. Dee. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M. 1st Pro. Cav. 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Bush, Jonathan, m. i. s. Feb. 21, 1S65 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. 

June 17, 1865. 
Brown, Joseph, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1865; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 

17, 1865. 
Brown, John C, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Brown, Andrew J., m. i. s. Aug. 11, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Beck, Michael, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1854 ; not accounted for. 
Cramer, John, m. 1. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 

17, 1865 ; vet. 
Crytzer, John A. H., m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1862; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. 

June 17, 1865. 
Clener, .lacob, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. July 13, 1865. 
Carr, George W., m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. 

Jime 17, 1865. 
Cornelius, James C, ni. i. s. Feb. 25, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 21, 1865. 



6S 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Clarke, Alexander, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Cunningham, D. E., m. i. s. Oct. 14, 1861 ; not accounted for. 
Crytzer, Benj. F., m. i. s. Jan. 1, 1864; not accounted for; vet. 
Conaman, John, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; died Aug. 24, 1864 ; buried in 

Cav. corps oem., Va. ; vet. 
Collins, Edward B., m. i. s. Dee. 17, 1863 ; died at Point Lookout, Md., 

May 19, 1864 ; vet. 
Call, Henry H.,m.i. s. Dec. 17, 1861; died at Charleston, S. C, Dec. 5, 

1864; vet. 
Dick, James K., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 18G5; vet. 
Danner, John F., m. i. s. Feb. 21, 1865; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Dodson, Geo. W., m, i. s. Sept. 10, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31. 1865. 
Darron, John, m. 1. s. Sept, 15, 1862; dis. by G. O. May 31, 186,5. 
Dormel, Geo. ^y., Feb. 27, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Ferguson, Wni. B., m. i. s. Aug. 8, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Fryer, David, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1865; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865. 
Fricker, John H., m. i. s. Dec. 20, 1863; not accounted for; vet. 
Farris, James, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1864; not accounted for. 
Fox, Elijah, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Gohn, Abraham, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865; vet. 
Gold, Evan L., m. i. s. Aug. 27, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Glenn, Wm. T., enl. spring of 1864 ; dis. at expiration of service ; enl 

spring of 1868 in 2d U. S. Cav. 
Hutchison, John, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Heck, John, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav,, June 

17, 1865. 
Harlan, Michael, m. i. s. Dec. 21, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. 

June 17, 1865. 
Hathaway, Stephen, ra. i. s. Feb. 2, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Hughes, Alex. W., m. i. s. Feb. 21, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Hall, James A., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1863 ; dis. by G. O. June 17, 1865. 
Hotherington, J. R., m. i. s. Dec. 10, 1861 ; not accounted for ; vet. 
Heilman, Albert E., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; not accounted for ; vet. 
Henry, Daniel, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864 ; not accoimted for. 
Hines, Adam, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864; not accounted for. 
Hartzer, Adam, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864; not accounted for. 
Hiant, Archibald, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Jones, Hiram, m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865. 
John, George N,, m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1864; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Kane, Anthony, m. 1. s. Dee. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Kneese, John, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav.. 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Kerr, George N., m. i. s. Sept. 26, 1862; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Keener, Sam'l F., m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Kepple, John, m. i. s. March 22, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
King, Chambers, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
La fferty, James S., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Lutz, Wm. C, m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865. 
Moyers, Jeremiah, m. i. s. Feb. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, Ist Pro. Cav , 

June 17, 1865; vet. 
Mathews, John T., m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Monley, Patrick, m. i. s. March 4, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Meekling, Levi, m. i. s. Feb. 9, 1864 ; trans, to Vet. Res. corps ; dis. 

July 22, 1865. 
Miller, Geo., m. i. s. Feb. 9, 1865 ; not accounted for. 
McCain, Wm„ m. i. s Feb. 21, 1865; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
McDonald, Henry, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
McKelleps,Hugh,m.i.s. ; trans, to Co.M, 1st Pro. Cav., Junel7, 1865. 



McClelland, James, m. 1. s. Sept. 10, 1864; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Neal, Turner, m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865. 
Nichelson, John, m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M., 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Pugh, John R., m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1862 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865. 
Painter, Wm,, m, i. s. March 30, 1864; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

Jtme 17, 1865. 
Powell, Amos D., m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; prisoner from July 12, 1864, to 

March 1, 1865 ; dis. April 21, 1865. 
Painter, Wm., m. i. s. Aug. 19, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Painter, Jacob, m. i. s. Aug. 19, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. May 31, 1865. 
Pander, John, m. i. s. Feb. 12, 1865 ; not accounted for. 
PoUam, Geo. W., m. i. s Dec. 17, 1863 ; not accounted for ; vet. 
Rosenberger, John, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; transferred to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav., June 17, 1865. 
Rosenberger, Dan'l, m. i. s. Feb. 28, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Rash, Jonas L., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., June 

17, 1865 ; vet. 
RoUand, Jacob, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav. June 

17, 1365 ; vet. 
Ryckman, Alonzo, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; not accounted for ; vet, 
Rupert, Hiram, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; died at Alexandria, Va., July 9, 

1864 ; grave 2,356 ; vet. 
Rimer, John, m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Rupert, Isaac, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Smith, Kathan C, m. i. s. Sept. 27, 1862 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Snowden, John, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M., 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Speare, Adam, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M., 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Sweeney, Chas. H., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M., 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1855 ; vet. 
Sweck, Chas. H., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1861 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Svvigart, Abraham D., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav., June 17, 1865; vet. 
Starr, Wm. L., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Seward, Griffin, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Striehter, John K., m. i. s. Nov. 19, 1861 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Sehrecenghost, M., m. i. s. Oct. 1, 1861 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Steck, Theodore, m. 1. s. July 1, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Smith, Charles, m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1865; trans, to Co M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Swan, Robert, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; not accounted for ; vet. 
Schall, Isaac H., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1S63 ; not accounted for; vet. 
Shoop, Jacob, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; captured ; died at Andersonville, 

Ga., June 24, 1864 ; grave2,412; vet. 
Schich, David, m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
StiSley, Wesley S., m. i.s. Feb. 26, 1864; not accounted for. 
Stoops, Thomas, m. i. s. Aug. 15, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Sloop, William, m. i. s. Feb. 12, 1865; not accounted for. 
Thompson, WiUiam, m. i. s. Deo. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav., June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Tobian, George, m. i. s. Oct. 3, 1862; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Turner, Thomas, m. i. s. Sept. 22, 1862; dis. by G. O. July 10, 1865. 
Tunblin, David, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Truby, J. J. H., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; prisoner from July 12, 1864, to 

April 29, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 5, 1865. 
Walker, Campbell, m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Wiant, Andrew H., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. 

Cav., June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Wiley, James F., m. 1, s. Dec. 17, 1863 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865 ; vet. 
Wonderly, John, m. i. s. Feb. 21, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 
Waters, Francis P., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865 ; trans, to Co. M.lst Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



69 



Whittaker, Martin, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 

Wilson, Chas. B., m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864; not accounted for. 

Weaver, William, m. 1. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; died at Point Lookout, Md., 

Oct. 20, 1864. 
Young, John J., ra. i. s. Feb. 21. 1865 ; trans, to Co. M, 1st Pro. Cav., 

June 17, 1865. 

SIXTY-SECOND EEGIMBNT. 

Of this regiment, recruited by Col. Samuel W. 
Black, under authority of Simon Cameron, Secre- 
tary of War, principally in Allegheny county. 
Company D was from Armstrong. The order for 
recruiting was issued on the 4th of July, 1861, and 
in less than a month the regiment was full. Origi- 
nally it was designated as the Thirty-third Inde- 
pendent Regiment. The Sixty-second proceeded 
to Washington, and thence, September 11, into Vir- 
ginia. Subsequently it bore itself well in the 
actions at Gaines Mill, the second battle of Bull 
Run, Fredericksburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, 
Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Be- 
thesda Church, and also in minor engagements. 

FIELD AND STAFF. 

Major A. W. Lowry, m. i. s. July i, 1861 ; pro. from 1st Lt. Co. C, to Major 
Sept. 10, 1862 ; killed at Gettysburg July 2, 1863 ; buried in 
Nat. cem. Sec. B, grave 26. 
Surgeon John T. Crawford, m. i. s. Aug., 1861 ; pro. to brigade sur- 
geon, Oct. 7, 1861. 

Company D. 
[The members of this company, except when otherwise specified, 
were mustered into the service July 24, 1861, and mustered out with 
the company July 13, 1864]. 

OFFICERS. 

Captain Wm. C. Beck ; captured at Wilderness May 5, 1864 ; dis. 

Dec. 28, 1864. 
First Lieutenant Ezra J. Putney ; res. Oct. 30, 1862. 
First Lieutenant Eobert S. Townsend ; pro. from Sergt. to 2d Lt. July 

2, 1862, to 1st Lt. Oct. 30, 1862 ; m. o. with company. 
Second Lieutenant Wm. M. Duke ; res. Feb. 6, 1862. 
Second Lieutenant Jefferson Truitt; pro. from Sergt. Oct. 30, 1862; 

killed at Bethesda Church, Va., June 3, 1864; buried in Nat. 

cem., Cold Harbor, Va., Sec. C. 
First Sergeant Dan'l Swigart, pro. from Corp. to Sergt. Nov. 1, 1862, 

to 1st Sergt. May 5, 1864 ; m. o. with company. 
First Sergeant M. M. Steel ; not on m, o. roll. 
Sergeant Sam'l M. Crawford, pro. from Corp. Feb. 7, 1862; m. o. 

with company. 
Corporal Jas. J. Barrett, absent sick at m. o. 

Corporal Jos. J. Callen, pro. to Corp. July 1, 1862; m. o. with com- 
pany. 
Corporal David P. Truitt, pro. to Corp. Dec. 10, 1862; m. o. with 

company. 
Corporal Wm. Turney, not on m. o. roll. 
Corporal Arthur Cassedy, not on m. o. roll. 
Corporal Martin M'Canna, not on m. o. roll. 



Martin Aaler, Harrison Anthony, Wm. Bailey, Henry Baryerstock, 
Wm. G. Black, Geo. W. Blake, Alfred B. Barnhart, C. Bradenbaugh 
(died at Alexandria, Va., May 19, 1862, grave 8), James I. Brown, J. 
Daughenbaugh, Richard C. Dodson, John M. Fleming, John Fleming, 
Jos. Foreman, Ezra Grinder, Josiah George (m. i. s. Nov. 29, 1861), 
Joshua M. George (m. i. s. Nov. 29, 1861), Peter C. George (m. i. s. Nov, 
29, 1861), Robt. Gamble, Tho. M. Kuhn (prisoner from July 2 to Sept- 
29, 1863), Chas. G. Kuhn, H. Klingensmith (m. i. s. Nov. 29, 1861), 
Sam'l M. Myrtle (trans, to Co. A, 155th Pa. Vol., July 3, 1864— vet.). 
Wm. G. M'Sparnen, John M'Crea, Sam'l M'Knabb (m. i. s. Feb. 27. 
1864, trans, to Co. A, 155th Pa, Vol. July 3, 1864), Geo. W. Pontius (not 
on m. o. roll), G. W. Reesman, J. G. Schreckengost (died at Columbia 
College hos , D. C, Oct. 6, 1861), J. Schreckengost, Henry R. Sox- 
man, Peter A. Stockdill, Christopher Stuchell (vet.), Abraham .Smelt- 



zer (m. i. s. March 31, 1864, trans, to Co. A, 155th Pa. Vol., July 3, 
lS64),Wilbert Wilson (trans, to Co. A, 15.5th Pa. Vol., July 3, 1863; vet). 

Company G. 
[Where the date of muster into service does not occur immediately 
after the name, it may be understood as August 1, 1861, that being tlie 
time when the company was mustered in. Unless otherwise noted, 
the men were mustered out with the company August 1, 1864. This 
company was composed only in part of Armstrong county men. 
Charles W. McHenry was its first captain.] 

OFFICERS. 

Captain Isaac Moorhead, pro. from 2d to 1st Lt. June 27, 1862; to 
Capt. May 19, 1863 ; killed at Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864. 

Sergeant John Cessna, pro. to Sergt. June 1, 18M. 

Sergeant John M. Thomas, pro. to Sergt. Feb. 24, 1863 ; wounded at 
Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1854 ; absent, in hospital, at m. o. 

Sergeant Robert W. Martin, dis. Feb. 12, 1863. 

Corporal John Picket, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1861. 

Corporal James N. Coulter, died 1864. 

Corporal William M. Smith, dis. Sept. 17, 1862. 

Corporal Benjamin H. Smith, pro. to Corp. Feb. 20, 1863; killed at 
Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863. 

Corporal Matthew A. Rankin, pro. to Corp. Feb. 1, 1864 ; killed at 
Petersburg. 

Corporal Simon Stefifey, killed at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 

Corporal William J. Graham, pro. to Corp. Feb. 24, 1863; died May 
25, 1864, of wounds received in action ; vet. 

Corporal Thomas L. Martin, pro. to Corp. Feb. 1, 1864 ; killed at Wil- 
derness, Va., May 6, 1864. 

PRIVATES. 

Brown, Eobert M. 

Blystone, George, m. i. s. Jan. 18, 1864 : wounded at Wilderness May 5, 

1864 ; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. Vol. 
Blystone, William, m. i. s. March 31, 1864; died June 25, 1864, of 

wounds received at Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864. 
Bleakney, John, m. i. s. July 17, 1863; drafted; wounded June 16, 

1864; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. Vol. 
Boyer, Peter, dis., date unknown. 
Blystone, Simon, m. i. s. Jan. 4, 1864; killed at Wilderness, Va., May 

6, 1864 ; vet. 
Cox, John R., dis. March 26, 1863. 
Calhoun, William L., dis. Oct. 9, 1862. 

Daily, Robert H., wounded at Wilderness May 5, 1864; absent, in hos- 
pital, at m. o. 
Fulton, Joseph H., absent, sick, at m. o. 
Fulton, Robert A., m. i. s. Sept. 9, 1862 ; dis. Feb. 14, 1863. 
Fralley, Henry, dis. Sept. 26, 1862. 
Frailey, John A., dis. April 26, 1863. 
Frailey, William, killed at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 
Gardner, Daniel M. 
Gardner, Joseph. 

George, David R., killed at Nelson's farm, Va., June 30, 1862. 
Gardner, Jacob, killed near Pohick Church Nov. 7, 1861. 
Gress, Henry R., died at New Haven, Conn., July 3, 1862, of wounds 

received in action. 
Hoover, William C. 

Henderson, John, absent, sick, at m. o. 
Henderson, Andrew, m. i. s. July 18, 1863; drafted; wounded May 

24, 1864 ; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. Vol. 
Hoover, Ralston, died at Baltimore Cross Roads, Va., Junel3, 1862. 
Jones, John F. 

Kelly, John, killed at Chancellorsville, Va., May 3, 1863. 
Klugh, Henry, m. i. s. July 18, 1863 ; drafted ; died at Washington, 

D. C, Feb. 24, 1864. 
Keppel, Wm. R., m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1864 ; killed at Wilderness, Va., May 

5, 1864. 
Martin, David C. 
Martin, Geo. W., m. i. s. Feb. 15, 1864 ; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. 

Vols. 
Mulberger, Samuel, m. i. s. July 18, 1863 ; drafted ; died July 16, 1864 ; 

buried National cem., Arlington, Va. 
Martin, Thomas L., killed at Wilderness, Va., May 5,1864. 
Moore, Cyrus J., killed near Pohick Church, Va., March 6, 1S62 ; 

buried at Alexandria, Va., grave 1,456. 
Moore, Adam. 
Moore, Andrew J., m. i. s. March 21, 1862 ; died May 15, 1864, of 

wounds received at Wilderness, Va. 
Miller, Jacob, died March 6, 1863, near Falmouth, Va. 



70 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



McConnell, Hugh, kUled at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 

Eankin, Joseph P., Aug. 1, 1864. 

Robinson, John A., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864 ; absent 
at m. 0. 

Eearick, Isaac L., m. i. s. July 18, 1863 ; drafted ; wounded at Wilder- 
ness, Va., June 18, 1865 ; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. Vol. 

Kussell, Labin, dis., date unknown. 

Eupert, Alexander, m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1864 ; died near Orange and Alex- 
andria railroad. 

Sloan, Winiam H. H. 

Saddler, Jacob, wounded at Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864. 

Sell, John A., wounded at Petersburg, Va., June IS, 1864. 

Smith, Wm. C, in. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; wounded at North Anna. Va., 
May 23, 1864 ; trans, to Co. G, 99th reg. Pa. Vol. 

St. Claire, John, wounded at Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863; dis. 
Sept. 22, 1863. 

Shiery, David, died near Yorktown, Va., May 25, 1862; buried at 
Citizens' Graveyard, Annapolis, Md. 

Smeltzer, Andrew J., captured ; died at Eichmond, Va., date un- 
known. 

Thomas, William, m. i. s. July 18, 1863 ; drafted ; trans, to Co. C, 99th 
reg. Pa. Vol. 

Thomas, David J., m. i. s. July 18, 1863; drafted ; trans, to Co. G, 99th 
reg. Pa. Vol. 

Wilhelm, Aug. A. G., prisoner from May 12, 1864, to March 1, 1865; 
m. 0. March 7, 1865. 

Wilhelm, A. W., died at Philadelphia Nov. 11, 1862, of wounds re- 
ceived in action. 

THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH EEGIMBNTj P. V. I. 

The 78th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf. was recruited and or- 
ganized by Col. William Sirwell, at a rendezvous 
on the Allegheny river, immediately above the 
town of Kit-tanning, in Annstrong county, Penn- 
sylvania. This rendezvous was called " Camp Orr," 
in honor of Gen. Robert Orr, a distinguished citi- 
zen of Kittanning, who had also rendered his coun- 
try efficient service in the field in the war of 1812. 

The companies composing the regiment came 
into camp in the following order: August 14, 1861, 
a company from Kittanning, Armstrong county. 
Pa., in charge of James S. Hilberry; August 27, 
1861, a company from Indiana county, Pennsylva- 
nia, in charge of William Cummins; August 29, 
1861, a company from Clarion county, Pennsylva- 
nia, in charge of John M. Brinker; August 29, 
1861, a company from Apollo, Armstrong county. 
Pa., in charge of Robert D. Elwood; September 
3, 1861, a company from Freeport, Armstrong 
county. Pa., in charge of Dr. Charles B. Gillespie; 
September 5, 1861, a company from Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania, known as the " Buffington 
Blues," in charge of John Jordon; September 6, 
1861, a company from Cherry Tree, Indiana county. 
Pa., in charge of Michael Forbes; September 10, 
1861, a company from Clarion county, Pennsylva- 
nia, in charge of James N. Hosey; September 11, 
1861, a company from Armstrong county, Penn- 
sylvania, in charge of Rev. De Witt C. Hervey; 
September 17, 1861, a company from Butler county, 
Pennsylvania, in charge of William S. Jack. These 
ten organizations remained in " Camp Orr," drill- 
ing and recruiting, until October 12, 1861, when 
they were mustered into the service of the United 



States as the 78th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., by Capt. H. B. 
Hays, U. S. A., mustering officer, on duty at Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania. 

On October 11 and 12, 1861, the government of 
the United States issued clothing, arms and accou- 
terments to all the companies except that com- 
manded by Capt. Charles B. Gillespie. On Octo- 
ber 14, 1861, the regiment was transferred to Pitts- 
burgh by the Allegheny Valley railroad, where all 
the clothing, arms, equipments, camp and garrison 
equipage yet required were drawn. On October 18, 
1861, the field and staff of the regiment were 
mustered into the service of the United States 
by Capt. H. B. Hays, as follows : William Sir- 
well, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, colonel; 
Archibald Blakeley, Butler county, Pennsylvania, 
lieutenant-colonel; Augustus B. Buffington, Alle- 
gheny county, Pennsylvania, major; Richard C 
Cristy, Butler county, Pennsylvania, chaplain; 
Joseph W. Powell, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, 
adjutant; Adam Lowry, Indiana county, Pennsyl- 
vania, quastermaster. The surgeon, William J. 
Mark, and assistant surgeon, William Morrow 
Knox, did not join the regiment until some time in 
November, at Camp Nevin, Kentucky. 

On the afternoon of October 18, 1861, the regi- 
ment, accompanied by the 77th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., 
commanded by Col. Stambaugh, and the 79tli regt. 
Pa. Vol. Inf., commanded by Col. Hambright, and 
the 26th Pa. Batt. commanded by Capt. Muller, all 
under command of Brig. Gen. James S. Negley, 
of Pittsburgh, embarked on steamboats, and pro- 
ceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, and debarked there 
on October 22. 

On October 24 the brigade, then known as the 
Pennsylvania or Negley's Brigade, was transferred 
by rail from Louisville to Nolin Station, near 
Nolin creek, Hardin county, Ky., on the line of 
the Louisville & Nashville railroad. At this place 
the division, known as the Old Second Division of 
the Army of the Cumberland, under the command 
of Gen. A. McD. McCook, was encamped, and the 
brigade of Negley was assigned to that division. 
The encampment at this place was called " Camp 
Nevin." The regiment remained here doing regu- 
lar field and camp duty until November 24, when 
it with the brigade marched to the south side of 
Nolin creek and established " Camp Negley." The 
mortality of the regiment at Camp Negley was 
very great, owing to the wet weather and the bad 
condition of the ground on which the troops were 
encamped. 

On December 12 the regiment with the brigade 
marched southwardly to Bacon creek, and remained 
there until December 17, when it again moved 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



71 



southwardly to Mumfordville, Hart county, Ken- 
tucky, on the north bank of Green river, where it 
was halted, and with the division encamped at 
" Camp Wood." The time here was spent in field 
and camp duty, drilling and picketing on the 
south side of Green river to hold the south bank, 
and to protect the workmen engaged in rebuilding 
the railroad bridge across the river at this point. 

On February 14, 1862, the spring campaign com- 
menced. On that day the 78th regiment with Mc- 
Cook's division marched from the camp at Green 
river northward, with the view of taking boats at 
West Point, on the Ohio, and joining in Grant's ad- 
vance on Fort Donelson, but on arriving at Upton 
Station, on the Louisville & Nashville railroad, 
the division was halted over night, and on the fol- 
lowing morning countermarched for Nashville. 

Passing the old encampment at Mumfordville, 
and crossing Green river, the line of march was 
mostly along the line of the Louisville & Nash- 
ville railroad. Halting a few days at Cave City, 
and again in front of Bowling Green, until the 
Barren river was pontooned, the regiment ar- 
rived at Edgefield, opposite Nashville, on March 2, 
and on the 7th it crossed the Cumberland river, 
marched through Nashville, and encamped two 
miles south of Nashville, at " Camp Andy John- 
son." 

When Gen. Buell moved his army forward and 
joined Grant at Pittsburgh Landing, he left Neg- 
ley's brigade in the rear to guard the communica- 
tions from Nashville to the front. The 78th was 
detailed to guard the railroad from Nashville to 
Columbia, Tennessee, with headquarters at Frank- 
lin, Tennessee. This duty was performed from 
March 24 to May 1, 1862, when the regiment 
rendezvoused at Columbia, Tennessee, and was 
then ordered to Pulaski, Tennessee, and garrisoned 
that place until May 12, 1862. On May 12 Gen. 
Negley passed through Pulaski, on an expedition 
to drive the rebel cavalry across the Tennessee 
river, and in this movement the 78th joined, and 
after severe skirmishing drove the enemy across 
the river at Rogersville, Alabama, May 16, 1862, 
the expedition commenced the movement back to 
Columbia, arriving there May 21. The 78th was 
again ordered to Pulaski, and arrived there May 
23; held the garrison till the 25th, and was then 
ordered to Rogersville, Alabama, and stationed 
there to guard the passage of the Tennessee river 
at Lamb's ferry. While at this place the 78th 
made several excursions across the Tennessee, 
capturing a considerable amount of rebel property 
with several prisoners. June 18 the regiment was 
relieved from duty at Rogersville and ordered to 



guard the Tennessee & Alabama railroad, from 
Columbia to Elk river, with headquarters at 
Columbia. On August 31 the regiment was again 
assembled at Columbia, and on September 1 com- 
menced the march northward to Nashville, consti- 
tuting a portion of the rear guard of Gen. Buell's 
army, then on the race to Kentucky with the rebel 
army of Bragg, either moving on a line parallel 
to that of the other. September 2 the regiment 
encamped five miles south of Nashville, at " Camp 
Lucinda," and on September 10 the regiment 
moved into Nashville, and became a part of the 
force which garrisoned that city during the siege oc- 
casioned by the movement of the body of the army 
into Kentucky. During this siege the 78th was as- 
signed to the 7th brigade, composed of the 78th 
Pa. Inf., the 21st Ohio Inf., the 74th Ohio Inf. 
and the 37th Ind. Inf., the brigade being com- 
manded by Col. John F. Miller, of the 29th Ind. 
Inf. 

During the siege the 78th had many engage- 
ments with the enemy, at that time surrounding 
the city, and making strenuous efforts to capture 
it. In an engagement at Lavergne the 78th cap- 
tured about one hundred prisoners, including two 
commissioned ofiicers of the 32d Alabama, and 
100 stand of arms. Also at Neeley's Bend, 
White's Creejf, Charlotteville, Franklin Pike and 
other places, the 78tli engaged the enemy, and 
always with success. These engagements were 
principally brought on by the movement of the 
troops against the rebel forces around Nashville, 
or in the marches into the country for the sup- 
plies necessary to feed the starving garrison. 
While besieged in this city affairs wore a gloomy 
aspect. Shut out from the world; no news from 
the main army or home for months; surrounded 
by an enemy vindictively resolved to capture the 
capital of the state, with Andrew Johnson, who 
was then in Nashville, and the military governor 
of the state. 

Although compelled to fight for every mouth- 
ful of food, no one was discouraged, but all seemed 
determined to stand by the city, and with full 
faith that all would be well the city was success- 
fully defended, and early in November the banners 
of the old army of the Cumberland were seen en- 
tering the groves of Edgefield, and on the follow- 
ing day the army, now under the command of 
Gen. Rosecrans, entered the city and the siege was 
raised. 

The 78th regiment remained in the city doing 
provost-guard duty until December 12, 1862, when 
it moved with the army to " Camp Hamilton," six 
miles south of Nashville, on the Franklin pike. 



72 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The 7th Brigade was then assigned to the 8th 
Division, center, the division being commanded 
of Brig. Gen. James S. Negley, and the center 
by Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas. The regi- 
ment remained here until December 26, 1862, 
when the memorable campaign commenced which 
ended in the bloody battle and victory of Stone 
River. In this battle the 78th regiment led the 
charge across Stone river to the elevated ground 
beyond — the key to the battle-field, and from 
which the Union artillery enfiladed the lines and 
entrenchments of the enemy — and drove them from 
the field. During the entire engagement the 78th 
bore itself honorably and gallantly, and was, in 
consequence, accorded the honor of first entering 
Murfreesboro and hoisted the Stars and Stripes 
over the dome of the Rutherford court-house, on 
January 5, 1863. During this battle and cam- 
paign the 78th lost 190 men in killed and wounded. 
Among the killed were Lieut. Halsted, of Com- 
pany K. Capt. Jack, of Company H, was mortally 
wovmded, and soon afterward died of his wounds 
in the hospital at Nashville. Lieut. J. H. Anchors, 
of Company E, was also wounded and lamed for life. 

From January 5 to April 20, 1863, the 78th had 
charge of and did provost-guard duty at Murfrees- 
boro, around which town the victorious Army of 
the Cumberland was encamped. 

While the army lay at Murfreesboro Gen. James 
A. Garfield joined it as chief-of-stafP, and the or- 
ganization was changed from " center," " right " 
and " left," to three corps, the 14th, commanded 
by Gen. George H. Thomag; the 20th, commanded 
by Maj. Gen. Alex. McD. McCook; and the 21st, 
commanded by Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Crittenden. 

The 78th was assigned to the 3d brigade, consist- 
ing of the 78th Pa. Inf., the 21st Ohio Inf., the 74th 
Ohio Inf. and the 37th Ind. Inf., under command 
of Col. John F. Miller, of the 29th Ind. Inf., and 
to the 2d division, commanded by Maj. Gen. 
Negley, and to the 14th corps, commanded by 
Maj. Gen. Thomas. On April 20 the 78th w^s re- 
lieved from provost-guard duty, and took position 
with its brigade in camp, and went vigorously to 
work to prepare for the summer campaign. 

On June 19, 1863, Col. John F. Miller was re- 
lieved from the command of the brigade and as- 
signed to duty elsewhere, when the command of 
the brigade devolved on Col. William Sirwell, and 
the command of the 78th regiment on Lieut.-Col. 
Archibald Blakeley. 

On June 24, 1863, the summer campaign of the 
Army of the Cumberland commenced by the move- 
ment south against the intrenched position of the 
rebel army under Gen. Bragg, at Tullahoma. 



The 78th participated in many of the engage- 
ments of the campaign without any considerable 
loss, and July 8, 1863, sat down in camp with the 
balance of the corps at Decherd, Tennessee, the 
position of the enemy at Tullahoma having been 
turned and the rebel army driven across the 
Cumberland mountains and the Tennessee river. 

The time from July 8 to August 16, was spent 
in general field and camp duty, and organizing and 
drilling for the fall campaign against Chattanoo- 
ga, the chosen position of the enemy, which began 
August 15, by the movement of the whole Army 
of the Cumberland. The 78th regiment followed 
mostly the line of the Nashville and the Chatta- 
nooga railroad, rising out of the elevated plateau 
which forms the eastern portion of Middle Ten- 
nessee, crossing one of the loftiest ranges of the 
Cumberland mountains, then descending into and 
down the valley of the Crow creek and on to Cave 
spring, near Stevenson, Alabama, where it halted 
and rested a few days, then across the Tennessee 
river on the beautiful moonlight night of September 
7, 1863, andupthesouthsidevalley of the Tennessee 
to a point opposite Bridgeport, then outward to the 
south and east from the valley until the Sand 
Mountain range was reached, then upward and across 
its lofty heights, and when the power of the horse 
and the mule failed to haul up the artillery and the 
provisions, the strong arms of these hardy sons of 
Pennsylvania supplied the needed strength. The 
top of these heights was gained, and in passing 
over to the eastern slope a mountain gorge was 
encountered, one hundred feet wide and fifty feet 
deep, impassable, and the whole army was stopped. 
Company C, of the 78th, under command of Lieut. 
David R. Brinker, was immediately thrown for- 
ward and to work, and by morning the gallant 
company constructed across this chasm a bridge 
over which the whole army of Gen. Rosecrans 
crossed. Descending the eastern slope of the Sand 
mountain, they came to Lookout valley, Dade 
county, Georgia. On Lookout creek there was a 
mill, and Col. Blakeley was ordered to take charge 
of it with his regiment, and to gather surplus 
grain in the valley, grind it, and turn the flour and 
meal over to the passing army. 

To this work the 78th assiduously devoted itself, 
gathering in also large supplies of beef cattle until 
the army had passed, when it marched uj) the 
valley to Johnston's crook, where it again became 
the pioneer regiment in crossing the Lookout Moun- 
tain range, on September 9, and down the eastern 
slope to MoLemons' cove, in the valley of the 
Chickamauga. It yet being in the advance, set 
out for Lafayette, Georgia, on the 10th, and at 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



73 



Dug Gap was met by the enemy in force, and the 
division of Negley was suiTOunded by overpower- 
ing numbers. 

The position, however, was skillfully and heroic- 
ally maintained until the arrival of other forces 
enabled the division to retreat to the base of Lookout 
Mountain, on the evening and night of September 
11, 1863. In this engagement, at Dug Gap, sixty- 
eight men of the TSth, under command of Lieut. 
Brinker of C company, and Lieut. Anchors of 
E company, held in check for over two hours a 
heavy massed force of the enemy, in which engage- 
ment the iSih lost but four men killed and wounded. 
From the night of the 11th to the 17th the regiment 
lay at the base of Lookout range of mountains 
waiting for the corps of McCook to recross the 
mountain at Valley Head and to join the corps of 
Gen. Thomas. On' September 17 it marched six 
miles in the direction of Chattanooga, where it 
bivouacked until 4 o'clock on the morning of the 
18th, when it inarched four miles eastwardly, 
where it halted and lay on its arms in an open field 
until 11 o'clock at night, when a staff officer from 
Gen. Thomas came to Col. Blakeley, and, pointing 
out a star, said he assumed it to be directly west, 
and ordered that the regiment be moved one mile 
and a half in the direction of the star, then faced 
and deployed south, and moved on a line to the 
south until the Chickamauga river was reached, 
where it was assumed there was a fording, and 
that if the fording was not struck as the river was 
reached, it was to be found and held against the 
enemy, who it was feared would break through 
that night to strike the corps of McCook in flank 
as it was passing to position in the impending 
battle. 

Although the night was pitch dark, with scarce 
a star to be seen, except the one to which the march 
was directed, the 78th executed the movement, the 
distance from the point at the change of direction 
being quite as long as the movement before the 
change, and the fording was struck by a company 
next to a flank company, and the ford was held 
until the corps of McCook had passed. This 
movement, executed through an almost impene- 
trable jungle, the night being quite cold and dark, 
was highly commended by Gen. Thomas, being, as 
he said, a severe test of its well-known bravery 
through drill and discipline. 

On the morning of the 19th the men were nearly 
frozen, and the heavy firing on the left indicated 
that the enemy was heading for Chattanooga. In 
the afternoon the 78th was withdrawn from the 
river and moved in the direction of Crawfish 
Springs, and went into line against the enemy, and 



after a severe skirmish held the position assigned 
it, on the left of the 21st Ohio Inf., that being the 
only force within view on the right or left. 

During the night of the 19th the line was per- 
fected and filled with troops, and a substantial 
breastwork was thrown up by the men of the 78th, 
and the morning of the 20th found them in splen- 
did condition and ready for action. On that morn- 
ing the general engagement was resumed, and a 
terrific battle raged till nightfall. 

The position of the 78th and Negley's division 
on the night of the 19th and morning of the 
20th was far to the right of the battle front of 
Thomas' corps, to which Negley's division be- 
longed. In the forenoon of th« 20th Negley's 
division, including the 78th, was withdrawn by 
order of Gen. Rosecrans from the position it had 
occupied to that time, and moved to the left by the 
rear of the general battle line to reinforce the 
flank of Thomas' corps. 

The division of Gen. Wood was to have taken 
the place in line vacated by Negley, but owing to 
a misunderstanding of orders the movements were 
not simultaneous, and after Negley left and before 
Wood got in the enemy broke through at this 
point, and cut off and drove back all the troops on 
our right, being the larger portions of the corps of 
McCook and Crittenden, including the command- 
ers of these corps and the commanding general of 
the army. Thomas, however, maintained his posi- 
tion and his fight, and Negley's division, being 
caught en passant in flank and rear, was fearfully 
shattered. The brigade, of which the 78th consti- 
tuted a part, was weakened by the withdrawal of 
the 74th Ohio Inf. to another portion of the field, 
but the remaining three regiments, under the skill- 
ful supervision of its commander. Col. Sirwell, re- 
mained for a time intact, and were brought into 
line at what was supposed to be the right of the 
line of Gen. Thomas, and in front of the Chicago 
Board of Trade Battery. The 78th regiment was 
finally lefu alone, but was very strong and occupied 
a commanding position, possibly seeming to the 
enemy much stronger than it really was. While 
occupying this position Maj. Bonnaffan approached 
Col. Blakeley and asked what he was going to do ; 
the answer was, " Hold our line till we die unless 
ordered back." Bonnaffan's characteristic reply 
was, " Then we'll all go to hell, for there is no one 
within reach to order us back." Maj. Bonnaffan 
never counted on anybody going to heaven. 

The enemy threw out skirmishers and advanced 
with great caution, and about the time the 78th 
commenced to engage him a staff officer appeared 
with an order to retreat, delivering the order in 



74 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 




haste and leaving. The movement was made to 
the rear with as much precision and cool purpose 
as if on drill, Maj. Bonnaffan commanding the 
skirmishers to cover the retreat. A long distance 
was traveled, with no troops in view excepting the 
pressing and exultant rebel army, which numbered 
at least 10,000, following in the wake of this handful 
of the sturdy sons of Armstrong and surrounding 
counties. 

After marching at least a mile the regiment 
passed into a gorge or ravine covered with timber, 
and here it passed from the view of the enemy and 
was met by Gen. Negley, who ordered Col. Blake- 
ley to form and defend the passage of this gorge. 
The formation .being perfected, the enemy was 
pressing on all sides, and Bonnaffan was laughing 
at the chance of a fight. At this juncture a staff 
officer from the staff of Gen. Thomas rode down 
the wooded hill from the direction of Chattanooga 
and asked Col. Blakeley what he was doing here, 
to which he replied stating his orders. The staff 
officer said that the regiment was then at least a 
mile outside of the new battle-line established by 
Gen. Thomas, that he was hunting a place to get 
in, and gave as a command from Gen. Thomas the 
direction of a line of march, which might lead in 
a mile and a half to the Dry Valley Road. 

The march was renewed and continued in the 
same calm, measured step, and just before reach- 
ing the Dry Valley Road Gen. Negley was met, 
who immediately ordered the regiment, the only 
one of his division left to him, to guard the trains 
and artillery from the defeated portion of the 
army, which were then engaged in a pell-mell con- 
test down the Dry Valley Road to Chattanooga, 
the enemy in hot pursuit. The 78th was thrown 
between the trains and the enemy, and the pur- 
suers kept at bay until the trains had all passed 
out of immediate danger. The regiment was 
then placed at the junction of the roads near Ross- 
ville gap to intercept the retreating troops, for 
the purpose of reorganization of the broken army. 

Gen. Thomas having held the main body of the 
rebel army in check till after dark, a new line was 
established in his rear, and the whole army formed 
upon it during that night, and it was successfully 
maintained during the following day, and on the 
night of the 21st the army fell back upon Chatta- 
nooga, and on the morning of the 22d a battle line 
was formed. This whole day was spent in great 
anxiety, and momentary expectation of an attack 
that would drive the Federal troops into the Ten- 
nessee river. During this trying day and the 
previous night, the command of the brigade hav- 
ing fallen upon Col. Archibald Blakeley, the com- 



mand of the regiment devolved upon Maj. A. B. 
Bonnaffan. For several days the men of the 78th 
worked day and night on the fortifications until 
their lives were nearly worked out of them. 

On October 10 Gen. Negley's farewell to his 
division was received, and on October 12 the 78th 
regiment was assigned to the 3d brigade, 1st divis- 
ion.' On October 20 Gen. Rosecrans left, having 
been relieved from the command of the Array of 
the Cumberland, and on October 23 Gen. Grant ar- 
rived and assumed command. November 17, 1863, 
the resignation of Col. William Sirwell was ac- 
cepted, -and the command of the brigade was as- 
signed to Gen. Starkweather. 

From October 22 till November 23 Chattanooga 
and the^rmy of the Cumberland was closely be- 
sieged. The rebels occupied all the prominent po- 
sitions around Chattanooga, and day and night 
were phinging their sh6t and shell into the Union 
camj) from their batteries on Lookout Mountain, 
Missionary Ridge and Orchard Knob. At times 
our troops were in a state of starvation. 

While the army lay at Chattanooga it was re- 
organized into two corps, the 4th and the 14th. 
The 3d brigade, composed of the 78th regt. Pa. 
Inf., the 79th regt. Pa. Inf., the 21st regt. Ohio Inf., 
the 74th regt. Ohio Inf., the 1st regt. Wis. Inf., the 
21st regt. Wis. Inf., the 37th regt. Ind. Inf. and the 
24th regt. 111. Inf., was assigned to the 1st divison, 
14th corps. The division at its first organization 
was commanded by Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, but 
was soon thereafter assigned to Gen. Richard W. 
Johnson. The corps was commanded by Maj. 
Gen. John M. Palmer. 

After participating in the battles around Chatta- 
nooga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge 
on November 23, 24 and 25, 1863, the 3d brigade, 
including the 78th, was ordered to make a recon- 
naissance, and on November 29 ascended Lookout 
Mountain by the Summertown Road, and made a 
careful reconnaissance of the mountain as far 
south as Johnston's Crook, and returned to Sum- 
mertown, near the point, on December 2. 

The 78th and the 21st Wis. Inf., for good con- 
duct during the actions and reconnaissance, were 
assigned to duty on the mountain, and placed 
under command of Col. Blakeley, of the 78th Pa. 
These two regiments remained on the mountain 
until May 2, 1864. The position was dangerous, 
the duties onerous, and the privations great. The 
encampment of these troops was near the north 
point of the mountain, far above the surrounding 
country and the camps of the Union army. The 
mountain running southwardly into the rebel 
lines near Rome, Georgia, gave the enemy a 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



75 



perfectly safe route along its top to attack the 
troops on the point, as the lofty palisades of 
the mountain would protect both flanks ; and in 
case of an attack, reinforcements from Chatta- 
nooga could not be expected in less than two 
hours. Col. Blakeley immediately surveyed and 
laid out a line of earthworks across the mountains, 
and the men, though wearied and starving, went 
vigorously to work and soon completed the line, 
which rendered the position comparatively defensi- 
ble. Supplies had to be hauled up the mountain 
from Chattanooga by mules scarcely able to walk. 
Notwithstanding the scarcity of provisions, and 
the heavy details for picket and fatigue duty, the 
men of the "ZSth bore up cheerfully and performed 
every duty with alacrity. 

The situation of the regiment on this historic 
mountain made it the cynosure of all eyes. To 
its camp officers and soldiers from all parts of the 
army, and citizens from all parts of the country, 
came and looked out upon the hills and valleys of 
seven states. The dark banks of the Chicka- 
mauga, where but a few weeks before the Union 
army had struggled in vain for victory; the 
battle-ground of Wauhatchie, where young Geary 
fell, and over whose corpse the heroic father 
fought and won, in the darkness of midnight, one 
of the most brilliant victories of the war; Mis- 
sionary Ridge, up which the combined armies of 
Grant charged and conquered the hosts of Bragg 
and Longstreet, were all in distinct view, while at 
its feet they looked down upon the giddy heights 
where Hooker fought above the clouds. 

On April 8, 1864, Col. Blakeley resigned, and the 
command of the regiment devolved on Col. Sirwell, 
who had been recommissioned and was now 
remustered. On May 8 the regiment left its 
camp on the mountain and rejoined the brigade at 
Graysville, Georgia, and particijsated in the en- 
gagements fought by Gen. Sherman with the 
enemy at Tunnel Hill, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, 
Dallas, New Hope Church and Kenesaw Moun- 
tain. While at the last mentioned f)lace, on June 
21, 1864, the regiment was ordered to Chatta- 
nooga for the purj)ose of guarding trains from 
there to the front, and it was thus engaged until 
September 22, when it was ordered to Tullahoma, 
Tennessee, and assigned to the 4th division of the 
20th corps. 

On September 24, when on the eve of moving to 
Tullahoma, the order was countermanded and the 
regiment ordered to Athens, Alabama. On its 
way to Athens on the evening of the 25th, at 
Decatur, Alabama, an order was received to report 
at once to Maj.-Gen. Rousseau, at Nashville. Ar- 



riving at Nashville on the 26tli it was immedi- 
ately ordered to Pulaski, Tennessee, at which 
place it arrived at noon of the 2Yth, and partici- 
pated in an action which defeated the enemy then 
threatening that post. September 29 the regiment 
was transported by rail from Pulaski to Nashville, 
and on reporting jit Nashville it was immediately 
ordered to Tullahoma, Tennessee, which place was 
menaced by the enemy; arrived at Tullahoma on 
the night of the 29th and remained there until 
October 1, when it was transported by rail to 
Nashville, and on arriving at Nashville on the 
evening of the 1st, it was immediately ordered to 
Franklin, Tennessee, which place it reached on 
the morning of the 2d. 

On the 3d the regiment was mounted, and con- 
stituted a part of the force under Gen. Rousseau, 
then moving against the rebel cavalry which had 
been harassing the southern pai't of middle Ten- 
nessee. The enemy was driven across the Tennes- 
see river and the regiment returned to Nashville 
on October 17, six days after its term of service 
had expired. 

On October 18, 1864, the regiment received 
orders from Maj.-Gen. Thomas, relieving it from 
duty in the department of the Army of the Cum- 
berland, and ordering it to Pennsylvania for mus- 
ter out. It embarked on the steamer Caroline, on 
the night of the 18th, and by the Cumberland and 
Ohio rivers proceeded to Pittsburgh, where it 
arrived on the afternoon of the 29th, and on the 
same evening reached Kittanning, in Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania, the place of its organization 
over three years before. 

The regiment was miistered out of the service 
at Kittanning, November 4, by Lieut. Ward, of 
the U. S. A., and was paid on the following day, 
when the "old 78th" was disbanded, aud the 
toils, privations, sufferings and dangers of a three 
years' campaign were forgotten amid the con- 
gratulations, kind greetings and hearty welcomes 
which the good citizens of Western Pennsylvania 
showered on these bronzed veterans. 

The members of the regiment who had re- 
enlisted and thereby became " veteran volunteers," 
and the recruits of the regiment whose terms of 
service had not expired, were left at Nashville, 
Tennessee, under command of Lieut. Torbett, of 
Company F, and Lieut. Smith, of Company K. 
To these the governor of Pennsj'lvania assigned a 
sufficient number of new recruits to make a mini- 
mum regiment, and designated as the 78th regi- 
ment, and it was popularly known as the " new 
78th." Augustus B. Bonnaffan, who had been major 
and lieutenant-colonel of the "old 78th," was com- 



76 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



missioned colonel of the " new 78th," with Lieut. 
H. W. Torbett as lieutenant-colonel, and Lieut. 
R. M. Smith as major. The regiment thus reor- 
ganized remained on duty at Nashville until Sep- 
tember 11, 1865, when it was also honorably dis- 
charged from the service, in consequence of the 
closing of the war. 

The flag of the " old '78th " regiment was re- 
turned to the governor of the state, with the 
names of its battles inscribed upon it as author- 
ized by the orders of the commanding generals of 
the armies under whom the battles were fought. 

In concluding this sketch it is deemed proper to 
say that no regiment from the state reflected more 
honor on the national arms than this one organ- 
ized here in the county of Armstrong. This was 
largely due to the personnel of the regiment. In 
the main its oflicers and men were educated, intel- 
ligent, patriotic and brave. 

The manifold duties and obligations resting 
upon the soldier were cheerfully, intelligently and 
nobly executed. Where all did so well it would 
be useless to attempt to name one and not another. 
To mention the humane, generous, brave, heroic 
deeds of each member of this regiment during its 
tei-m of service, would be impossible. Yet there 
is one of the number who by common consent 
stands out so conspicuously in all the ennobling 
elements of manhood, in all the grand qualities of 
a brave soldier and successful military commander 
that we know it to be the expression of every 
heart, living or dead, of those who served in the 
Seventy-Eighth regiment, to now write upon the 
pages of the history of Armstrong county, his 
name, the name of Colonel William Sirwell. He 
organized the regiment, he commanded it, he 
encamped with it, he marched with it, he bivou- 
acked with it, he fought with it, he was with it in 
defeat, he was with it in victory, he went away 
with it, he came home with it, he loved it, he 
loves it yet. And its each annual reunion shows 
the old soldier hearts warming to his with a love 
strong and bright at first, but growing stronger and 
brighter as the years run apace — a better monument 
to William Sirwell than empty promotions, or the 
tallest shaft of purest marble. 

FIELD AND STAFF. 

Colonel William Sirwell, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; res. Nov. 17, 1863 ; re- 
commissioned March 9, 1864 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 

Colonel August B. Bonnaffon, m. i. s. Sept. 17, 1861 ; pro. from Major 
to Lt. Col. July 25, 1864 ; to Col. March 26, 186.5 ; dis. Dec. 14, 1865. 

Colonel David Barclay, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; res. Oct. 17, 1861. 

Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Blakeley, m. i. s. Sept. 17, 1861 ; res. 
April 8, 1864. 

Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Torbett, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1861 ; pro. from 
Capt. Co. A March 26, 1865 ; m. o. with reg.* 



* This regiment was mustered out September 11, 1865. Where the 
date of muster out does not follow the name, the reader will take for 
granted that It was as here given. 



Major Robert M. Smith, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861; pro. from Capt. Co. B 

March 15, 1865. 
Adjutant Joseph W. Powell, m. i. s. Oct. 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Adjutant Abram W. Smith, m. i. s. April 29, 1865; absent with leave 

at m. o. 
Quartermaster Adam Lowry, m. 1. s. Oct. 18, 1861; died at Chatta- 
nooga, Tenn., Sept. 28, 1863. 
Quartermaster Thomas G. Blakeley, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 

Hos. Steward Nov. 1, 1863; dis. Nov. 4, 1854. 
Quartermaster William B. McCue, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; pro. from 1st 

Lt. Co. A Dee. 4, 1864 ; m. o. with reg. 
Surgeon John I. Marks, m. i. s. Oct. 15, 1861 ; res. Aug. 30, 1862. 
Surgeon John McGrath, m. i. s. April 14, 1862 ; res. June 23, 1863. 
Surgeon Jos. B. Downey, m. i. s. Aug. 2, 1862 ; pro. from Ass't Surg. 

77th reg. May 31, 1863 ; res. April, 1864. 
Surgeon William D. Bailey, m. i. s. March 14, 1863; pro. from Ass't 

Surg. July 26, 1864; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Surgeon John T. Walton, m. i. s. June 19, 1865 ; m, o. with reg. 
Assistant Surgeon William M. Knox, m. i. s. Oct. 15, 1861 ; acciden- 
tally killed at Louisville, Ky., April 27, 1862. 
Assistant Surgeon Elijah W. Ross, m. i. s. May 16, 1862 ; res. Jan. 13, 

1863. 
Assistant Surgeon Victor D. Miller, m. i. s. Aug. 1, 1862 ; res. March 9, 

1863. 
Assistant Surgeon W. P. MeCuUough, m. i. s. April 11, 1863; dis. Nov. 

4, 18&1. 
Assistant Surgeon Oliver P. Bollinger, m. i. s. April 3, 1865 ; res. June 

22, 1865. 
Assistant Surgeon Florilla B. Morris, m. i. s. April 18, 1865 ; res. July 

1, 1865. 
Assistant Surgeon Thomas P. Tomlinson, m. i. s. July 24, 18G5 ; died 

Sept. 7, 1865. 
Chaplain Richard C. Christy, m. i. s. Oct. 18, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Sergeant Major Henry A. Miller, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. from Sergt. 

Co. H Feb. 18, 1863 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Sergeant Major Franklin Mechling, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to 2d 

Lt. Co. B Deo. 26, 1862. 
Sergeant Major Samuel Edwards, m. i. s. Feb. 16, 1865 ; pro. from 

Sergt. Co. I July 1, 1865 ; m. o. with reg. 
Sergeant Major Samuel M. Dumm, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; pro. ftom 1st 

Sergt. Co. B May 1, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Quartermaster Sergeant Lewis Martin, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. from 

private Co. E March 1, 1862 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Quartermaster George J. Reese, m. i. s. Feb. 1, 1864 ; pro. from Corp. 

. Co. B April 1, 1866 ; m. o. with reg.; vet. 
Commissary Sergeant Joseph M. Lowry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 

private Co. D April 24, 1864; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Commissary Sergeant John N. McLeod, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; trans, as 

private to Co. G March 1, 1862. 
Commissary Sergeant William J. Williams, m. i. s. Oct. 1861 ; pro. 

from Q. M. Sergt. to Com. Sergt. May 1, 1862 ; to 2d Lt. Co. G 

April 24, 1864. 
Commissary Sergeant Peter Keck, m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1864; pro. from Sergt, 

Co. B Aug. 27, 1865; m. o. with reg.; vet. 
Commissary Sergeant John Miller, m. i. s. Sept. 20, 1862 ; pro. from 

Corp. Co. A May 1, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
PI. Musician Benjamin T. Dean, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from pri- 
vate Co. H Feb. 1, 1864; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
PI. Musician Gus. Wickenhacker, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from pri- 
vate Co. K March 17, 1864 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
PI. Musician William H. Jack, m. i. s. Oct. 18, 1861; dis. Feb. 22, 1863. 
PI. Musician Henry Dresher, m. i. s. 15, 1865 ; pro. from private 

Co. E Sept. 1, 1865 ; m. o. with reg. 
PL Musician A. G. Nixon, m, i. s. Feb. 21, 1865 ; pro. from private Co. 

E Sept. 1, 1865 ; m. o. with reg. 
Hospital Steward A. M. Barnaby, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from pri- 
vate Co. E Nov. 1863 ; m. o. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Hospital Steward William A. Coulter, m. i. s. March 9, 1865 ; pro. from 

private Co. B May 1, 1865 ; absent on furlough at m. o. 
Wagon Master James Morrison, pro. to Wagon Master 2d Div., 14th 

Army Corps. 

Company A. 
[Except where otherwise specified, the men whose names appear 
in the roster of this company were mustered into the service Oct. 
12, 1861, and mustered out with the company Sept. 11, 1865.] 

OFFICERS. 

Corporal Lorenzo D. Bigelow, pro. to Corp. Oct., 1862; dis. Oct. 12, 

1864 ; exp. of term. 
Musician Dennis Golden, m. i. s. March I, 1862; dis. at exp. of 

term. 



EEGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



77 



PRIVATES. 

Bryan, Nathaniel S., dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 

Beltz, Andrew J., dis. Nov. 4, 1864; exp. of term. 

Beyers, Daniel, dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 

Currie, George I'., dis. Nov. 4, 1804 ; exp. of term. 

Cochran, William, died March 20, 1863, of wounds received at Stone 

River, Tenn. 
Doverspikc, Daniel, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; dis. by 6. 0. May 27, 1865. 
Graham, William W., dis. Nov. 4, 1864; exp. of term. 
Gibson, William K., dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 

Guthrie, James D., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Guthrie, James A., died at Stone River, Tenn., Jan. 23, 1863. 
Graden, James M., died at Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 1, 1862. 
Harmon, Philip, prisoner from Sept. 20, 1863, to Dec. 10, 186-1 ; dis. 

March 15, 1865. 
Jewart, Robert, dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Lawson, Wesley, trans, to Signal Corps Oct. 22, 1803. 
Moore, Martin, dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
McElroy, David W., wounded at Stone River, Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862 ; 

dis. Nov. 2, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
McFarland, William T., dis. Nov. 4, 1864; exp. of term. 
McLean, James D., dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Neal, Albert J., died at Nashville, Tenn., April 13, 1863. 
Rarah, Daniel B., dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Rarah, James W., dis. Nov. 4, 1854; exp. of term. 
Rapp, Nathaniel, wounded at Stone River, Tenn., Jan. 2, 1863 ; dis. 

Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Shetler, John, dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Simpson, Henry M., dis. Nov. 4, 1864 ; exp. of term. 
Schrecenghost, C, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864 ; m. o. with company ; vet. 
Turney, Peter, m. i, s. April 9, 1864 ; m. o. with company ; vet. 
Unsbaugh, John, dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 

Company B. 



Captain James S. Hillberry, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; res. Dec. 25, 1862. 
Captain Martin McCanna, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; pro. from 1st U. Dec. 

26, 1862 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
1st Lieutenant Samuel N. Lee, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; pro. from 2d Lt. 

Dec. 26, 1862 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
1st Lieutenant Wm. H. H. Stepp, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; pro. from 1st 

Sergt. to 2d Lt. March 15, 1865 ; to 1st Lt. Aug. 7, 1865 ; m. o. with 

Co. Sept. 11,1865: vet. 
2d Lieutenant Franklin Mechling, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 

Sergt. Major Dec. 26, 1862; dis. Nov. 4. 
1st Sergeant James B. Fleming, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from Sergt. 

Aug. 29, 1862; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
1st Sergeant Samuel M. Dumm, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; pro. from Corp. 

to Sergt. Dec. 1, 1864 ; to 1st Sergt. March 15, 1865 ; to Sergt. Major 

May 1, 1865. 
Sergeant Davis K. Thompson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from Corp. 

April 30, 1862 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Sergeant Franklin CroU, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; pro. to Corp. Oct. 31, 

1861 ; to Sergt. July 1, 1863 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Sergeant Elijah C. T. Glenn, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. June 

30, 1862; to Sergt. Jan. 12, 1864; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Sergeant James B. McNobb, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. by order War 

Dept. Aug. 26, 1862. 
Sergeant John M. Fleming, m. i. s. July 20, 1863 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 

18, 1864. 
Sergeant George A. Watson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Wood, 

Ky., June 27, 1862. 
Sergeant Patrick Sharrer, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Putneyville, 

Pa., July 1, 1864. 
Sergeant Archibald D. Glenn, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861; as Sergt. dis. on 

surgeon's certificate Feb. 16, 1863. 
Corporal S. A. McClelland, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 : absent at m. o.; vet. 
Corporal Jos. C. Himes, m. i. s. May 17, 1863 ; m, o. with Co.* 
Corporal Samuel Painter, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; m. o. with Co.; vet. 
Corporal Alfred Maitland. m.l. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; m. o. with Co.; vet. 
Corporal Jacob Thomas, m. i. s. March 9, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Corporal Robert M. Allen, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. June 30, 

1862 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Corporal Daniel H. Bamett, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. June 

26, 1863 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Corporal James Moorehead, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Dec. 11, 

1863; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 



* This company was mustered out September 11, 1865, 
5 



Corporal Archibald Allen, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Jan. 26, 
1863 ; dis. Nov. 4, 18IM. 

Corporal William McCanna, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. on surgeon's 
certificate Jan. 28, 1862. 

Corporal James S. Croft, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifi- 
cate Feb. 16, 1863. 

Corporal John B. Adams, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 : dis. on surgeon's certi- 
ficate April 20, 1803. 

Corporal John H. Schick, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 
1865. 

Corporal James Curren, m. i. s. March 4, 1862 ; dis. March 13, 1865. 

Corporal William B. Irwin, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 
1864; vet. 

Corporal Jacob Slagle, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 
1864; vet. 

Corporal C. 0. Hammond, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 
1864. 

Corporal William Matthews, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 16, 1863, of 
wounds received in action. 

Musician John Gates, m. i. s. Oct. 22, 1861 ; dis. NO|V. 4, 1864. 

Musician Dennis Golden, m. i. s, March 1, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 
18, 1864. 

PRIVATES. 

Alcorn, Jesse, m. i. s. Oct. 13, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 

Adams, Thomas B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 12, 1863. 
Allen, Charles, m. i. s. Aug. 1, 1862; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18,1864. 
Adams, George, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Negley, Ky., Dec. 

8, 1861. 
Bowser, William, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Bell, William, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Bayne, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Burket, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1854. 
Brink, Andrew, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Black, Joseph, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1764. 
Birdet, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate June 

SO, 1862. 
Bayle, Patrick, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to 15th reg. U. S. A. 
Bowser, Matthias A., m. i. s. March 4, 1862; dis. March 13, 1865. 
Black, John A., m. 1. s. Feb. 26, 1862; dis. Feb. 25, 1865. 
Bumbaugh, Frederick, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1863 ; trans, to Co. C, Oct. 18, 

1804. 
Beed, Peter, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve Corps, 

June 27, 1853. 
Black, Samuel C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Mumfordsville, Ky., 

Feb. 22, 1862. 
Burket, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Louisville, Ky., March 15, 

1862 ; buried in Nat. Gem. sec. A, range 18, grave 5. 
Branthover, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., 

March 16, 1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. A, range 21, grave 19. 
Bier, George, m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 

16, 1863 ; grave 233. 
Beck, Joseph, m. i. s. Jan. 14, 1865. 
Burket, Peter, m. i. s. Sept. 30, 1864 ; not on m. o. roll. 
Clark, David, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1851 ; m. o. with Co. ; vet. 
Copenhauer, John, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 

8, 1865 ; vet. 
Copenhauer, John J., m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1864 ; dis. by 6. 0. Aug. 5, 1865. 
Champion, Jas. A., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1862; m. o. with Co. 
Couder, Andrew J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Collins, Barnard, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861. 

Coussins, John A., m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1802 : dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Cherry, John, m. i. s. March 3, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 1864. 
Doverspike, George, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Downry, James, m. i. s. Dec. 25, 1801 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate, Aug. 

IS, 1862. 
Dinsmore, Thos. J., m. i. s. April 1, 1862; dis. March 31, 1865. 
Doverspike, Daniel, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1802 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 1864. 
Dibler, Elias, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; missing in action at Stone River, 

Tenn., Dec. 31,1862. 
EUenberger, Levi, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Eastley. Raymond, m. i. s. Aug. 12, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 1855. 
Ferry, Patrick S., m. i. s. Sept. 15, 1863 ; absent, sick, at m. o. 
Fiscus, Abraham K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Fiscus, James A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Fulton, Samuel T., m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 30, 1863. 
Frauntz, Jacob, m. i. s. Aug. 24, 1863 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 1864. 
Fowzer, Edward, m. i. s. Feb. 28, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 1864. 



78 



HISTORY OF ABMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Fetler, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; died at Jefferson ville, Ind., Aug. 

3, 1864, of wounds received in action ; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. 

1, grave 152. 
Gould, Henry, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; absent, sick, at m. o. ; vet. 
Glenn, Abraham B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Gamble, Robert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Graham, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Glenn, Archibald D., m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 16, 1863. 
Gray, Wm. H., m. i. s., Sept. 5, 1862 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
George, John, m. i. s. Sept. 18, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 1865. 
Guthrie, James D., m. i. s. Aug. 25, trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Gamble, Wm., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Marietta, Ga., Sept. 15, 

1864, of wounds received accidentally. 
Gilchrist, John E., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Field Hospital, Ga., 

June 4, 1864, of wounds received in action. 
Hendricljs, Elias, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 : dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Himes Matthew, m.i. s. Oct. 12,1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Himes, Joseph, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Hetrick, Adam, m. i. s. Aug. 8, 1862; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Hughes, William, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864; 

vet. 
Himes, Solomon, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1865 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Holbin, Jacob, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864; vet. 
Hains, Solomon, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Himes, Jacob, m. i. s. Aug, 14, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve Corps 

Aug. 1, 1863. 
Himes, Levi, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve Corps 

April 13, 1865 ; dis. by G. 0. June 30, 1865. 
Himes, Israel, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; died July 4, 1864, of wounds re- 
ceived in action. 
Hindman, McClelland, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., 

July 29, 1864, of wounds received in action. 
Henshaw, Eli H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn., Oct, 

16, 1862. 
Holben, Solomon, m. I. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., March 

21, 1862. 
Henry, Ebenezer, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Feb. 20, 

1862 ; buried in National cem., see. A. range 13, grave 3. 
Klingensmith, F., m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Cay. 
King, Francis M., m. i. s. Aug. 5, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 1865. 
Kilgore, John, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Camp Wood, Ky., Dec. 28, 

1861. 
Ix)ng, Solomon, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Lecli, Adam, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 : dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Lewis, Robert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Murfreesboro, Tenn., Jan. 

17, 1S63, of wounds received in action ; buried at Stone River^ 

grave 307. 
Myers, David R. P., m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; m. o. with Co.; vet. 
Moorhead, Franklin, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Miller, Henry, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Matthias, David, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Milligan, John P., m. 1. s. Dec. 25, 1861 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Matthews, John W., m. i. s. Aug. 26, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Michael, John, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; died at Murfreesboro, Tenn., 

March 21, 1863 ; buried at Stone River, grave 70. 
Martin, George, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at New Hope Church, Ga., 

May 27, 1864. 
McDonald, Wesley, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
McGarvey, Edward, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
McCanna, Barnabas, m. i. s. Jan. 19, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
McKilvey, William, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Lookout Mountain, 

Tenn., March 30, 1864. 
McCoUum, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at New Hope Church 

May 31, 1864. 
McCurdy, James W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Kingston, Ga., June 

4, 1864, of wounds received in action. 
McCormick, Robt., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., 

Dec. 14, 1865. 
McCoUum, Robt. J., m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 13, 1865. 
Nolf, James O., m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1863 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Nolf, Simon, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Neville, John B., m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve 

Corps Aug. 1, 1863. 
O'Harra, Wm., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Procius, Adam, m. i. s. March 4, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Pigley, Jos, H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Patrick, Wasb'n C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Reed, Jos. L., m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 



Reese, Levi, m. i. s. March 8, 1865 ; m. o. with Co. 
Robinson, Sam'l B.,m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Rettlnger, Elias, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Rumberger, Peter J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Rutter, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Reese, Edward M., m. 1. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 1865. 
Rea, Lemuel S., m. i, s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Roessler, Christian, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Rhoads, David C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Louisville, Ky., 

March 16, 1862. 
Silvis, Jeremiah, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861. 
Schick, Adam, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861. 
Schmidt, Carl, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. vet. 
Sagaser, Henry S., m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864; m. o. with Co. vet. 
Schick, Christian, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. vet. 
Schick, Reuben M., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Schick, Wm. F., m. i. s. March 9, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Shannon, Geo. B,, m. i. s. March 29, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Smith, Geo. M., m. i. s. Jan. 23, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Shannon, Oliver, m. i. s, Jan. 4, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sheen, Patrick, m. i. s. July 25, 1863 ; absent by sentence of G. M. C. at 

m. 0. 
Steele, Samuel R., m. i. s. Oct. 17, 1863 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sullivan, Mark, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Smith, Philip, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, ;864. 
Spencer, John J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Shomo, Jos. E., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Schick, Jos., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Scott, Wm., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Slagle, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Stuart, Archibald M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Staley, Wm. H. R., m. 1. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate ; 

Sept. 6, 1862. 
Smeltzen, John, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate ; 

date unknown. 
Space, John, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. cav. 
Smith, Levi H., m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. May 25, 1865. 
Smith,Andrew J., m. i. s. Sept. 21, 1864 ; drafted ; dis. by G. 0. June 

19, 1865. 
Snyder, Albert, m. i. s. Sept. 5, 1862; dis. by 6. 0. June 19, 1865. 
Shirley, John R., m. i. s. Feb. 28, 1864; dis, by G. O. May 27, 1865. 
Sherman, John, m. i. s. Aug. 21, 1862 ; dis. by G. 0. June 19, 1865. 
Smith, Geo. D., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Smith, Samuel, m. i. s. Sept. 3, 1863 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Shaffer, Adam, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; died at Field Hospital, Tenn., 

Jan. 9, 1863. 
Spencer, Hiram L., m. i. s. Feb. 17, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Shiffer, Geo. H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., March 

13, 1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem. sec. A, range 14, grave 23. 
Schick, John B., m. i. s. Aug. 21, 1861; died at Ringgold, Pa , June 23, 

1865. 

Shay, John, m. i. s. ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 29, 1864. 

Walker, Enoch, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 
Wise, Wm. H., m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1854. 
Wheatcroft, G., m. i. s. Aug. 19, 1863; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. - 
Yount, David, m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. cav. 
Yount, Wm., m. i. s. Aug. 14, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifl cate April 

27, 1863. 
Yarger, John, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1863 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Yockey, William, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 

12, 1862; buried in Nat. Cem. sec. A, range 6, grave 10. 

Company C. 

officeks. 

First Sergeant Andrew Brown, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B 

Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Corporal Henry J. Gray, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's cer- 
tificate Feb. 12, 1864. 

PRIVATES. 

Brinker, William, Sept. 16, 1861 ; m. o. with company Nov. 4. 

1864. 
Burket, Peter, m. i. s. Sept. 30, 1864; dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug. 

5, 1865. 
Cramer, Martin V., m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; m. o. with company Nov. 

4, 1864. 
Dewire, John, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; m. o. with company Nov. 4, 

1864. 
Gould, Henry, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864 ; 

vet. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



79 



Horn, John L., m. i. s. Sept. 21, 18C4 ; not on m. o. roll. 

Myers, David E. P., m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1801 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864 ; 

vet. 
Maitland, Alfred, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. IS, 1864 ; 

vet. 
Richards, George, m. i. s. Sept. 21, 1864; dis. by G. O. May 30, 1865. 
Stokes, Simon, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861. dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

13, 1863. 
Thomas, Jacob, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861; m. o. with company Nov. 4, 

1864. 
Turner, G. W., m. i. s. Oct. 23, 1863; dis. by G. 0. Oct. 13, 1864. 
Wiant, Frederick, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861; trans, to Veteran Reserve 

Corps Oct. 1, 1863. 
Wiant, Jacob, m. j. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; killed at M'Lamore's Cove, Ga., 

Sept. 11, 1863. 
Young, John P., m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1804. 

Company F. 
officees. 

Captain Charles B. Gillespie, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with com- 
pany Nov. 4, 1864. 

First Lieutenant William B. McCoe, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; res. Nov. 
29, 1862. 

First Lieutenant Henry W. Tobett,m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1861 ; pro. from 2d 
Lt. to 1st Lt. Nov. 30, 1862, to Capt. Co. A Dec. 3, 1854. 

Second Lieutenant John D. Murphy, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 
1st Serg. March 1, 1863 ; m. o. with company. 

First Sergeant George W. McGraw, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 
Serg. May 1, 1804 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant John Keifer, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; pro. to Serg. May 1, ISM; 
m. 0. with company. 

Sergeant WiUlam H. HufiT, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; pro. from Corp. Aug. 
1, 1803 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant John Flanigan, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant A. R. Weaver, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's cer- 
tificate April 7, 1804. 

Sergeant William B. McCue, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1S64 ; trans, to Co. A Oct., 
1S64. 

Corporal John M. Alter, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal James M. Slusser, m.l. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; wounded near Dallas, 
Ga., May 27, 1864; dis. Oct. 15, 1864. 

Corporal John L. Davidson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; pro. to Corp. Dec. 21, 
1S61 ; m. 0. with company. 

Corporal Samuel Borland, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal William H. Shefl'er, m, 1, s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

Corporal Daniel Huey, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801; pro. to Corp. March 1, 
1803 ; wounded near Dallas, Ga., May 27, 1864 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

Corporal Chas. E. Shaw, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Aug. 7, 
1803 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal Adam Ekas, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Aug. 7, 1863 ; 
m. 0. with company. 

Corporal Wm. W. Hughes, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1801; died at Camp Wood, 
Ky., Jan. 20, 1862. 

Musician James S. K. Huff, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with company. 

Musician Jas. McCain, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. on surgeon's cer- 
tificate June 23, 1803. 

PRIVATES. 

Adams, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; absent, sick, at m. o. 

Adams, Duncan, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 : m. o. with company. 

Alter, David, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; wounded at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862 ; m. o. with company. 
Ash, Michael, m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1851 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Barr, John T., m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Boyle, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Bowers, Lewis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Boyle, Peter, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve Corps Aug. 

1, 1863. 
Bradin, John, m. i. s. Sept. 15, 1S63 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Boyle, Michael, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; captured at Chickamauga, Ga., 

Sept. 20, 1863 ; dis. by G. O. May 23, 1865. 
Churchill, John W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with company. 
Clawson, Albert H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with company. 
Clowes, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801; m. o. with company. 
Conley, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Critzer, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 

22, 1862. 



Cypher, James S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

May 13, 1862. 
Casterlon, Elijah T., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

May 18, 1862. 
Conway, Dennis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, ISOl; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem., grave 87. 
Cypher, Reuben A., m. i. s. Feb 29, 1851; not on ra. o. roll. 
Denny, James W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Dunn, John K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Dujan, Dennis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 

23, 1863. 
Duff, Andrew J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Chattanooga, Tenn., 

June 19, 1864 ; grave 230. 
Edwards, Philip, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Gibson, Elijah, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; m. o. with company. 
Gibson, Geo. W., m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Garrison, Robert R., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 3, 1S62. 
Girt, Joseph, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; transferred to Veteran Reserve 

Corps April 10, 1864. 
Gable, Martin, m. i. s. March 31, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Griffith, Philip, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862. 
Haws, Benj. F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at New Hope Church, 

Ga., May 30, 1864 ; m. o. with company. 
Hardy, Frederick, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; trans, to 4th reg., U. S. Cav., 

Dec. 4, 1802. 
Haslett, Reuben A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 2, 1S63.' 
Hellan, John. m. i. s. May 21, 1803 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. IS, 1851. 
Henry, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; died at Stone River, Tenn., March 

9, 1863 ; Nat. Cem., grave 113. 
Hipman, Conrad, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., May 

1, 1803. 
Harris, Horatio, m. i. s. Oct. 12,1861; killed accidentally at Decherd, 

Tenn., April 4, 1803. 
Hagius, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Dec. 18, 

1861. 
ICistler, Andrew J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Keibler, Joseph, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; wounded near Dallas, Ga., May 

27. 1S64 ; m. o. with Co. 
KJpp, Abraham, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. ivith Co. 
Keibler, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 23, 1S62. 
Kennlston, David, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed accidentally at Pulaski, 

Tenn., Aug. 9, 1S62; Nat. Cem. Louisville, Ky., see. A, range 

4, grave 5. 
Lewis, Lewis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve corps 

Aug. 1, 1863. 
Meredith, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61; m. o. with Co. 
Mitchell, Francis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; m. o. with Co. 
Mitchell, Robert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; m. o. with Co. 
Meyers. Francis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Market, Valentine, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1801 ; trans, to 4tli reg. V. S. Cav. 

Dec. 4, 1862. 
MUler, John, m. 1. s. Sept. 20, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Messlrk, Hiram, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; killed at Stone River Dec. 31, 

1S62. 
Morrow, John, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; prisoner from Sept. 20, 1863, to 

Nov. 20, 1864 ; dis. Feb. 6, 1865. 
McFadden, Hugh F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co, 
McCracken, Nathan, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
McCracken, Geo., m. i. s. Oct. 31, 1863; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1S64. 
McGlaughlin, J. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded near Dallas, Ga., 

May 31, 1854; m. o. with Co. 
McDonald, Theo., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
McGee, Patrick H., m. i. s. Feb. 28, 1S64. 
Needham, Jonathan, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, 

Tenn., Dec. 31, 1802; m. o. with Co. 
O'Connor, Festus J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 : trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Cav. 

Dec. 4, 1862. 
Otterman, Charles, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Bowling Green, Ky., 

March 17, 1S62. 
Pennington, Jas., m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1851 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. IS, 1864. 
Pennman, James, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 8, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn., Nat. Cem., grave 171. 
Reed, Johnston, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co. 
Ross, John K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Rowley, Westey, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co. 



80 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Eoney, James M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Eeagan, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

31, 1862. 
Rappey, Tliomas B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Jan. 20, 1864. 
Rivers, John, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Rofenacht, Emmel, m. i. s. Aug. 5, 1864 ; substitute— not on m. o. roll. 
Sheffer, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12. 1861; m. o. with Co. 
Shearer, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m, o. with Co. 
Sheldon, Samuel, ra. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sindorf, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Supplee, Peter, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862; m. o. with Co. 
Street, William, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Smith, William, m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

13, 1862. 
Shoffer, Samuel, Sr., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Sept. 8, 1862. 
Sproul, William I., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 19, 1863. 
Sarver, Benjamin, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve 

corps April 10, 1864. 
Sill, Conrad, m. i. s. March 31, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Stewart, Christopher, m. i. s. Aug. 6, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Stivers, Abraham, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 

25, 1863. 
Slusser, Samuel, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; died Jan. 9, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Sullivan, Michael, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. i3, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Sossa, Lewis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; Icilled at Stone River, Tenn., Dec. 

31, 1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem , grave 65. 
Taylor, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862 ; m. o. with Co. 
Thomas, John B,, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Trexford, John, m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 1864. 
Uhl, Joseph A., m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Weir, Alfred L., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Weir, Benjamin F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co. 
Wilson, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 

27, 1862. 
Walters, Coston, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., March 

28, 1862. 
Weaver, Henry S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862. 
Walker, John B., m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864 ; not on m. o. roll. 
Zerby, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at Hermitage Ford, Tenn., 

Oct. 20, 1862. 

Company G. 



Captain John Jordan, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; res. April 12, 1864. 

First Lieutenant Wm. J. Galbraith, m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to U. S. 
Signal Corps June '20, 1863. 

First Lieutenant Jacob R. McAfoos, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 2d 
Lt. Aug. 26, 1863 ; m. o. with Co. 

Second Lieutenant Wm. J. Williams, m. i. s. Oct. 18, 1861 ; pro. from 
Com. Sergt. April 24, 1864 ; commissioned C.apt. April 13, 1864— 
not mus. ; m. o. with Co. 

First Sergeant Samuel H. Croyle, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Sergeant Bernard Huber, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Sergeant Andrew J. Thompson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Sergeant Geo. G. Borland, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; wounded at Stone 
River, Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862 ; m. o. with Co. 

Sergeant Peter 0. Bowser, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Nov. 4, 1864. 

Sergeant Wm. A. Henderson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 
certificate May 18, 1862. 

Serjeant Samuel Klugh, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifi- 
cate May 18, 1862. 

Sergeant John C. White, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifi- 
cate July 20, 1863. 

Corporal Thomas Shea, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co. 

Corporal Robert L. Marshall, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Corporal Isaac Schrecengost, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Corporal David L. Cochran, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Corporal Wm. G. McElhiney, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Corporal Jos. McElwee, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

porporal John C. Roof, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. 
Cav. Nov. 30, 1862. 



Corporal Thos. McCleary, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A, Oct. 18, 

1864; vet. 
Corporal John W. P. Blair, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864 ; vet. 
Corporal James M. CoUums, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Wood, 

Ky., Feb. 17, 1862. 
Corporal Arthur L. Myrtle, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at Stone River, 

Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862. 
Musician John G. Webb, m. i. s. March 4, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864. 
Musician James M. Hawk, m. i. s. March 12, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 

18, 1864. 
Musician McKendria M. Lias, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Camp 

Negley, Ky., Dec. 11, 1861. 

PKIVATES. 

Borland, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Bowser, Wm. J., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 

Bowser, John G., m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 29, 1863. 
Becket, William, m. i. s Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U.S. Cav. Nov. 

30, 1862. 
Bowser, Washington R., m. i. s. Aug. 7, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864. 
Bridget, Hamilton, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Burket, John, m.i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Louisville, Ky., Nov. 16, 

1862. 
Bennett, Abraham, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864. 
Campbell, Mark, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Clark, Wm., m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Coursins, James H., m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Coursins, Simon, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Cable, John W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Wood, Ky., Dec. 

14, 1861. 
Clever, Wm. H. H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn., ' 

Dec. 1, 1862. 
Christman, Michael, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; died at Nashville, Tenn., 

Feb. 25, 1863. 
Croyle, John, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; missed in action at Stone River, 

Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862. 
Davis, Orlando P., m. i. s. July 8, 1863 : trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Dickson, John, m. i. s. Sept. 12, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Erwin, James M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Jan, 2, 1863. 
Fowler, Francis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

May 18, 1862. 
Flenner, Elijah, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate, 

date unknown. 
Guyer, Wm. W., m. i. s. April 1, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

18, 1862. 
Hagertj', Wm. A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862; absent sick at m. o. 
Hughes, Geo., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Hoover, Jacob, m. i. s. Oct; 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hopkins, John A. m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hosack, Wm. S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Henesy, Oliver, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hooks, Hugh A., m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, 

Tenn., Jan. 2, 1863 ; m. o. with company. 
Henesy, Charles, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hall, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; captured at Stone River, Tenn., Dee. 

31,1862; absent at m. o. 
Howser, Isaac, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 

18, 1862. 
Heath, Joshua, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1884 ; vet. 
Hastings, John S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Negley, Ky., 

Dec. 11, 1861. 
Hull, Morrison, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862. 
Jewell, Thos. M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Johnston, Wm. C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Johnston, Thos., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

May 18, 1862. 
Lemon, John H., m. i. s. Oct. 12,1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Aug. — , 1862. 
Myrtle, Henry A., m. 1. s. Oct. 12, 1861; absent sick at m. o. 
Marshall, James W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, ISSl ; wounded near Dallas, Ga., 

May 27, 1864 ; m. o. with company. 
Marshall, William A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o, with company. 
Myere, Joseph L., m. i..s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



81 



Myrtle, Jacob B., m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Mains, Daniel, m. i. s. March 4, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Murpli, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 5, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862. 
McLeod, Jas. A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; wounded at Stone River, Tenn.; 

m. 0. with company. 
McCracken, Jas., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
McVey, Daniel L., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
McPherson, Eli, m. i. s. March 4, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
McMillen, Daniel, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1862. 
McBride, Enos, m. i. s. March 12, 1862; died at Nashville, Tenn., 

Dec. 30, 1862. 
McCrady, George, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn,, Oct. 

12. 1862. 

Pool, \Vm. E., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate July 

20. 1863. 

Porter, Wm. M., m. i. s., Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Dec. 21, 

1861 ; buried in Nat. Cem., Sec. A, range 3, grave 9. 
Reed, George S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Ruffner, Simon, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Runyan, Phineas, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Rutfner, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Rufifner, William H., m. i. s. March 3, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864. 
Eoudybust, Michael, m. i. s. March 24, 1864. 
Soxman, Henry F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; wounded at Stone River, 

Tenn., Dec. 31, 1862 ; m. o. with company. 
Snyder, John S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Sowers, William, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Sowers, Samuel H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Schrecengost, W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Slease, Samuel, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Sowers, Joseph N., m. 1. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Shannon, George W., m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864. 
Shannon, James, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 1864. 
Sowers, Henry, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; died at Murfreesboro, Tenn., 

May 11 ; buried in Nat, Cem., Stone River, grave 306. 
Troutner, Thomas, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Cay. 

Nov. 30, 1862. 
Troutner, George W., m. i. s. March 4, 1864; trans, to Co. A Oct. 18, 

1864. 
Thompson, John H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died, date unknown, of 

wounds received at Stone River, Tenn., Jan. 2, 1863. 
Wilson, Thomas, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died near Nashville, Tenn., 

March 15, 1862. 
Yingst, Henry E., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Reserve corps 

July 1, 1862. 
Yount, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Reserve corps 

Aug. 1, 1862. 
Yount, Jacob, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Nov. 24, 

1863 ; buried Nat. Cem., sec. A, range 28, grave 10. 

Company I. 

OFPICEKS. 

Captain Robert D. Elwood, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

1st Lieutenant Geo. W. Black, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

2d Lieutenant Sam'l M. Crosby, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. Dec. 9, 1862. 

2d Lieutenant John S. Mcllwain, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 
Sergt. Feb. 18, 1863 : m. o. with company. 

1st Sergeant Wm. Henry, Jr., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. from Corp. to 
Sergt. Feb. 1, 1863 ; to 1st Sergt. March 1, 1863 ; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

1st Sergeant Samuel H. Kerr, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 
certificate, Jan. 12, 1863. 

Sergeant William B. Kerr, m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant William J. Davis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Sergt. Feb. 17, 
1863 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant Hezekiah V. Ashbaugh, m. i. s. Oct. 12,1861 ; pro. from Corp. 
April 30, 1863 ; m. o. with company. 

Sergeant John D. Hall, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifi- 
cate March 26, 1863. 

Sergeant Wm. C. Murphy, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Reserve 
Corps Aug. 1, 1863. 

Sergeant William J. Wright, m. 1. s. Sept. 18, 1862 ; pro. from private 
Oct. 1, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B, Oct. 18, 1864. 

Corporal Aaron Hawk, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal Joseph Kerr, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 



Corporal James Drummond, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal James C. Bair, m. i^s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. to Corp. March 1, 
1863 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal James H. Stitt, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. April 30, 
1863 ; m. 0. with company. 

Corporal William Young, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. to Corp. June 1, 
1803 ; m. o. with company. 

Corporal James Curren, ra. i. s. March 4, 1862; pro. to Corp. Oct. 1, 
1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 

Corporal Lewis T. Hill, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 
1864. 

Corporal George Edmonson, m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861. 

Musician T. A. Cunningham, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with com- 
pany. 

Musician Theodore Barrett, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 



Bair, George, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Bond, Richard, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Bryson, Daniel, m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Bowser, Matthias P., m. i. s. March 4, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1861. 

Brown, Allen, m. i. s. March 31, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 

Baicer, Morrison M., m. i.s. Oct. 12, 1861. 

Cline, Rudolphus M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Clements, Jesse A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Cochlin, James, m. i. s. Oct 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Champion, Jas. A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 

Chapman, John C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at Stone River, Tenn., 

Dec. 31, 1862. 
Drake, Geo. S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Devers, Neal, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Dunlap, Thos., m. i. s. Oct. 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Darin, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate, June 6, 

1863. 
Depp, Geo., m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Dougherty, Harrison, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Murfreesboro, 

Tenn., May 6, 1863. 
Davis, Wm. P., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn,, Nov. 5, 

1862. 
Erb, Uriah F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Elliott, William, m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Eakman, Aaron, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 24, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Fennell, John M., m. i. s., Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Fleck, Martin L., m. i. s. March 31, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
George, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Getty, Thos. C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Gray, Wm. H,, m, i. s. Sept. 5, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. IS, 1864. 
George, John, m. i. s. Sept. 18, 1862 ; trans, to Co, B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Gray, Samuel A.,m. i.s. Sept. 18, 1862; died Feb. 24, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. ; buried in Nat. Cem., grave 339. 
Hunter, Martin V., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m, o. with Co. 
Hodil, Jacob D., m. i. s. Jan. 4, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Irwin, John, m. 1, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Chattanooga, Tenn., Aug. 

23, 1864 ; buried iu Nat. Cem., grave 482. 
Kerr, Robert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Kerr, Patrick, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Kensington, Jos. A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
King, Francis M., m. i. s. Sept. 6, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Ketcham, Jefferson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Louisville, Ky., 

March 9, 1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. A, range 14, grave 10. 
Kennedy, Geo. F„ m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Pulaski, Tenn., July 

27, 1862. 
Love, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Long, Jacob L., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
Lambing, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m, o, with Co, 
Lambing, Jos. B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 24, 1862. 
Marsh, Absalom K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Feb. 24, 1863. 
Martin, John W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 25, 1862. 
Mott, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Lomsville, Ky., Jan. 15, 

1862; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. A, range 8, grave 2. 
Mcllravy, John. m. i. s. Oci. 12, 1861; m. o. with Co. 
McLaughlin, Jos. C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
McElroy, Johnston, m. i. s, Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with Co. 
McMiUen, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct.l2, 1861; dis. on surgeon's ccrlificate 

Jan. 2, 1804. 



82 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



McMeans, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn., July 

8, 1863. '' 

Kolder, Martin, m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Pifer, Conrad, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Precious, Adam, m. i. s. March 4, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Rogers, Hugh H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Relsmger, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Eeed, Joseph L., m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Eow, Christopher H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Cav. 

Dec. 1, 1864. 
Shields, Cornelius, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
SmuUin, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Snyder, Theodore, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Snyder, Frederick, m i. s. Oct. 12, 1861. 
Stevenson, Geo., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Snail, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Oct. 

15, 1862. 
Silvis, Jonathan, m. i. s. Sept. 18, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Oct. 25, 1863. 
Shick, Christian, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Shannon, Oliver, m. i. s. Jan. 4, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Snyder, Albert, m. i. s. Sept. 5, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Stark, Robert B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Negley, Ky., Dec. 

6. 1861. 

Stark, Joseph M. P., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at NashvUle, Tenn.. 

March 14, 1862. 
Sarver, Lynus T., m. i. s, Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 15. 

1862 ; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. A, range 2, grave 24. 
Thorn, Robert B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Twiney, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate June 

22, 1863. 
Thompson, John W., m. i. s. Jan. 4, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Thomas, Jacob, m. i. s. March 9, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Tarmer, John L., m. i. s. Dec. 17, 1862 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 

4, 1863. 
Tittle, Richard J., m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Camp Wood, Ky., Feb. 

9. 1862. 

Uptigraflf, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Woods, Joel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

Wilson, James F., m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Aug. 12, 1862. 
Williamson, B. F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Chattanooga, Tenn., 

June 6 of wounds received in action May 27, 1864 ; buried in 

Nat. Cem., grave 917. 
Wanderling, W. H., m. i. s. March 28, 1864 ; died at Chattanooga, Tenn., 

July 21, 1864 ; buried in Nat. Cem., grave 44. 
Young, Theodore, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Bowling Green, Ky., 

March 27, 1862. 

Company K. 



Captain Dewitt C. Hen'ey, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; res. Nov. 17, 1862, 
Captain Jos. B. Smith, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. from 1st Lt. Feb. 

17, 1863 ; m. 0. with Co. 
1st Lieutenant Robert W. Dinsmore, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 

1st Lt. Feb. 17, 1863; m. o. with Co. 
2d Lieutenant Matthew J. Halstead, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; killed at 

Stone River, Tenn., Jan. 2, 1863. 
2d Lieutenant Robert M. Smith, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; pro. fromSergt. 

to 2d Lt. Jan. 2, 1863 ; to Capt. Co. B Dec. 3, 1864 ; m. o. with Co. 
1st Sergeant Joel Crawford, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Oct. 18, 

1862; toSergt. March 1, 1863; to 1st Sergt. Feb. 1, 1864; m. o. 

with Co. 
Sergeant William Martin, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. from Corp. March 

1, 1863 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sergeant William C. Barnett, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. May 

26, 1862 ; to Sergt. March 1. 1863 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sergeant Albert Limkins, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. Oct. 18, 

1862; to Sergt. March 1, 1863; m. o. with Co. 
Sergeant Benjamin Oswald, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. May 

26, 1862 ; to Sergt. March 1, 1863 ; m. o. with Co. 
Sergeant Marvin J. Dinsmore, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate June 1, 1862. 
Sergeant Adam J. Hastings, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Signal Corps 

June 28, 1864. 
Sergeant William W. Smith, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 18, 1863, 

of wounds received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Sergeant William H. Green, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Manchester, 

Tenn., Jan. 6, 1863; buried at Nat. Cem., Stone River, grave 

285. 



Corporal William P. England, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; pro. to Corp. 

March 1, 1863 ; m. o. with company. 
Corporal James C. Burford, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. May 27^ 

1862 ; m. o. with company. 
Corporal H, H. Bengough, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. May 27, 

1862 ; m. o. with company. 
Corporal Amos Claypool, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; pro. to Corp. May 27, 

1862 ; m. 0. with company. 
Corporal Thomas Callender, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate Nov. 10, 1862. 
Corporal Erastus Pierce, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certifi- 
cate Dec. 8, 1862. 
Corporal William W. Maxwell, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B 

Oct. 18,1864; vet. 
Corporal William H. H. Step, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861; trans, to Co. B Oct. 

18, 1854 ; vet. 
Corporal Samuel M. Dunn, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 

18, 1864. 
Corporal Stuart P. Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died Jan. 24, 1863, of 

wounds received at Stone River, Tenij. 
Musician Robert Callender, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 



Adams, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Alwine, Francis, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Alwine, Lewis, m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Altman, Samuel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died Jan. 3, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Aikens, Adam, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died Jan. 20, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Baney, George H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Blair, Milton, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Bowser, Hezekiah, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Jan. 10, 1862. 
Bowser, William, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864; 

vet. 
Beal, Peter, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Baney, William W., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864 
Boner, Sam'l C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Feb. 5, 

1862. 
Bowser, Mark C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died March 12, 1863, of wounds 

received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Bailey, Wm. C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861. 

Callender, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Claypool, Henry, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Clark, David, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Cobert, Daniel, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Copley, David, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 : died at KnoxviUe, Tenn., Jan. 

21, 1863, of wounds received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Dinsmore, Thos. J., m. i. s. April 1, 1862 ; trans, to Co B Oct. IS, 1864- 
Doty,.John C, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Davis, David, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 1, 

1862. 
Davis, Michael, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Dec. 19, 

1863. 
Doty, Geo. W., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862 ; died at LouisvUle Ky., March 28, 

1864. 
Edwards, Albert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 26, 1862. 
Edwards, Adam, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

June 26, 1862. 
Fiscus, John W., m. i.'s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; absent sick since Dec. 31, 1862. 
Geary, John W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Gibson, Albert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Gilliam, Enoch, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. wijh company. 
Gilliam, James, m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862 ; trans, to Veteran Reserve Corps 

May 1, 1861. 
Hastings, Enoch, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Hindman, Charles, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Hooks, Hugh, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Nov. 

10, 1862. 
Hogan, John W., m. i. s. Dec. 16, 1863; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864; 

vet. 
Hutchison, S. A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 

6, 1862. 
Hollingsworth, B. F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died Jan. 16, 1863, of 

wounds received at Stone River, Tenn. 
Harman, John P., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Murfreesboro, Tenn., 

April 13, 1863. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



83 



Hutchison, J. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Green River, Ivy., Feb. 

17, 1802 ; buried in Nat. Cem.. Stone River, grave 100. 
Jack, Maurice, m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1S61 ; m. o. with company. 
Jack, James "W., m. i. s. Oct. 12,1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Juno 30, 1862. 
John, Daniel, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Green River, Ky., Jan. 28, 

1862. 
King, James, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Karnes, Godfrey C, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864; trans, to Co B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Lemon, Lobin, m. i. s. Oct. 12,1861; m. o. with company. 
Lloyd, Absalom, m. i, s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Lytic, C. W. E., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Malone, Rodney 0., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Mechling, Laird, m. i. s. Sept. 12, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 7, 1S63. 
Monroe, James M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Nov. 27, 1862. 
Moore, William C, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 

28, 1863. 
Minteer, Samuel A., m. i. s. Sept. 13, 1862; died at NashvUle, Tenn., 

Dee. 19, 1863. 
McCleUand, S. M., m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864 ; 

vet. 
Painter, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Prunkard, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Prunkard, David, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Pugh, Jackson, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Painter, Peter A., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

March 29, 1863. 
Painter, Sam'l, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864 ; vet. 
Pugh, Jos. K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861. 
Rigley, Reuben M., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Cav. 

Dec. 1, 1862. 
Row, Joseph, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 10, 

1862. 
Roney, John W., m, i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; trans, to Signal Corps Oct. 21, 1863. 
Rea, Lemuel S., m. i. s. Aug. 30; 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Richey, Wm. A., m. i. s. Sept. 1, 1862 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Rhodes, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died at Louisville, Ky., Dec. 15, 

1861. 
Saltsgiver, Isaac, m. i. s. Oct. 12. 1861 ; absent, sick, since Aug. 15, 1863. 
Shields, Robert, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Sife, Solomon, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Smith, Richard W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Smith, Richard H., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Southworth, J.,m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Stuart, Geo. W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Summerville, S., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; m. o. with company. 
Swartzlander, W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Strayeik, John K., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate, 

Aug. 29, 1863. 
Stet, Levi, m. i. s. Sept. 29, 1861 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Smith, Levi H., m. i. s. Aug. 28, 1862; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Steele, Samuel R., m. i. s. Oct. 17, 1863; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Salinger, Paris G., m. i. s. March 3, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Spangler, Abraham, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; died at Green River, Ky.,, 

Jan. 4, 1862; buried in Nat. Cem., Louisville, Ky., see. A, range 

3, grave 1. 
Smith, Jacob C, m. i. s. Feb. 2, 1864. 
Unger, John W., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate Jan. 

29, 1863. 
Wade, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Wolff, William B., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Wade, Jacob, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate July 12, 

1863. 
Wickenhacker, G., m. i. s. Oct. 12. 1861 ; pro. to principal musician 

March 17, 1864. 
Wolf, John G., m. i. s. Sept. 1, 1862; trans, to Co. B Oct. 18, 1864. 
Wolf, Jacob, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; died, date unknown. 
Young, John, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Younkins, John F., m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 
Y'ounkins, Michael, m. i. s. Oct. 12, 1861 ; m. o. with company. 

THE ONE HTINDEED AND THIRD EEGIltfENT P. V. I. 

This regiment was recruited principally in 
the counties of Armstrong, Allegheny, Butler, 
Clarion and Indiana. Companies B, C and D were 



made up almost entirely, and F, G and K partly, 
of Armstrong men. Recruiting was commenced 
early in the fall of 1861, the men rendezvousing 
at Camp Orr, Kittanning. The 78th regt. had been 
organized there a short time before and many of 
the men who went into the 103d had originally en- 
listed expecting to go out with the former, which 
they could not do on account of the large excess of 
recruits. Much suffering was experienced at 
Camp Orr when cold weather came on, the govei'n- 
ment being unable to promptly furnish adequate 
clothing and camp and garrison equipage. In 
January, 1862, the regiment was reported for duty 
with one company more than the number required, 
which was transferred to the 2d Cavalry,. On 
February 24, it was ordered to Harrisburg, -where 
a regimental organization was effected by the 
choice of the following field officers : Theodore F. 
Lehman, colonel ; Wilson C. Maxwell, lieutenanl^ 
colonel ; Audley W. Gazzam, major. It w^as soon 
afterward ordered to Washington, where it was 
assigned to a provisional brigade of Gen. Casey's 
division. The regiment proceeded with the corps 
to the Peninsula, and, after remaining in camp a 
short time near Hampton, moved forward and par- 
ticipated in the operations of the siege of York- 
town. A month of severe duty, combined with 
exposure to the miasmatic influence of the climate, 
caused much sickness, and many died. When 
the enemy withdrew, the 103d, with the corps, 
pushed on in pursuit, and, on the morning of May 
5, arrived upon the battlefield opposite the enemy's 
forts at Williamsburg. In the battle which en- 
sued the regiment did effective seiwice. Moving 
forward in advance of the army, Casey's division 
crossed the Chickahominy and took position at 
Fair Oaks, which it was proceeding to fortify 
when upon May 31 it was suddenly attacked. In 
this fight the regiment, commanded as it had been 
at Williamsburg by Maj. Gazzam, bore itself gal- 
lantly and, being in the hottest of the fight, suf- 
fered terrible loss. The total number wounded 
and killed was eighty-four. Among the killed 
was Capt. George W. Gillespie, of Company B. 
After the battle, the regiment, with the brigade of 
which it formed a part, was posted at White Oak 
swamp and put to fortifying. Here again there 
was great suffering from the unhealthfulness of 
the climate. Later, the regiment took part in the 
seven days' fight at Malvern. At the close of the 
Peninsula campaign it had lost nearly one-half of 
its original strength. When the army of McClel- 
lan was ordered to join Pope upon the Rapidan, 
Wessell's brigade, then including the 103d regt., 
was separated from the army of the Potomac 



84 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



never again to rejoin it, and went via Norfolk to 
Suffolk, where it remained until December. On 
the 5th of that month the brigade broke camp and 
Ijroceeded to Newbm-n, North Carolina, where it 
joined the forces under Gen. Foster, then about to 
move into the interior. With the exception of a 
slight skirmish at Southwest creek, little opposi- 
tion was encountered on the march until the com- 
mand reached Kingston, where the enemy was 
discovered occupying a strong position upon a 
little eminence. After several ineffectual attempts 
had been made to cross an intervening swamp and 
dislodge the confederates, the 10.3d was called out 
and directed to make a last endeavor. They suc- 
ceeded in forcing a passage through the swamp, 
under the rapid fire of the enemy's guns, and, 
without firing a single musket, charged so quickly 
and effectually that the enemy was routed. The 
85th P. V. I. came promptly to its support and 
almost an entire rebel North Carolina regiment 
was captured. Gen. Foster highly complimented 
the regiment for its services in this action. At the 
conclusion of this expedition, the brigade returned 
to Newbern and went into barracks on the Neuse 
river where the remainder of the winter was pleas- 
antly passed. During the spring of 1863 frequent 
expeditions were made into the surrounding coun- 
try, but little of moment was effected. Afterwai-d, 
the regiment took part in operations in the vicinity 
of Washington, on the Tar river, and still later 
removed to Plymouth, which place was strongly 
fortified. It was attacked by the confederates on 
April IT, and the fight lasted until 11 o'clock of 
the 20th, when the 103d regt. surrendered. The 
rebels had a large force and the other federal 
troops had been compelled to surrender before this 
time, so that there was no alternative left for Col. 
Lehman but to give up his men as prisoners. 
There were then in this organization about 400 
men, rank and file, many of whom had been in 
service since the regiment was formed. " The 
officers were immediately separated from the men, 
not again to be united, the latter being sent to 
Andersonville to starve and die by scores, and the 
former to Macon, Georgia, and, subsequently, those 
of highest grade to Charlestown. The wounded, 
of whom there were thirty-five, were left with the 
surgeon at Plymouth in the hands of the enemy. 
Of the men who entered Andersonville prison, 
132 died while in confinement. Many died in 
the prisons to which they were subsequently re- 
moved and while they were on their way to 
and at Camp Parole, Annapolis ; and many 
more after lingering sickness. When the regi- 
ment was mustered into service, there were 



seventy-two men upward of six feet in height, of 
whom not one was present at the final muster 
out." * The officers, after their release from con- 
finement, were paroled and returned to duty, Col. 
Lehman resuming command of the district of the 
Albermarle. One company, which had not been 
included in the surrender, with the few men who 
were absent at the time, in all about eighty, were 
still on duty in the district and was known as the 
103d reg. In March and April, 1865, eight new 
companies were assigned to the regiment. The 
command was finally mustered out at Newbern, 
North Carolina, June 25, 1865, but eighty-one of 
the original men being present. 

FIELD AND STAFF. 

Sergeant-Major Samuel Murphy, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; trans, to Co. C 

1863. 
Sergeant-Major Watson C. Mobley, m. i. s. Sept. 7, 1861 ; pro. from 1st 

Serg. Co. A April 19, 1865 ; m. o. with regiment June 2.5, 1865 ; 

vet. 
Sergeant-Major James H. Chambers, m. 1. s. Sept. 16, 1861 ; pro. from 

Serg. Co. C June 1 , 1)562, to 2d Lt. Co. F May 1 , 1863. (See Co's C 

and F). 
Commissary Sergeant John E. Kron, m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1862 ; pro. from 

private Co. G May 18, 1865, m. o. with regiment June 25, 1865 ; 

vet. 

COiMPANY B. 

[The members of this company, except when otherwise specified, 
were mustered into the service September 24, 1861, and mustered out 
with the company June 25, 1865.] 



Captain Joseph Rodgers, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1861 ; pro. from 1st Lt. June 

6, 1862; res. Jan. 24,1863. 
Captain Daniel L. Coe, m. i. s. Sept. 12, 1861 ; pro. from 2d to 1st Lt. 

June 5, 1862 ; to Capt. Jan, 25, 1863 ; res. Nov. 9, 1863. 
First Lieutenant Solomon Barnhart, pro. from Serg. to 2d Lt. Jan. 25, 

1863, to 1st Lt. July 15, 1863 ; res. Nov. 3, 1863. 
Second Lieutenant George W. Stolce, m. i. s. Nov. 13, 1861 ; trans, from 

Co. D Oct. 31, 1863. 
First Sergeant G. W. Swartzlander, pro. from Corp. Feb. 7, 1862 ; com. 

2d Lt. July 16, 1863; not m.; captured at Plymouth, N. C, Apr. 

20, 1864. 
First Sergeant James Adams, pro. to Capt. Co. K Feb. 22, 1862. 
Sergeant William T. Blair, pro. to Serg. June 2, 1864 ; prisoner from 

May 6, 1861, to Feb. 20, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 8, 1805 ; vet. 
Sergeant Thomas Hart, pro. to Serg. Jan. 2, 1861 ; absent on furlough 

at m. o. ; vet. 
Sergeant C. M, Rumbaugh, pro. to Corp, June 2, 1864, to Serg, May 

1, 1865 ; prisoner from April 20, 1860, to Feb. 20, 1865 ; dis. by G. 

O. June 8, 1865 ; vet. 
Sergeant Daniel L. Ranl^in, pro. to Coip. Jan. 2, 1864 ; to Serg. May 

1, 1865 ; absent on furlough at m. o. ; vet. 
Sergeant Sher'n M. Criswell, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 

1864 ; died at Florence, S. C, Nov. 10, 1864 ; vet. 
Sergeant Cyrus K. M'Kee, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 

1864 ; died at Charleston, S. C, Dec. 7, 1864; vet. 
Corporal George Waterson, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 

1864 ; pro. to Corp. May 1, 1865 ; m. o. with Co. ; vet. 
Corporal John S. M'Elbany, prisoner from April 20, 1864, to Feb. 24, 

1865 ; dis. by G. 0. April 24, to date March 1, 1865. 
Corporal Isaac Swartzlander, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 

1864 ; died; buried in Nat. Cem., Wilmington, grave 984. 
Corporal Jas. H. Crawford, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 

1864; died at Andersonville, Ga,, Sept, 7, 1864, grave 8117, 
Corporal Wm, Harrison, dis., date unknown. 
Corporal Tho. Hays, trans, to 4th reg, U, S. Art,, date unknown. 
Musician Andrew Eodgers, m, i. s, Aug. 13, 1862 ; captured at Ply- 
mouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; m. o. with Co, 



* Bates' History of Fcr.nsylvonia Volunteers. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



85 



Musician Harrison W. Coe, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 
1864 ; ab3ent on fur. at m. o. ; vet. 



Brenneman, Jas., pris. from April 20 to Dec. 11, 1864; dis. by G. 0. 

March 28, 1865, to date Dec. 17, 1864. 
Benninger, Henry L., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864 ; 

vet. 
Bish, John B., missing in action at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 
Burford, Reuben, captured; died at AndersonsvlUe, Ga., June 4,1864; 

grave 1601; vet. 
Brenneman, L. A., dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 4, 1861. 
Barnhart, Isaac, dis. exp. of term. 
Burford. Wm. 

Coe, Benj. F., dis., date unknown. 
Devenny, Thos. J., captured; died Dec. 17, 1864; vet. 
Eminger, Michael C, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; vet. 
Foster, John, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 

20, 1864; died at AndersonsvlUe, Ga., Aug. 28, 1864, grave 7097. 
Gilchrist, Stewart, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps. 
Hayes, Hezekiah, prisoner from April 20, 1864, to Feb. 24, 1865; dis. 

by G. 0. April 5, to date March 1, 1865. 
Harper, Robert, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

AndersonsvlUe, Ga., Sept. 30, 1864, grave 10109; vet. 
Hankey, Ephraim, died March 9, 1862; buried in Mil. Asy. Cem., 

D. C. 
Hankey, John B., captured; died at Salisbury, N. C, July 9, 1862. 
Hayes, Robert, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; dis., date unknown. 
Hile, Simon, dis., date unknown. 

Hayes, John M., trans, to 4th reg. U. S. Art., date unknown. 
Hile, John L., captured at Plymouth, N. C, AprU 20, 1864; vet. 
Jordan, David W., Captured at Plymouth, N. C, April. 20, 1864; died 

at Andersonville, Ga., July 5, 1864, grave 2914; vet. 
Jones, John M., captured at Plymouth, N. C, AprU 20, 1864; died. 
Kennedy, Wm., died. 
McClure, Harvey B., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; 

died March 16, 1865; buried in Camp Parole Hos. Cem. Anna- 
polis Md. ; vet. 
McClure, Tho. L., died at Annapolis, Md.,Dec. 5, 1864; buried in U. S. 

Gen. Hos. Cem.; vet. 
Pemburthy, Wm., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; absent 

on fur. at m. o. ; vet. 
Pierce, Wm. 6., dis. 
Pool, Sam'l, dis. 

Riunbaugh, Joseph, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C. 
Reese, Wm., Died at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 25, 1862. 
Reese, Jacob, captured; died at AndersonviUe, Ga., Aug. 17, 1864, 

grave 5912. 
Kegus, Alex., died. 
Regus, Henry, died. 
Snyder, Abram, prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 10, 1864; dis. by G. O. 

March 15, 1865, to date Dec. 16, 1864. 
Sweet, Jas., absent on fur. at m. o.; vet. 
Snow, Nicholas, died at Annapolis, Md., March 11, 1865; buried in 

U. S. Gen. Hos. Cem.; vet. 
Sanderson, Sam'l S., died. 
Shields, Jas., dis. exp, of term. 
Sowers, Wm., dis. 

Scharem, John, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; vet. 
Truby, Chas. M., prisoner from April 20, 1864, to Feb. 24, 1865; dis. by 

G. 0. June 19, I860; vet. 
Woodruff, Wm. D., captured at Plymouth, N. C, AprU 20, 1864; died 

at AndersonvUle, Ga., July 16, 1864, grave 3384. 
Walley, David, dis. 
Wolft, Jas., dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 4,1861. 

Company C. 
[The members of this company, except where otherwise specified, 
were mustered into service September 16, 1861, and mustered out with 
the-company June 25, 1865.] 

OFFICERS. 

Captain Simon P. Townsend, res. July 7, 1862. 

Captain John M. Cochran, pro. from 2d Lt. to 1st Lt. July 7, 1862 ; to 

Capt. Jan. 14, 1863 ; dis. June 16, 1863. 
Captain Thomas A. Cochran, pro. from 1st Sergt. to 2d Lt. July 7, 

1862; to 1st Lt. Jan. 14, 1863; to Capt. July 1, 1863. 
First Lieutenant James M. Wilson, pro. from Corp. to Sergt. May 1, 

1862; to 1st Sergt. July 7, 1862; to 2d Lt. Jan. 14, 1863; to 1st Lt. 

July 1, 1S63. 



First Sergeant Wilson S. Cochran, pro. to .Sergt. Jan. 1, 1864; 1st Sergt. 

Sept. 20, 186.1; vet. 
First Sergeant Baptist H. Scott, pro. from private to 1st Sergt. Jan. 14, 

1863; com. 2d Lt. June 16, 1863; not mustered; m. 0. Sept. 16, 1864; 

exp. of term. 
Sergeant Wm. M'Elfresh, pro. to Corp. Jan. 1, 1864; to Sergt. March 1, 

1865; m. o. with Co.; vet. 
Sergeant Wm. N. Barr, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 11, 1863. 
Sergeant Jas. H. Chambers, pro. to Sergt. Major Jan. 1, 1862. 
Corporal Francis M. Fleming, pro. to Corp. March 1, 18(55; m. 0. with 

Co.; vet. 
Corporal Geo. W. Pifer, pro. to Corp. March 1, 1865; m. o. with Co.; 

vet. 
Corporal Salem Crum, pro. to Corp. Feb. 16, 1862; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate May 13, 1862. 
Corporal Isaac W. Warner, pro. to Corp. May 1, 1S62; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate June 20, 1863. 
Corporal Andrew J. Scott, dis. on surgeon's certificate June 20, 1863. 
Corporal Thos. J. M'Kee, pro. to Corp. April, 1863; m. o. Sept. 16, 1864; 

exp. of term. 
Corporal Wm. Leech, m. i. s. Sept. 15, 1861; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 

Dec. 1, 1863. 
Musician Lewis Barlett, m. i. s. Sept. 7, 1861; m. 0. with Co.; vet. 
Musician Dallas B. Taylor, m. 0. with Co., vet. 

PRIVATES. 

Altman, David, dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 17, 1862. 

Ammendt, H. M., dis. on surgeon's certificate April 26, 1863. 

Anthony, Philip, m. 0. Sept. 16, 1864; exp. of term. 

Altman, Wm., died June 30, 1862. 

Anthony, Tanser, died June 30, 1862. 

Bash, Robert, vet. 

Beer, Thos. M. C, m, j. s. Feb. 29, 1864; m. o. with Co. 

Bargerstock, Adam, m. 0. Sept. 16, 1864; exp. of term. 

Birch, Winfield S., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, Sept. 24, 1863. 

Beighley, Jacob. 

Canfield, Jas., m. i. s. Dec. 16, 18C1; dis. on surgeon's certificate, Jan. 

13, 1862. 
Cochran, Geo. W., dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 4, 1863. 
Cochran, Wm. W., m. i. s. Jan. 19, 1863; died at Plymouth, N. C, Jan. 

6, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Newbern, plot 7, grave 108. 
Dickason, David H., dis. on surgeon's certificate Sept. 1, 1862. 
Dougherty, Wm., dis. on surgeon's certificate March 28, 1863. 
Davis, Jackson, dis. on surgeon's certificate June 20, 1863. 
Dentzell, Solomon, m. i. s. Sept. 15, 1861; died at White Oak Swamp, 

Va., June 30, 1862. 
Elgin, Jas., m. 0. Sept. 16, 1864; exp. of term. 
Elgin, Samuel, wounded at Kingston, N. C, Dec. 14, 1862; trans, to 

Vet. Res. Corps July 27, 1863. 
Findley, Samuel, 1st; vet. 

Findley, Samuel, 2d, m. i. s. Sept. 21, 1864; m. 0. with Co. 
FrankUn, Benj., m. i. s. AprU 6, 1864. 
Franklin, Benj., dis. on surgeon's certificate Sept. 3, 1862. 
Fleming, Alex., dis. April 9, 1863, for wounds received at Kingston, 

N. C, Dec. 14, 1862. 
Fleming, John, m. o. Sept. 16, 1864; exp. of term. 
Gallagher, John J., m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1862; vet. 
George, Jeremiah, dis. on surgeon's certificate Nov. 2, 1862. 
Graden, John, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1862; m. o. Feb. 13, 1865; exp. of term. 
Harkleroad, Martin, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1862; vet. 
Hetrick, Geo. D., vet. 
Hetrick, David, absent sick at m. 0. 
Helty, Hezekiah, m. i. s. March 15, 1865. 
Hammer, Thos. , dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 5, 1862. 
Harkleroad, Wm., m. i. s. Dec. 26, 1861; dis. on surgeon's certificate 

Dec. 26, 1862. 
Hetrick, Peter W., dis. on surgeon's certificate March 3, 1863. 
Hays, Wm., dis. on surgeon's certificate March 9, 1864. 
Jones, J. L. 
Lone, Emanuel, vet. 

Linsenbigler, Jacob, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 23, 1863. 
Mosbaughle, Geo., dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 17, 1862. 
Murphy, Samuel, m. 0. Sept. 16, 1864; exp. of term. 
Meredith, Thos. A., kiUed at Fair Oaks, Va.. Jlay 31, 1862. 
Murdocki Wm. J., died at White Oak Swamp, Va., June 27, 18G2. 
M'KUlips, Wm. M., vet. 

M'Kee, Geo. W., m. 0. Sept. 16, lS6i; exp. of term. 
M'Intire, Joseph, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1802; died at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 

24, 1862. 
M'Gui.'C, Jcscj'h. 



86 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Noble, John, vet. 

Pautious, Geo. W., m. i. s., Sept. 3, 1863. 

Kfer, Henry, m. i. s. March 1, 1864; died at Roanoak Island, N. C, 

Aug. 14, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Newbern, plot 7, grave 22. 
Price, Hiram. 

Eisher, Wm. G., dis. on surgeon's certificate Jan. 13, 1862. 
Eichards, John, dis. on surgeon's ceriifloate, March 28, 1863. 
Smith, PhiUp, absent sick at m. o.; vet. 
Sheaffer, Wm. H., absent sick at m. o.; vet. 
Schrecengast, Jeremiah, m. i. s. Sept 3, 1863. 
Shultz, John, m. i. s. Sept. '2, 1864. 
Shay, Reese, m, i. s. March 10, 1864. 
Stewart, Wm. R., m. i. s. Jan. 13, 1862; dis. Feb. 26, 1862. 
Sadler, Israel, dis. on surgeon's certificate June 19, 1862. 
Scott, Sharp W., dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug. 29, 1862. 
Shoup, John F., m. o. Sept. 16, 1S(J4; exp. of term. 
Stiffy, Jacob, died at Kingston, N. C, Dec. 14, 1862. 
Smith, John R., died near Washington, D. C, March 26, 1862. 
Stiffy, Isaac. 

Thompson, Samuel, dis. on surgeon's certificate Jan. 18, 1865; vet. 
Wilson, Jesse B., m. i. s. Aug. 29, 1864. 
Yount, John, died at Rose Cottage hospital, Va., May 29, 1862. 

Company D. 

[The members of this company, except in cases otherwise speci- 
fied, were mustered into service November 13, 1861, and mustered out 
with the company June 25, 1865.] 



Captain Jos. K. Hamilton, res. April 9, 1862. 

Captain M. M. Meredith, pro. from 1st Lt. April 10, 1862 ; res. July 

13, 1862. 
Captain Fletcher Smullin, pro. from 2d Lt. to 1st Lt. AprU 10, 1862 ; 

to Capt, July 15, 1862 ; absent without leave at m. o. 
First Lieutenant Alfred L. Fluke, pro. from Serg. to 2d Lt. April 10, 

1862 : to 1st Lt. May 1, 1863. 
Second Lieutenant George W. Stoke, pro. to 2d Lt. Oct. 31, 1862 ; trans. 

to Co. B Oct. 31, 1S63. 
First Sergeant John H. Brown, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; pro. to 1st Serg. 

Jan. 2, 1864 ; vet. 
First Sergeant James W. O'Donald, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; killed at 

Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 
Sergeant J. A. Humphreys, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; pro. to Serg. Jan. 2, 

1864 ; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 10, 1864 ; vet. 
Sergeant Daniel A. Stokes, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; captured at Ply- 
mouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; pro. from Corp. May 1, 1865. 
Sergeant Thomas A. Gray, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864. 
Sergeant John S. Moorehead. m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; prisoner from 

April 20, 1864, to April 28, 1865 ; dis. by G. 0. June 12, 1865 ; 

vet. 
Sergeant Anthony Spangler, killed at Kingston, N. C, Dec. 14, 1862. 
Sergeant Levi Nolf, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864 ; died 

at Annapolis, Md., March 18, 1865. 
Corporal Robert C. Fritz, pro. to Corp. Jan. 2, 1864 ; prisoner from 

April 20, to Dec. 14, 1864 ; vet. 
Corporal John D. Orr, m. i. s. Jan. 26, 1864 ; prisoner from April 20, 

1864, to Feb. 27, 1865 ; pro. to Corp. May 1, 1865. 
Corporal John M'CIain, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; prisoner from April 

20, 1864, to Feb. 26, 1865; dis. by G. 0. June 3, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal Adam Nolf, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; prisoner from April 20, 

1864, to Feb. 28, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 12, 1865 ; vet. 
Corporal Henry Gumbert, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; captured at Ply- 
mouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at AndersonvUle, Ga., June 

26, 1864 ; grave 2,631 ; vet. 
Musician John J. Stoke, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; captured at Plymouth, 

N. C, April 20,1861; vet. 
Musician Joshua C. Bowser, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; prisoner from 

April 20, 1864, to March 8, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. June 2, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Anthony, Jacob J., prisoner April 20 to Dec. 6, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. May 

9, 1865. 
Alton, Hamilton, prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 13, 1864 ; dis. March 

15, 1866, to date Dec. 19, 1864. 
Ailer, Benjamin, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 11, 1864 ; grave 5,286. 
Armstrong, Cham's, died at Kittanning, Pa., date unknown. 
Andrews. Jacob, (lis. on surgeon's certificate 1862. 
Allman, Conrad, not on m. o. roll. 



Baily, Samuel, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1801 ; prisoner from April 20, 1864, to 

Feb. 27, 1865 ; vet. 
Bowser, Daniel, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862 ; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. Aug. 16, 1865. 
Baughman, Joseph, dis. on surgeon's certificate April, 1862. 
Baughman, Joshua, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 1863. 
Blake, Wm. N., m. i. s. Sept. 26, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1854; vet. 
Beeham, Jas. A., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 16, 1864, grave 6127. 
Brown, Jas. F., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Charlestown, S. C, Oct. 10, 1864. 
Bowser, Aaron J., m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1804; died at Charlestown, S. C, Oct. 10, 1864. 
Brooks, Jas., died at Yorktown, Va., April 13, 1862; buried in Mil. Asy. 

Cem., D. C. 
Brown, W. S., died at Y^orktown, Va., May 28, 1862; buried in Nat. 

Cem., sec. D, grave 386. 
Crow, Sam'l, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 

20, 1864; absent with leave at m. o.; vet. 
Clark, Sam'l, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 

20, 1S64; vet. 
Crookshank, W. A., prisoner from April 20, 1864, to Feb. 24, 1865; dis. 

May 19, to date March 1, 1865. 
Crow, Aaron T., dis. on surgeon's certificate Jan., 1862. 
Crowr, Hobt. M., dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug., 1862. 
■ Craig, Sam'l H., dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug., 1862. 
Craig, Wm. R., dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug., 1862. 
Craig, Geo., dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb., 1862. 
Coursin, Benj. F., dis. on surgeon's certificate June, 1862. 
Cathcart, Robt., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 29, 1864, grave 7176. 
Craig, Wm. H. H., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died 

at Andersonville, Ga., Sept. 1, 1864, grave 7456. 
Crow, Jas. H., died at Harrison's Landing, Va., July, 1862. 
Davidson, Geo. W., dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb., 1862. 
Dailey, Wm., trans, to 8th N. Y. Ind. Bat. Jan. 1, 1864. 
Duncan, Wm. 
Early, Andrew, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; vet. 
Elder, Job, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 

20, 1864; vet. 
Eyman, Geo. W., dis. on. surgeon's certificate June, 1862. 
Fish, Robert, dis. on surgeon's certificate, 1863. 
Gould, John, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20, 1864, to 

Feb. 27, 1865; vet. 
Gray, Chas. C, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 

10, 1864; absent with leave at m. o.; vet. 
Galentine, Wm., Sr., dis. on surgeon's certificate Aug., 1862. 
Given, Geo. W., dis. on surgeon's certificate March, 1863. 
Grifl'en, Lewis, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862; captured atPlymouth, N. C, April 

■20, 1864; vet. 
Galentine, Abraham, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. 

C, April 20, 1864; vet. 
Galentine, Wm., Jr., died at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 30, 1862. 
Huffman, John H., m. i. s. March 15, 1865. 
Hooks, Robert, m. i. s. Feb. 18, 1864. 
Henry, Levi, m. i. s. March 25, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864. 
Hamilton, Sam'l E., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864. 
Hamilton, Sam'l W., prisoner from April 20, 1864, to Feb. 28, 1865; dis. 

April 20, to date March 6, 1865. 
Hamilton, John E., dis. on surgeon's certificate, 1862. 
Haller, Peter, captured at Plymouth, N. C. AprQ 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., July 22, 1864, grave 3795; vet. 
Henry, Jeremiah B., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; captured at Plymouth, 

N. C, April 20, 1864; died at AndersonvUle, Ga., Sept. 1, 1864, 

grave 7637. 
Hooks, Thos. J., m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville,Ga. , June 24, 1864, grave 2387. 
Hamilton, Sam'l S., died at Washington, D. C, June 1, 1862; buried 

in Mil. Asy. Cem. 
Hays, Robert, died at White Oak Swamp, Va., date unknown. 
ICness, Martin, dis. on surgeon's certificate April, 1862. 
Kroson, Wm. B., m. i. s. Nov. 11, 1861; pro. to 2d Lt., Co. K, Dec. 15, 

1561. 
Kness, Wm. H., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Annapolis, Md., Dec 1, 1864; vet. 
Leisure, Geo. W., prisoner from April 20, 1864, to April 29, 1865; dis. 

June 16, to date May 21, 1865; vet. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



87 



Mack, Geo., m. i, s. March 14, 1865. 

Mills, Lorenzo F., m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862; deserted; returned June 30, 

1863; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 10, 1864. 
Merikel, Jos. S., dis. on surgeon's certificate, 1862. 
Myers, Jacob, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; vet. 
Martin, John, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 22, 18W, grave 

6,480; vet. 
Moorhead, Isaac S.,m. i. s. Nov. 18, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N, C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., Sept. 1, 1S64. 
Myers, David, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died on 

hoard transport Northern Light, Dec. 13, 1864; vet. 
Metzler, Barnhart, died at Plymouth, N. C, 1863. 
M'Annich, Henry, dis. on surgeon's certificate, April, 1862. 
M'Lafferty, John, not on m. o. roll. 
Nolf, Barney, m. i. s. Jan, 15, 1864; prisoner from April 20, 1864, to 

April 28, 1865; dis. June 21, to date May 18, 1865. 
Oliver, Wm., captured at Plymouth, N. C.,' April 20,1364; died at 

Andersonville, Ga. , Aug. 9, 1865, grave 5184. 
Precious, Daniel, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864. 
Parsons, Jas. T., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., July 5, 1862, grave 2904. 
Pontious, Wm. O., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Charleston, S. C, Sept. 23, 1804. 
Porter, James, died at Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 3, 1862. 
Ritchey, Jas., trans, to Co. B Jan. 1, 1864; vet. 
Eugh, Michael J., captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died 

at Andersonville, Ga., July 8, 1864, grave 3023. 
Keese, Samuel, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at 

Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 1, 1864, grave 4507. 
Smullin, Raphael S., m. i. s. March 31, 1865. 
Smullin, Adolph M., m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20 to 

Deo. 10, 1864; absent with leave at m. o.; vet. 
Smith, Martin, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 10, 

1864; absent with leave at m. o.; vet. 
Schrecengast, Levi, m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20, 1864, 

to Feb. 26, 1865; dis. by G. O. June 2, 1865; vet. 
Scott, Geo., dis. on surgeon's certificate, 1862. 
Simmers, Jas., dis., date unknown, for wounds received at Kingston, 

N. C, Dec. 14, 1862. 
Sackett, Jas., dis., date unknown, for wounds received at Kingston, 

N. C, Dee. 14, 1862. 
Smith, Samuel, dis. on surgeon's certificate, 1862. 
Shall, Thomas, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 1863. 
Slazle, Geo. K., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 1863. 
Simpson, Thompson, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 1863. 
Smith, Geo., trans, to Co. K, date unknown. 
Simmers, Eli, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; died at Wil- 

■ mington; buried in Nat. Cem., grave 987. 
Spong, Henry, captured at Pljmiouth, N. C, April 20, 1864. 
Stultz, Jacob, killed at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862; buried in Mil. 

Asy. Cem., D. C. 
Schrecengast, A., m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861; captured at Plymoutli, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 12, 1804, grave 

5429; vet. 
Smeltzer, Jas., m. i. s. Sept. 8, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C., April 

20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., July 17, 1864, grave 3480. 
Stine, Leonard, died at Yorktown, Va., 1862. 
Smullin, Z. C, died at Harrison's Landing, Va., July, 1862. 
Shall, Wm., died at Orrsville, Armstrong Co., Pa., 1862. 
Todd, Wm., trans, to Co. K, date unknown. 
Trolinger, Isaac S., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 1863. 
Trolernan, Conrad, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, date unknown. 
Welch, Martin, m. 1. s. Sept. 25, 1861; prisoner from April 20 to Nov, 

30, 1864; vet. 
Wyant, Jeremiah, m. i. s. Aug. 30, 1862; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 

10, 1864. 
Wilson, Wibber F., m. i. S.March 15, 1865. 
Wolf, Mathias, dis. on surgeon's certificate April, 1862. 
Wheeler, AVm., killed at Kingston, N. C, Dee. 14, 1862. 
Wolf, Andrew, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1862; died at Newbern, N. C, March 17, 

1863; buried in Nat. Cem., plot 7, grave 115. 

Company F. 
officees. 
1st Lieutenant Jas. H. ChambeiB, m. i. s. Sept. 16, 1861; pro. from 
Sergt. Major to 2d Lt. May 1, 1863 ; to 1st Lt. July 4, 1863; cap- 
tured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1861; m. o. March 15, 1805. 



Corporal Benj. Edwards, m. i. s. Dec. 0, 1861 ; captured at Plymouth, 
N. C, April 20, 1864; died at Annapolis, Md., March 9, 1805; 
vet. 



Bish, Jacob, m. i. s. Dec. 7, 1801 ; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 

20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., July 5, 1804; grave 2913, 

vet. 
Mohney, Franklin, m. i. s. Dec. 7, 1861 ; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April '20, 1864; died; buried Nat. Cem., MiUen, Ga., sec. A., 

grave 107. 
Slagle, Lemuel C, ra. i. s. Dec. 7, 1.861; wounded in action Jan. 27, 

1864 ; trans. toCo. A, 18th reg. Vet. Res. Corps ; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate March 27, 1865 ; vet. 
Springer, John, m. i. s. Dec. 7, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 28, 1861 ; grave 

7141. 
Waterson, Wm. B., m. i. s. Dec. 7, 1861 ; prisoner from April 20, 1804; 

to April 21, 1 865 ; dis. by 6. 0. June 2, 1865 ; vet. 

Company G. 



1st Lieutenant Zachariah M. Cline, m. i. s, Jan. 10, 1802 ; pro. from 1st 
Sergt. to 2d Lt. Jan. 25, 1863, to 1st Lt. July 1, 1863; killed at Ply- 
mouth, N. C, April 18, 1864. 

Sergeant Wm. J. Stuchell, m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1862 ; dis. 

Musician Saul H. Hagerty, m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1862. 

PBIVATES. 

Gourley, Geo. M., m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1862 ; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 

7, 1864 ; absent on fur. at m. o. ; vet. 
Kron, John R., m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1802 ; prisoner from April 20 to Dec. 

14, 1864 ; pro. to Com. Sergt. May 18, 1865 ; vet. 
Montgomery, Robt., m. i. s. Jan. 10, 1862 ; dis. 
Shakley, Geo., m. i. s. Sept. 7, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., July 25, 1864; grave 

4012 ; vet. 

Company K. 

[The members of this company, except when otherwise specified, 
were mustered into the service Oct. 28, 1861, and mustered out with 
the company June 25, 1865.] 



Captain James Adams, m. i. s. Sept. 24, 1861 ; pro. from 1st Sergt. Co. 

B, Feb. 22, 1862 ; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Dec. 15, 1863 ; res. 

March 26, 1864. 
2d Lieutenant Wm. B. Kroson, m. i. s. Nov. 11, 1861; pro. from private 

Co. D, Dec. 15, 1861; res. Aug. 2, 1862. 
Sergeant Alex. Duncan ; captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864 ; 

absent on fur. at m. o. ; vet. 
Sergeant David Baughman, prisoner from April 20, 1864, to April 28, 

1865 ; dis. June 8 to date May 18, 1865 ; vet. 
Sergeant Henry Grafl", dis. on surgeon's certificate. 
Sergeant Joseph Thom, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps. 
Musician Sylv's G. Rosansteel, m. i. s. Sept. 24, 1861 ; trans, to Co. A., 

Jan.l, 1864; vet. 

PRIVATES. 

Allman, John, killed at Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. 

Burns, Thos., dis. exp. of term. 

Heasly, Harrison, m. i. s. Jan. 25, 1862 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate. 

Hawk, John, dis. on surgeon's certificate, Feb. IS, 1862. 

Heasly, John, captured at Plymouth, N. C, April 20, 1864; vet. 

Kaemerer, H. W., died at Plymouth, N. C, Feb. 10, 1864; buried in 

Nat. Cem., Newbern, plot 7, grave 109. 
Knox, Thomas ; died. 
M'Curdy, John W. C; vet. 

Nelson, Geo. W., died in Hos. at Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 5, 1862. 
Nelson, Andrew, m. i. s. Aug. 7, 1862; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864 ; died at Andersonville, Ga., July 22, 1864; grave 

3822. 
Porter, Jacob, dis. at Ladies' Home Hos., N. Y., July 28, 1864. 
Reed, Samuel, died at Yorktown, Va.; buried in Nat. Cem,, sec. B, 

grave 233. 
Reeseman, Thomas C, m. i. s. Jan. -5, 1862; died at Point Lookout, 

Md., June 22, 1862. 
Smith, Thomas A., dis. exp. of term. 
Smith, Geo., m. i. s. Nov. 13, 1861 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate. 



88 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Shoop, Samuel, m. i. s. Dec. 5, 1861; captured at Plymouth, N. C, 

April 20, 1864; died at Andersonville, 6a., Aug. 19, 1864; grave 

6205; vet. 
Todd.Wm., m. i. s. Nov. 13, 1861 ; captured at Plymouth., N. C, April 20, 

1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., July 17, 1864; grave 3473; vet. 
Taylor, John, m. i. s. Feb. 12, 1862. 

Worchter, John ; died at David's Island, N. Y., July 28, 1862. 
Weaver, Jacob, m. i. s. Oct. 30, 1861 ; died at Philadelphia, Pa. , Aug. 

21, 1862. 

one htjndeed and fourth kbgimbnt, company k 
(new). 
This company was recruited in Armstrong county 
by Capt. Martin McCanna and Lieut. Joel Craw- 
ford after their term of service in the 78th regt. 
had expired. The company was mustered into the 
104th regt. as a new company for one year of ser- 
vice, but actually served for only a little over six 
six months. 

[The men in this company I'as well as those in the other new com- 
panies of the 104th regt.) were mustered out August 25, 1865, with the 
exception of those referred to in foot notes.] 

OFFICERS. 

Captain Martin McCanna, m. i. s. March 16, 1865. 
1st Lieutenant Joel Crawford, m. i. s. March 16, 1865. 
2d Lieutenant Samuel A. Bowser, m. i. s. March 16, 1865. 
1st Sergeant Nelson Henry, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Sergeant Thomas M. Kuhn, m. i. s. March 15, 1865. 
Sergeant Wm. Martin, m. i. s. March 1, 1865. 
Sergeant James W. Jack, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Sergeant David G. Stewart, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Sergeant Arch. M. Stewart,* m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Sergeant George S. Drake, m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Corporal John W. linger, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Corporal Wm. W. Graham, m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Corporal Obediah Cratty, m. i. s. March 15, 1865. 
Corporal James Curry, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Corporal Asa Crossman, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Corporal John Blain, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Corporal Robert Beatty, m. i. s. March 1, 1865. 
Corporal Robert Pennington, m. i. s. March 3, 1865. 
Corporal William C. Griffin, m. i. s. March 2, 1865. 
Musician Phillip Young, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Musician James E. Martin, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 

PKIVATES. 

Anderson, Samuel T., m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Anderson, Jacob, m. i. s. March 15, 1865. 
Adams, Peter, m. i. s. March 7, 1865. 
Ammon, Peter T., m. i. s. March 7, 1865. 
Aul, Casper,t m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Bengough, H. H., m. i. s. March 18, 1865. 
Brown, David A., m. i. s. March 9, 1865. 
Beatty, Samuel A., m. s. March 9, 1865. 
Brunton, James M., m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Barickman, Abram, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Barickman, Simou, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Brandon, Pretley, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Bean, Henry, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Bush, Michael, March 13, 1865. 
Brunermer, Frederick, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Cloak, Andrew, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Cooper, John, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Croup, Jacob, m. i. s. March 15, 1866. 
Cowan, William, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Cousins, George W., m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Devo, Glendora, m. i. s. March 9, 1865. 
Ducket, Geo. W., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Edwards, Jas. C, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Fleming, John K., m. i. s. March 2, 1865. 
Henry, James P., m. i. s. March 2, 1805. 



* Dis. by G. O. May ! 
t Dis. Aug. 9, 1866. 



,1865. 



Henry, Sylvester, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Hancock, Lewis, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Henshaw, Lewis, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Hogan, James H., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Hawk, Alfred T., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Hammond, T. J.,* m. i. s. March 10, 1866. 
Jack, Chambers, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Klingensmith, N. K., m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Leedom, James M., m. i. s. March 10, 1805. 
Lemmon, Andrew, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Morgan, Josiah, m. i. s. March 9, 1865. 
Morgan, Henry, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Montgomery, E. B., m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Moyer, John, m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Moore, John W., m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Miller, John M., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
May, John,! m. i. s. Feb. 2o, 1865. 
McDonald, Jas. A., m. i. s. March 9, 1865. 
McCoUister, J. M., m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
McKain, David, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1865. 
McKain, Abner, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1865. 
Pence, Washington, m. i. s. March 2, 1865. 
Pearce, Samuel A., m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Parke, Robert, m. i. s. March 10, 1865. 
Quigley, John, m. i. s. March 6, 1865. 
Ralston, John, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Eidgley, George, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1865. 
Rowley, William,t m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Sprankler, W. H. B., m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Spencer, Jas. R., m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Stewart, William, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Sowers, Adam, m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Stevenson, James, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Sanger, Abraham, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
Saylvas, WiUiam, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Swartzwelder, Isaac, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Sypes, Robert M., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Swan, George, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Toomey, Daniel, m. i. s. March 3, 1865. 
Wolf, Solomon P., m. i. s. March 9, 1865, 
Wolf, George, m. i. s. March 14, 1866. 
Wolf, Lewis J., m. i. s. March 9, 1865. 
Wilson, Alexander, m. i. s. March 11, 1865. 
White, John T., m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 
Wyant, Martin, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1866. 
Wray, William, m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1865. 
Yount, Abraham, m. i. s. March 14, 1865. 
Young, John, m. i. s. March 13, 1865. 

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT. 

Companies B and C of this regiment were al- 
most entirely made up of Armstrong men, and E 
and F contained each a small number. The great- 
est number of recruits was supplied by Allegheny 
county, but there were nearly two companies from 
Beaver and Mercer. The 139th was organized at 
the place of rendezvous, Camp Howe, near Pitts- 
burgh, September 1, 1862, when the defeat of the 
Union army at Bull Run had made apparent the 
need of reinforcement. The field oflicers elected 
were Frederick H. Collier, colonel ; James D. 
Owens, lieutenant colonel ; William H. Moody, 
major. The regiment was immediately ordered to 
the front and departed on the evening of the day 
it was organized, receiving arms at Harrisburg on 
the 2d and arriving at Washington on the 3d. 
The first duty to which it was assigned was that 



* Died at Norfolk, Va., June 1, 1865. 
t Died at Norfolk, Va., Aug. 10, 1865. 
X Died at Norfolk, Va., Aug. 23,1865. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



89 



of burying tlie Union dead left upon the field of 
Bull Run, which work heing accomplished, the 
regiment was hurried forward after the main 
army, which was overtaken ujjon the I'/th at An- 
tietam. The 139th was at once put in line, but 
did not become engaged. The regiment was as- 
signed to the 3d brigade, 3d division of the 6th 
corps. In the battle of Fredericksburg, December 
13, the 6th corjjs was held in I'eserve and, beyond 
being under a heavy artillery fire, was not engaged. 
The regiment lost thirteen men killed. In the 
Chancellorsville campaign of May, 1863, the 139th, 
as a part of Gen. Wheaton's brigade, did splendid 
service and suffered severely, losing 123 men in 
killed, wounded and missing. July 1, when the 
great fight at Gettysburg opened, the 6th corps 
was resting thirty miles away, and, immediately 
upon receiving orders, marched to the scene of 
carnage. Wheaton's brigade arrived upon the 2d, 
and, forming with the 139th vipon the extreme left 
of the line, swept across the open ground to the 
right of Little Round Top and over the rugged, 
wooded knoll to the right of the road leading over 
to the peach orchard, where it took up a position 
which it firmly held, checking the enemy in every 
attempt to penetrate the Union lines. The regi- 
ment participated in the campaign which was in- 
augurated after the return of the two armies to the 
valley of Virginia, and aftei^ward went into winter 
■ quarters at Harper's Ferry. About the middle of 
March, 1864, it returned and rejoined the corps at 
Brandy Station, where it was transferred from the 
3d to the 2d division. A number of recruits had 
been added during the winter, and the regiment 
presented an array of nearly its original strength. 
While moving forward to participate in the Wil- 
derness campaign, and soon after crossing the 
Rapidan, the division was suddenly attacked and a 
two days' fight ensued, in which the federal force 
was victorious. The 139th, however, lost in killed 
and wounded 196, including nearly every commis- 
sioned officer. In the operations about Spottsyl- 
vania C. H., which lasted from May 8 to the 21st, 
the regiment bore a part, being almost constantly 
under fire and at times contesting the ground with 
the most determined bravery. At the North Anna, 
it was but lightly engaged, but at Cold Harbor the 
fighting was most bloody and heroic. June 15, the 
corps crossed the James and commenced operations 
in front of Petersburg. July 9, the corps was or- 
dered to Washington to meet the enemy under 
Early, advancing triumphantly through Maryland. 
Early was repulsed easily and the corps was not 
engaged in any decisive action until Sheridan took 
command, when the hard-fought battles of Win- 



chester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek followed. 
"In this triumphant campaign, brilliant in vic- 
tories beyond anj^ other during the war, the 139th 
bore an honorable part, attesting its bravery by 
severe losses in every field." There being nothing 
more for it to do in the valley, the 6th corps re- 
turned, December 1, to its place in the lines before 
Petersburg, where it remained in quiet during the 
winter. March 25, 1865, the 139th took part in an 
assault upon the enemy's works. While the army 
was in front of Petersburg, Gen. Grant received 
from patriotic citizens the sum of $460 to be pre- 
sented to that soldier who should be the first to 
plant the Union flag on the ramparts of Rich- 
mond, upon its downfall. Richmond was not 
taken by assault, but fell without resistance, as a 
consequence of the successful assault on Peters- 
burg, April 2. Gen. Grant deemed that the 
donors' wishes would be best met by dividing the 
sum among the three color sergeants most con- 
spicuous for gallantry in the three corps of the 
army most warmly engaged in the final struggle. 
One of those three men designated by the com- 
mander of the 6th corps was Sergeant David W. 
Young, of Co. E, 139th regt. The action on the 
part of the brigade in which this regiment was in- 
cluded was very spirited at the taking of Peters- 
burg and a considerable loss was involved. After- 
ward, while pushing on to the support of Sheridan, 
the 6th corps had a sharp engagement with the 
confederate cavalry at Sailors' Creek. After the 
rebel army had surrendered, the regiment moved 
with other troops to the North Carolina border to 
support Sherman. But, Johnston soon after sur- 
rendering, hostilities ceased and the 139th re- 
turned by way of Richmond to the neighborhood 
of Washington, where it was mustered out June 
21, 1865. 

Company B. 

[All of the men of this company, except those otherwise desig- 
nated, were mustered into service for a term of three years, upon 
Sept. 1, 1862, and were mustered out June 21, 1865.] 



Captain James L. McKean, wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., 
May 12,1861; pro. to Lt. Col. July 4, 1864. 

Captain Daniel Crum, pro. from 1st Lt. July 6, 1864; died Nov. 25 of 
wounds received at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864. 

Captain Geo. A. Williams, pro. from 1st Sergt. to 2d Lt. April 23, 1863; 
to Ist Lt. July 6, 1864 ; to Capt. Feb. 28, 1865; wounded at Flint's 
Hill, Va., Sept. 21, 1864; dis. by G. O. May 15, 1865. 

First Lieutenant Andrew H. Stitt, pro. from Sergt. to 1st Sergt. April 
24, 1863; to 1st Lt. Feb. 21, 1865. 

Second Lieutenant Geo. Williams, res. March 21, 1863. 

First Sergeant Geo. W. Robinson, pro. from Sergt. Feb. 21, 1865. 

Sergeant August T. Pontious, wounded with loss of arm at Peters- 
burg, Va., June 19, 1864; absent at m. o. 

Sergeant D. W. Schrecenghost, wounded at Wilderness, Va.,5Iay.5, 
1864; pro. from Corp. Feb. 21, 1865. 

Sergeant Geo. H. Foster, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5,1864; 
pro. from Corp. Feb. 21, 1865. 



90 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Sergeant David Gilchrist, pro. to Corp. April 28, 1863; to Sergt. May 
24, 1863; wouuded at Spottsylvaiiia C. H., Va., May 18,1864; dls. 
on surgeon's certificate May 15, 1865. 

Sergeant Wm. C. Beatty, pro. to Corp. Oct. 15, 1862; to Sergt. April 
23,1863; trans, to Co. G, 6th reg.. Vet. Ees. Corps, Sept. 13, 1864; 
dis. by G. 0. July 5, 1865. 

Sergeant Alex. M. Elgin, died at Washington, D. C, May 21, 1863. 

Corporal Samson L. Cover, dis. by G. O. July 11, 1865. 

Corporal Washington Smith, wounded at Flint's Hill, Va., Sept. 21, 
1864. 

Corporal Geo. H. Kinnard, pro. to Corp. July 18, 1863; wounded at 
Wilderness May 5, 1864, and at Petersburg, Va.; absent at m. o. 

Corporal Elias Rupert, pro. to Corp. May 14, 1864. 

Corporal Daniel Yockey, pro. to Corp. Nov. 1, 1864. 

Corporal Ephraim Butler, wounded at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 
1864; pro. to Corp. Feb. 21, 1865. 

Corporal John Houser, pro. to Corp. July 18, 1863; wounded at Peters- 
burg, Va., April 2, 1865; dis. on surgeon's eertifloate May '24, 1865. 

Corporal Henry J. Cogley, pro. to Corp. April 21, 1863; died June 17, 
1863, of wounds received in action; buried in Mil. Asy. Cem., 
D. C. 

Corporal James Cogley, pro. to Corp. April 21, 18C3; killed at Wilder- 
ness May 5, 1864; buried in burial ground. Wilderness, Va. 

Corporal Louis S. Davis, pro. to Corii. May.21. 1863; lulled at Wilder- 
ness, Va., May 5, 1864. 

Corporal Sam'l E. Rupp. 

PRIVATES. 

Anthony, James W., killed at Wilderness May 5, 1864. 

Altman, David, m. i. s. Jan. 25, 1864 ; killed at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 

19, 1864. 
AUebaugh, Jos. A., died at Washington, D. C, May 13, 1863, of wounds 

received in action. 
Bowser, Ales. M. 
Bouch, Wm. B., wounded at Opequam, Va., Sept. 19, 1864 ; absent, in 

Hos., at m. o. 
Bowser, Alex. D., died at Washington, D. C, Feb. 13, 1863. 
Bowser, John R., died May 14 of wounds received at Wilderness, Va., 

May 5, 1864. 
Barr, Wm. M. 
Bowser, Jacob F., died near Fabnouth, Va., April 15, 1863 ; buried in 

Nat. Cem., Arlington. 
Bouch, Bufflngton, died, Sept. 20, of wounds received at Opequam, 

Va.,,Sept. 19, 1864. 
. Cowan, Samuel T. 
Clingensmith, John. 
Cook, Benjamin S. 
Campbell, Andrew, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. E, 93d reg. Pa. 

Vol. June 21, 1866. 
Cunningham, John, m. i. s. March 17, 1864; trans, to Co. E, 93d reg. 

Pa. Vol. June 21, 1865. 
Claypool, John C, died near Falmouth, Va., March 27, 1863. 
Craig, John D., died at DanviUe, Va., Oct. 17, 1862. 
Cochran, Samuel, died Jan. 21, 1863. 

Crum, Geo. H., killed at Wilderness, May 5, 1864; biuried in Wilder- 
ness Burial Grounds, Va. 
Cochran, James B. 
EUenbarger, Robert C. 
EUenbarger, W. P. 
Edwards, Richard. 
Emery, John D., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; dis. Feb. 

15, 1866. 
Farster, Jonathan, wounded at Petersburg, Va., March 25, 1865; dis. 

by G. O, July 6, 1865. 
Fuller, David J., trans, to Co. E, 93d reg. Pa. Vol. June 21, 1866. 
Fair, Chambers, died at Hagerstown, Md., Nov. 13, 1862. 
George, Christopher, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; trans. 

to Co. E, 93d reg. 
Gray, Aaron, died at Washington, D. C, April 14,1863; buried in 

Harmony Burial Grounds. 
Hileman, Joseph, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; absent, 

in Hos., at m. o. 
Hooks, Merchant B., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 1^, 

1864. 
Howser, Jos. R. 

Highfleld, Reed J., dis. on surgeon's certificate May 22, 1863. 
Halem, Sylvanus, died near Baltimore Nov. 15, 1862 ; buried in Mili- 
tary Asylum Cem., D. C. 
Houser, Jeremiah, trans, to 12th reg. Ind. Cav. Sept. 22, 1862. 
Hoover, Samuel M., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865. 



Highfield, Joseph, died April 18, 1863. 

Isaman, Henry, died at Philadelphia, June 28, of wounds received at 

Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. 
Kness, John, wounded at Petersburg, Va., March 26, 1865 ; dis. by G. 

0., June 21, 1865. 
Kennedy, Joseph. 
King, James H., trans, to Co. — 22d reg. Vet. Res. Corps, Nov. 16, 

1863; dis. by G. O. July 3, 1865. 
Kunkle, Jacob L., died near Falmouth, Va., March 28, 1863. 
Kealer, Matthias. 
Love, John A. 
Linsinbigler, W. R., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; died at 

Washington, D. C, June 8, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Arling- 
ton. 
Mock, Philander. 

Morrow, Thomas, died at Potomac creek, Va., May 11, 1863. 
McKean, Abner, dis. on surgeon's certificate, Jan. 12, 1863. 
Mclntire, Stephen S., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, Sept. 13, 1864 ; dis. by 

G. O. Aug. 21, 1865. 
McMillen, Wm. , died. May 17, of wouuds received at Wilderness, Va. , 

May 5, 1864. 
Oliver, Alex. R. 
Painter, Henry. 
Rosenbarger, Fred. 
Rowe, Eli. 

Rearich, Leonard, trans, to 93d reg. Pa. Vol. June 21, 1865. 
Rupert, Absalom W., trans, to Co. E, 93d reg. Pa. Vol. June 21, 1865. 
Rhoads, Oliver M., killed at Flint's Hill, Va., Sept. 21, 1864 ; buried in 

Nat. Cem., Winchester, lot 9. 
Remely, Anthony H., died at Hancock, Md., Oct. 18, 1862. 
Shearer, Jacob S. 
Shawl, Levi. 
Southorth, John B. 
Schrecenghost, J. M. 
Schrecenghost, H. L. 
Say, Abner D., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; absent, in 

hospital, at m. o. 
Sinclair, Wm. J., dis. on surgeon's certificate, Sept. 21, 1864. 
Schrecenghost, John, dis. on surgeon's certificate. May 31, 1865. 
Spence, Thos. T., dis. by G. O. June 2, 1865. 
Speane, Geo. W., trans, to Co. E, 93d reg. Pa. Vol., June 21, 1865. 
Sinclair, Michael B. , trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Sept. 15, 1864. 
Shawl, Stephen, died at Hagerstown, Md., Dec. 23, 1864. 
Timblin, Wm. M. 
Timblin, Isaac B. 
Travis, Andra, trans, to Vet. Ees. Corps, Sept. 10, 1863; dis. by G. 0. 

Julys, 1865. 
Uplinger, John. 

Young, Daniel W., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, June 15, 1863. 
Williams, Geo. A. 

Company C. 

[All of the men in this company, except those otherwise desig- 
nated, were mustered into service Sept. 1, 1862, and mustered out 
with the company June 21, 1865. 



Captain John G. Parr, wounded at Cold Harbor, Va., June 3, 1864; 
pro. to Lt. Col. July 6, 1864. 

Captain Samuel C. Crawford, pro. from 1st Sergt. to Ist Lt. Sept. 1, 
1863; to Capt. Jidy 6, 1864; Bt. Major April 2, 1865. 

First Lieutenant Wm. Fitzgerald, died Nov. 16, 1862. 

First Lieutenant John C. Sample, m. i. s. July 22, 1861; pro. from pri- 
vate, Co. F 62d reg. Pa. Vol., to 2d Lt. March 11, 1863; to 1st Lt. 
July 6, 1864; to Capt. Co. I Feb. 4, 1865. 

Second Lieutenant Joseph W. Norris, com. 1st Lt. Feb. 8, 1863; not 
mustered; dis. on surgeon's certificate March 10, 1863. 

First Sergeant Samuel S. W. Steel, wounded at Flint's Hill, Va., Sept. 
21, 1864; pro. from Corp. to 1st Sergt. Jan. 1, 1866; dis. on sur- 
geon's certificate April 20, 1865. 

First Sergeant Harvey Park, pro. from Corp. to Sergt. July 1, 1863; 
to 1st Sergt. Sept. 2, 1863; wounded at Cold Harbor, Va., June 2, 
1864; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Dec. 30, 1864; dis. by G. 0. Aug. 
31, 1865. 

Sergeant John H. Giles, pro. to Corp. May 10, 1863; to Sergt. July 19, 
186J; wounded at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864; absent, in hos- 
pital, at m. 0. 

Sergeant Edward Armstrong, pro. to Corp. May 10, 1863; to Sergt. Jan. 
1, 1865. 

Sergeant Andrew Mock, pro. to Corp. Aug. 1, 1863; to Sergt. Jan. 1, 1865. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



91 



Sergeant Samuel C. Davis, pro. from Corp. 1803: wounded at Wilder- r 

ness, Va., May 5, 1864; dis. on surgeon's certilicate May 13, 18(jj. 
Sergeant John B. Lardin, pro. from Corp. ; trans, to Vet. Kes. Corps 

July 27, 1863. 
Sergeant James B. Parks, pro. from private; wounded at Gettysburg, 

Pa., July 3, 1863; died Aug. 8, 1863; buried In Nat. Cem., sec. C, 

grave 88. 
Sergeant Henry Harding, pro. from private May 4, 1863; wounded at 

Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864; died June 25, 1864; buried at 

City Point. 
Sergeant James R. McQuillcin, pro. from Corp. to Sergt. Nov. 1, 1863; 

wounded at Wilderness May 5, 1864; died at Fredericksburg 

May 9, 1804. 
Sergeant Geo. W. Hawk, pro. from Corp, to Sergt. July 1, 1804; died 

at Httsburgb Sept. 12, 1864. 
Corporal Daniel Shauer, pro. to Corp. Aug. 1, 1863; wounded at Spott- 

sylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864. 
Corporal Alexander H. Giffln, pro. to Corp. Sept. 1, 1864. 
Corporal Solomon Peters, pro. to Corp. Sept. 1, 1864; wounded at 

Flint's Hill, Va., Sept. 21, 1864; absent, in hospital, at m. o. 
Corporal James Lynch, pro. to Corp. Jan., 1865. 
Corporal John McWhinney, pro. to Corp. Oct. 9, 1862; dis. on surgeon's 

certificate June 20, 1863. 
Corporal Joseph Walker, pro. to Corp. 1863; wounded at Opequam, 

Va., Sept. 19, 1864; dis. on surgeon's certificate April 20, 1805. 
Corporal Thomas A. Templeton, pro. to Corp. Aug. 24, 1863; trans, to 

Vet. Res. Corp Jan. 1, 1805; dis. by G. 0. June '29, 1805. 
Corporal Thomas Ogden, pro. to Corp. Sept. 1, 1861; killed at Ope. 

quam, Va., Sept. 19, 1864. 
Musician Graves S. Crosby. 
Musician James A. Bair. 

PRIVATES. 

Artman, Jonathan, wounded at Cold Harbor, Va., June 2, 1864; pris- 
oner from March 27 to May 15, 1865. 
Barrickman, D. R. P. 

Blase, Hamilton, dis. by G. 0. May 15, 1865. 
Bryant, Wm., dis. by G. O. May 13, 1805. 
Burtch, Sam'lS. W., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 

1804 ; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865 ; dis. by G. 0. July 3, 

1805. 
Critzer, Abraham, dis. on surgeon's certificate, Feb. 23, 1803. 
Cline, Simon H., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864 ; trans, to 

Co. F, 19th reg. Vet. Res. Corps, Sept. 30, 1861 ; dis. by G. 0. 

July 13, 1305. 
Conley, Henry Y., not on m. o. roll. 
Dout, John S. 

Doyle, Moses, prisoner from May 7, 1864, to April 14, 1805. 
Donaldson, Samuel, m. i. s. Sept. 19, 1864 ; not on m. o. roll. 
Evans, Benjamin, prisoner from May 7, 1864, to Feb. 20, 1865. 
Fominger, Abraham. 
Fowler, Jacob M. 
Frank, John, wounded at Petersburg, Va., March 25, 1865 ; absent in 

hospital, atm. o. 
Ford, John. 
Fiscus, Wm. W., wounded at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 13, 1862 ; dis. 

on surgeon's certificate Feb. 1803. 
Ferry, John C, died April 12, 1863. 

Graham, Robert, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. 
Gourley, Geo., died Jan. 12, 1863. 
Grinder, Sam'l, died at Pittsburgh, Dec. 25, 1864. 
Gibb, Mitchell, wounded at Petersburgh, Va., April 2, 1865 ; died May 

9, 1865; buried in Nat. Cem., Arlington. 
Haines, John H. 
Hawk, Geo. A. 

Jack, Labanna S., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1804. 
Kennedy, Edward G. 
Kllngensmlth, J. W., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1804; dis. 

on surgeon's certificate Dec. 24, 1864. 
Kepple, Lemuel A., wounded at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1803; 

trans, to Co. F, 24th reg. Vet. Res. Corps, March 7, 1804 ; dis. by 

G. 0. June 23, 1805. 
Kerr, Valentine, wounded at Gettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1803; trans, to 

Vet. Res. Corps, 1804. 
Klingensmith, J. A., died Dec. 2, 1862. 
Lessig, Joseph F., wounded at Fort Stevens, D. C, July 11, 1804; 

trans, to Co. G, 14th reg. Vet. Res. Corps; dis. by G. O. June 20, 

1805. 
Long, John J., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1804; 

■ absent, in hospital, at m. o. 



Long, Jacob M., dis. by G. 0. July 17, 1865. 

Lookabaugb, E. E., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. 

Long, Robert, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 3, 1864. 

Layton, John, trans, to Vet. Res, Corps Oct. 2, 1803. 

Long, Geo. W., wounded at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863 ; died at 

Washington, D. C, Sept. 19, 1863. 
Long, William, killed at Cold Harbor, Va., June 3, 18IH. 
Myers, Christopher F. 
Mullen, Mahlon L., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 

1864; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865. 
Maypole, Wm. F., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 18<>l ; 

trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865. 
Maypole, John D., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864; 

trans, to Vet, Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865. 
Maculey, George L., killed at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863. 
MoQuilkin, John, dis. on surgeon's certificate June 10, 1863. 
McWhinney, H., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va,, May 12, 1861 ; 

dis. on surgeon's certificate April 27, 1865. 
McKee, Robert W., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; dis. on 

surgeon's certificate May 19, 1865. 
McKee, James F., trans, to Signal Corps Nov. 15, 1863. 
Mclntire, James C, wounded at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863; 

trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Feb. 11, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. July 3, 1865. 
McKean, J. C. M., died. May 13, of wounds received at Spottsylvania 

C. H., Va., May9, 1804. 
McKee, James, died, June 6, of wounds received at Cold Harbor, Va., 

June 3, 1864. 
Novinger, Isaac. 

Phillips, John, dis. on surgeon's certificate May 4, 1863. 
Parks, Robert, died at Martinsburg, W. Va., Oct. 23, of wounds 

received at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864. 
Ross, Daniel B. 
Rupert, John C, wounded at Spottsylvania C. H. May 12, 1864; dis. 

by G.O.June 6, 1865. 
Schriber, Geo. W. 
Slease, Jacob. 
Spang, Oliver, wounded at Fort Stevens, D. C, July 11, 1861 ; absent, 

in Hos., atm. o. 
Stewart, Samuel B., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; dis. by 

G. 0. May 31, 1865. 
Straywick, Hugh M. 
Schrock, David P., wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 

1864 ; dis. on surgeon's certificate May 19, 1805. 
Stewart, Wm. R., dis. by G. O. May 12,1865. 
Scott, Alexander, wounded at Gettysburg, Pa., July, 2, 1803; trans, to 

Vet. Res. Corps July 11, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. July 3, 1805. 
Stitt, Wm. J., trans, to Co. C, 93d reg. Pa. Vol. June 21, 1865. 
Shauer, W^illiam, wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864 ; 

trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Jan. 10, 1865 ; dis. by G. 0. July 10, 1865. 
Straywick, Jacob W,, killed at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863. 
Stivison, Wm. F., died. May 14, of wounds received at Spottsylvania 

C. H., Va.,Mayl2, 1864. 
Sederick, Thomas M., captured; died at Andersonville prison, Ga., 

Aug. 15, 1864 ; grave 5699. 
Smith, Enoch W. 

Templeton. John, dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Toomey, David, wounded at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864; 

m. 0. with Co. 
Templeton, James S., dis. on surgeon's certificate Feb. 23, 1863. 
Weniel, Jos. J. 

COJIPANY E. 

[The members of this company, except when otherwise specified, 
were mustered into the service Sept. 21, 1862, and mustered out with 
the company June 21, 1865.] 

OFFICEES. 

Captain A. S. Warner, m. i. s. as 1st Sergt. on organization of Co. ; pro. 
to IstLt. Nov. 2, 1863; pro. to Capt. July 1, 1862; brvtd Major at 
battle of Wilderness May 5 and 6, 1864 ; wounded at Cold Har- 
bor, Va., Jime 2, 1864; wounded at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 
1864. 

First Lieutenant LA. Pearce, m. i. s. as 1st Lt. at organization of Co. ; 
appointed Chap, of reg. July 18, 1863; wounded at Fredericks- 
burg, Va., May 2, 1863. 

First Sergeant H. G. Owens, pro. to Corp. March 1, 1863; to Sergt. 
July 1, 1,863; to 1st Sergt. Dec. 31, 1864 ; wounded at Winchester, 
Va., Sept. 19, 1864. 

Sergeant D. W. Young, appointed Color Sergt. March 30, 1804; 
wounded at Fisher's HUl Sept. 22, 1864 ; wounded at Peters- 
burg, Va., April 2, 1865. 



92 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Sergeant John Burket, pro. to Sergt. July 1, 1864. 

Corporal Michael Anderson, dis. at close of war. 

Corporal Sam'l A. Gray, dis. at close of war. 

Corporal Geo. W. Belles, dis. at close of war. 

Corporal Erastus C. Smith, wounded at Salem Heights May 8, lS(i3. 

Corporal John H. Anderson, died at Apollo, Pa., Jan. 14, 1864. 

Corporal Jas. H. Cochran, killed at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; 

huried in burial grounds, Wilderness. 
Corporal Chas. S. Whitworth, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1864; 

killed at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864. 
Musician Thompson C. Kerr, dis at close of war. 
Musician Robt. C. Alexander, dis. at close of war. 

PRIVATES. 

David Bair, m. 1. s. Aug. 22, 1862 ; dis. at close of war. 

John Bash, m. o. with Co. 

David Ford. 

David E. Freetley, wounded at Salem Heights May 3, 1863, and at 

Spottsylvania C. H. May 12, 1864. 
Henry F. Gray, wounded In front of Fort Stevens, D. C. , July 12, 1864. 
Jas. S. Graham, wounded on Salem Heights May 3, 1863 ; captured 

Oct. 14, 1863 ; ex. May 5, 1864. 
John Jones. 
John T. Cerr. 
John Liuinger. 
Joseph Miller. 

Jas. Eumbaugh, wounded at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1.864. 
John A. Shirley, wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864, and in 

action before Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865. 
Harvey W. Withiugton, dis. at Frederick City, Md. 
Paul Wilmot. 

S. C, Wilson, captured at Fredericksburg, Va., May 5, 1863. 
A. J. Wilson. 
A. J. Wilmot. 

Smith Jack, dis. Feb. 26, 1863. 
Kelley D. Cochran, dis. Dec. 23, 1802. 
Lewis B. Cupps, dis. Sept. 14, 1863. 
Jacob B. Eakman, wounded at Salem Heights May 3, 1863, and at 

Wilderness May 6, 1.S64 ; dis. Nov. 28, 18iM. 
S. F. Hildebrand, dis. special order June 7, 1865. 
Wesley George, wounded at Spottsylvania C. H. May 12, 1864 ; dis. 

Dec. 23, 1864. 
J. C. Guthrie, wounded at Cold Harbor June 3, 1864, and at Win- 
chester Sept. 19, 1864; dis. April 12, 1865. 
Augustus Slusher, dis. Feb. 1, 1863. 
Alfred Verner, dis. Feb. 20, 1863. 
J. B. Wilson, dis. Jan. 14, 1863. 

Jas. Stiveson, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps June 9, 1865; m. o. with Co. 
Jas. Johnston, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Oct. 26, 1863; dis. by G. 0. July 

20, 1865. 
Washington Anderson, killed at Cold Harbor, Va., June 3, 1864; buried 

in Nat. Cem., sec. A. 
Hugh Kerr, died, Sept. 18, of wounds received at Fort Stevens, D. C, 

July 12, 181)4; buried in Nat. Cem., Arlington, Va. 
Wm. G. Risher, died, July 15, of wounds received at Fort Stevens, D.C. , 

July 12, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Arlington, Va. 
Samuel L. Spicher, killed at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. 
Reuben Freshwater. . 
Jas. M. Stevenson, trans, to Co. E, 9th reg. Vet. Res. Corps, Jan. 10, 

1865; dis. by G. O. July 19, 1864. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 

Nearly all of the men in Company K of this 
regiment were from Armstrong. The regiment 
was recruited in Allegheny county in the summer 
of 1862, moved to the front in September aiid first 
met the enemy in the battle of Fredericksburg. 
Subsequently it was at Gettysburg, the Wilderness, 
Laurel Hill, Taloptomy, Cold Harbor, Ream's Sta- 
tion, Peebles' Farm, Hatcher's Run, Dabney's 
Mills, Gravelly Run, Five Forks, Sailor's Creek 
and Appomattox Court House, beside some smaller 
engagements. Throughout its three years term of 



service the 155th conducted itself gallantly and 

received much praise from corps, division and 

brigade commanders. 

Company K. 

[Nearly all of the men in this company were mustered into ser- 
vice Sept. 3, 1862, and mustered out with the company June 2, 1865. 
In those cases which were exceptions to this rule the date of muster 
is given following the name.] 



Captain John A. Cline, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1862; pro. to Major Jan. 23, 

1865. 
Captain Benjamin Huey, m. i. s. July 25, 1861; pro. from 1st Lt. Feb. 

15, 1865. 
First Lieutenant Eisdon DeFord, m. i. s. Sept. 4, 1862; res. Sept. 9, 

1863. 
First Lieutenant John A. H. Foster, pro. from. Sergt. to 2d Lt. July 3, 

ISM; to 1st Lt. Feb. 15, 1865. 
Second Lieutenant Wm. W. Caldwell, m. i. s. Sept. 11, 1862; res. Nov. 

23, 1863. 
Second Lieutenant David Brown, pro. from 1st Sergt. Nov. 24, 1862; 

res. March 9, 1863. 
Second Lieutenant D. Porter Marshall, pro. from 1st Sergt. March 7, 

1865; Bt. 1st Lt., Capt. and Major March 13, 1865. 
First Sergeant D. B. Kirkpatrick, pro. from Corp. to Sergt. Dec. 1, 

1862; to 1st Sergt. March 7, 1865. 
Sergeant John D. Armstrong, pro. from Corp. April 1, 1863. 
Sergeant William D. Porter, pro. to Corp. April 1, 1863; to Sergt. March 

7, 1865. 
Sergeant John A Richey, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 29, 1863. 
Sergeant Robert 0. Clever, wounded at Petersburg, Va. June 18, 1864 ; 

dis. by G. O. May 29, 1865. 
Sergeant Frederick Sheckler, killed at North Anna river, Va., May 

23, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem. at Richmond, sec. C, division 3, 

grave 158. 
Corporal George H. Clever, pro. to Corp. Oct. 1, 1864. 
Corporal Robert P. Shields, pro. from Corp. Oct. 1, 1864. 
Corporal Spencer P. Barrett, pro. from Corp. Jan. 1, 1865. 
Corporal John C. Russell, pro. from Corp. Jan. 1, 1365. 
Corporal Sam'l Schrecenghost, pro. from Corp. March 7, 1865. 
Corporal Joseph L. Erving, dis. on Surgeon's certificate Sept. 1863. 
Corporal August Schmuek, m. 1. s. Sept. 11, 1862 ; pro. to Capt. 41st 

reg. U. S. colored troops Sept. 29, 1864; dis. Sept. 30, 1865. 
Corporal K. G. Fleming, wounded at Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865; 

absent, in hospital, at m. o. 
Corporal Adam L. Wilson, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, July, 1863. 
Corporal Geo. A. Serene, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, Dec, 1863. 
Corporal Wm. E. McClure, died near Falmouth, Va., Nov. 20, 1862. 
Musician James H. Hill, m. o. with Co. 
Musician Geo. M. Smith. 

Musician James A. Galbraith, died March 2, 1863. 
Musician John L. Ferer, drowned April, 1865. 



Bechtel, Abraham. 

Bell, Benjamin, dis. on surgeon's certificate, Feb. 17, 1863. 

Black, Wm. G. L., trans, to 96th Co., 2d bat. Vet. Res. Corps, July, 

1863 ; dis. by G. 0. Sept. 2, 1865. 
Brewster, Robert, killed at Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865; buried in 

Poplar Grove Nat. Cem., Petersburg, Va., div. A, sec. D, 

grave 4. 
Bryan, John M. 
Cogley, Daniel. 
Crawford, John J., wounded at Peeble's farm, Va., Sept. 30, 1864; 

absent, in hospital, at m. o. 
Chrisman William, wounded at Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865 ; absent, 

in hospital, at m. o. 
Cline, Wm. F., m. i. s. Dec. 21, 1863; trans, to Co. K, 191st reg. Pa. 

Vol., June 2, 1865. 
Cowan, John, killed at Gettysburg, Pa., July 3, 1863. 
Carney, John, died March 4, 1865. 

Calhoun, Eph A., killed at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864. 
Crogle, Jacob, died at Stoneman's Switch, Va., Dec. 4,1863. 
Campbell, John, died at Frederick, Md., Nov. 9, 1863; buried in Nat. 

Cem., Antietam, Sec. 26, lot E, grave 464. 
Eaton, Benjamin B., died at Acquia Creek, Va., Jan. 20, 1863. 
Fitzgerald, John R., dis. on surgeon's certificate March 29, 1863. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIX'E ROSTER. 



t)3 



Fleminff, .rohn A., killed at ChiincellorsviUe, Va., May 3, 18(>3. 

Gray, (Jlivor, 

Gray, Calvin, killed at Peeble's farm, Va., Sept. 30, ISM. buried in 

Poplar Grove Nat. Cem.. Petersburg, div. E, sec. E, grave 409. 
Hawk, Daniel C. 
Hetrick, George .1. 
lletrick, August ,T. 

Hetrick, Peter C, prisoner from June "J to Nov. "JO, 1S(J-1. 
riartman, Obrist, dis. on surgeon's certilicate Feb. 22, 1863. 
Hanegan. Geo. L., absent, in hospital, at m. o. 
Henderson, James R., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps June, 1861. 
Hayes, James W., trans, to Vet. Res. Corps July, 1863. 
Howser, Daniel, died at Stoneman's Switch. Va., Jan. 12, 1863. 
Hayes, Wm. B., died at Frederick, Md., Nov. 19, 1862 ; buried in Nat. 

Cem., Antietara, sec. 26, lot E, grave 456. 
Hosack. Thomas, killed at Laurel Hill, Va., May 8, 1864. 
Johnson, Wm. J., died at ^^'ashington, D. C, July 11, of wounds re- 
ceived at North Anna river, Va., May 2.">, 1864 : buried in Nat. 

Cem., Arlington. 
Kirkpatrick, D. C, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 28, 1863, 
Logan, Charles A. 
Jloore, John. 

Mahan, Wm. E., dis. by G. O. July 27, 1865. 
Moore, Isaac L., died at Frederick, Md., Nov. 15, 1862 ; buried in Nat. 

Cem., Antietam, see. 26, lot E, grave 463. 
Marshall, David, died Feb. 11, 1863. 
McGaughey, R. L. 
McGregor, William. 

MeCuUough, William, killed at Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1864. 
MeCloskey, D. L., died at Washington, D. C, June 15, of wounds re- 
ceived at Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 10, 1864 ; bitried in Nat. 

Cem., Arlington. 
Nicely, George. 
Nichols, Charles. 

OUinger, David, killed at Petersburg, Va. , June IS, 18(i4. 
Pettigrew, John, dis. on surgeon's eertlhcate Nov. 26, 1861. 
Reed, Gasper. 
Reesman, Wm. H., wounded at Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864; dis., 

date unknown. 
Ruffner, David H., wounded at Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864: absent, 

in hospital, at m. o. 
Ramsey, Wm. B., dis. on surgeon's certificate March 30, 1863. 
Smith, Charles M. 
Spronl, Martin V. B., wounded at Five Forks, Va., March 31, 1865; 

absent, in hospital, at m. o. 
Shoemaker, Joseph, dis. on surgeon's certificate March 31, 1863. 
Schrecenghost, Simeon, died at Frederick, Md., Dec. 7, 1862; buried 

in Nat. Cem., Antietam. 
Schreckler, George, died at Stonerman's Switch, Va., Feb. 5, 1S63. 
Thompson, George W., died at Washington, D. C, Nov. 29, 1863. 
Upperman, Henry. 
Whited, William. 
Whited, Samuel. 
Wells, William W., wounded at Laurel Hill, Va., May 8, 1864; absent, 

in hospital, at m. o. 
Whittaker, William, dis. on surgeon's certificate Jan. 27, 1863. 
Waif, David, wounded at Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864; absent, in 

hospital, at m. o. 
Walker, John S., dis. Feb. 16, 1868. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENT FOUR- 
TEENTH CAVALRY. 

August 18, 1862, Lieut. James M. Sclioonmaker, 
of the 1st Maryland Cavalry, but a citizen of Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania, was authorized by Secretary 
of War Stanton and Gov. Curtin to recruit a bat- 
talion of cavalry of five companies. Recruits came 
in so raj)idly that on the 29th the authority was 
extended to the recruiting of a full regiment of 
twelve companies. The companies were composed 
chieflj' of men from Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, 
Erie, Fayette, Lawrence, Washington and Warren 
counties. Companies K and L were principally, 
6 



and Company M entirely, composed of Armstrong 
men, and, for that reason, a brief outline of the 
history of the regiment is here inserted. 

The regiment rendezvoused first at Camp Howe 
and subsequently at C-amp Montgomery, near 
Pittsburgh, where, on November 24, organization 
was effected, with tlie following officers: colonel, 
James M. Sclioonmaker; lieutenant colonel, Will- 
iam Blakeley; majors ,Thomas Gibson, Shadrach 
Foley and John M. Daily. On the same day, the 
regiment moved toward Hagerstown, Maryland, 
and from thence to Harper's Ferry, where it re- 
mained on picket duty, varied with an occasional 
skirmish with the guerrilla bands which infested 
that'region, until May, 1863, when it was sent to 
Grafton, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and 
attached to the mounted command of Gen. Averill. 
The service at this time consisted in holding the 
towns of Beverly, Phillipi and Webster against a 
body of the enemy's cavalry. The 14th was held 
at Phillipi, and the remainder of the command at 
Webster and Beverly. The force at the latter 
place was surrounded by a brigade of the enemy. 
The 14th marched to their relief, and after a toil- 
some march reached the town early in the morn- 
ing. A short skirmish took place and the enemy 
was compelled to withdraw. After this time, 
Gen. Averill's command was engaged on the 
Upper Potomac during the Gettysburg campaign; 
also at the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, 
where the 14th distingui.shed itself by repulsing 
three determined charges of the enemy. It was in 
the Droop Mountain raid and some smaller en- 
gagements. At Craig's creek, where Geir. Averill 
and his command seemed doomed to certain cap- 
ture, he skillfully eluded the enemy, and no less 
than seven times in twenty-four hours the artillery 
was dragged by hand through the creek, which 
was deef) and filled with floating ice. In Novem- 
ber, 1863, the 14th, by the destruction of the 
bridge over the Jackson rivei-, was cut off from 
the main troops, and Gen. Earljr sent in a flag of 
truce demanding its surrender. Although sur- 
rounded by adverse circumstance, the men of the 
14th reg. were not the kind to weakly yield, but 
setting fire to the train and fording the river, they 
made their escape and rejoined the command, 
which swam the Greenbrier tliat same night, 
crossed the Alleghenies by an old bridle-path, and, 
finally, after a march of five days over almost im- 
passable roads, where the men were compelled to 
walk, reached Beverly. From this point, the 
command went to Martinsburg and into vi-inter 
quarters. In recognition of the great service 
which the command had performed, the War De- 



94 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



partment gave to each man a new suit of clothes 
as a gift from the government, the only instance 
of the kind during the war. The command was 
engaged on picket duty all of that winter, and 
arduous duty it was, too. In the spring of 1864, 
Gen. Averill's command undertook a movement 
through Virginia, which was successfully accom- 
plished after great difficulty. While on this 
march, the soldiers of the 14th, on one occasion, 
were without food for five days, and many died 
from hunger. The last portion of the seiwice in 
which this regiment was engaged included the 
battle of Moorefield and those brilliant engage- 
ments under Sheridan, which have made his name 
famous. April 20, 1865, the regiment went to 
Washington, D. C, and on June 11, to Fort 
Leavenworth, Kansas, where it was consolidated 
into a battalion of six companies. The date of 
the muster out was August 24, 1865, and the com- 
panies returned in a body to Pittsburgh, where 
they disbanded. During all the campaigns in 
which it was engaged, the 159th lost about eighty 
men killed and more than 200 wounded, besides 
many reported missing. 

FIELD AND STAFF. 

Lieutenant Colonel Wm. Blakeley, m. 1. s. Nov. 24, 1862 ; res. June 6, 

1865. 
Lieutenant Colonel John M. Dailey , m. i. s. Nov. 24, 1862 ; pro. from 

Major June 28, 1865 ; dis. Sept. 22, 1865. 
Veterinary Surgeon Josepli Miller, m. i. s. Nov. 23, 1862 ; pro. from 

private Co. E Nov. 23, 1862; dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 
Quartermaster Sergeant John W. Barclay, m. i. s. Sept. 30, 1862 ; pro. 

from Q. M. Sergt. Co. L Oct. 22. 1862 ; to 2d Lt. Co. C June 6, 1864. 
Quartermaster Sergeant George S. Matthews, m, i. s. Feb. 25, 1864; 

pro. from private Co. L. June 1, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. July 31, 1865. 
Hospital Steward William Todd, m. i. s. Oct. 25, 1862; pro. from pri- 
vate Co. L Nov. 9, 1862 ; dis. by G. O. July 31, 1865. 
Hospital Steward Cyrus Goss, m. i. s. Nov. 23, 1862 ; pro. from private 

Co. K June 1, 1865 ; dis. by G. 0. July 31, 1865. 

Company K. 

[It will be observed that a large number of men in this com- 
pany are marked " not accounted for " — a circumstance which doubt- 
less arose from an imperfection in the muster-out roll. As a matter 
of fact nearly all of these men were mustered out with the company, 
or discharged at the expiration of their term of service by General 
Order. The men were mustered into service November 23, 1862, 
except where otherwise noted.] 



Captain David K. Duff, m. i. s. Nov. 14, 1862; captured and wounded 

with loss of arm at Ashly's Gap, Va., Feb. 19, 1865 ; dis. May 15, 

1865. 
Captain James L. Kelley, m. i. s. Nov. 18, 1862 ; pro. from 2d to 1st 

Lt. Jan. 26, 1865 ; to Capt. June 8,' 1865 ; trans, to Co. B July 31, 

1865. 
Commissary Sergeant David Wright ; not accounted for. 
Sergeant David K. Armstrong, trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
Sergeant James G. Rankin, m. i. s. March 15, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B, 

July 31, 1865. 
Sergeant WiU C. Ames, m. i. s. Nov. 23, 1862 ; not accounted for. 
Sergeant William R. Cowan, m. i. s. Nov. 23, 1862 ; not accounted for. 
Sergeant Marsh Johnston, m. i. s. Nov. 23, 1862 ; not accounted for. 
Corporal Henry F. Russell, m. i. s. March 3, 1864 ; trans, to Co. —July 

31, 1865. 
Corporal Geo. S. Frailey, not accounted for. 
Corporal Jos. Case, not accounted for. 



Corporal Wm. Morrow, not accounted for. 

Corporal James J. Frazier, not accounted for. 

Corporal David Martin, not accounted for. 

Corporal Henry P. Lewis, not accounted for. 

Corporal Wm. Pears, not accounted for. 

Corporal Moses Miller, not accounted for. 

Farrier John E. Stoughton. 

Farrier David McCuUough, wounded at Gilmore's Mill, in charge, 

June 13, 1863; m. o. with Co. 
Saddler William R. Campbell, dis. by G. O. May 31, 1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Aultman, John S., m. i. s. Feb. 24, 1864; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 

Akey, John, not accounted for. 

Angle, Peter, died at Andersonville, Ga., May 28, 1864; grave 1436. 

Anstead, John A., not accounted for, 

Altman, Solomon, m. i, s, Feb. 23, 1864; not accounted for. 

Burns, Wm. J., m, i. s. Sept. 10, 1864; dis. by G. 0. June 23, 1865. 

Briggs, Samuel W., m. i. s. Nov. 14, 1862; dis. by G. O. June 6, 1865. 

Bowser, John F., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 

Bouch, John G., died Aug. 23,1864; buried in London Park Nat. Cem. , 

Baltimore, Md. 
Blakely, W. 

Brown, John, not accounted for. 
Bodenhorn, Jacob J., not accounted for. 
Bellos, John, not accounted for. 
Brown, Noah H., not accounted for. 
Bodenhorn, H. J., not accounted for. 
Barrett, Samuel E., not accounted tor. 

Cox, John R., m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864; dis. by G. 0. June 6, 1865. 
Cougherty, John, trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
Caldwell, Samuel A., captured; died at Andersonville, Ga., May 19, 

1864, grave 1206. 
Cravener, Simon P., captured; died at Andersonville, Ga., May 19, 

1864, grave 837. 
Cooper, Jeremiah, died at Frederick, Md.; buried in Mt. Olivet Cem. 
Cable, Montgomery, not accounted for. 
Clark, Loven G. 

Chamberlain, Jacob, not accounted for. 
Feit, John, not accounted for. 
Frailey, Daniel, not accounted for. 
Farringer, Philip, not accounted for. 
Grim, Adam W., died Nov. 13, 18i>4; buried in Nat. Cem., Antietam, 

Md., sec. 26, lot F, grave 607. 
Gardner, Geo. W., not accounted for. 
Garner, WUliam, not accounted for. 
George, David A., killed at White Sulphur Springs, Va,, Aug. 26, 

1863. 
Goheen, James M., not accounted for. 
Goss, Cyrus, pro. to Hospital Steward Jan. 1, 1865. 
Gibson, Samuel M., not accounted for. 
Geiger, Benj. D., not accounted for. 

Hepler, Milton, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B, July 31, 1865. 
Henderson, John A., not accounted for. 
Hankey, James M., not accounted for, 
Hankey, Benj. W., not accounted for. 
Hayes, Jas. F., not accounted for, 
Hetrick, Joseph C, not accounted for, 
Haas, John, not accounted for, 
Harman, Andrew J., not accounted for, 
Henderson, Jacob, not accounted for. 
Harvey, Redick, not accounted for, 

Hefileflnger, V, S,, m, 1, s, Feb, 20, 1864 ; captured ; died at Anderson- 
ville, Ga,, July 28, 1864; grave 4136, 
HeSaefiuger, Wm,, m, i, s. Sept, 8, 1862 ; died at Philadelphia, Oct, 19, 

1864, 
Irwin, John, m, i, s, March 29, 1864 ; trans, to Co, B, July 31, 1865, 
Irwin, Robert, not accounted for, 
Johnston, John A,, not accounted for, 
Johnston, David, not accounted for, 
Jellison, Washington, not accounted for, 
Kness, Martin, not accounted for, 
Krider, Wm, A,, not accounted for. 
King, John, dis, by G, 0, June 9, 1865, 

King, Thomas, m, i. s, April 7, 1863; dis, by G, 0, June 9, 1865, 
Kilgore, James, not accounted for. 
King, David, not accounted for. 
King, Hamilton, not accounted for. 
King, Abraham, not accounted for. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



Keiifer, Joseph, not accounted for. 

Lytic, Robert J., not accounted for. 

Ly tie. Morrow, not accounted for. 

Martin, Jolin F., captured; died at Andersonville, Ga., April 4, 1864 ; 

grave 301. 
Matthews, John W., not accounted for. 
Miller, Philip, trans, to 3d Co., 1st bat. Vet. Res. Corps ; dis. by G. 0. 

Sept. 1, ISGo. 
Miller, Silas, not accounted for. 
Miller, Jolin. not accounted for. 
Miller, Jacob S., not accounted for. 

McGregor, Joseph, m. i. s. Feb. 29, 18W ; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
McClure, Jos., not accounted for. 
McCracken, R. A., not accounted for. 
Nolf, Zachariah, not accounted for. 
Nichols, VVm, A., not accounted for. 
Pontious, Levena C, not accounted for. 
Pickering, Thos., not accounted for. 

Ritchie, Jamesf, m, i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
Reddick, James E., m. i. s. March 10, 1864; died at Staunton, Va., 

July 6, 1,S64; buried in Nat. Cem., sec. A, grave 44. 
Rhodes, Solomon, not accounted for. 
Ross, Joseph, not accounted for. 
Rupert, Wm. B., not accounted for. 

Shaum, Wm. B.. m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1864 ; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
Steffey, James H., m. i. s. Feb. 18, 1864; trans, to Co. B July 31, 1865. 
Speedy, Alexander, m. i, s. Nov. 23, 1864; not accounted for. 
Stockdill, Jacob, died at Annapolis, Md., Aug. 18, 1864. 
Sell, Wm. H., died Aug. 17, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Antietam, 

Md., sec. 26, lot F, grave 606. 
StaUman, David, not accounted for. 
Simms, Robert, not accounted for. 
Stoughton, Joseph, not accounted for. 
Thompson, Thos. W., not accounted for. 
Todd, George, not accounted for. 
UnderbuTgh, H., not accounted for. 
Wissinger, Levi S., not accounted for. 
Westwood, John, not accounted for. 
Young, William, not accounted for. 
Young, Robert, killed at White Sulphur Springs. Va., Aug. 26, 1863. 

Company L. 
[It will be observed that a large number of men in this company 
are marked " not accounted for," a circumstance which doubtless 
arose from an imperfection in the muster-out roll. As a matter of 
fact, nearly all of the men so marked were mustered out with the 
company or discharged by general order. The date of muster into 
service, where not otherwise stated, was November 14, 1862. 



Captain William H. Tibbies, res. March 24, 1863. 

Captain K. M. Kiskadden, pro. from 1st Lt. Oct. 26, 1863 ; Bt. Major 

March 13, 1865 ; res. March 18, 1865. 
First Lieutenant David C. Beale, pro. from private to 1st Serg. Jan. 15, 

1863 ; to 2d Lt. Nov. 22, 1863 ; to 1st Lt. May 20, 1865 ; dis. by G. 

O. July 31, 1865. 
Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson, pro. from private to 1st Serg. 

April 20, 1864 ; to 2dLt. May 20, 1865 ; dis. by G .0. July 31, 1865. 
First Sergeant Robert W. Hunter, pro. from private to Serg. Feb. 20, 

1863 ; to 1st Serg. June 1, 1865 ; dis. by G. O. July 31, 1865. 
First Sergeant, James M. Rhoney, trans, to Vet. Res. Corps ; dis. by 

G. O. July 31, 1865. 
Quartermaster Sergeant Wm. H. Boyd, not accounted for. 
Quartermaster Sergeant, John W. Barclay, m. i. s. Sept. 30, 1862 ; pro. 

to Reg. Q. M. Sergt. Oct. 22, 1862. 
Commissary Sergeant Wm. Blain, not accounted for. 
Sergeant Jacob Bush, captured ; died at Richmond, Va.. Feb. 14, 1865. 
Sergeant Wm. G. Rhoney. not accounted for. 
Corporal J. Milton Hill, not accounted for. 
Corporal Henry Franz, not accounted for. 
Corporal James W. Geary, not accounted for. 
Corporal Wm. C. Younkins. not accounted for. 
Corporal Valentine Beecher, not accounted for. 
Farrier Isaac Dickey, not accounted for. 
Farrier Jacob B. Kerr, not accounted for. 
Saddler John BuUman, not accounted for. 

PRIVATES. 

Aker, William, died Jan. 9, 1865; burled in Nat. Cem., Antietam, Md., 
sec. 26, lot E, grave 643. 



Bonner, William, dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 

Bouch, Isaac, trans, to f'o. E, July 31, 1865. 

Boyd, Harvey C, m, i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; trans, to Co. E, July 31, 1865. 

Burford, Jeremiah, died at Chambersburg, Pa., date unknown. 

Boyd, Abraham C., not accounted for. 

Boner, Robert, not accounted for. 

BuUman, Henry, not accounted for. 

Barr, Titus, died, date unknown; buried in Nat. Cem., Gallipolis, 

Ohio, grave 1.35. 
Beamer, John, not accounted for. 
Burford, Sam'l W., not accounted for. 
Clark, Sam'l M., not accounted for. 
Craig, T. F., not accounted for. 
Campbell, Jas. W., not accounted for. 
Colier, Joel, not accounted for. 
Clough, John, not accounted for. 
Dutfey, Michael, not accounted for. 
Edwards, Edwin, not accounted for. 
Fox, Jacob, captured ; died at Danville, Va., Dec. 9, 1864. 
Gruner, Henry C, not accounted for. 
Grinder, Jonathan. 
Garvin, John. 

Haines, Wm. C, not accounted for. 
Hill, Joseph H., not accounted for. 
Helper, John, not accounted for. 
Henry, James, not accounted for. 
Hill, James B., not accounted for. 
Johnston, Thomas, not accounted for. 
Kinson, Matthias A., captured, died at Andersonville, Ga., June 29, 

1864 ; grave 2639. 
Kennedy, Leoben. 
Lewis, John, captured; died at Andersonville, Ga., Oct. 26, 1864; 

grave 11465, 
Landis, David, not accounted for. 
Mock, Samuel, dis. by G. 0. May 19, 1865. 
Minteer, John, dis. by G. O. July 24, 1865. 
Minteer, Joseph. 

Milligan, Jos., captured; died at Richmond, Va., Nov. 27, 1863. 
Miller, John L., not accounted for, 
Matthews, John A,, not accounted for. 
Monroe, James W., not accounted for. 
Murphey, Samuel, not accounted for. 
McLain, Geo. W., not accounted for. 
McNanney, Henry, not accounted for. 
McFadden, Michael, not accounted for. 
Rudolph, Isaac, not accounted for. 
Rhoads, George, not accounted for. 
Redd, John M., not accounted for. 
Rogaus, Francis A., not accounted for. 
Reynolds, Chas. L., not accounted for. 
Reyburn, James, not accounted for. 

Sloan, George, captured; died at Richmond, Va., Nov. 7, 1863. 
Smith, John H., not accounted for. 
Sepp, Wm,, not accounted for. 
Shaffer, Hiram, not accounted for. 
Southworth, Samuel, not accounted for. 
Smith, H. Steele, not accounted for. 
Schalts, Wm. C, not accounted for. 
Sourwine, John D., not accounted for. 
Smith, Wm., not accounted for. 
Sweeney, Dennis, not accounted for. 
Todd, Wm., m. i. s. Oct. 25, 1862; pro. to Hospital Steward, Nov. 9, 

1862. 
Vandyke, Wm. H,, not accounted for. 

Vandyke, Nathan S., m. i. s. Sept. 15, 1864; not accounted for. 
Yale, John, not accounted for. 

Company M. 
[A large number of men in this company are marked " not ac- 
counted for" "Who, as a matter of fact, were either mustered out with 
the company or discharged by general order. This error, which it is 
now impossible to correct, doubtless had its origin in an imperfection 
of the muster-out roll. The date of muster into service, except where 
it is otherwise stated, was either Nov. 22 or 23, 1862. 

OFFICEKS. 

Captain Charles W. E. Welty, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 

First Lieutenant Matthew Wilson, wounded and captured at White 

Sulphur Springs, Va., Aug. 26, 1863; com. Capt. Sept. 19, 1864; 

not mustered; died Sept. 19, 1864, at Libby prison. 



96 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



First Lieutenant Jacob Shoop, wounded at White Sulphur Springs, 

Va., Aug. 26, 1863; pro. from 2d Lt. Sept. 19, 1854; res. March 24, 

1865. 
First Lieutenant David B. Coulter, pro. from 1st Sergt. to 2d Lt. Jan. 

27, 1865; to 1st Lt. April 16, 1865; dis. by G. 0. July 31, 1865. 
Second Lieutenant Milton McConnick, pro. from Sergt. to 1st Sergt. 

Jan. 1, 1865; to 2d Lt. May 19, 1865; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
First Sergeant James S. Mateer, pro. from Q. M. S. April 30, 1865; dis. 

by G. 0. July 31, 1865. 
Quartermaster-Sergeant E. N. Campbell, pro. to Q. M. S. Jan. 1, 1865; 

dis. by 6. O. July 31, 1865. 
Quartermaster-Sergeant George Klough, not accounted for. 
Commissary-Sergeant Clark McLaughlin, trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865. 
Commissary-Sergeant James Williams, not accounted for. 
Sergeant Benjamin T. Siple, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Sergeant Samuel M. Kerr, m. i. s. Feb. 14, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865. 
Sergeant David S. Burnham, not accounted for. 
Sergeant Charles M. King, not accounted for. 
Sergeant James M. Clay, not accounted for. 
Corporal Aaron T. Crow, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Corporal John Boyd, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Corporal John A. Mikesell, m. i. s. Feb. 4, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 

31, 1865. 
Corporal Joseph E. Eichey, m. i. s. Feb. 8, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 

31,1865. 
Corporal John Fleming, m. i. s. Feb. 1, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865; vet. 
Corporal Samuel A. Bryson, m. i. s. Feb. 6, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 

31, 1865. 
Corporal Daniel Wolf, not accounted for. 
Corporal David Eichards, not accounted for. 
Corporal Joseph Garver, not accounted for. 
Corporal James G. Shaw, not accounted for. 
Corporal Joshua Groft, not accounted for. 
Corporal Henry Yomig, not accouuted for. 
Corporal James Watterson, not accounted for. 
Corporal Charles McJIanus, not accotinted for. 
Blacksmith John Dunmire, not accounted for. 
Farrier Michael Frick, m. i. s. March 31, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865. 
Farrier John P. Graham, not accounted for. 

PRIVATES. 

Alexander, David, dis. by G. O. June 9, 1865. 

Altman, Francis S., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 

Aharah, Eobert, not accounted for. 

Buzzard, Lewis D., trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 

Beer, Samuel, died April 6, 1863; buried in Nat. Cem., Antietam, 

Md., sec. 26, lot E, grave 502. 
Bouch, Isaac, died April 28, 1864 ; buried in Nat. Cem., Antietam, Md., 

sec. 26, lot F, grave 629. 
Barnhart, Geo. W., not accounted for. 
Barrett, David, not accounted for. 
Bish, Josiah M., not accounted for. 
Bowers, Johnston E., not accounted for. 
Barrett, David, m. 1. s. Aug. 25, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
Cogley, David D., m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864; dis. by G. 0. May 30, 1865. 
Cowan, Gilmore, dis. by G. 0. May 22, 1865. 
Carson, John, not accounted for. 
Campbell, Edward, not accounted for. 
Crozier, Samuel, not accounted for. 

Dodson, Andrew, m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Dunbar, James, not accounted for. 
Dunbar, .John, captured; died at Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 6, 1864; 

grave 4897. 
Dunmire, Isaac, not accounted for. 

Dodson, Samuel, m. i. s. Sept. 19, 1854 ; not accounted for. 
Dailey, John M. 

Evans, Abraham, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Earley, John A., m. i. s. July 12, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 81, 1865. 
Forster, Absalom, m. i. s. Aug. 10, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. June 9, 1865. 
Fry, David T., m. i. s. Feb. 26, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Fleming, Wm. A., m. i. s. Feb. 4, 1864. 
Fleming, R. 0. 

Foster, Allen, captured ; died at Richmond, Va., Dec. 3, 1863. 
Forste, Joshua, not accounted for. 
George, James A., m. i. s. March 27, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31,1865. 



George, John A., not accounted for. 

George, James E., m. i. s. Jan. 30, 1864; captured; imprisoned in 

Libby ; died after release. 
Hetherington, P., dis. by G. O. May 13, 1865. 

Houk, Eckhart, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F. July 31, 1865. 
Hawk, Jacob, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co.' F July 31, 1865. 
Hare, Henry, m. i. s. Feb. 4, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Hill, -Vbram, m. i. s. Feb. 25, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F. July 31, 1865. 
Hunter, James, m. i. s. Feb. 15, 1864 ; captured ; died at Anderson- 
ville, Ga., Oct. 20, 1854; grave 11219. 
Hartman, John, not accounted for. 
Irwin, DaA'id, not accounted for. 
Irwin, James W., not accounted for. 

Kirkpatrick, Wm., m. i. s. April 20, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. May 16, I860. 
Kunkle, Jacob, dis. by G. O. June 7. 1865. 

Kirkwood, Wm., m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Kelley, James G., not accounted for. 
King, Joseph, not accounted for. 
Klingensmith, L. A., not accounted for. 
Kilgore, James, not accounted for. 
Keane, Thomas. 
Llnsinbigler, V. T., m. i. s. Feb. 15, 1864; prisoner from .July 6 to Dee. 

14, 1854; dis. by G. 0. June 5, 1865. 
Lambing, John A., not accounted for. 

Myers, Tobias, m. i. s. Sept. 3, 1864 ; dis. by G. O. June 6, 1855. 
Marks, Samuel, not accounted for. 
Miller, Daniel, not accounted for. 
Miller, David, not accounted for. 
Miller, John T., not accounted for. 
Myers, Moses, not accounted for. 

Moorhead, Walker, m. i. s. Sept. 10, 1864 ; not accounted for. 
McKinnis, John, captured; died at Richmond, Va., Feb. 10, 1864; 

buried in Nat. Cem., sec. C, div. 1, grave 138. 
McClay, Charles, not accounted for. 
McCoy, Daniel, not accouuted for. 

McAfoos, Simon, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864; not accounted for. 
McAfoos, Absalom, m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864; not accounted for. 
Orr, Alexander M., m. i. s. Feb. 1, 1864 ; dis. by G. 0. May 16, 1865. 
Olinger, Joseph M., m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865. 
Orr, James W., m. i. s. Feb. 1, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Orr, Isaac M. m. i. s. Feb. 27, 1864 ; died April 10, 1864 ; buried in Nat. 

Cem., Winchester, Va., lot 25. 
Olinger, Nicholas J., not accounted for. 
Olinger, John, not accounted for. 

Peterman, Geo. D., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1855. 
Peterman, Martin, m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Patrick, John, not accounted for. 
Peters, John A., not accounted for. 
Eichart, Geo., not accounted for. 
Eichards, John, not accounted for. 
Robb, James A., not accouuted for. 
Rosenberger, M., not accounted for. 
Sseabaugh, David, dis. by G. 0. May 16, 1865. 
Shaffer, Henry, dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 
Shannon, Newton D., m. 1. s. April 26, 1854 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 

1865. 
Snyder, William, m. i. s. March 28, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Shaffer, Henry, m. 1. s. Feb. 20, 1854 ; trans, to Co. P July 31, 1855. 
Shaffer, Henry, dis. by G. O. May 16, 1865. 

Siple, Jacob, Jr., m. 1. s. March 23, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Siple, Christian P., m. i. s. Feb. 22, 1864 ; died at York, Pa., Sept. 29, 

1864; buried in Prospect Hill Cem. 
Shearer, John H., not accounted for. 
Stevenson, Jacob, not accounted for. 
Shotts, Levi, not accounted for. 
Sohrecenghost, Pin. P., not accounted for. 
Schrecenghost, I., not accounted for. 
Spencer, John, not accounted for. 
Spencer, William, not accounted for. 
Spencer, Daniel, not accounted for. 
Smith, John H., not accounted for. 
Schrecenghost, David, not accounted for. 

Tarr, Alexander, m. i. s. March 17, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Toy, Joseph, trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 

Turney, Henry, m. i. s. Feb. 15, 1864 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 
Truby, Reuben, not accounted for. 

Withington, H. W., m. i. s. Feb. 29, 1864; dis. byCf. 0. Oct. 11, 1865. 
Watt, Joseph A., m. i. s. Feb. 13, 1864; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1865. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



97 



Watterson, Wallace, m. i. s. July 12, ISM; trans, to Co. F July 31, 1SG5. 

Waltenbaugh, S. P., m. i. s. Feb. 23, 1SC4 ; trans, to Co. F July 31, ISlw. 

Waggoner, Conrad, not accounted for. 

Wahl, Joseph, not accounted for. 

W^allace, Sainuel, not accounted for. 

Waltenbaugh, A., not accounted for. 

Weston, Valentine, not accounted for. 

Wible, John, not accounted for. 

Wiles, Franklin F., not accounted for. 

Wilson, Samuel, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1864 ; not accounted for. 

Yount, George, not accounted for. 

Yount, Daniel, not accounted for. 

Yount, James, not accounted for, 

Yount, Jonathan, not accounted for. 

Young, Peter S., not accounted for. 

TWO HUNDRED AND FOUETH EEGIMENT FIFTH 

ARTILLERY. 

This regiment \vas principally recruited in Alle- 
gheny, though considerable numbers of its men 
were from Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Greene, 
Lawrence and Westmoreland. Battery M was en- 
tirely composed of men from this countJ^ Recruit- 
ing was commenced in August, 1864, the place of 
rendezvous being Camp Reynolds, near Pittsburgh. 
Soon after its organization the 20-l:th was ordered 
to Washington, and upon its arrival was assigned 
to duty in the forts north of the Capitol. After- 
ward it was employed in guarding railroads, and 
during the period it was discharging that duty the 
regiment had several sharp brushes with the rebel 
forces under Mosby. In the winter of 1864-5 
the regiment was engaged in building stockades 
and blockhouses, and in the spring of 1865 expe- 
ditions were sent out to bury the dead of the second 
battle of Bull Run. In June the regiment was 
ordered to Pittsburgh, where it was mustered out 
upon the 30th. 

Battery M. 

[The members of this battery were mustered into service at va- 
rious dates from August 20 to September 10, 1S64, and nearly all of 
them were mustered out with the batterj- upon June 30, 1865. Oppo- 
site the names of such we have not inserted any remarks ; but in the 
case of those who were promoted, who died in the service, were 
wounded or killed in action, transferred to other organizations, or 
who were mustered in or discharged upon other dates than that of 
the common muster-In or muster-out, the facts are stated.] 



Captain John E. Alward. 

First Lieutenant Adkinson H. Sellers, m. i. s. Nov. 15, 1864 ; absent 

on detached duty at m. o. 
First Lieutenant Albert C. Pontious, pro. from 1st Serg. Jan. 19, 1865, 
Second Lieutenant Charles G. Barclay. 

Second Lieutenant Wm. W. Barnett, pro. from Serg. Jan, 19, 1865. 
First Sergeant J. A. Stephenson, pro. from Serg. Jan. 19, 1865. 
Sergeant Peter Stockdill. 
Sergeant Sliles Beatty. 
Sergeant Joseph "W. Traves. 
Sergeant W^illiam McCanna. 

Sergeant Geo. W. Thompson, pro. from Corp. Jan. 19, 1865. 
Sergeant Patterson River, pro. from Corp. Jan. 19, 1865. 
Sergeant James Stivenson. 
Sergeant Wm. T. Glenn, died at Alexandria, Va., Oct. 20, 1864, grave 

2782. 
Corporal Andrew H. Sheisley. 
Corporal Barton Guthrie, 



Corporal Charles F. Morgan. 

Corporal John O. Delancey, pro. to Corp. Jan. 19, 1865. 

Corporal Alexander Browne. 

Corporal Alexander George. 

Corporal Elijah W. Martin. 

Corporal John Stoops, pro. to Corp. Jan. 30, 1865. 

Corporal John Browne. 

Corporal Archibald Hemphill, dis. by G, O, June 7, 1S65. 

Corporal John W. Morrow, dis. by G. 0. June 9, 1865. 

Corporal B. W. Blanchard, dis. by G. 0. June 15, 1865. 



Nelson C. Arnold, Eli J. Artman, Thomas M. Allen, Ephraim A. 
Adams, Samuel Ayres (prisoner from Nov. 1,1864, to Feb. 5, 1865); 
dis. by G. O. June 19, 1865. 

Samuel W. Beatty, Geo. L. Blose, Henry Beer, William Blain, William 
M. Blain, Thos. D. Buzzard, Peter Beck, Samuel W. Bruner, 
Henry H, Burket, Thomas C. Byers, Robert A. Barr, Simon D. 
Brown, Geo. W, Brown (absent, sick, at m, o.), William J. 
Brown, Samuel Brown, Jacob Buzzard (died at Alexandria, 
Va., Oct. 6, 1864, grave 2736), Henry Brown (died at Fairfax C. 
H.,Va., Feb, 19,1865). 

Samuel Clark, Ephraim F. Coffman, William Coleman, Daniel L. 
Coleman, William Carson, Andrew Carson, 

John E, Dunmire, Phillip Dunmire, Isaac Dunmire, Jacob B. Dar- 
barker (died at Piedmont, Va., Oct. 21,1864; buried in Nat. Cem., 
.Vrlington, block 2, sec. E, row 14, grave 60), 

Hugh Elgin, Jeremiah Elgin, Samuel Ecencey, Samuel J, Elgin (dis, 
by G. O. June 19, 1865). 

Geo. W. Fry, John Fink, Jas. R. Flemming (died at Fort Sumner, Md. , 
Oct. 1, 1864; buried in Nat. Cem., Arlington, Va,), 

Jacob George, Peter George, Philip George, Josiah George, John 
Gould, WiUiam H. Gray. 

Andrew Hardy, David B, Haukiman, John Hartman, "William Hart- 
man, Henry Hallman, Philip Hawk. 

X. Klingensmith, S. Klingensmlth, Wm. J. Kelly, Anthony H. Ken- 
nard, John J, Krai, John G, Kline, Samuel Kelley. 

Joseph Low, .A.braham Lessig. 

Joseph Mathiet, William M. Mock, David Moyer, Samuel Metzler, 
Samuel Mansfield, James R. Moore, Samuel R. Moore, \N'illiam 
A. Morrow, David L. JIarshall, James A. Mikesell (died at Fort 
Simmons, Md., Dec, 10, 1864), Robert McCrum, Geo. W. McCon- 
nell, Joseph W. McKee, John A. McElroy, Thomas D. McCol- 
gin, James McGreggor, Robert McFarland, W. W. McCracken 
(wounded at Salem, Va,, Oct. 7, 1864), John W. McElfresb, Peter 
McCanna, Joseph McAllister (died at Fairfax C. H., Va., Dec. 
13, 1864). 

Matthew Nelson. 

John L. Pitts, James H, Patrick, Thomas Patterson, Francis Powell. 

Edward G. Rummel, Jacob Robb, Thomas K. Robb, Oliver G. Rey- 
nolds, James Robinson (trans, to Co. E, 147th reg. Pa. Vol., date 
unknown). 

Johu B. Shaffer, Christopher Shaffer, Jacob Sell, John B. Sowers, 
Matthew Stanford, Jacob SchoU, John C. Stewart, John A. 
Stewart, John Silvis, Solomon D. Silvis, John C. Stifley, Isaac 
Seaebrlst, Henry Segar, E. Z. Schrecenghost, Thomas Sturgeon 
(dis, by G. 0. June 19, 1865), Henry Simmers (killed at Rector- 
town, Va., Oct, 8, 1864), John Sheridan. 
Henry TroUinger, Nathan G. C. Turner (dis. by special order Feb. 26, 

1865), 
William H, Weaver, Adnum R. Wolf, James W. Watterson, WiUiam 
Wareham, James Wadding (dis. by G. 0. June 9, 1865), Adam 
Wagle (dis. by 6. O.' June 9, 1865). 
Alexander Yales, Ressinger Yount (dis. by G. O. April 28, 1S65), Levi 
K. Y'oung (trans, to Bat, H, 212th reg. Pa. Vol.; date unknown), 
George K, Y'oung (trans, to Bat. H, 212th regt. Pa, Vols., date 
unknown). 

James Zell. 

Battery I. 

[The men in this company from Armstrong county, twenty-seven 
in number, were from the vicinity of Freeport. Except where other- 
■■wlse indicated, they were enlisted August 80, 1864, and discharged 
June 30, 1865.] 

OFFICEKS. 

1st Lieutenant J. B. Miller. 
Sergeants .ilex. Ashbaugh, Hiram Brickel, 

Corporals J. A. Murphy, R. B. McKee, Wm. E. McLelland (dis. May 
15, 1865). 



98 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



PRIVATES. 

Joseph Evarts, Samuel A. Gourley, Samuel Klingensmith, Addison 
L. Klingensmith, James S. Klingensmith, William Kirkwood, 
Jacob Kuhn, John B. Morton, Elisha G. Pitt, James S. Ross, 
Alex. Rowland, JohnA. Shoop, Harry Syphax, Stewart Therrp- 
sen, Daniel Varner, John J. Wile, D. M. B. Weir, John A. Hughes 
(trans, to 147th reg. Pa. Vet. Vol. July 1, 1865), Wm. S. Russ, Geo. 
A. Stilt, Jno. M. Spiecher. 

MISCELLANEOUS LIST. 

THIETT-THIED EEGIMENT FOURTH RESERVE. 

Company A— John Hartman, wounded at Hatcher's Run ; Vincent 
Kreidle. 

THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT NINTH RESERVE. 

Company D — Sergeant John H. Mechling, m. 1. s. May 3, 1861 ; pro. to 
Sergt. May 3, 1861 ; killed at Charles City Q'ross Roads, June 30, 
1862. 

Ale.x. Schrecenghost, m. i. s. Oct. 18, 1862 ; dis. Jan. 6, 1864. 

Wm. Sweeney, William Barnet, Henry Barnet, David Hunnell. 

THIRTY-NINTH REGIMENT — TENTH RESERVE. 

1st Lieutenant Wilson Smith, William B. Gilison, Enoch Bennett, 

William Roberts. 
Company B— William B. Gibson, m. i. s. June 17, 1861 ; lost right arm 

at Gaines Mill, Va. ; dis. on surgeon's certificate, Sept. 1, 1862. 

FORTIETH REGIMENT ELEVENTH RESERVE. 

Company E— Captain John F. King. 

FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT FIRST ARTILLERY. 

Battery B— Leander Vaughn, m. i. s. Aug. 25, 1864 ; m. o. June 9, 1865. 
Battery F— Wm. W. Kline, Henry Byers. 

FORTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 

Surgeon J. K. Maxwell. 

PORTT-BIGHTH REGIMENT. 

Company F— William T. Glenn, m. i. s. Oct. 4, 1861 ; dis. 1863. 

FIFTIETH REGIMENT. 

[Mustered in Sept. 2, 1864, and mustered out June 21, 1865, except 

where otherwise specified.] 

Company H— Jacob Baker, Michael Boycer, Jacob Clark, John A. 
Dunmire, James A. Lowry, James Rufer, George ShealTer, John 
Rankin (m. i. s. Sept. 21, 1864; dis. on surgeon's certificate Dec. 
29, 1864). 

Company F — Jacob Eppler. 



FIFTl'-SIXTH REGIMENT. 



Philip Adams. 



FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENT SECOND CAVALRY. 

Samuel Keener, John Thomas, Alfred Pearson, Jackson Pugh, John 
.Montgomery, George Harris, Gray, Jerry Myers. 

Company M— Lieutenant Bart. Campbell, Robert Swan (died at Rich- 
mond), John Conarman, John Critsar, Henry Critsar, George 
Miller, John E. Swan, Jos. Altshouse, George Bell, William T. 
Glenn (enl. spring of 1864; dis. at expiration of service; enl. in 
2d U. S. Cav. 1868). 

SIXTY-FIEST EEGIMENT. 

Company D— John McNab (also soldier in Mexican war, 11th regt. 
U. S. A. 

SIXTY-SECOND EEGIMENT. 

Company C— James Pence. 

Company I— James Alexander Glenn (m. i. s. July 29, 1861 ; pro. to 
Corp. Sept., 1863; m. o. with Co. July 13, 18641. 

SIXTY-FOUETH EEGIMENT FOURTH CAVALRY. 

Company D— Captain John 0. Paul (m. i. s. Sept. 12^ 1861; pro. from 
1st Lt. Co. C to Capt. Nov. 1, 1864; to Bt. Major March 13, 1865; 
Com. May 18, 1865; m. o. July, ISfin). 



Company E— Sergeant H. W. Kerr, Corporal John O'Brian, Corporal 
L. S. Cline, Emanuel Girt, William Smith, David Spellman, 
George Spellman, all veterans. 

Company L— Captain Samuel W. King, A. L. Breneman, Thomas 
Beale. 

SEVENTY'-FIRST REGIMENT. 

Principal musician Joseph Clark, m. i. s. May 28, 1861, Co. E ; pro. 

from musician of that Co. to principal musician of reg. Jan. 1, 

1864; m. o. with reg. July 2, 1864. 
Note. — Joseph Clark, a native of Kittanning and now a resident 
of the place, was at the time of his enlistment in Philadelphia, and 
enlisted in April in the 71st Pa. Vol. Inf , originally called Colonel 
Baker's California regiment. He was without doubt the youngest 
soldier in the Union army, being born Jan. 4, 1849, and therefore 
about twelve years and three months old when he enlisted, or twelve 
years and four months when mustered. 

SEVENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT. 
Company F— John Kohlepp, John Weston, Fred Whal. 

SIXTY-FIFTH REGIMENT FIFTH CAA^ALRY. 

John Peacock. 



SEVENTY-NINTH REGIMENT. 



Otto Bauer. 



EIGHTIETH EEGIMENT — SEVENTH CAVALRY. 
George McLane. 

EIGHTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 

Company G— James M. Lambing, m. i. s. Sept. 2, 1862 ; dis. on sur- 
geon's certificate March 25, 1863. 

EIGHTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT. 

Company I— John Nelson, enlisted Feb. 10, 1864; dis. Aug. 20, 1865. 

ONE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT. 
James Moor. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST REGIMENT. 

Company G— S. P. Briney (enlisted Sept. 20, 1861 ; m. i. s. Dec. 2, 1861 ; 
dis. Dec. 31, 1863 ; re-enlisted as veteran Jan. 1, 1864 ; dis. July 
23, 1865 ; prisoner eight months at Audersonville, Charleston 
and Florence) ; Augustus Truxell. 

ONE HUNDRED AND SECOND REGIMENT. 
David Wallace. 

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD REGIMENT. 

Company E — First Lieutenant Christopher M. Otto, m. i. s. Dec. 7, 
1861 ; dis. Oct. 28, 1862. 

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH EEGIMENT — ELEVENTH 
CAVALRY. 

Company L— Captain John B. Loomis, (m. i. s. Sept. 25, 1861 ; killed 
at Ream's Station, Va., June 29, 1864), Samuel D. McMastere, G. 
E. Armstrong, Thomas Bales, Joseph Gates. 

ONE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH REGIMENT SECOND 

ARTILLERY. 

Company D— D. W. Scheaffer, J. J. Scheaflfer, Al. Scheaffer, A. C. 

Finley, P. C. George, W. E. Helffick. 
Company E— J. J. Shaffer. 
Company I — J. R. Henderson,* P. M. Klingensmith, Henry Hancock, 

S. P. Walker. [These men were enlisted in winter or spring of 

1864 and served to the close of war.] 
Company L— E. Miller, killed. 
Company M— Daniel Miller, Sunon Rupart, Isaac Woodside, John 

Fricks (died), Robert Cook (died). Nelson Mason, Henry Har- 

grave. 

*J. R. Henderson enlisted at the age of thirteen years. He was 
transferred to the 19th N. Y. Independent Battery, and on account 
of not being able to engage in the marches of the campaign was 
made powder monkey. He was discharged Jan. 29, 1866. He was in 
the following engagements : Eighteen days in the Wilderness, Spott- 
sylvania. North Ann River, Coal Harbor, Shady Grove Church, 
Petersburg, Welden R. R., Chapman's Bluff, mine "explosion Peters- 
burg, evacuation Richmond, and Appomattox C. H. 



REGIMENTAL HISTORIES AND DESCRIPTIVE ROSTER. 



99 



ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 

Company I— M. Thompson, I. G. Stewart (Sergt.. afterward enlisted 
in Co. D, 6tli Heavy Artillery, 2d Lt). 

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 

Company K— W. R. Eamaley, ra. i. s. Aug. 2, 1862; dis. May. 19, 18G3. 

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH REGIMEXT. 

Wm. H. Croueh, John Bell, William L. Hatham, Findley Hall, David 
Hall, Henry H. McCright, James G. Rankin, James N. 
McCracken, John L. Drake, Matthias Drake, William ColwelL 

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY'-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 

Johnston Matthews, Sam'l L. Myers, H. A. Bricker, M. B. Matthews, 
Albert H. Rea. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY'-SECOND REGIMENT. 

Jacob Yockey. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY'-EIGHTII REGIMENT. 

[Enlisted Aug. 16, 1862, and discharged June 20, 1865, except those 

otherwise specified]. 

Company E— James Devlnuey (enlisted Oct. 10, 1.S62; dis. May, 1863) 
Joseph H. Moorhead (pro. to Sergt. Junel, 1864), John C. Moor- 
head, John Kenly (pro. to 2d Lt. Feb., 1865), William Fisher 
(died Oct. 9, 1862), Wm. C. Devinney (pro. to 2d Sergt. June 10, 
1863; to Q.M. Sergt. June 1, 1864. 

Other companies— George W. Roland, Lebbnes Woods, Daniel C. 
Whitacre, John G. Rowland, Robert P. Thompson, John B. 
Shawl. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SECOND REGIMENT THIRD 

ARTILLERY. 
Frank K. Patterson, m. i. s. Feb. 12, 1864; m. o. July 29, 1865. 

ONE HUNDRED AND FIPTY'-FIETH REGIMENT. 

Company A— Bernard Moss, m. i. s. Aug. 23, 1862; m. o. June, 1866. 
Company H— William O. Gray, m. i. s. Aug. 22, 1862; died at Wash- 
ington, D. C, Feb. 17, 1863. 

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTIETH REGIMENT ANDERSON 

TROOP FIFTEENTH CAVALRY. 

[Enlisted August, 1862; discharged at close of the war.] 
Thos. N. Hathaway (Co. B), Milton E. Shaw (Sergt. Co. I), Thos. J. 
McCall (Sergt. Co. H), James Martin (Co. F), James Lea (Co. F), 
George Heck (Co. M), Jacob Maxheimer (Co. M), John Crura, 
Darwin Phelps, James Over, Norwood Pinney. 

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT — SIX- 
TEENTH CAVALRY'. 

James H. Ramsey, John S. Ramsey. 

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THIRD REGIMENT EIGH- 
TEENTH CAVALRY'. 

Quartermaster James C. Golden, m. i. s. Dec. 1, 1862; dis. July 21, 1865. 
Company H— Peter A. Jacks, Isaiah Klingensmlth. 

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SECOND REGIMENT 

TWENTY'-FIRST CAVALRY. 
Company F— J. M. Barclay, enlisted Dec. 20, 1863 ; dis. July 20, 1865. 

ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THIRD REGIMENT. 

Company B— John B. Patrick, enlisted July 15, 1864; dis. Sept. 21, 
1864 ; re-enlisted in 2d Co. 97th Pa. Vet. Vol. Sept. 25, 1864 ; dis. 
June 17, 1865. [Prior to enlistment in the 193d, he had been in 
Co. B, 2d Bat., six months Pa. Vols.] 

ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINTH REGIMENT. 

Company H— John M. Patton, enlisted Sept. 21, 1864 ; dis. June 28, 
1865. 



TWO HUNDRED AND TWELFTH REGIMENT- 
HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

[Enlisted Sept. 1, 1864, and discharged June 23, 1865.] 
Company B— John .-V. Woodward, 



-SIXTH 



Company H— Officers— First Lieutenant C. S. Miller, Second Lieu- 
tenant J. F. ('line ; Sergeants Charles S. Keniston, Jas. E. Bale ; 
(;'ori)orttl (ieo. W. Burket ; Musician Geo. li. Miller. Privates ; 
Samuel J. Anthony, Fred Hair, John A. Brunei, Daniel Crietsor, 
■ Leman Donahu, John A. Ehreiilield, Chas. S. Garver, Wm. S. 
Hollabaugb, Abram Klingensmith, Wra.G. Long, Wm. II. Mer- 
riman, Wm. J. Mann, Robert McKallip. David Sherrey, Jackson 
Stilt, John F. Shall, Jonathan Stoops, Daniel Spihu, Charles 
Troxford, Aaron Hill, Jeremiah Grinder. 

Thompson's battery — independent company. 

Simon Shoop, Abram Weaver, Witson Hazlett, Thomas Bowman 
(died in service), John S. Hughes, Jacob Shall, George Jack. 

SIXTH U. S. CAViVLRY. 

[Enlisted in August, 1861, and discharged in August, 1864.] 
Company D— H. R. McLelland, A. Shuster, John Smith, B. F. Kaig, 
Samuel Duncan, J. Fatkin, John Blaine, Joseph Blaine, Alex- 
ander Watson. 
Company K— Daniel Sweeney, Richard Dias. 

MISSISSIPPI MARINE BRIGADE LIGHT BATTERY E. 

[Enlisted Feb. 25, 1864, and discharged Feb. 1, 1865.] 
A. J. Gilison (1st Lt.), S. W. Gilison, E. E. Castertine, Robert Donaldson, 
Alex. Kuhns.Wm. Harper, Robert Pennington, Daniel Toomey, 
Shirwell Smith, Henry Chapman. Jas. Weaver, Andrew Stive- 
saub, Jas. Griffin, Jas. Ryan, Wm. Lane, Jas. Churchhill, Wash- 
ton Drew, Jas. Carl, Roland Bollinger, John Milligan, Wm. 
Shoup, John MiUberger, Levi Shaner, Richard Lenning, Wallace 
Ford, John Brown, Samuel Ritchie, Jas. C. Ritchie, Paul Stew- 
art, Wm. S. Duncan, Samuel Fuller, H. G. Foster, E. M. Duff. 

FIFTY-FOURTH REGIMENT MILITIA OP 1863. 

Company E — John Moor. 

FIFTY-SEVIiNTH REGIMENT MILITIA OF 1863. 

Company D— 2d Sergeant Joseph H. Patrick. 

SECOND BATTALION — MILITIA OP 1863. 
Company D. 

Officers— 2d Lieutenant Wm. T. Jackson. 

Privates— John M. Gamble, Jos. B. Jackson, Wm. S. Shannon, New- 
ton D. Shannon, Alfred Schrecongost, Joseph A. Watt. 

UNCLASSIFIED. 

Benjamin Davis, David McGinley, David Todd, John Handtermack, 
Philip Duncan, Thomas Cain, Abram Critzor, Leonard Kunkle, 
James Huston, George Johnston, Wm. Weaver, John Drum, 
James Egan, William Harris (colored), Joseph Kelly (colored), 
Thos. Kenley, Daniel Kennedy, Samuel Kebler, Joseph Kebler, 
Samuel Hawk, Wm. W. Smith, Jacob Shoop, Sam'l Shoop, 
Vincent Kriettey, John Hartman, Christ Hilwine, Henry 
Hundtermark, Sam'l Sheldon, John Barr, Thos. Dias, Geo. Dias, 
Louis Goehring, William Byer, David Crawford, John Webb, 
Lieutenant Roney (colored regiment), Geo. Stivenson, wagon 
master at headquarters, AVashington, D. C. 

NEW YORK REGIMENTS. 

Bordan Rifles— John Quinn, John Mott, Charles McCauUey. 

OHIO REGIMENTS. 

Lieutenant Robert Curran, James Sample, Chambers Bowser. 

TWENTY'-SECOND REGIMENT MILITIA OF 1862. 

[Organized Sept. 16, and discharged Sept. 29, 1862.] 

FIELD AND STAFF. 

Major Darwin Phelps. 
Quartermaster Jas. B. Neale. 

Company A. 
Captain John K. Calhoun. 
First Lieutenant Albert Robinson. 
Second Lieutenant Grler C. Orr. 
First Sergeant Henry F. Phelps. 
Sergeants Wm. Logan, James B. Neale (pro. to Q. M.), Peter Wharl, 

John E. Reynolds. 
Corporals Jas. M'Masters, Carl Shultz, Theo. McCoimell, Geo. W. 

Bartheld. 



100 



HISTORY or AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



PKIVATES. 

Clarence Brown, Wm. Blaney, Wn;. E. Baum, Charles G. Barclay, 
Jas. G. Bovard, John Brown, Jonathan Boyd, Lewis Biehl, 
Stephen Bosslnger, Henry A. Colwell, Jas. P. K. CroU, Andrew 
Craig, Washington E. Christy, James Dugan, Jas. T. Dickey, 
Vincent Davidson, Jas. P. Dougherty, A\'m. EUmyer, John 
Estler, Charles Feight, Carl Frederick, Augustus Frederick, 
.Joseph Gibson, Jas. H. George, Jas. A. Gordon, John A. Houser. 
Wm. B. Hasting, Chas. Hasterman, Wm. Herche, John H. 
Huston, Marcus Hulings, Louis Hess, Geo. P. Kron. Barnard 
Kordes, Amos B. Lerch, Dan'l Lemon, Conrad Leek, Jas. D. 
Logan, Lee Mechling, Wm. B. Meredith, Frederick Moesta, 
Philander Meredith, Enos M'Bride, Jas. M'CuUough, Turney 
Neal, Barclay Nulton, Jas. B. Oswald, Darwin Phelps (pro. to 
Major), Joseph Painter, John Prunkard, Stephen Prunkard, 
John D. Eeynolds, Eoss Eeynolds, Philip Eeichart John N. 
Eow, Jas. B. Eobinson, John E. Eeichart, Eobt. Eobinson, Chas. 
T. Shotte, Jas. H. Stivenson, Frederick G. Schotte, Joseph S. 
Smith, Conrad Straub, George Stone, Samuel S. Swan, James 
Simpson, Samuel Tate. Alex. Tarr, John Volk, James Weaver, 
Henry Wygant, Josiah K. Wilson, Augustus E. Weilman. 



COJIPANY G. 

Captain Joseph T. Irwin. 
1st Lieutenant Wm. M. Cochran. 
2d Lieutenant John A. Calhoun. 
1st Sergeant Jacob B. Guyer. 

Sergeants George V. Truitt, Wm. S. Beck, Samuel Cochran, Howard 
F. King. 



Corporals John EUenherger, Abel A. ;Findley, Johnston M'Gaughey, 

Jas. C. King. 
Musician Harrison Marshall. 

PKIVATES. 

^^'m. J. Bollman, Jos. S. Bollman, John AV. Borland, David F. Cress- 
well, John Cochran, Jacob M. Cabel, Cyrus Goss, Benjamin C. 
Irwin, John C. Kirkpatrick, Eobert Kells, Geo. H. Lang, Wm. 
S. Marshall, Findley P. Marshall, Wm. C. Marshall, Archibald 
A. Marshall, David L. Marshall, John M. Marshall, Samuel 
Neal, Jos. H. Patrick, George H. Eudy, Jacob Segar, Philip 
Smith, Martin W. Travis, Wm. E. Thompson, Donaldson D. 
Wilson. 

Company H. 

Capt. Joshua Hall. 

1st Lieutenant Alex. C. Foster. 

2d Lieutenant Thomas Sl'Colgin. 

1st Sergeant Eobert M'Farland. 

Sergeants .Tames M'Granahan, Andrew J. M'Intosh, Elias Crisman, 
Jeremiah Elgin. 

Corporals Samuel Cassady, Samuel Morrow, John C. Ehra, Frank 
M'Gaughy. 

Musician Wm. BrOAvn. 

PRIVATES. 

James Akins, Thomas P. Blair, Geo. W. Brown, Wm. Carson, Wm. 
Earhart, Samuel Elgin, M'Curdy J. Ewing, Jackson A. Foster, 
Andrew Gallahar, Wm. H. Gray, Francis C. Gardner, Eobert 
Hall, James A. Lowrey, Henry a M'Afoos, Jas. M'Elvey, Alden 
C. Pruden, Thomas Patterson, Andrew D. Southworth, Jona- 
than Schrecenghost, Jonn A. Stewart, John Stewart, Adam Tur- 
ney, Andrew Wilson, David While. 



CHAPTER III 



TOWNSHIP DIVISION AND ORGANIZATION. 



Importance of the To^vnship Politically 
Original Divisions of the County - 
Original Townships. 



-The Townships of Armstrong and Wheatfield in 1792 — The Three 
-Allegheny — Buffalo — Toby — Origin of Names — Subdivisions of the 



MUNICIPALITIES TOWNSHIP DIVISION. 

IN passing from a general sketch of our county 
to the more narrowly local sketches of its sub- 
divisions into city, townshijjs, and boroughs, the 
passing remark may here be pertinent, that when 
the communal and municipal organizations, or what 
we call cities, towns, and boroughs, which had 
been crushed out by the Eastern Emperors, began 
to be re-invigorated, in the eleventh century, the 
first municipal, or as we would say, city, township, 
or borough elections were held in the Sclavic city 
of Ragusa, in that part of Dalmatia inhabited by 
fieople of Sclavic origin. 

It is said that the commune, or township, is the 
fountain-head, the corner-stone of American so- 
ciety. The township was the primitive state from 
which the start was made. The township, there- 
fore, still remains in its function, the generating 
power, the foundation, the nursery of self-govern- 
ment and of American social order. In the town- 
ship, as well as everywhere else in this country, 
observes De Tocqueville, the people are the only 
source of power ; but in no stage of government 
does the body of citizens exercise a more imme- 
diate influence. On the self-government of the 
townships, says another foreign observer of Ameri- 
can institutions, reposes the freedom of the state, 
and from it is evolved in wider and wider all-em- 
bracing circles the whole existing political structure. 

In the early days of the Province and Common- 
wealth of Pennsylvania, those important sub- 
divisions embraced large areas of territory within 
their limits. A map of Pennsylvania, by Reading 
Howells, published in 1'792, for the use of which 
the writer is indebted to Grier C. Orr, shows only 
two townships — Armstrong and Wheatfield — as 
before stated, north of the Kiskiminetas and Cone- 
maugh rivers, in the territory of which Armstrong 
and Indiana counties are now composed. 

AEMSTEONG TOWNSHIP. 

" At a Court of General Quarter Sessions of the 
Peace, held at Robert Hanna's, Esquire, for the 
county of Westmoreland, the sixth day of April, 



in the thirteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign 
Lord, George the third, by the grace of God, of 
Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender 
of the Faith, etc. And in the year of our Lord 
one thousand seven hundred and seventy-three, 
before William Crawford, Esquire, and his asso- 
ciate justices of the same court. 

" The court proceeded to divide the said county 
into the following townshijjs by the limits and 
descriptions hereinafter following, viz. : 

"Fairfield * * * Donegal * * * Hun- 
tingdon * * * Mount Pleasant * * * 
Hempfield * * * Pitt * * * Tyrone 

* * * Spring Hill * * * Manallan 

* * * Rostraver * * * Annstrong. Be- 
ginning where the line of the county crosses the 
Connemach " — nearly midway between Cone- 
maugh Furnace and Sang Hollow, on the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad — " then running with that river to 
the line of Fairfield, along that line to the Loyal 
Haunon, then down the Loyal Haunon and the 
Kiskiminetas to the Allegheny, then up the Alle- 
gheny to the Kittanning, then with a straight line 
to the head waters of Two Lick or Black Lick 
Creek, and thence with a straight line to the be- 
ginning." (Vide minutes of said court.) So that 
Armstrong township must have embraced a large 
portion of the territory out of which Wheatfield 
township was afterward formed. 

In 17Y3 the constable of Armstrong township 
was Andrew Mitchell, and the supervisor John 
Pomeroy. April sessions, I'ZQO, constable, James 
McLean ; supervisors, Isaac Ardem and James 
Smith. The returns made by the county treasurer 
for this township in 1796, were: Costs, £98 6s 
6d ; state tax, £11 18s 9d ; county tax, £360 9s 3d. 

On that map are marks or characters indicating 
the locations of dwelling-houses, furnaces, houses 
of worship, mills, roads, and Indian paths, none of 
which are thus indicated within what are now the 
limits of this county, except an Indian town near 
the mouth of Mahoning, and an Indian path, by 
which the Indians of the West communicated with 
the Susquehanna country, extending southeast 



102 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



from the site of Kittanning to, or at least in the 
direction of, Kittanning Point on the Allegheny 
Mountain, which was so called because the Indian 
path diverged therefrom to Kittanning. On Scull's 
map it is named the Ohio path. By the act of 
March 29, 1/92, the freemen of the first district 
of Westmoreland county were directed to meet 
for holding elections at the house then occupied 
by William Neil, in Armstrong township. 

It was customary, prior to 1803, for the Courts 
of Quarter Sessions, without legislative authority, 
to erect townships in their respective counties, and 
send up their proceedings for approval to the coun- 
cil under the Proprietary Government, and to the 
legislature after the Province became a State. 

This county, when organized in 1800, contained 
within its limits only two organized townships, 
viz., Allegheny and Buffalo. Toby township was 
organized soon afterward. Those were the three 
original townships of this county, and the only 
ones mentioned in the settlement of accounts be- 
tween this and Westmoreland county for the years 
1802, 1804, and 1805, according to which, dated 
February 12, 1808, there was due this county the 
before-stated balance of 82,978.11. 

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP 

was organized by the Court of Quarter Sessions of 
Westmoreland county, December, 1795. Its bound- 
aries were specified in the petition of the inhabi- 
tants of Armstrong township for a division of the 
latter : " A line beginning at the mouth of Alt- 
man's run " — now in Indiana county, about half a 
mile below Livermore — "thence up said run to 
Wm. Neil's, and thence to James Smith, Esq., 
both farms to be included on the east side of said 
line, and running thence to Plum creek, and up 
the north branch of said creek to the purchase 
line, and make a suitable division of said township, 
which "the petitioners pray the court will grant 
and establish." Order or decree of the court : 
"June sessions, 1795. The said petition read and 
continued, and now, to wit, December sessions, 
1795, the court divide the said township agreeably 
to the prayer of the petitioners, and order the 
southwest division to be erected into a new town- 
ship to be hereafter known by the name of Alle- 
gheny township," which was bounded on the west 
by the Allegheny river, and on the east by the 
aforesaid line from the mouth of Altman's run, 
and of course embraced portions of what are now 
Armstrong and Indiana counties. By the Act of 
March 29, 1802, it was erected into an- election 
district, and the elections were directed to be held 
at the liouse of George Painter, miller, at the 



mouth of Cherry run in that township, near what 
are now Carnahan's mills. The taxes laid on the 
land in this ancient township, in 1802, were : 
seated, $187.37; imseated, $512.82. In 1804, $206.24 
seated; $516.80 unseated. In 1805, $276.10 seated; 
$384.68 unseated. The assessment list for 1805-6 
shows the seated lands to have been then valued 
at $29,028.55 ; number of horses, 337; number 
of cattle, 545. The only store-keeper was Hugh 
Brown, whose occupation was valued at $40. 
Mechanics — Bernard Davers, mason; George Beer, 
gunsmith; Peter Rupert, weaver; John Steele, 
wheelwright ; John Schall and Joseph Thorn, 
blacksmiths ; Smith McMillen and John King, 
tailors. Each one's trade was valued at $10, except 
Thorn's, which was valued at $20. Wm. Sheerer's 
tanyard, $15. Mills — Samuel Beer, one grist and 
one saw-mill; James Pindley and Thos. Dickey, 
ditto; Daniel Linsibigler, one sawmill; George 
Painter, one grist and one saw-mill; the occupa- 
tion of Findley & Dickey was valued at $30, 
Schoolmasters — James Moore, Jacob Schell and 
Wm. Smith. Distilleries — John Willis', valued at 
$15; Thos. Gallagher's at $25; James Hall's, $25; 
Church Smith's, $30; Robert Sloan's, $15. All 
the foregoing were out of the town of Kittanning, 
which was then partly in that township. Ferries — 
Jas. Cunningham, Peter LeFevre, Patrick O'Don- 
nell and John Postlethwaite, were each assessed 
with one. 

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP 

is a descendant from Pitt township. At Decem- 
ber sessions, 1788, of the Court of Quarter Sessions 
of Allegheny county, Moore, St. Clair, Mifllin, 
Elizabeth, Versailles, Plumb and Pitt townships 
were organized. The boundaries of the last named 
were : " Beginning at the mouth of Pickety's run, 
thence up the Allegheny river and by the line of 
the county" — which then extended along the river 
to the northern boundary of Pennsylvania, Lake 
Erie and the western boundary line of this State — 
" to the mouth of Flaherty's run ; thence up the 
river to the mouth of the Monongahela river; 
thence up said river to the mouth of Turtle creek; 
thence hj line of Plumb township to the place of 
beginning," which last mentioned line was changed 
somewhat at the next June sessions. At the same 
sessions Deer and Pine townships were formed out 
of Pitt. As to the former, it was " ordered that 
Gapen's and Moore's surveyor districts be erected 
into a new township called Deer township." It is 
necessary in order to form an adequate idea of the 
area of that township to know the areas of these 
two districts. The former began " at the south- 
east corner of District No. 3; from thence extend- 



TOWNSHIP DIVISION AND ORGANIZATION. 



103 



ing by the same due west to the corner of District 
No. 4 " — about five miles slightly east of south 
from the Borough of Mercer — "thence due south 
about nineteen miles" — along the western line of 
Butler county — "to the corner of Daniel and Jona- 
than Leet's districts ; thence by Jonathan Leet's 
and Stephen Gapen's districts due east to the river 
Allegheny, near Mohulbaughtitem " — Mahoning — 
" and from thence up the Allegheny river by the 
several courses thereof to the place of beginning," 
which must have been near what is now Rock- 
land, in Venango county. The latter began 
"at northeast corner of District No. 9" — at or 
near the center of Butler county — " thence south 
to the Allegheny river ; thence up the same by 
the courses and distances thereof to the mouth of 
Mohulbaughtitem creek; thence west by the north- 
ern boundary of the late Depreciation district to 
the beginning," being what were afterward the 
Cunningham and Elder districts. By the act of 
Assembly of April 4, 1798, such parts of Alle- 
gheny county as lay within Elder's district, being 
a part of the township of Deer, were made an elec- 
tion district, and the house of James McCormick, 
in the town of Freeport, was designated as the 
place for holding the elections. 

On the petition of the inhabitants of Pine and 
Deer townships the court of quarter sessions of 
Allegheny county, December, 1797, made the fol- 
lowing order, it having been represented by the 
county commissioners, as well from the informa- 
tion and complaints of others as from their own 
knowledge, that those two last-mentioned town- 
ships were too large and inconvenient for the 
assessment and collection of taxes : " It is ordered 
that the said township of Pine be divided," etc., 
" and that the township of Deer be divided by the 
east line of Cunningham's surveyor district " — 
which extended from a point near Springdale on 
the Allegheny river due north to the line between 
the Depreciation and Donation lands, but the new 
township line extended to the northern line of 
Moore's district above-mentioned — " and that the 
upper division thereof be a new township called 
Buffalo township," which embraced portions of 
Allegheny, Butler and Venango counties, and all 
of that portion of Armstrong county on the west 
side of the Allegheny river. The places for hold- 
ing elections in Buffalo township were : By act of 
March 12, 1800, at the house of John Smith, which 
was in the western part of what is now North 
Buffalo township ; by act of February 7, 180-3, at 
the- house of John McDowel, which was about two 
miles northeast of where Worthington now is, 
and by act of April 11, 1811, at the house of Jacob 



Young, which was near Slate Lick. The last one 
was designated after the organization of Sugar 
creek township. 

In 1802, the taxes on seated land were $517.2.3, 
on unseated, $129.50; in 1804, on seated, $555.60, 
on unseated, $129.50; in 1805, on seated, $491.83, 
on unseated, $68.43. 

TODY TOWNSIllP 

was organized by the court of quarter sessions of 
Westmoreland county, at September sessions, 
1801, with the following boundaries, on the appli- 
cation of the commissioners of that county, the 
whole of Armstrong county being then within the 
jurisdiction of that court, as provided by the act 
of March 12, 1800: " Bounded on the north by the 
Allegheny river, on the east by Toby's creek, on 
the south by the line between Hamilton and 
Wood's (late) district, and on the west by the old 
purchase line, to be hereafter known by the name 
of Toby township." A glance at the maj) will 
show that either the clerk of the court erred in 
recording these boundaries, or the commissioners 
erred in setting them forth in their application — 
the original papers cannot be found — for the origi- 
nal boundaries were: Bounded on the north and 
northeast by Toby's creek, on the east by the line be- 
tween the Hamilton and Wood's districts,which was 
a little east of what is now the western boundary of 
Jefferson county, on the south by the old purchase 
line, and on the west by the Allegheny river, in- 
cluding, of course, until September 18, 1806, all that 
portion of what is now the borough of Kittanning 
north of that purchase line which crosses that 
borough diagonally in an easterly direction from a 
point a few yards above the mouth of Truby's run. 
The course of that line from Chei'ry Tree, on the 
west bank of the Susquehanna, to the Allegheny 
river, is north 79° west. 

Taxes laid in 1802 on seated land, $76.23, on un- 
seated, $429.27; in 1804, on seated, $110.64, on un- 
seated, $1,110.76; in 1805, on seated, $170.69, on 
imseated, $920.50.* 

The place for holding elections in this township 
was directed by act of April 3, 1804, to be at the 
house of Abraham Standford, who then lived near 
what is now Currlsville. 

The total valuation of unseated lands in this 
township for 1805 was $229,434.11. In 1806, the 



*As the assessment lists of Buffalo and Tnby townships for 1805-6 
cannot be found, and as they were both divided before the next ones 
were made out, the other statistics, like those of Allegheny town- 
ship, cannot, of course, be given. The total tax on real estate in 
those three original townships for the years 18112-3-1-5 was 56,794.19; 
the total unavoidable deficiencies, $1(J6.22; leaving S6,(;89.97: to 
which add S3i0.33, balance of tax due on unseated lands in Arm- 
strong county in 1800, 97,040.30, with which Westmoreland county 
was charged and Armstrong cnuntv credited in llie settlement of ac- 
counts between them, as certified by the commissioners of West- 
moreland county, February 12, 1808. 



lUJ: 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



followmg ijersons were assessed with other occu- 
pations than agricultural : James Calhoun, Will- 
iam Cochran, William Frazier, John Love and 
Robert Wilson, weavers; William Kelly, school- 
master; William Sypes, potter; John Guthrie, 
carpenter ; John Simpkins, wagon maker ; John 
Wilson, tanner ; James McElhenry, wheelwright ; 
and Alexander Moore, one house and lot, $90. 
McElhenry and Moore were within the present 
limits of the borough of Kittanning, and Sypes 
somewhere between Crooked and Mahoning creeks, 
James Calhoun and William Cochran within the 
present limits of Pine. 

The township was named from Toby's creek, 
which skirted its northwestern border. The 
Indians must have named that stream from the 
Toby-hanna, an eastern tributary of the Lehigh 
river in what is now Monroe county, Pennsylvania. 
Toby, according to Heckewelder, is Tohaco — from 
Tohy-hanne, corrupted from Topi-hanna, signifying 
cdder stream, i. e., a stream whose banks are fringed 
with alders. This tributary of the Allegheny bore 
the name of Toby more than a century ago. Toby 
was its original name, prior to 1758. The tra- 
ditions that it was named after certain individuals 
at later periods are mere figments of the imagina- 
tion, as is manifest from the journal kept by Chris- 
tian Frederick Post of his mission from the govern- 
ment of Pennsylvania to the Delawares and other 
Indians at Kuskuskking, Sakonk, and other points 
west of the Allegheny, in the last-mentioned year. 
He was sent on that mission to prevail on them to 
withdraw from the French interest. His journal be- 
gins July 15 and ends September 20. He says, under 
date of August 3 : " We came to a jyart of a river 
called Tobeco''' — probably Little Toby — " over the 
mountains." Under date of August 5: "We set 
out early this day, and made a good long stretch, 
crossing the big river Tobeco" — Toby's creek — 
where he and the Indian chief, Pisquetomen, who 
traveled with him, " lodged between two moun- 
tains," as he called the hills. On that day he lost 
his pocket-book, containing three pounds and live 
shillings ■■ and sonae other things, among which 
were some writings which he alone could read. 
The next day they " passed the big river Wesha- 
waucks " — probably either Point or East Sandy 
creek — and " crossed a fine meadow two miles in 
length," where they slept that night, without 
anything to eat. On the Hh they " came in 
sight of Fort Venango," afterward called Fort 
Franklin. 

It is said that Toby's creek was, in the latter 
part of the last or fore part of this century, called 
Stump creek for a comparatively short distance 



above its mouth, by lumbermen and others who 
descended the Allegheny river. It was declared a 
public highway from its mouth to the second fork 
by the act of March 21, 1798. Two hundred 
dollars were appropriated by act of March 24, 
1817, for improving it. Thomas R. Peters and 
his heirs were authorized by act of April 2, 1822, 
to erect and forever maintain a dam or dyke 
across it near Turkey run. In the last mentioned 
act it is called " Toby's creek, or Clarion river," 
and that is the first act in which it is designated 
by the latter name, which it must have received 
before the last-mentioned year, but not, as some 
suppose, by legislative enactment. After careful 
inquiry, the writer is j)ersuaded that this change 
of name originated in the suggestion of the late 
David Lawson. 

SUBDIVISIONS OF THE ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS. 

The act of March 24, 1803, authorized the courts 
of quarter sessions of the several counties of this 
state to erect new townships, divide any township 
already erected, or to alter the lines of any two or 
more adjoining townships so as to suit the inhabit- 
ants thereof, upon application made to them by 
petition, upon which thej^ were required to appoint 
three impartial men, if necessary, to inquire into the 
propriety of granting the prayer of the petitioners, 
whose duty was to make a plot or draft of the 
township proposed to be altered, or to change the 
lines of any two or more adjoining townships, as 
the case might be, if the same could not be fully 
designated by natural lines and boundaries, all of 
which they, or any two of them, were to report to 
the next court of quarter sessions, together with 
their opinion of the same, and at the next court 
after that to which the report was to be made, the 
court should confirm or set aside the same as to 
them should seem just and reasonable. 

The petition of sundry inhabitants of Arm- 
strong county was presented to the proper court at 
December sessions, 1805, setting forth that the 
then townships were too extensive for the j)erform- 
ance of the duties of the township officers ; that 
the petitioners experienced great inconvenience 
from the township divisions, and praying the 
court to appoint proper persons to divide the 
county into several townships, so as to suit the 
convenience of the inhabitants. Whereupon the 
court appointed Robert Beatty, John Corbett and 
John McDowell for that purpose, who were 
required to report to the then next, or March, 
Court of Quarter Sessions. The presentation of 
their report having been continued at the March 
and June sessions, was made at September sessions, 



TOWNSHIP DIVISION AND ORGANIZATIOX. 



105 



1806, in which they expressed the opinion tliat the 
county ought to be divided into six townships, as 
designated in the accompanying plot or draft : 

" iVo. 1, Toby township, beginning at Bucanon's 
most eastei-n district line" — 4° IS^i// west longi- 
tude from Philadelphia — "where the same crosses 
Toby's creek ; thence south by said line to where 
the same crosses Mahoning creek, thence down 
said creek to the mouth on Allegheny river, thence 
up said river to the mouth of Toby's creek, thence 
up said creek to the place of beginning." Erected 
into a separate election district and general elec- 
tions directed to be held at the house then occupied 
by Thos. McKibbins, by act of April 1 1 ,'l SO", about 
four miles east of Parker's Landing. 

" No. 2, Red Sank tovmship, beginning on the 
aforesaid district line on Toby's creek, thence by 
the said line of Toby township to the Mahoning 
creek, thence up said. creek to the line of Indiana 
county, thence north by said county line and the 
line of Jefferson county to Toby's creek, thence 
down said creek to the place of beginning." 
Erected into a separate election district and elec- 
tions directed to be held at the house then occu- 
pied by Samuel C. Orr. Act of April 11, 1807. 

A glance at a township map will show that all 
the present townships between Clarion river and 
Red Bank creek, in Clarion county, have descended, 
so to speak, primarily from Toby township and 
secondarily from Toby and Red Bank townships. 

" No. 3, Kittanning tovmship, beginning at the 
mouth of Mahoning creek, on the Allegheny river, 
thence up said creek to the line of Indiana county, 
thence by the line of said county south to the old 
purchase line (of 1768), from thence along the line 
of said county to a small run, a branch of Crooked 
creek, thence down said run to the mouth putting 
into Crooked creek, the first run above the brest 
of Esquire Clark's mill-dam" — now owned by 
Townsend & Bro. — " thence down said creek to 



the mouth on the Allegheny river, llience up said 
river to the place of beginning." Erected into a 
separate election district utkI general elections 
directed to be held at the commissioner's office in 
the town of Kittanning. Act of April 11, 1807. 

'■'•No. 4, Allegheny township, beginning at the 
mouth of Crooked creek, thence down the Alle- 
gheny river to the mouth of Kiskiminetas river, 
thence up said river to the county line, thence 
along said line to the above run, the line of Kittan- 
ning township, thence along said line to the place 
of beginning." Erected into a separate election 
district and general elections directed to be held at 
the house then occupied by Solomon Shoemaker. 
Act of April 11, 1807. Place of election changed 
to house of Eliab Eakman by act of March 29, 
181.3. 

^'■No. 5, Buffalo townshijj, beginning at tlie mouth 
of tlie Buffalo creek, thence up the Allegheny 
river to the mouth of Limestone run, thence west 
to the line of Armstrong county, thence along said 
line to the line of Buffalo township, thence along 
said line to the place of beginning." By act of 
April 11, 1807, this township was erected into an 
election district, and the place of holding elections 
fixed at Jacob Young's. 

" No. 6, Sugar Creek township, beginning at the 
mouth of Limestone run, on the Allegheny river, 
thence up said river to the line of Armstrong 
county" — the northwest corner of the county — 
" thence along said line to the line of Buffalo town- 
ship, thence east along said line to the place of 
beginning." By act of April 11, 1807, this town- 
ship was erected into an election district, the elec- 
tions to be held at the house then occupied by 
Jost Weiles. 

The report of the viewers, or commissioners, 
recommending the foregoing divisions and organi- 
zations of townshijjs, was confirmed by the court 
September 18, 1806. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



Origin of the Name — Wbite Prisouers Among the Indians — Savage Torture — Early Mention of the Town 
Site — Robert Brown, the Watsons, James Claypoole, Patrick Dauglierty, Andrew Hunter, and Otlier Pio- 
neer Settlers — The Town Platted — Sale of Lots — A Glimpse of the Village in 1804 — The First Mer- 
chants, I-awyers, Physicians and Inn-Keepers — Some Reminiscences of the War of 1812 — A Groundless 
Alarm — The Postoffice — The Village in 1820 — Corporate History — Security Against Fires— The Streets — 
Public Improvements — AVharflng the River Bank — Crossing the Allegheny — Ferries and Bridges — First 
Steamboat Arrivals — River Improvement Convention — Some Old-Time Fourth of July Celebrations — 
Other and Later Notable Events — Tornadoes, Floods, Ice Gorges and Fires — The Churches of Kittan- 
ning — Public Schools — Academy — Universitv — College — Public Library — Literary and Dramatic Socie- 
ties — Lecture Courses — Temperance Societies — Secret and Benevolent Organizations — Independent Mili- 
tary Company — Bands — Boat Clubs — Manufacturing, Early and Late— Banking — Insurance — Gas and 
Water Works — Mercantile Matters — The Professions — Public Buildings — Cemeteries — The Town in 
187t> — Statistics — Geology of the Locality — Mineral Springs. 

Thus tlie common idea that Kittanning means 
cornfleld is exploded. The etymology of the word 



KITTANNING is a word of Indian origin, 
and is significant. The writer's authority 
for the meaning of this and most of the other 
hereinafter mentioned Indian names in Armstrong 
county is Rev. John Heckewelder.* He says: " Kit- 
tanning is corrupted from Kit-han-^ie, in Munsi 
Delaware Gicht-han-ne, signifying the main, stream, 
i.e. in its region of country. Kit-han-ne is perpetu- 
ated in Kittanning, corrupted from Kit-han-ninh, 
signifying at or on the main stream, i.e. the town at 
or 011 the main stream. He also says: We indeed 
have the word " Kittanning" on our maps for a 
particular spot on the Allegheny river, whereas 
the true meaning of the word, which should be 
written Kit-lian-ninh, denotes the river itself. He 
gives its etymology thus: ICitschi, superior, greatest, 
and han-ne, which denotes flowing water, or a 
stream of flooding water. The late Rev. W. C. 
Reichel, who was very familiar with the Indian 
languages, in one of his papers says: "Among 
themselves the Indians always called the river 
Kit-han-ne. * * * Only when conversing with 
traders or white travelers to whom the word was 
familiar, in naming the river in question, would the 
Indians call it the Ohio." 



* Heckwelder was a Moravian missionary among; the Lenni Lenape 
or Delaware and otlier Indians, chiefly those in Pennsyh'ania, from 
17IS until 1S14, during which period he traveled about twenty-six 
thousand miles. He is undoubtedly reliable authority, judging from 
the mention made of him in one of works in the Philosophical 
Department of the Historical Society of this state. Henry R. School- 
craft, who was well versed in Indian customs and languages, says; 
" The inquiries into the Indian lang\iages underthe directions of Mr. 
Heckewelder evince more severity of research than had before his 
time been bestowed upon the subject." Schoolcraft's kinsman, 
Francis W. Sherman, who was one of the writer's class and room- 
mates at Hamilton College, informed the writer that his distinguished 
relative was partly, on his mother's side, of Indian extraction. 
Sherman could, as' he did on one occasion in the presence of his 
class, make an impressive speech in the Oneida language, with 
which he had become familiar in his boyhood. Hence, the writer 
thinks that Heckewelder may safely be taken as reliable authority 
for the etymology and meaning of words in the Lenui Lenape lan- 
guage. 



does not indicate that such is its meaning. Accord- 
ing to the glossary of words used by the Delaware 
and Shawanee Indians, made by Major Denny at 
Fort Mcintosh, January, 1785, musquern means 
corn ; and according to the one made by bim at 
Fort Finney, January, 1786, the meanings of the 
words in which were chiefly obtained by him from 
the " Grenadier Squaw," the Indian word tommey 
also means corn. It is manifest that the word 
Kittanning has not originated from either of these 
words. 

"The Kittanning" was, as already intimated, 
an important point, having been the base of opera- 
tions by the French and Indians against the fron- 
tier settlements. In Washington's letter to Gov. 
Hamilton, written in the latter part of April, 1754, 
he said: " It is with the greatest concern I acquaint 
you that Mr. Ward, Ensign in Capt. Trent's com- 
panjr, was compelled to surrender his small fort in 
the forks of Mohongialo to the French on the I7th 
Inst., who fell down from Weningo " — as Venango 
was formerly called — " with a fleet of three hun- 
dred and sixty battoes and canoes, with upward 
of one thousand men and eighteen pieces of artil- 
lery, which they planted against the fort," etc. It 
may not be a violent presumption that, if the diary 
or journal of the commander or someone else of 
that French force could be had, it would show the 
landing of that fleet, in its descent down the Alle- 
gheny, at Kittanning, or at least the salutations 
with which it was greeted by the then dusky 
inhabitants of this ancient town, which was the 
Delawares' chief town from 1727 and 1729 until 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



107 



1756, and which had been frequented by white 
traders from the East until 1749, when the French 
expedition, under the command of Louis Celeron, 
descended that stream. 

WHITE PRISONERS AMONG THE INDIANS. 

This, too, was one of the prominent places where 
English prisoners were confined. One of the first, 
if not the very first, of them brought here was 
James Smith, mentioned by James Burd, commis- 
sioner of the roads, in his letter to Gov. Morris, 
dated "From the Allegheny mountains, 5th 
July, 1755," where the force then employed 
in opening the road from Fort Loudon to 
the three forks of the Youghiogheny, where it 
intersected Braddock's road, had then arrived. 
Smith was captured and a companion killed in 
this vicinity by the Indians. The former was 
taken to Fort Du Quesne, where he figures in 
Charles McKnight's historical novel, "Old Fort 
Du Quesne, or Captain Jack the Scout," as the 
companion of Lord Talbot, who is also represented 
as confined there, having been captured in Brad- 
dock's defeat. Smith, on his arrival at the fort, 
was compelled to run the gauntlet. Shortly after- 
ward, as he relates in his narrative, he was taken 
by some Delaware Indians, who had determined to 
spare his life, in a canoe up the Allegheny to an 
Indian town about forty miles distant, on the north 
side of the river, which must have been the Indian 
town, or villages as they were called, of Kittan- 
ning, where he remained several weeks. 

At a council, held at Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sep- 
tember 6, 1756, the statement of John Coxe, a son 
of the widow Coxe, was made, the substance of 
which is: He, his brother Richard and John Craig 
were taken in the beginning of February of that 
year by nine Delaware Indians from a plantation 
two miles from McDowell's mill, which was be- 
tween the east and west branches of the Conoco- 
cheague creek, about twenty miles west of the 
present site of Shij)pensburgh, in what is now 
Franklin county, and brought to Kittanning " on 
the Ohio." On his waj hither he met Shingas 
with a party of thirty men, and afterward with 
Capt. Jacobs and fifteen men, whose design was to 
destroy the settlements in Conogchege. When he 
arrived at Kittanning he saw here aboiit one hun- 
dred fighting men of the Delaware tribe, with 
their families, and about fifty English prisoners, 
consisting of men, women and children. During 
his stay here Shingas' and Jacobs' parties returned, 
the one with nine scalps and ten prisoners, the 
other with several scalps and five prisoners. An- 
other company of eighteen came from Diahogo 



with seventeen scalps on a pole, wliicii they took 
to Fort Du Quesne to obtain their reward. The 
warriors held a council, which, with their war 
dances, continued a week, when Capt. Jacobs left 
with fortjr-eight men, intending, as Coxe was told, 
to fall upon the inhabitants of Paxton. He heard 
the Indians freqently say that they intended to 
kill all the white folks, except a few, with whom 
they would afterward make peace. They made an 
example of Paul Broadley, whom, with their usual 
cruelty, they beat for half an hour with clubs and 
tomahawks, and then, having fastened him to a 
post, cropped his ears close to his head and 
chopped off his fingers, calling all the prisoners to 
witness the horrible scene. 

Among other English prisoners brought to Kit- 
tanning were George Woods, father-in-law of the 
eminent lawyer, James Ross (deceased), and the 
wife and daughter of John Grey, who were 
captured at Bigham's Fort, in the Tuscarora 
Valley, in 1756. Mr. Grey came out here with 
Armstrong's expedition, hoping to hear from his 
family. These three prisoners were sent from 
Kittanning to Port Du Quesne, and subsequently 
to Canada. 

Fort Granville, which was situated on the 
Juniata, one mile above Lewistown, was besieged 
by the Indians July 30, 1756. The force then in 
it consisted of twenty-four men under the com- 
mand of Lieut. Armstrong, who was killed during 
the siege. The Indians having olfei-ed quarter to 
to those in the fort, a man by the name of John 
Turner immediately opened the gate to them. He 
and the others, including three women and several 
children, were taken prisoners. By order of the 
French commander the fort was burned by Capt. 
Jacobs. When the Indians and jjrisoners reached 
Kittanning, Turner was tied to a black post, the 
Indians danced around him, made a great fire, and 
his body was run through with red-hot gun-barrels. 
Having tormented him for three hours, the Indians 
scalped him alive, and finally held up a boy, who 
gave him the finishing stroke with a hatchet.* 

Such were a few of the terrible enactments of 
which Kittanning was the scene in the eighteenth 
century. 

The writer has not learned the exact locality of 
that " black post," or whether it was in the upper, 
central or lower one of the three villages, as the 
separate clusters of the forty houses were called, 
and which were located on the bench now between 
McKean street and Grant avenue — two of the 
villages having been above and one below Market 
street. Between these villages and the river was 



* Gordon's History of Pennsylvania. 



108 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



an extensive cornfield. William M. Darlington, 
in a communication to the writer, says : " Respect- 
ing the Indian villages of Kittanning, I have some- 
where seen the narrative of a white prisoner, who 
mentions the villages as the upper, middle and 
lower. They were not far apart, and all on the 
river bottom wliere Kittanning now stands." 

Tradition says that "black post" was at the 
mouth of Truby's run, which was formerly sev- 
eral rods lower down than it is now. 

Thomas Girty, mentioned in the list of prison- 
ers rescued by Col. Armstrong, was a brother of 
Simon, George and James Girtj''. He is said to 
have been the only one of them who returned to 
civilized life after they were captured by the Indi- 
ans. He became one of Capt. Sara Brady's spies 
in the Indian wars after the Revolution. 

Kittanning was a notable point in the boundary 
line, established between the Northern Colonies 
and the Indians, at the treaty held by Sir William 
Johnson at Fort Stanwix (near what is now Rome, 
New York), November 5, 1768, known as the pur- 
chase line of that year.* 

The line between those two purchases divides 
this borough into nearly equal portions. Its bear- 
ing from, at or near the mouth of Truby's run to 
the nearest fork of the west branch of the Susque- 
hanna river is south 79° east. 

Major Ebenezer Denny, in that part of his mil- 
tary journal relating to the return of Gen. Harmar, 
himself and others from Fort Franklin — Venango 
county — whither they had gone to insjject the 
fortification there, for erecting which Capt. Heart 
had been ordered, April 10, 1787, to proceed from 
Fort Harmar, at the mouth of the Muskingum, 
says of the lower Allegheny: " Some very beautiful 
situations and tracts, indeed ; old Kittanning a 
delightful one." They made their down trip from 
Fort Franklin to the fort on the Monongahela — 
from Franklin to Pittsburgh — in fifteen hours, the 
"Allegheny river flowing brimful" — May 4, 1788. 

Robert Brown first came with some hunters to 
Kittanning in 1798, and settled here soon after. 
About that time William — father of ex-Sheriff 
Watson — John, James and Robert Watson made a 
tour of observation along Cowanshannock and 
Crooked creeks, and the Allegheny river. They 
then saw vestiges of the Indian oornhills on the 
site of the present borough of Kittanning. They 
desired to buy either a part or the whole of the 
tract embraced in the Armstrong purchase. They 
wrote to the then owners in relation thereto, but, 
the organization of this county having then begun 



* See note at close of chapter, which contains a full account of 
the treaty hy which this line was established. 



to be agitated, they could not purchase any portion 
of it. 

EARLIEST SETTLERS. 

In the spring or summer of 1791, James Clay- 
poole, as related to the writer by one of his 
grandsons, with his Avife and six children, settled 
near the mouth of Truby's Run. He built a log 
cabin at what is now the northwest corner of Arch 
and Water streets, on lot No. 75, now owned by 
Miss Kittle S. Craig,* and resided there until he 
noticed, one day the next spring, that his horses 
ran past as horses do when they are very much 
frightened. He inquired of a peaceable, friendly 
Indian whose cabin was in the rear of his own, 
what that frightening of the horses meant? The 
Indian mounted a high stump, and looked around 
in every direction, and then asked : " Can you go 
home?" Claypoole, fearing that danger from the 
approach of Indians was imminent, hurriedly pre- 
pared a raft from the dead timber standing in the 
bottom, on which he and all of his family, except 
two of the boys, descended the river to Pittsburgh, 
where they resided a short time, and removed 
thence to his former residence on the Monongahela, 
nearly opposite Turtle Creek. His sons, John and 
Jehu, drove his two horses and two or three 
cows by land down the cast side of the river to 
Pittsburgh. 

The next earliest settlers appear to have been 
Patrick Dougherty, who lived a short distance 
below, and Andrew Hunter, who lived a short 
distance above, the present borough limits. The 
site of the latter's house was washed away years 
ago by the fresliets and occasional floods. 

THE TOWN PLATTED SALE OF LOTS. 

The town of Kittanning having been laid out in 
1803, its lots were surveyed and a draft of them 
made by the late Judge Ross, who was then 
deputy surveyor general for this county, and were 
soon after offered for sale at public outcry, at 
the house of James Sloan, on the west side of the 
Allegheny river, nearly a mile below the present 
bridge across that river, which was then the only 
tavern in this region. The first stake in the first 
lot laid out was driven, the writer is informed, by 
the above-mentioned Robert Brown. The highest 
and best prices bidden for these lots varied con- 
siderably, according to their locations in different 
parts of the town. For instance, in-lot No. 14, 
being the fourth lot below High, on the west side 
of Jefferson street, brought $10.50 ; No. 1, corner 
of High and Water streets, the present site of St. 
Mary's church, $28 ; No. 45, the third above Arch, 



* Since married to Melehin B. Chaplin. 




Mdnl 




s- .''% 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



1 (19 



east side of Jefferson street, $18; No. 125, corner 
of Market and Water streets, Eagle House, $280 ; 
No. 121, corner of Market and Jefferson streets, 
Reynolds House, $294 ; No. 123, northeast corner 
of Market and McKean streets, on which and the 
adjacent lots was the body of the old Indian town 
destroyed by Gen. Armstrong and his force, $100 ; 
No. 152, third above Jacob, on tlie west side of 
Jefferson street, $72 ; No. 163, northwest corner of 
Jacob and Water streets, $106 ; No. 207, second 
above Mulberry, east side of Jefferson street, 815 ; 
No. 211, northwest corner of Water and Mulberry 
streets, $80 ; No. 248, northeast corner of Walnut 
and McKean streets, $71.12^; No. 119, second 
above Market, west side of McKean street, $9.25 ; 
No. 84, corner Arch and McKean, $34. Out-lots, 
No. 5, $87 ; Nos. 18 and 15, each, $84 ; No. 19, 
$27 ; No. 25, $31. The out-lots varied in extent, 
the largest being 2 acres, 17to perches, and the 
smallest, 1 acre, IBto perches. 

A GLIMPSE OF THE VILLAGE THROUGH THE 
ASSESSMENT LIST OF 1804. 

From a part — the other part has been detached 
and lost — of the assessment list of persons and 
occupations, the first after the town was laid out, 
of such as were then taxable and residing in the 
town, which was then in Allegheny and Toby 
townships, dated December 21, 1804, Joseph 
Clark, assessor, and James Gaff and Isaac Town- 
send, assistant assessors, for Allegheny township — 
from the preserved part of that list, it appears 
thus : James Guthrie, joiner, trade valued at $10, 
horse 1, cattle 1 — total valuation, $25. William 
Hannegan, tailor, $10, lot No. 125, present site of 
St. Paul's Church, $16, cattle 2— total, $36. James 
Hannegan,* hatter, $10. James Henry, lot No. 232, 
$5, horses 4, cattle 1 — total, $50. Daniel Lemmon, 
single man, whose son Thomas is the oldest man 
now living who was born here. Joseph Miller, 
storekeeper, $40, horse 1, cattle 1 — total, $55 ; 
Bernard Mahan, shoemaker, $5. Alexr. Moor, lot 
No. 25, $10, horse 1, cattle 1 — total, $25. _ James 
McElhenny, wheelwiight, $10, lot No. 90, $18 — 
total, $28. Samuel Miller, shoemaker, $5. James 
McClurg, storekeeper, $40, lot No. 45, $10— total, 
$50. SamuelMassey, attorney at law, $25. Michael 
Mechling, lot No. 120, $22, horse 1, cattle 3 — total, 
between $40 and $50 — the last figure in the total 
torn off. James Pinks, joiner, $10. Abraham 
Parkinson, mason, $10. David Reynolds, store- 
keeper, $40, lot No. 221, $22, horse 1, cattle 2 — 
total, $77. William Reynolds, single man, tanner, 
$10. Col. James Sloan, single man. John Shaeffer, 

* He was the first court crier in this countj'. 
7 



joiner, $10, lot No. 173, $22— total, $32. Dewalt 
Shaeffer, rough carpenter, $5. Erastus Sands, 
joiner, $10, lot No. 220, $6— total, $16. John 
Thomas (mulatto), shoemaker, $5. That list con- 
tained the names of taxables living on both sides 
of the Purchase line. It appears from other 
sources, that David Crawford was the first black- 
smith, having settled in Kittanning in 1805. His 
son David is the first white male born and raised 
here, who is still living. James Monteith, Samuel 
Houston, and Robert Robinson were the next 
earliest merchants, who commenced business about 
1806-8, and were, in common with nearly all the 
Kittanning merchants until the present time, safe, 
solvent, and successful business men. 

As indicated by the foregoing partial list, there 
were in Kittanning, in 1804, at least one lawyer, 
three merchants, four joiners, one rough carpenter; 
one tailor, one hatter, one tanner, three shoemak- 
ers, one wheelwright, and one mason. There were 
also four single men, but whether the single ladies, 
if there were any, allowed these gentlemen to remain 
single, all that leajj year, the records show not. 

Other early settlers than those above-mentioned, 
to each of whom one or more lots were assessed, 
were .John Brandon, George Brown, Alex. Blair, 
Robert Beatty, John Coon, Robert Cooper, James 
Gibson, Daniel Long, Jinney Mosgrove, Paul 
Morrow, Joseph McClurg, James Monteith, John 
Orr and Henry Worts. 

The first hotel-keejjers were Michael Mechling 
and David Reynolds. The former kept on the 
north side of Market street, adjoining the present 
store and residence of his son Philip, and the lat- 
ter on the same side of Market, near the corner of 
Jefferson street. 

The early resident lawyers, after Mr. Massey, 
were Samuel S. Harrison, Guy Hiccox, Ebenezer 
Smith Kelly, Joseph B. Beckett, Thomas Blair, 
John Henderson; later, prior to 1840, Robert 
Findly, William F. Johnston, Joseph Buffington, 
James Thompson, J. H. Hepburn, John Francis, 
William M. Watson, H. N. Weigley, Robert E. 
Brown, most, if not all, of whom are dead; Thomas 
Struthers, Darwin Phelps, George W. Smith and 
Horatio N. Lee, still living. The present number 
is twenty.* 

* David Barclay, James E. Brown, J. A. Gettys, John Gilpin, Ed- 
ward T. Golden. Henry J. Havs, Jos. R. Henderson, J. M. Hunter, J. 
H. McCain, W. Meuhling, Jackson Boggs, Jas. B. Neale, Barclay Nul- 
ton, Grier C. Orr, Willis Patton, Darwin Phelps, H. F, Phelps, JeflTer- 
son Reynolds, John V. Painter, John W. Rohrer, Robert W. Smith, 
W. Martin and James Stewart. 

[Since Mr. Smith wrote the foregoing James E. Brown, John V. 
Painter, Darwin Phelps, Jackson Boggs and W. Martin have died, as 
has also the writer, whose name is included in the list. In addition 
to the names given the bar includes (in 1SS5) G. S. Crosby, Joseph 
and Orr Buffington, Ross Reynolds, Jr., Alex. Reynolds, Clark 
Austin, D. B. Heiner, Jr., M. F. Leason, R, S. Martin, D. L. Nulton. 
W. L. Peart, Calvin Keyburn, Pinley P. Wolf, J. F. Whitworth and 
R. B. Ivory.— Editor.] 



110 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The lirst resident physiciau was George Hays, 
who settled here in 1810 or 1811. His successors, 
prior to 1825, were Samuel S. Neale, Josiah E. 
Stevenson, Samuel McMasters, Abner Bainbridge, 
Malthus A. Ward and Samuel Byers. The pres- 
ent (1876) number is eight,* one of whom is a 
homoeopathist. The first call to the physicians of 
this county to meet at Kittanning, for the purpose 
of organizing a medical society to regulate the 
practice of medicine and for other purposes, was 
issued November 16, 1825, by Drs. Neale and 
Stevenson. 

SOME REMINISCENCES OF THE WAR OF 1812. 

John Reed, of East Franklin, one of the oldest 
citizens in this county, and who has a very reten- 
tive memory, informed the writer that there were 
but very few buildings here in 1807, and they were 
all log ones, and that he saw the military com- 
pany, recruited by Capt. James Alexander, parade 
here on the Fourth of July, 1812. Its headquar- 
ters were in a log building, on lot No. 122, north 
side of Market street, below the alley. 

One of the modes of enlisting men for the regu- 
lar army, a year or so later, as the writer is 
informed, was by placing and rattling silver coins 
on a drumhead, which were free to all who were 
capable of being mustered into the service, and 
whoever took one of them off was held to be 
enlisted. A considerable number were recruited. 
Capt., or Lieut., Brooks was the recruiting officer. 
The recruiting station and barracks were on lot 
No. 75, corner of Arch and Water streets. 

That volunteer company, after being fully 
recruited, was moved, with other companies, from 
east of the Allegheny mountains, which encamped 
here temporarily on the river bank, between Arch 
and Market streets, on the then vacant lots on the 
southwest corner of Market and Jefferson streets, 
and on the vacant portion of the old court-house 
square, to Meadville, Pennsylvania, in September, 
1812, where it was assigned to the 1st Inf. regt. of 
that Pennsylvania detachment, commanded by 
Col. Jeremiah Snyder. It and the 2d regt. Inf., 
commanded by Co. John Purviance, of Butler, 
Pennsylvania, the 1st regt. of Riflemen, Col. Jared 
Irwin, and the 2d regt. of Riflemen, Col. William 
Piper, were brigaded at Meadville, and Adamson 
Tannehill, of Pittsburgh, was elected brigadier- 
general. 

Those volunteer troops were detained at Mead- 
ville until the latter part of October — Col. Purvi- 
ance's regiment until about the 1st of Novem- 



« T, H. & T. M. Allison. H. K. Beatty, J. G. Cunningham, C. J. 
Jessop, T. C. McCuUoch, W. W. Smith (homceopathist), and W. H, 
Stewart, 



ber — on account of their arms being defective. 
When properly inspected one half of them were 
found to be totally unfit for service. So that 
instead of marching immediately to the place of 
destination, as Gen. Tannehill expected, he was 
under the mortifying necessity of sending teams 
to Pittsburgh for a supply to make up the defi- 
ciency. Between two and three weeks were thus 
lost. It is said that the deficiency of proper arms 
was caused by the shameful impositions of brigade 
inspectors on the adjutant-general. Furthermore, 
the amount of funds was sufficient to pay off only 
three regiments, so that seven or eight days were 
lost in a trip to Pittsburgh to procure enough to 
pay off the fourth one. 

A considerable number of that detachment of 
Pennsylvania volunteers, while at Meadville, ex- 
pressed their determination not to cross t/ie line, 
that is, not to go over into Canada. Some of those 
volunteers must have either lost their courage or 
become weary of military service before their 
brigade was moved from that rendezvous, for the 
Sunbury Times of October 9 said that it was related 
of a volunteer of a neighboring county that he had 
deserted and returned home, and that "his wife 
refused speaking to him or having anything to do 
with him unless he would return." So te shoul- 
dered his knajjsack and retraced his steps to Mead- 
ville. The same paper lamented the arrival at 
Sunbury of five deserters from Capt. Jared Irwin's 
rifle company, which had been recruited in that 
part of Northumberland county. They were 
promptly arrested and confined in jail, and in case 
they did not give approved security for their return 
to their corps, were sent thither under guard by 
order of the adjutant-general. The writer has not 
met with a statement or intimation that any of 
Captain Alexander's company deserted while the 
detachment to which it belonged remained at 
Meadville. 

It has come to the knowledge of the writer that 
Walter Sloan was the first lieutenant, Jacob 
Hughes ensign and Joseph Shields first sergeant 
of that company. Thirteen members of it, James 
White remembers, volunteered to cross over from 
Buffalo or Black Rock to Canada and afterward 
won a solid and brilliant fame in the sortie of Fort 
Erie and were said (in the report of the General 
commanding) to have " stood undismayed amidst 
the- hottest fire and repulsed .the veterans opposed 
to them." 

AN ALARM OF 1812. 

In July or August, 1812, a lively sensation was 
caused by a report brought here by a Mr. Snyder, 
who was then employed to distribute the pamphlet 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



Ill 



laws throughout this and the northwestern part of 
the state (which he then conveyed to the various 
counties in a wagon), that a large force of British 
troops and Indians were moving toward this place, 
whereupon a public meeting was called. Thomas 
Hamilton was appointed its chairman, who ad- 
dressed the excited assemblage from a stump in 
Market, a short distance below Jefferson street. 
Grave fears were entertained that this town was in 
danger of being taken by the enemy. That meet- 
ing resolved, after an interchange of opinions, to 
employ Daniel Lemmon to proceed to Meadville 
and elsewhere in that direction for the purpose of 
ascertaining the whereabouts and proximity of the 
supposed invaders. He soon started on his mission, 
from which he returned in a few days with the 
welcome intelligence that a false alarm had been 
raised by the rumor which Snyder had heard in his 
travels, and which probably sprung from the gen- 
eral alarm that Gov. Snyder alluded to in his mes- 
sage of December .3, 1812, to the legislature, as 
having prevailed in the town and vicinity of Erie, 
caused by the appearance of a British Indian force 
on the opposite side of the lake, in consequence of 
which he had ordered, July 15, a portion of the 
sixteenth division of the Pennsylvania militia to 
be organised under Gen. Kelso for the protection 
of the frontier, which, he said, he was happy to 
add, " prevented the British or their savage allies 
from polluting our soil with hostile feet." 

POSTAL. 

As several of the earliest record books were 
destroyed by the fire which consumed the post- 
office department building in Washington, D. C, 
on the night of December 15, 1836, the exact date 
of the establishment of the postoffice here is not 
known. But it is ascertained from the ledger books 
of the auditor's office, which were mostly saved, 
that it was in the winter of 1807, as Joseph Miller, 
the first postmaster, was appointed in that year 
and began to render his quarterly accounts on April 
1, then instant. He was a merchant, to whom lot 
No. 75, corner of Arch and "Water streets, was 
assessed for several years. His store is said to 
have been there, and there, too, the writer con- 
cludes, he kept the postoffice. Philip Mecliling, 
who was then a lad, thinks it was kept by Miller 
on lot No. 120. The next postmaster must have 
been David Lawson, as he published the list of 
letters remaining in the Kittanning postoffice in 
September, 1810. 

Among the later but early postal facilities was a 
weekly mail, carried on horseback, from Greens- 
burgh, Pennsylvania, via Freeport. Still later, in 



1818, a weekly mail was carried in tlie same way, 
from Indiana, Pennsylvania, via Woodward's mill, 
to Kittanning, thence to Butler, Pennsylvania, and 
thence back via Freeport, by a youth bearing the 
familiar name of Josiah Copley. As he was the 
only person who gladdened the people of this 
region with the mail during tliat and the next two 
years, it may readily be supposed that he was a very 
important personage, whose weekly arrival, her- 
alded by the blowing of his horn as he came over 
the hill below town, at the postoffice, then kept by 
Robert Robinson, down on Water street, where 
P. K. Bowman now lives, was hailed with delight 
by the expectant multitude gathered there to receive 
their letters and papers. 

The old "Kittanning Inn," kept by David Rey- 
nolds, was then the principal hotel. There that 
youthful mail carrier tarried over night on his 
return trips from Butler and witnessed in its large 
front room, which was then the chief social hall of 
the town, many a lively scene in which the jovial 
seniors of the place participated, when each played 
off' his peculiar humor on the rest. Their fun, if 
sometimes not what the fastidious would enjoy, 
was always good-natured. 

THE TOWN IX 1820. 

An old citizen* who settled here in 1820, and 
who distinctljr remembers the condition of every 
part of the town as he then first saw it, has kindly 
furnished the writer with the following facts : 

There were then on Water street nineteen dwel- 
ling and business houses, two of which were brick, 
.lacob Truby's gunsmith shop was on lot No. 17, 
where William Brown now lives ; Henry Rouse's 
cooper shop on lot No. 25 ; William Reynolds' 
leather store on lot No. 93, now occupied by the 
widow of George Reynolds, deceased ; Samuel 
MoKee's saddler's shop on lot No. 151, now occu- 
pied by Mrs. Matilda Robinson ; Joseph Erwin's 
inn, in the stone house built by David Lawson, in 
1808-9, on the southwest corner of Jacob and 
Water streets, now owned by Miss Amanda Col- 
well and occupied by F. E. Willis ; Robert Robin- 
son's store and the postoffice were on lot No. 193, 
southwest corner of Water street and a public 
alley, now owned and occupied by P. K. Bowman, 
and an inn, kept by Walter Sloan, on lot No. 221, 
now owned and occupied by Darwin Phelps. 

There were not any buildings on Jefferson 
street above the public alley between lots Nos. 53 
and 59 — between David Patterson's and St. John's 
(Lutheran) Church. Thence down to the lower 
end of the town there were twenty-three dwellings 



■James McCuUough, Sr, 



112 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and business houses, two of which, inchiding the 
court-house, were brick. John Gillespy's shoe shop 
was on lot No. 83, southeast corner of Arch and 
Jefferson streets, now owned and occupied by 
James Mosgrove ; the Co^MWiSiaw printing-office, on 
the old court-house square, on the lower part of 
lot No. 6 of the plot of that square made just before 
the sale thereof by the county commissioners ; Wm. 
Small's tailor shop and Hugh Rodgers' hat shop, 
on lot No. 165, northwest corner of Jacob and 
Jefferson streets, now owned and occupied by 
John CroU ; James Richart's chair and wheelwright 
shop, on lot No. 183, next below the present site 
of the First Presbyterian church ; and David Craw- 
ford's blacksmith shop on lot No. 194, southwest 
corner of Jefferson street and a public alley, now 
owned by G. F. Fischcorn and W. Hirscher. 

There were seven dwelling and business houses, 
including the jail, on Mclvean street. Robert 
Speer's nail factory was on lot No. 143, southwest 
corner of McKean street and a public alley, and 
Isaac Scott's pottery on lot No. 190, southwest 
corner of McKean street and a public alley. 

There was not then any dwelling or business 
house on Back street, now Grant avenue. The 
first house thereon was erected by James MoCul- 
lough, Sr., the one in which he now resides, in 
1851. None others were built for several years 
afterward. 

At that time there was not a dwelling or busi- 
ness house on either High, Vine, Arch, or Mulberry 

streets. 

There were eight dwelling and business houses 
on Market street, including the Eagle House block, 
southwest corner of Market and Water streets, 
erected by James Monteith, deceased, and which 
was then nearly completed. Michael Mechling's 
inn was on lot No. 120, just above the northwest 
corner of Market and Water streets ; Samuel 
Houston's store on the same lot, near the public 
alley ; David Reynolds' inn, on lot 121 ; Hamilton 
& MoConnell's store on same lot, northwest corner 
Market and Jefferson streets ; Joseph Shields' hatter 
shop on lot No. 122, northeast corner of Market 
and Jefferson streets ; James Montieth's store in 
Eagle House block, southwest corner of Market and 
Water streets ; William Hannegan's tailor shop on 
lot No. 126, where the insurance oflBce now is ; and 
Henry Jack's store, on same lot, southwest corner 
of Market and Jefferson streets, and his saddlery 
establishment a little farther down on Market 
street. There were on Jacob and Walnut streets 
respectively one tannery and one dwelling house. 

In 1830 the number of dwellings was 90 ; 
stores, 10. 



THE TOWN INCOBPOKATBD. 

By act of assembly, April 2, 1821, the town, then 
a part of Kittanning township, was incorporated 
as a borough, comprised within the limits hereto- 
fore given.* The original boundaries were subse- 
quently extended. By acts of May 4, 1844, and 
AjH-il 2, 1850, one and three-fourths acres and 
thirty perches of land in the lower part of the 
borough, owned by Philip Hutchinson and John 
Turner ; by act of March 20, 1849, the rolling mill 
plot, which had until 1846 been a meadow, and 
some winters a skating pond ; and, by act of 
March 31, 1860, two acres and thirty perches 
owned by John Scott and John Baker, were 
annexed to the borough. Some property a short 
distance above the northern limit, belonging to 
the late Robert Brown and others, was also an- 
nexed thereto by act of April 16, 1845, but was 
afterward detached and put back into the town- 
ship. The act of April 2, 1821, contained the usual 
provisions in charters granted at that period to 
small towns. The population of Kittanning was 
then about 325. The burgess and town council 
had rather limited powers, yet adequate, perhaps, 
for so small and well-disposed a population. 

About the year 1854, the borough subscribed for 
a considerable amount of Allegheny Valley rail- 
road and Kittanning bridge stocks. In 1857, the 
court of quarter sessions of Armstrong county, on 
the petition of the requisite number of the inhabit- 
ants of this borough, made several amendments to 
its charter : changing its corporate name from 
" The Burgess and Town Council of the Borough 
of Kittanning" to " The Borough of Kittanning ;" 
increasing the number of councilmen from five to 
six, three of them to be elected annually and the 
term of each to be two years ; prohibiting the 
members of the town council from receiving com- 
pensation for their services in that capacity, and 
from having any pecuniary interest in contracts 
made by the borough ; and providing that the 
debts of the borough, exclusive of those created by 
the subscriptions to the stock of the above men- 
tioned companies, should be reduced, as soon as 
practical, to $1,000, and that the amount thereof 
should not be increased unless to promote some 
object of general utility and authorized and re- 
quired by two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of 
the borough. 

A supplement to the original act or charter was 
made by the act of April 4, 1866, providing a 
board of overseers of the poor, changing the name 
of the chief executive officer from that of burgess 



s Vide pages ii9 and 100. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



113 



to mayor, investing him, the town council and the 
justices of the peace, with needed additional police 
power, and enlarging the powers of the town 
council to pass ordinances fixing licenses on 
wagons, carriages and other vehicles traversing 
the streets of the borough, and in regard to the 
municipal regulation, sanitary condition, revenue 
and financial affairs, which new powers have been 
from time to time beneficially exercised. An act 
repealing the supplement of April 4, 1866, was 
passed May 5, ISYB, which has been judicially de- 
clared to be unconstitutional by the president 
judge of the courts of this county. 

The first election of borough oftioers was held on 
the first Monday of May, 1821, of which the writer 
cannot find any record, either in the minutes of 
the town council or in the prothonotary's oflice. 
The oldest inhabitants do not remember who were 
then elected. He is, therefore, unable to state who 
the first burgess, town councilmen and other 
borough ofiicers were. The most ancient minutes 
of the town council which he has been able to find 
are those dated June 2, 1823, from which and from 
those of subsequent dates it appears that David 
Reynolds was then burgess, David Crawford, 
Frederick Rohrer, Joseph Shields, Isaac Scott and 
Michael Truby, Sr., town councilmen, and James 
E. Brown, clerk. Joseph Shields was one of Capt. 
Alexander's company, who was not deterred by 
constitutional scruples from crossing the line into 
Canada, when it was necessary for the American 
forces to go there. 

SECURITY AGAINST FIRES. 

On Wednesday, May 26, 1824, the town council 
received a certificate, signed by fifty-five of the 
taxable inhabitants of the borough, stating that, 
in their opinion, a fire engine would be of general 
utility to them, and, therefore, requesting that a 
tax of one cent on the dollar be laid on the valua- 
tion of the taxable property in the borough, to be 
applied to the purchase of a fire engine. The tax 
prayed for was then laid, and on Thursday, 
November 10, 1825, it was ordered : That the bur- 
gess purchase a fire engine in the city of Phila- 
delphia at the price of dollars. The burgess 

was authorized, Tuesday, May 9, 1826, in case a 
sufiicient sum to pay the balance of the price of 
the fire engine should not be collected, to borrow 
the sum required and pledge the faith of the 
borough for its repayment. It does not appear 
from the minutes of the council what that engine 
cost. The burgess must have resorted to a loan to 
pay for it in part, for it was ordered by the council, 
July 30, 1832, that an order be issued to A. Colwell 



and J. E. Brown for §78.05, paid by them for the 
engine in 1826. 

The first fire company was organized by a meet- 
ing in tlie court-house, Saturday evening, August 
27th, in the last-mentioned year. The last notice 
of that company which the writer has observed in 
files of old papers is that of a meeting held Satur- 
day evening, April 11, 1835, for the annual elec- 
tion of its officers. 

A frame engine-house, costing about sixty dol- 
lars, was erected, during the summer of 1827, on 
the east side of Jefferson, below Market street, a 
short distance below the present alley between J. 
A. Gault & Co's store and Dr. McCulloch's build- 
ing. By orders of council. May 31, 1827, the 
borough and the county were each to furnish 
twelve fire-buckets, and each owner or renter of a 
house one. Two hooks and two ladders were to 
be procured. 

Such were the means provided by the public 
authorities for extinguishing fires until 1854, 
when, after a serious fire — the burning of L. C. 
Pinney's carriage factory — which had occurred 
shortly before, the requisite number of taxable 
inhabitants petitioned the town council to procure 
a larger and more effective fire-engine. Where- 
upon a special tax was levied, and a new hand- 
engine, costing $2,500, was procured. It was better 
than the old one, but inadequate for the extin- 
guishment of large fires. 

In 1871 the borough entered into a contract with 
the Kittanning Water Works Company to furnish 
and put down in their main water-pipes, twenty- 
three of Lowry's patent fire-plugs, one at each 
diamond or intersection of streets, for the sum of 
$2,783.09. They are well distributed over the bor- 
ough. Such is the hight of the reservoir above 
the streets that the pressure forces the water from 
the fire-plugs through hose two inches in diameter 
over the highest buildings, and, when under proper 
management, is effective for the extinguishment of 
extensive and dangerous fires. This arrangement, 
even when there was not a properly organized fire 
department, has been the means, on several occa- 
sions, of saving a large j^ortion of the buildings in 
this borough from destruction. 

By that contract the Water Works Company 
agreed to furnish the borough with water for 
extinguishing fires, practicing with the hose and 
sprinkling the streets at an annual rent of 8500 for 
ten years. 

STREETS AND ALLEYS. 

The original streets were Water, Jefferson, 
McKean and Back, extending northeastwardly and 
southwestwardly parallel to the Allegheny river, 



114 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



wliicli are intersected at right angles by High, 
Vine, Arch, Market, Jacob, Mulberry and Walnut 
streets. The original names of all the streets 
are still retained, except that of Back, which, 
by act of March 24, 1868, was changed to Grant 
avenue. 

The public alleys, laid out when the streets 
were, are twelve feet wide, three of which are par- 
allel with the river, and are intersected at right 
angles by six others. 

As late as July, 1824, the streets were far from 
being in a perfect condition either for health or 
convenience. McKean street was a gully for years 
afterward, and so deep that persons sitting on 
benches or chairs on the sidewalks on Market, 
below Jefferson street, could not see persons travel- 
ing along McKean, owing in part to a ridge of 
moderate hight which crossed Market street, be- 
tween McKean and Jefferson streets, near where 
the town hall now is. 

That part of Jefferson between Market and Arch 
streets was covered with water in July, 1824. 
That part of Market between Back and McKean 
streets was then in a bad condition from having 
been washed by heavy rains. There was a pond 
on McKean between Jacob and Mulberry streets, 
and another pond on the same between Arch and 
Market streets. The town council ordered those 
parts of those streets to be repaired, which was 
done, the cost of which was as follows: repairing 
Jefferson street, $58.50; Market street, $4.94; filling 
the upper pond on McKean street, $59.73, and 
draining the lower pond on the last-mentioned 
street by digging a drain four feet wide at the top 
and two feet at the bottom, regularly slanted, with 
a well made bridge of slabs, sixteen feet wide, 
across it, opposite Mulberry street, $7.75. Total, 
$130.92. The aggregate of annual outlays on the 
streets since then is immense. Still the mud is 
very deep in wet weather except on that portion of 
Grant avenue recently covered with a hard cinder, 
and that portion of Market street between the 
railroad and Jefferson street recently covered with 
broken limestone. Other substantial improvements 
made within the last two years are excellent street 
crossings and a solid stone culvert over Truby's 
Run on Water, above Arch street, in the place of 
wooden bridges which used to be greatly injured 
or swept away by floods in the river. In making 
and repairing public thoroughfares, as in other 
matters, the best is in the end the cheapest. 

By virtue of various acts of assembly and borough 
ordinances, nearly all the sidewalks have been paved 
with brick. The curbs are stone about five inches 
thick. The borough pays one-third and the prop- 



perty owners the other two-thirds of the expense 
of the brick work. 

The wharfing of the river bank, which was an 
important local improvement, must have been 
commenced as early as 1818-19. An order was 
issued by the county commissioners September 25, 
1819, to Henry Jack for $250, one-half of the sub- 
scription made by the county for wharfing the 
Allegheny river at Kittanning. Considerable sums 
have since been expended by the borough for that 
purpose, the largest being for wharfing the bank 
with stone from a point about five rods below Jacob 
street to a small run between Walnut street and 
the rolling mill, a distance of about ninety rods, 
in 1869-70. 

CROSSING THE ALLEGHENY IN EARLY TIMES AND 
LATE. 

In the earlier years after the first settlement of 
Kittanning by the whites, the facilities for cross- 
ing the river were by skiffs and flatboats, when the 
water was too high for fording, which were either 
rowed or poled from one side to the other. The 
first ferry was some distance below the rolling 
mill, known as Sloan's ferry. Brown's ferry was 
established at a later period, higher up the river, at 
the mouth of Jacob street. Cunningham's ferry 
was established by the late William Cunningham, 
at the mouth of Market street, which was, in and 
after 1834, a chain ferry, said to have been invent- 
ed by Mr. Cunningham, though it was much like 
the pont volant, or flying bridge, long before 
known to French military engineers. The ferry- 
boat was borne across the river in about five 
minutes by the force of the current, by means of a 
strong wire, fastened to a tree about four hundred 
yards above the landing on the west side, the other 
end of the wire being fastened to the boat by stay- 
ropes, by which it could be brought to any desired 
angle with the current, the wire being kept out of 
the water by several buoys resembling small boats 
which crossed the river simultaneously with the 
large boat. The foremost end of the latter, being 
slightly turned up stream, was impelled across the 
river by the oblique action of the water against its 
side. Those buoys, says Sheman Day, looked like 
so many goslings swimming with their mother. 
That ferry was subsequently owned by Philip 
Mechling, who kept it up until the bridge was 
erected. The above-mentioned mode was changed 
to that of the more modern chain-ferry, which is 
by fastening the wire to trees or posts on both 
sides of the stream, dispensing with the buoys, 
connecting the boat to a pulley running along the 
wire by means of ropes or smaller wires, turning 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



115 



the foremost end of the boat up-stream, and thus 
causing it to be impelled by the oblique action of 
the current of water on its side. 

By the act of April 2, 1S3S, and several supple- 
ments thereto, the present Kittanning bridge com- 
pany was incorporated. The charter thus granted 
lay dormant until about 1855, when, the requisite 
number of shares of stock having been taken, the 
work of building the bi'idge was begun, and was 
completed in March, 1856. The foundation con- 
sists of two stone abutments and four stone piers, 
substantially built. The first superstructure was 
chiefly wooden — Hall's patent. In a few weeks 
after its completion, about dusk, April 12, 1856, it 
was struck by a violent tornado and blown into the 
river. Wilson Todd, the toll-gatherer, and John 
Lininger were then on or near the east end of the 
bridge. The former, a one-armed man, sprang 
from the superstructure, after its detachment, and 
caught with his one arm on the abutment, and was 
thus rescued from perchance a watery grave. The 
latter was carried Avith the superstructure into the 
swollen river. There was intense anxiety for sev- 
eral hours among the excited people of Kittanning 
concerning his fate. He clung to that part of the 
bridge on which he went down. Fortunately, and 
to the great relief of all who were cognizant of 
his peril, he was rescued below Mannville. That 
tornado came from the west, and did considerable 
other damage in its fierce easterly sweep, through 
a limited portion of this borough and out through 
the country. 

The bridge company having been authorized by 
the act of April 19, 1856, to issue preferred stock, 
replaced the lost superstructure by a wooden one 
on a different plan, that was firmly bound to the 
abutments and piers. It was covered. It lasted 
until 1874, when it was removed and the present 
graceful, durable, iron structure, with five channel 
arches, was substituted. The length of this 
bridge is nine hundred and sixteen feet. The 
total cost of the abutments, piers, superstructure 
and repairs is $60,000. 

FIRST STEAMBOAT AEEIVALS. 

On Saturday, April 11, 1827, the steamboat 
Albion, Capt. Pursall, arrived here from Pitts- 
burgh, bringing a number of gentlemen as pas- 
sengers, for the purpose of making the first 
experiment of navigating the Allegheny by steam. 
The river was then about five feet above low water 
mark, and the current very rapid. Yet she stemmed 
it majestically at the rate of about four miles an 
hour, without the full force of steam. About 1 1 
o'clock A. M. the report of a swivel on board an- 



nounced her approach, and the shout "The steam- 
boat!" was heard throughout the borough, and the 
wharf was soon thronged with the people of this 
place and vicinit)', eager to see her. She was soon 
noticed coming round the bend below town, plow- 
ing through the rapid current in splendid style, 
and was shortly moored at the wharf. She was a 
beautiful boat of fifty tons, designed for low water 
in the Ohio, and drew, with full load, a little inore 
than five feet of water. A party of 120 persons 
of this place, among whom were forty ladies, 
arranged with the Captain to take them a few 
miles further up the river on a pleasure excursion. 
The boat returned an hour or two sooner than she 
would have done on account of the disturbance 
and unpleasantness occasioned by a few men on 
board, who were exceedingly Bacchic and turbulent, 
which elicited from one of the gentlemen aboard 
an uncomplimentary remark concerning Kittan- 
ning, in relation to which the chronicler of the 
event said: "Hard, indeed, that this place should 
bear such a stigma, when a large majority of its 
people abhor such misconduct." 

On Wednesday night, February 20, 1828, the 
Pittsburgh and Wheeling packet arrived, respect- 
ing which some one, probably Josiah Copley, on 
the 23d, wrote to Hazard's Register: "A sound was 
heard down the river, ' an unco sugh,' as Burns 
says, which was soon recognized to be the puffing 
of a steamboat. The town was immediately in a 
buzz. All looked out to catch a glimpse of the 
water walker as she came around the bend below 
town. Presently the bright glow of the furnaces 
burst upon the sight; the report of their swivel 
resounded among the hills, and the boat rushed 
through the yielding current amid the cheers of 
the people, and was safely moored alongside the 
wharf. She proved to be the Pittsburgh and 
Wheeling packet, of 100 tons, owned by the 
Society of Harmonists, at Economy — a beautiful 
vessel, very handsomely finished, with two decks. 
A number of ladies and gentlemen from Pitts- 
burgh and Freeport came as passengers. A large 
party was got up next morning, who took an 
excursion of six or seven miles up the river, for 
the double purpose of the pleasure of the trip and 
a small remuneration to the worthy Captain for the 
visit. It stemmed the current at the rate of five 
or six miles an hour, and came down at about 
fifteen. The trip was delightful, the accom- 
modations were excellent and the company 
equally so. All were highly pleased. No acci- 
dent occurred to mar the pleasure of the party. 
We returned at 11 o'clock, and the boat left in a 
few minutes for Pittsburgh amid the united cheers 



116 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



of the jjeople on shore and on the boat. We expect 
her return on Friday for the purpose of ascending 
the river as far as Franklin or Warren. Two 
hundred passengers are to go from this place alone. 
The people are anxious that this important experi- 
ment be made." 

The writer is informed that the trip on February 
21 was to have been extended to the mouth of Red 
Bank, but it was found impracticable to extend it 
further than a few miles above Kittanning, on 
account of the high and rapid stage of water. Many 
of the passengers, however, clam^ored for the exten- 
sion to Red Bank. At the suggestion of one of the 
other class of passengers, who took a more rational 
view of the circumstances, the Captain turned his 
boat down stream, while the up-streamers or exten- 
sionists were in the cabin, and landed at Kittan- 
ning. When the passengers came on deck and got 
a glimpse of their own town, some of them didn't 
know it, and thought the mouth of Red Bank was 
a nauch larger place than they had supposed it 
to be. 

The Wm. D. Duncan, a side-wheel steamer, 
Benj. Brooks, captain, and James P. Murphy, pilot, 
arrived here about 10 o'clock Friday night, Feb- 
ruary ■2-2, 1822, when Washington's birthday was 
being observed by a ball at the Kittanning Inn. 
She had on board a number of ladies and gentle- 
men from Pittsburgh and Freeport. She left here 
on her upward trip for Franklin and Warren at 
9 o'clock the next morning, drawing four and a 
half feet of water, and moved up stream at the 
average rate of about four and a half miles an hour, 
and in nine hours reached Lawrenceburgh, now 
Parker City, where there was an accession of 
several gentlemen as passengers. Thence she pro- 
ceeded above the mouth of Clarion river, where 
she remained the rest of that night, and left the next 
morning, arriving ^Franklin about 5 o'clock p. m., 
where those on the'boat were cordially welcomed, 
in the midst of a violent rain-storm, by the hospit- 
able people of that place, a considerable number 
of whom took an excursion to Oil Creek Furnace, 
while the visitors from the lower Allegheny 
enjoyed the civilities shown them by the good 
people of Franklin. The next (Tuesday) morning 
they commenced their downward trip, the steamer 
moving at the rate of eleven or twelve miles an 
hour, and reached Kittanning about sunset without 
accident or aught to mar the pleasure of their 
excursion except the crowded cabin, which was 
necessarily occupied by all much of the time, on 
account of the rain. 

In 1830 the steamboat Allegheny, the first one 
for the Allegheny river, was built. Two citizens 



of Kittanning owned interests m it, which did not 
prove to be profitable. Her first trip to Franklin 
was on Friday, April 16, 1830, with three tons of 
of freight and thirty or forty passengers. Her 
speed up stream was three miles an hour. She 
reached Warren on the 22d, and Kittanning, on 
her return, on the 26th of April. On one of her- 
other trips she ascended the Allegheny to Olean, 
IST-ew York. 

The New Castle was the next steamboat that 
was built for the Allegheny river, on which steam- 
boating soon after became quite brisk. 

Among the steamboat captains on the Allegheny 
none was, perhaps so noted for his brusqueness as 
John Hanna, whose new steamer, the Allegheny 
Belle, made her first arrival here Thursday night, 
December 8, 1842. 

IMPKOVBMBNT CONVENTION. 

Another notable event of a public nature was 
the convention of about fifty delegates from the 
counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Craw- 
ford, Jeiferson, Venango and Warren, which met, 
pursuant to firevious notice, in the Presbyterian 
church, Kittanning, June 18, 1835, which was 
organized by appointing Henry Shippen, of Craw- 
ford county, president, William Ayen, of Butler, 
and Adam Hays, of Allegheny, vice presidents, 
and Josiah Copley, of Armstrong, and Ephraim 
Galbraith, of Venango, secretaries. The following 
preamble and resolutions were then discussed and 
unanimously adopted: 

" Whereas, the Allegheny river, from its magnitude, 
local position and adaption to steamboat navigation, is 
evidently destined to become the principal medium of 
communication between the northeastern and southwest- 
ern jiortions of our country, and may, at comparative!}' 
trifling expense, be rendered navigable for steamboats at 
all seasons of the year when uninterrupted by ice, 

"Resolved, That the improvement of the Allegheny 
river would go far toward a union of the Genesee, 
Susquehanna and Lake Erie with the Ohio, and that it 
would be a great central channel from which lateral 
avenues of commerce would diverge in all directions. 

" Resolved, That the object of this convention be 
earnest!}' recommended to their fellow citizens of West- 
ern Pennsylvania. 

" Resolved, That Thomas Blair, Joseph Bnffington and 
Wm. F. Johnston, Esqs., be a committee for the purpose 
of drafting a memorial to the Legislature of this state, 
praying for the passage of an act to incorporate a com- 
pany to improve the Allegheny river from Pittsburgh to 
the New York line. 

" Resolved, That a committee of correspondence be ap- 
pointed to inquire of and consult with such public bodies 
or private individuals as they shall deem proper to 
further the objects of this convention in the improving 
of the Allegheny river, and that said committee consist 



I '^ 



THE BOROTTGH OF KITTANNING. 



117 



of A. W. Foster and N. B. C'raia, of Pittsburgh, Hon. K. 
Orr, of Kittanning, J. Bredin, of Butler, Hon. J. Gal- 
braith, of Franklin, and Robert Falconer, of Warren." — 
ffazard's Register. 

SOME OLD-TIME FOUETH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS. 

The Fourth of July, 1828, was celebrated in a 
manner worthy of description. As preliminary 
and prejjaratory to it the following communica- 
tions appeared in the Columbian of June 21, 1828, 
viz.: 

" Communication. The friends of Gen. Andrew 
Jackson are requested to meet at the house of Mr. 
JohnMechling" — on lot No. 120 — " in Kittanning, 
on Friday evening next"^ — June 27, 1828 — "at 
early candle-light, to consult uiDon measures pre- 
paratory to celebrating the apjiroaching anniver- 
sary of American independence in a suitable and 
becoming manner." 

" Comm,unication. The friends of the Adminis- 
tration " — John Quincy Adams' — " wishing to par- 
ticipate in the festivities of the day of the Fourth 
of July next are requested to leave their names at 
the house of Mr. David Reynolds." 

The Armstrong Guards met at the hotel then 
kept by R. B. Alford — Eagle House — Saturday 
evening, June 21. The meeting was organized by 
appointing the captain of the company, Thos. 
Blair, president, and John Croll, secretary. A pre- 
amble and resolutions were adopted deprecating 
the observance of that day as ajoariy instead of a 
mitional jubilee, and that, though differing politi- 
cally, they would celebrate the day by having a 
dinner provided for the company and such other 
citizens as would join in the celebration, at such 
place and by such person as the committee might 
think proper. In pursuance of that arrangement 
the fifty-second anniversary of American indepen- 
dence, which occurred on Friday, was celebrated 
by the Guards and a large number of citizens, 
friends of both presidential candidates, in this 
borough. Samuel Matthews was chosen president, 
Michael Mechling and David Johnston, vice-presi- 
dents, and James Douglass, secretary. Capt. Blair 
read the Declaration of Independence and Charles 
G. Snowden delivered the oration. The orator, 
having presented at considerable length the 
advantages resulting from that independence, con- 
cluded his oration in these words : " In the ardor 
of enthusiasm into which my mind has been car- 
ried I have ascribed the possession of freedom and 
happiness to the people of this country without 
distinction. But, painful task ! I must retract, or 
at least qualify, the expression. For is there not, 
O Columbia ! thou first-born of freedom — thou 
who ha^it taught the world to know and prize as 



they might this heaven-born l)l('ssing — is tliere not 
within thy bosom a numerous class of men who 
have no cause to unite their voices with ours in 
celebrating this memorable day? Alas ! there is; 
and while truth and candor make this confession 
the fair genius of liberty forgets for a moment the 
rapturous joy of the day to weep over their fate. 
Unhappy sons of Africa! when I think of your 
condition I am ready to ask myself if this be the 
United States — that land so famed for the natural 
rights of man '? I am ready to ask, where are those 
solemn declarations, those solemn appeals, which 
our ancestors made to the Great Father of the 
great family of mankind in the hour of their dis- 
tress during the Revolutionary conflictV Did our 
patriots reason and heroes bleed to establish the 
position that a part only of the human race were 
born with an inherent right to freedom? This 
indeed was not their declaration, nor is it ours: 
but what must the rest of the world think of our 
conduct? Will they not brand our name, in other 
respects so fair, so glorious, with the foul epithets 
of interested, inconsistent nation? Of all the 
extremes capable of being united in a political 
system surely libei'ty and slaverj' are the most 
heterogeneous, discordant and shocking! Extir- 
pate, then, fellow-citizens, this baneful weed out of 
the fair garden of liberty, and let each return of 
this glorious anniversary find the evil rapidly 
diminishing until its name shall be forever lost 
from the annals of America, and the chorus of lib- 
erty shall be filled with joyful notes of all nations 
and colonies of men that breathe the pure air of 
Columbia. In order that this happy purpose may 
be effected, O may the luminous and divine .spirit 
of liberty which is diffusing itself throughout the 
world still continue to diffuse itself and once more 
shed its influential rays upon the minds of Ameri- 
cans! And O ye enlightened republicans, whose 
ancestoi's so gloriously opposed acts of despotism 
for the establishment of your liberty, may you now 
pursue the dictates of humanity, and let proper 
motives actuate you in the establishment of uni- 
versal liberty, until that happy period shall arise 
when all mankind shall enjoy equal felicity! " 

Although the anti-slavery sentiment expressed 
in the foregoing extract then harmonized with the 
general sentiment of the people in this borough 
and county, yet, in the course of eight or nine 
years, a change had come o'er the spirit of their 
dream, for on the 18th and 19th of April, 1887, a 
large meeting of men of all parties, from different 
parts of the county, was held, showing that Arm- 
strong was then determined "to discountenance 
the fanatical course of the abolitionists in their 



118 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



endeavors to embroil Pennsylvania with her sister 
states of the South." The sentiment was promul- 
gated in one of the resolutions, that Pennsylvania, 
having abolished slavery within her own limits, 
had done all that she was in duty bound to do in 
regard to it. Time, knowledge and the logic of 
events wrought another change in the opinions of 
many who participated in the proceedings and 
voted for the resolutions of that convention — a 
change favorable to emancipation. 

The assemblage then enjoyed an excellent dinner 
prej)ared by John Mechling, and then repaired to 
the shade of a large sugar-tree on the bank of the 
river below where the rolling mill now is. 

Toasts. 1. The day we celebrate. Sacred to liberty 
and the rights of man. Four cheers. 

2. The surviving officers and soldiers of the army of 
the revolution. They now receive the appropriate re- 
ward of valor — the gratitude and bounty of their country. 
Three cheers. 

o. The congress of 1776. A memorable proof that wise 
heads are as necessary as strong arms. Four cheers. 

4. The memory of Washington. Drunk standing, and 
in silence. 

5. The president of the United States. (Three cheers.) 
(i. The governor of Pennsylvania. (Three cheers.) 

7. General Andrew Jackson. (Three cheers.) 

8. The memory of DeWitt Clinton. The New York 
canal is the monument of his fame and the glory of his 
country. Standing, and in silence. 

9. Our free institutions. May this rich inheritance 
from our fathers escape unhurt from the fury of party 
warfare. (Three cheers.) 

10. Bolivar. He has filled the measure of military 
fame — his fitness to be a ruler of a free country remains 
to be seen. (Three cheers.) 

11. The cause of liberty and representative govern- 
ment throughout the world. We wish it a steady and 
sure march. (Three cheers.) 

12. The laws and constitution of our country. To 
these alone we owe allegiance. (Three cheers.) 

13. Our fair countrywomen. (Four clieers.) 
Volunteer Toasts. By the president — The memory 

of Gen. Jacob Brown. 

By Vice-President Johnston — The right of suflrage. 
With freemen, its transcendent importance should out- 
weigh every other earthly consideration. 

By the secretary — The citizens of Kittanning. May 
the preparations which they have made for celebrating 
the fifty-second anniversary of the American Independ- 
ence prove to a demonstration that they emulate the 
spirit of '76. 

By Capt. Blair — The memory of Kosciusko. The un- 
wavering needle of the patriot's heart will point steadily 
to the Pole. 

By J. M. Jordan — Officers and soldiers of the revolu- 
tion, j^jj^ where the battle's thunder roar'd 
From morn till day's decline, 
For us their blood they freely pour'd, 
In days o' lang syne. 

By John Francis — When the fair sex stand in danger, 



may the Armstrong Guards be found standing at their 
arms prepared to protect them. 

By Josiah Copley — The Pennsylvania canal. A silver 
chain to bind the State together — pity it must have art 
iron link in it. 

By Thomas McKelvej' — The Armstrong Guards. May 
we celebrate the present anniversary with the same 
feelings as did the heroes of the revolution on the 4th of 
July, 1776. 

By Lieut. Johnston — The memory of Patrick Dough- 
erty, a soldier of the late war. 

By John Clugsten — Tire United States. May they 
flourish and be crowned with success, and ever be the 
bright luminary of this western hemisphere. 

By Wm. W. Hastings — The fifty-second anniversary 
of our glorious independence we celebrate, and not men. 

By A. Col well — The late preamble and resolutions of 
the Armstrong Guards ; their enemies find fault without 
knowing the reason why. 

By James R. Snowden — Tire navy of the United States : 
It has wrested the trident of Neptune from the ancient 
lords of the ocean and forced the British lion to crouch 
at the feet of the American eagle. 

By Lieut. McCullough — May the oppressed of all 
nations break their chains on the heads of their oppres- 
sors. 

By George Rohrer — The Jacksonites on the other side 
of the water : May they celebrate this day with the same 
harmony and good feeling that we have done. 

Bj' a guest — Our senator and representatives in the 
late legislature : Their exertions to secure our interests 
have secured our confidence. 

By Thomas Struthers — David Lawson, the active and 
zealous friend and supporter of the interests of the west. 

By Jesse Williams — Our worthy host. 

By the company — The president of the day, the vice- 
presidents of tlie day, the orator of the day. 

Our venerable and respected guest. Judge Orr. 

That fifty-second anniversary was also celebrated 
on the opposite side of the river by the friends of 
General Jackson. Robert Orr, Jr., acted as presi- 
dent, Samuel S. Harrison and Jacob Mechling as 
vice-presidents, and Frederick Rohrer and Thos. 
McConnell as secretaries. The locality of this 
celebration was among some trees just below where 
the old Freeport road turns up the hill, nearly 
opposite the foot of Mulberry street. After those 
present had j)artaken of a sumptuous dinner, pre- 
pared by the late Joseph Brown, the Declaration 
of Independence was read by the late Dr. Neale, 
and an oration was delivered by George W. Smith, 
then a resident of Kittanning, but now of Cecil 
county, Maryland, a copy of which the writer has 
not seen. The following toasts were then drunk 
with, it is stated, " a unanimity of sentiment seldom 
equaled : " 

1. The day we celebrate : May the God of nations pro- 
tect our happy, country, so that in the latest ages our pos- 
terity may join in celebrating the birthday of freedom. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



119 



2. Our countiy : May her councils be always peace and 
ever free from the suspicion of corruption. 

3. The memory of Gen. George AVashingtim. 

4. The heroes and statesmen of the revolution: De- 
voted to the inherent rights of man, they have left us a 
monument of greatness for an admiring world to contem- 
plate with wonder and gratitude. 

o. The army and navy of the United States : Matchless 
in skill and bravery— in the hour of need the sure defend- 
ers of our rights and liberties. 

(). The President of the United States : Elected by in- 
trigue and corruption — may those concerned in betray- 
ing the rights of their constituents meet with a just 
reward — an expulsion from all offices of honor and 
profit. 

7. The Governor of Pennsylvania : Plis mild adminis- 
tration meets the applause of a free people. 

8. The State of Pennsylvania: Her sons, cele- 
brated for virtue and patriotism, and always true to the 
principles of 177(i, form a solid phalanx in support of the 
hero of two wars. 

9. Gen. Andrew Jackson : The choice of the people of 
the United States for President. 

10. DeWitt Clinton and Gen. Jacob Brown : In the civil 
and military, the one unsurpassed in talents and the 
other not exceeded in bravery. Their desire to promote 
the puhlic good deserves that their memory should be 
cherished by a grateful people. 

11. Internal improvement : The sure foundation of the 
wealth and prosperity of our State — may the citizens of 
Pennsylvania soon feel the effect of her liberal policy. 

12. The Allegheny river : Its waters unequaled by any 
other stream in the world — a link formed by nature to 
connect the lakes with the ocean. 

13. Our wives and sweethearts: Though not with us, 
our hearts are with them. 

Volunteers. — By the President: Success to the plow 
and the scythe, the spindle and the loom. 

By Jacob Mechling — The intrigues at Washington 
city — the evil is contagious and evidently spreading. 
God send us a safe deliverance from it in our cities and 
little villages. 

By Thos. McConnell — The hero who protected and 
preserved " Beauty and Booty." 

By F. Rohrer — Our members of Congress : Having 
represented their constituents with fidelity and unwea- 
ried industry, they merit a continuance of public favor. 

By J. E. Brown— The 14th day of October, 1S28 : A day 
auspicious to the real friends but fearfully ominous to the 
enemies of the vested and constitutional rights of the 
Allegheny country. A day on which Armstrong county 
will, with unanimity unparalleled, and in language not 
to be mistaken, show her determination to maintain 
these rights. 

By George W. Smith — Gen. I. D. Barnard : His patri- 
otic devotion to his country in the field and cabinet, as 
well as in the senate of the United States at the late ses- 
sion, in the able and distinguished part he took in favor 
of the tariff bill, entitle him to the confidence of his 
fellow-citizens. 

By James Thompson (late chief justice) — John Quincy 
Adams and Henry Clay — a, mysterious union of discordant 
materials : Mav our country arouse from her slumbers 



and banish fr(jm her council Imleful sux/iidnn by remov- 
ing the objects that justly gave ri.se to it. 

By James Richart — General Andrew Jackson : Un- 
daunted in war, matchless in his deportment as a gentle- 
man, the brave and noble defender of beauty, the unde- 
filed lover of his country. 

By S. S. Neale — The military chieftain : Strange that an 
American statesman should have advanced the sentiment. 

By Walter Sloan — May the rotting, tottering, clayey 
pillars of the present administration be removed from 
their sandy foundations by the voice of the Union and 
rebuilt with better materials, founded upon a rock 
against which the storms of corruption and autocracy 
may beat but not prevail. 

By John Mosgrove — General Jackson : May his talents 
as a statesman, his courage as a warrior, and his virtues 
as a citizen make an impression on the minds of all in- 
dependent Americans. 

By J. H. Hepburn — Our country : The asylum of the 
oppressed, the birthplace of heroes, and the land of 
patriots ; may she flourish unrivaled among the nations 
of the earth. 

By G. AV. Brodhead — Let us, like freemen, fill our 
goblets and drink a health to Gen. Andrew Jackson, 
wdiose name stands sanctioned by the people's will finst 
on the roll of fame. 

By Samuel Davidson— Let the friends of Cxeu. Jack- 
son be watchful and not suffer the enemy to decoy them 
from the ranks. 

By J. G. Fry — John Quincy Adams : May he be re- 
moved from office, and Gen. Andrew Jackson take his 
place. 

By Peter Frantz — Gen. La Fayette : Until liberty shall 
have been consigned to the tomb of ages, may his name 
never cease to be remembered by freemen. 

By Frederick Robinson — A porcupine saddle and a 
rough-trotting horse for the enemies of Jackson to ride 
upon. 

By Samuel Truby — Gen. Andrew Jackson: A patriot, 
a statesman, a soldier ; may he be a president. 

By Joseph Cogley — JNIay Gen. Andrew Jackson i-eceive 
more votes than he did on a former occasion, and may 
John Quincy Adams be removed from office and Gen. 
Jackson take his place. 

By AVm. Wiley — Gen. Jackson : His course throughout 
has been marked by a steady devotion to his country ; a 
grateful people praise his fidelity and will reward his 
merits. 

By a member — Public men worthy of public confid- 
ence : If conscious of fidelity, why do they appeal to the 
people for the course of their public conduct? 

After the close of the exercises, the assemblage 
recrossed the river at Brown's ferry without an 
accident or occurrence to mar the pleasure or 
wound the feelings of any one present. 

The services and the spirit of the respective 
toasts of these two assemblages show the differ- 
ent phases of a partisan and a non-partisan 
observance of otir Sabbath day of freedom. 

For many years prior to 1828, the Fourth of 
July had been -harmoniously celebrated in this 



120 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



place by those belonging to different political par- 
ties, especially so in 1826, the semi-centennial 
anniversary of our National Independence. This 
is one of the toasts on that occasion : " Adams 
and Jefferson — venerable for their years, glorious 
for their achievements, let them receive tlie 
plaudits of a great nation, as they retire from the 
theater of life." It so happened in the course of 
Divine Providence, that both of the illustrious 
subjects of that toast died, within about five hours 
of each other, on that day, unbeknown, of course, 
to the one who gave, and those who listened to, 
that toast until the news reached them by mail a 
week or two afterward. Jefferson expired at ten 
minutes before one, and Adams at six o'clock p.m. 
The other toasts breathed a grateful spirit to 
Washington and the fathers of our Republic and 
its subsequent defenders. The declaration of in- 
dependence was read by Rev. Moses P. Bennett, 
and the oration was delivered by Rev. Nathaniel 
G. Snowden, a copy of which the writer has not 
seen. The dinner was served on the opposite side 
of the river by Joseph Brown, which was partaken 
of by the Armstrong Guards and a large number 
of citizens. Thomas Blair was president, Samuel 
Matthews vice-president, and Eben S. Kelly secre- 
tary. They and nearly all who participated in 
that proper observance of that semi-centennial 
of American independence, are numbered with the 
dead. Other features of that and the other old- 
time celebrations of the Fourth of July were the 
raising of Liberty poles and the firing of guns, 
pistols, and artillery. 

The old-time non-partisan celebrations were in 
vogue after 1828. In 1840, however, the day was 
observed by the Whig and Democratic parties sep- 
arately. The former had a large convention of 
members of that i^arty from all parts of the 
county. Their log cabin was situated' in the grove 
on the hill east of the court-house, where Mrs. Col- 
well now lives. Party spirit ran high. The chief 
marshal* on that occasion informed the writer that 
fears were entertained that the cabin would be 
destroyed by some of the other party, at least it 
was so intimated. The Whigs, thei-efore, placed 
a strong military guard, with loaded arms, around 
it, the night before the Fourth. On Friday night, 
the 4th, it and the grounds were occujiied by the 
Whigs, and brilliantly lighted. Thither marched 
a large procession, in which were several veterans 
of the revolutionary and Indian wars, and the war 
of 1812. By prearrangement the Democrats had a 
celebration and dinner of their own. The dinner 
was at the Mansion House on Jefferson street, then 

*Thnmas 110001111011. 



kept by Thomas H. Caldwell. The Independent 
Blues, Capt. Rowlands, and some citizens observed 
the day in a non-partisan way by a parade and a 
dinner at Isaac Scott's, and an oration by the late 
Thomas Mcllhenny. 

The gradual decadence of the old-time celebra- 
tions followed. The public dinner, the oration, 
the raising of liberty jJoles, and the firing of guns 
ceased. That day was observed for several years 
thereafter at the Federal Spring and other shady 
nooks, when the Declaration of Independence was 
read and toasts were given, some of which were 
national and patriotic, some humorously personal, 
and others indicated that Bacchic merriment was 
a prominent element. That of 1848 was signalized 
by the holding of a Democratic county conven- 
tion. The last one that most nearly approached 
the old-time celebrations was, probably, in 1854, 
among the active movers of which were members 
of the corps of civil engineers, then engaged in 
surveying and laying out the Allegheny Val- 
ley Railroad. Edwai-d S. Golden presided, the 
Declaration of Independence was read by John 
V. Painter, and various toasts, usual on such 
occasions, were given. 

At one of the earlier celebrations, a certain 
German* was called on for a toast, after a great 
variety of others had been given. He was natur- 
ally at a loss for a sentiment different from any 
that had already been heard. In the depth of his 
perplexity, he justly evoked applause by giving 
this : " Freuheit und flour genuge ! " which, in 
pure German, is : " Freuheit und viel mehl ! " and 
in English : " Liberty and plenty of flour ! " 

In pursuance of a resolution of the American 
Sunday School Union, requesting a meeting of 
superintendents, teachers, scholars, and friends of 
Sunday Schools in their respective localities, on 
July 7, 18.3-3, the meeting thus requested was 
held in this place at the Academy, on the fourth 
of that month, the exercises of which were prayer, 
singing, an exhortation by Rev. J. Sommerville, 
an address by Rev. G. A. Reichert, and a suc- 
cinct narrative of the rise and progress of the 
Kittanning Sabbath School, by James E. Brown, 
its superintendent. That school was organized in 
1830 and continued to be a union school for several 
years. The observance of Fourth of July by Sab- 
bath School picnics began here in 1835. On that 
occasion the superintendent, teachers, two hundred 
scholars, and a goodly number of parents met at 
the Methodist Episcopal church. The exercises 
were : 1. Singing. 2. Prayer by Rev. Joseph 
Painter. 3. Singing. 4. Address by Rev. B. B. 

* Christopher Oury. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



121 



Killikelly. 5. Singing. 6. Prayer by Rev. G. A. 
Reichert. 7. Singing a hymn, in which the 
teachers and scholars alternated. The hymns 
used were printed on small sheets for the occasion. 
After the conclusion of these exercises, the assem- 
blage partook of a repast, for the excellence, 
abundance, and variety of which the ladies who 
prepared and dispensed it were deservedly entitled 
to a full share of i:)raise. 

The chronicle of that event further states that 
good order prevailed and all seemed to enjoy them- 
selves, conscious that they had spent that morning 
of our glorious anniversary in an innocent, rational 
and pleasant manner. The procession left the 
the church about noon and were handsomely re- 
ceived by Capt. R. E. Brown's company of Inde- 
pendent Blues in open order and with presented 
arms, beautifully and impressively emblematic of 
the true use of the military, the protection of the 
helpless and innocent. 

Some years afterward that school was separated 
into denominational ones, which, however, con- 
tinued to unite for several years in celebrating the 
Fourth of July, in holding their annual picnics in 
groves, when the weather would permit. The last 
of the union of more than two schools was in 1850. 
On that occasion an address was delivered by the 
late L. S. Cantwell, whose theme was, American 
independence is the triumph of religious as well as 
civil liberty. His peroration was in these words: 

" Our fathers never paused to ask, will our gen- 
erosity be requited well or ill? They did their 
duty; they acted their part faithfully and nobly 
in the history of the world; they set a rising nation 
an emulous example of universal benevolence. In 
God they trusted for their recompense, and they 
have received it. The woi'ld is now resounding 
their praise. Looking down from a higher sjjhere 
of charity, they beheld the principles which they 
professed and acted on triumphant through our 
vast republic and destined yet to triumph through- 
out the entire world. 

"Americans, emulate the glory of your fathers! 
Men of every creed and country, learn that civil 
and religious liberty belongs to all mankind! Prac- 
tice this doctrine, act upon this principle and the 
sun in his course will visit no land more free, more 
happy or more united than this — our own country." 

The next year the Presbyterian and Episcopal 
schools unitedly, and the Methodist and other 
schools separately, celebrated that anniversary. 
Since then the various schools have had distinct 
celebrations, except that on two or three occasions 
the Presbyterian and Episcopal schools united. 
Within a year or two past the Presbyterian school 



has changed the time of its annual picnic miti! 
later in the season. 

There is still another phase of the observance of 
the Fourth of July. In pursuance of a call, signed 
by twelve members of the Washington Total 
Abstinence Society, viz., Robert Orr, Darwin 
Phelps, Josiah Copley, Andrew Arnold, John 
Mechling, James Douglass, Edward McBride, W. 
Reynolds, W. J. Reynolds and George Rodgers, an 
immense mass temperance convention assembled 
here July 4, 1842, with which the united Sabbath 
schools, after their picnic in the morning, joined. 
A procession was formed at the Presbyterian 
church and, preceded by the military, marched 
through the several streets to Reynolds' Grove, 
where prayer was offered by Rev. Wm. Hilton, a 
temperance ode was sung, the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence was read by the late Thomas T. Torney, 
and the vast assemblage was addressed by temper- 
ranee speakers from abroad. There was a partisan 
celebration the same day on the opposite side of 
the river. Another celebration by the temperance 
element was July 4, 1848, by a picnic in one of the 
groves near town, when the ladies presented a 
bible to the Kittanning division of the Sons of 
Temperance. 

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS. 

Washington's centennial birthday, February 22, 
1832, was celebrated by the ringing of the court- 
house bell at early dawn. At 12 m. the Armstrong 
Guards paraded, and were joined by the citizens 
at 2 p. M., making a large procession. After par- 
taking of an excellent dinner prepared by David 
Reynolds, Robert Orr, Jr., was appointed chair- 
man and Samuel L. Harrison, secretary. Wash- 
ington's Farewell Address was read in a distinct 
and impressive manner by Thomas Blair. The 
borough was magnificently illuminated from six 
until nine o'clock in the evening, and the night 
closed with a ball. Every countenance, it is rela- 
ted, evinced joy and gratitude beyond those of 
other public celebrations. Neither accident nor 
improper conduct occurred to mar the observance 
of that one hundredth natal day of the " Father of 
our Country." 

The Allegheny Valley railroad was opened to 
Ki'tanning for business January 29, 1856, on which 
occasion there was a free excursion, which was 
enjoyed by a considerable number of the friends 
of the road, to whom the freedom of the borough 
had been tendered. Among the sports of the day 
those guests and others participated in a brisk 
game of snow-balling. For about nine years the 
station was at the head of Walnut street, whence 
it was removed to the corner of Vine street and 



122 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Grant and Reynolds avenues, where a commodious 
building was soon after erected for a passenger 
and freight depot on a tract of two acres and 
thirty square feet, purchased by the late president 
of the railroad company from Absalom Reynolds. 
There is on the same tract, a few rods north of the 
depot, a neat two-story frame building, erected by 
the company for the use of the passenger and 
freight agent. 

Wednesday, April 19, 1865, the day on which 
occurred the funeral services of the lamented 
President Lincoln, was duly observed here. Busi- 
ness was suspended; the sable emblems of mourn- 
ing were visible in every part of the borough; the 
bells were tolled; and unfeigned regret and sad- 
ness and indignation pervaded this community. 
Suitable religious exercises were held in several of 
the churches — in the Methodist Episcopal church in 
the morning, when a discourse was delivered by 
Rev. T. D. Ewing; in the Presbyterian church in 
the evening, when an address was delivered by the 
late Rev. A. H. Thomas. Revs. B. B. Killikelly, 
J. N. Dick, M. Sweigert and J. A. Earnest also 
officiated. The addresses and other exercises were 
solemn, touching and appropriate. 

During the forenoon of Friday, September 15, 
1871, a telegraphic dispatch was received stating 
that a special train from Oil City, bearing Presi- 
dent Grant and family, would arrive here at 12:40. 
A hasty effort was made by the mayor to have the 
people form in procession in front of the town hall 
and move thence to the dej^ot for the purpose of 
receiving and welcoming his excellency in an 
orderly manner. But, fearful that they might miss 
seeing him, they heeded not the request to move 
in procession. The court, then in session, adjourned 
before the usual time. A large multitude of people 
from town and country, among whom were some 
who had fought under Gen. Grant at Vicksburg 
and in the Wilderness, were assembled to greet 
him. The train arrived at 12:42, two minutes late, 
so that the very short time alloted for stoi3j)ing 
here was somewhat abridged. The president 
appeared upon the rear platform of the car when 
all who could, in the brief space of three or four 
minutes, rushed thither and grasped his hand and 
evinced their esteem for and gratitude to one of 
our country's most illustrious benefactors. 

A public meeting was held at the court-house 
Monday evening, October 10, 1871, in reference to 
taking measures for contributing aid to the suffer- 
ers by the great Chicago fire. A committee of 
twenty was appointed to canvass the borough and 
vicinity, which in a few days thereafter reported 
that the sum of $1,300 had been raised and for- 



warded, which was increased by an additional sum 
of probably $150 or $200. 

Another public meeting was held at the court 
house Thursday evening, November 9, 1871, for the 
purpose of consulting in reference to taking pre- 
cautionary measures to prevent the spread of small- 
pox, which was then fearfully prevalent in Pitts- 
burgh and various other places, and which it was 
feared would sooner or later be brought here. 
After an interchange of views a committee of 
fifteen, consisting of five physicians of this borough 
and ten citizens, was appointed, to which was 
intrusted the adoption of such sanitary measures as 
it might deem best. This " Board' of Health " held 
its first meeting Friday evening, November 10, 
and appointed two sub-committees — one of physi- 
cians to see that vaccination be made as general 
and preventive as possible ; the other of five citi- 
zens, as a finance comm.ittee, to raise funds to 
defray the necessary expenses of vaccinating all 
who were unable to pay and to provide, if neces- 
sary, for erecting and furnishing a small-pox hos- 
pital. This was a voluntary movement on the part 
of the people for self-defense against the ravages 
of that contagious disease — necessarily voluntary 
in the absence of any borough ordinance providing 
for such an apprehended emergency. The town 
council had and it still has ample power under 
section 13 of the act of April 4, 1866, to pass such 
ordinances as may be needed in relation to the sani- 
tary' condition of the borough, which it has not yet 
exercised. That committee of physicians and citi- 
zens did their work thoroughly. Nearly every one 
who required vaccination was vaccinated, whether 
he or she was able to pay for it or not. It was 
probably owing to those precautionary measures 
that this borough was thereafter so singularly 
exempt from small-pox and that a hospital or pest- 
house was not necessary. 

TORNADOES, FLOODS, ICE-GOBGES. 

Besides the tornado already mentioned, several 
others have at different times done more or less 
damage. Many years ago, probably in the summer 
of 1811, a furious one crossed the river from the 
west, about seventy-five yards in width, which 
prostrated numerous trees in its course, unroofed 
the log building on lot No. 245, in which had been 
James McClurg's store, and carried before it the 
unfinished frame building (it had been weather- 
boarded) which was being erected by Philip Essex 
on lot No. 241, on Water street, where the poor- 
house now is, in an easterly direction across the 
run to the hill near the present residence of Eph- 
raim Bufiington, a distance of nearly sixty rods. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



12;^ 



That the portion of this borougli between the 
river and McKean street or a little beyond it was ! 
subject to inundations when this region was in- 
habited by the Indians, is, perhaps, inferable from 
the fact that they located their town, at least the 
heart of it, on what was then the third, but what 
is now the second bench, between McKean street 
and Grant avenue. The first well-known inunda- 
tion — the writer is informed there was a high : 
flood in 1803 — after the settlement here by the I 
whites, was February 10, 1832, which caused such ' 
of the people living on the then second bench as 
could to remove to higher ground until the subsi- 
dence of the waters. The hight of the water at the 
northwest corner of Arch and Water streets was 
four feet one and a half inches above the present 
pavement ; at the northwest corner of Water and 
Mulberry streets, two and a half feet. On Wednes- 
day, October 21, 1835, the river rose twenty-five 
feet above low-water mark, which Avas within a 
few feet of being as high as it was in 1832. 

In the latter part of the second week in March, 
1837, the heavy bodies of ice that had accumulated 
through the winter on the upper Allegheny, 
French creek and their tributaries broke up, 
which, or at least large portions thereof, gorged 
between Kittanning and the mouth of Red Bank. 
On Sunday and Monday, 12th and 13th, that gorge 
moved about forty feet and then stopped. Between 
1 and 2 o'clock a. ir., Tuesday, 14th, the alarm was 
given that the ice had begun to move. It soon 
stopped again. The people of Kittanning, thus 
awakened, were much alarmed, and the approach 
of daylight was indeed welcome to them. Im- 
mense gorges of ice accumulated from one side of 
the river to the other, so high as to intercept the 
view of buildings on the other side to those on this 
side of the river. There were vast piles of ice 
along the river above Kittanning from thirty to 
forty feet high. About 4 o'clock p. m. the river 
overflowed, both above and below town. Huge 
cakes of ice, four, five and six feet thick, were 
furiously borne into McKean street from both 
above and below. The whole town was covered 
with ice. There was a continuous bed of ice in 
Water street from fifteen to twenty feet thick, and 
nearly the same on Jefferson street. The turnpike 
at the lower part of the town was blocked up, as 
were the landings on both sides of the river. The 
bridge across Truby's run, on Water street, was 
forced back to Jefferson street. The swollen river 
raged and foamed as if it would free itself from 
its unwonted burden. All the people that could 
fled to the hills. Many that had not time to reach 
them betook themselves to the iipper stories of 



their dwellings until after the fall of the water, 
which overflowed the river banks about 4 o'clock 
P.M., bearing ice, trees, fences, hogs and cattle from 
north and south into McKean street, and destroy- 
ing the bridge in the lower part of the town. 
There were, of course, hours of intense an.\;ioty 
during the continuance of the fearful prosj^ect of 
an ice-floe as well as a flood. But, fortunately, 
just after that overflow, when the alarm of the 
people was most intense, the lower part of the 
gorge broke, and the rest of it soon moved down 
stream. No person's life was lost and not much 
other damage was done except what was caused by 
the high water, which was four feet higher than in 
the flood of 1832. Large cakes of ice were left on 
some of the streets, which wei'e not entirely melted 
until May or June. In the confusion of fleeing to 
the hill, some mistakes were made. A singular, if 
not ludicrous, one was that of an old lady taking 
her cat and leaving her babe behind. When asked 
why she had saved her cat instead of her child, she 
is said to have replied : " Oh, she is such a rouser 
for the mice." The hight of the water above the 
pavement at the corner of Arch and Water streets 
was five and one-quarter feet ; at the corner of 
Water and Mulberry, six and one-half feet. 

The highest water flood was March 17, .18(3.5, 
when the water reached five and one-quarter feet 
above the pavement at the corner of Arch and 
Water streets ; two feet nine and one-half inches, 
corner of Water and Jacob streets ; and six and 
one-half feet, corner of Water and Mulberry streets. 
The water reached to within three inches of 
the door-sill on Market, a few feet above McKean 
street, and filled every cellar between the latter 
street and the river, except Gen. Orr's, on lot No. 76. 

The flood December 13, 1873, raised the water 
at the corner of Arch and Water streets three feet 
above the pavement ; corner of Water and Jacob 
streets, one foot nine and one-half inches ; and at 
the corner of Water and Mulberry streets, four feet. 

Another terrific ice-gorge occurred in the second 
week of March, 1875. For several days the ice 
accumulated above and below Kittanning — several 
miles each way. It was called the " ten-mile 
gorge." The severely cold weather which had pre- 
vailed through the winter made the ice very thick 
and hard. Though it was not piled up as high as 
it was in 1837, the gorge was considerably longer, 
and, for a few days, there was a great, a very un- 
comfortable apprehension that immense damage 
would be done by sweeping away the bridge and 
parts of the town, which would probably have been 
the case if the water had risen suddenly and 
rapidly. Such of the inhabitants on Water street 



124 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and other low ground as could found quarters on 
higher ground. After several days' waiting and 
watching and fearing a direful calamity, relief 
came on Monday afternoon, March 15. For then — 
it was a clear, warm, beautiful afternoo'i — the 
lower end of the gorge broke, and the vast body 
of ice, which had given the river an arctic look for 
miles, moved slowly and majestically down the 
Allegheny, an earnestly wished for sight, which 
all who could thronged the river bank to witness. 

EABTl-IQTTAKE. 

Between 11 and 12 o'clock Sunday night, March 
9, 1828, a lively shock of an earthquake was felt 
here. Those who noticed it described the motion 
as having at first been undulating and easy, and 
afterward quick and vibratory. It continued from 
one to two minutes, and was moi-e sensibly felt in 
Pittsburgh at the same time. 

FIEES. 

Besides the serious conflagrations already men- 
tioned one occurred about 3 o'clock a. m. Thursday, 
June 26, 1828, which destroyed the hatter shop of 
the late Hugh Rodgers, which adjoined his brick 
dwelling-house on lot No. 76, corner of Avcli and 
Jefferson streets, now belonging to tlfe estate of 
the late Gen. Orr. The fire had made such progress 
before it was discovered that it was impossible to 
save either the shop or its contents,. and it required 
a very vigorous and well directed; effort to save 
the house. Very high commendation was deserv- 
edly bestowed upon the ladies, who freely -volun- 
teered on that occasion to assist in conveying water! 
to the engine. They entered the lines with alacrity 
and steadily remained at their posts until the 
danger was over. Without their assistance it 
would have been very difficult to have saved the 
dwelling-house. 

On Friday, April 10, 1835, two houses belonging 
to Mrs. Oust and the cabinet and chair-making 
shop of Nathaniel Henry and George W. Ross, on 
lot No. 122, north side of Market street, were 
burned ; and on Monday night, April 25, then 
instant, McCartney & Shields' tannery, northeast 
corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, was nearly 
consumed by lire. On both of these occasions also 
the ladies were prompt and active in aiding to 
check the conflagrations. 

Another occurred August 7, 1862, which origin- 
ated from a young boy's playing with matches in 
the large stable of Lightcap & Piper, on lot No. 
70, on the west side of Jefferson street, which 
destroyed that stable and the houses of A. L. Rob- 
inson and Judge Boggs, and other buildings on 
the square or block between the public alley bound- 



ing that lot on the south and Arch street, and 
endangered other buildings in the vicinity. There 
were several other fires, at earlier and later periods, 
which would have been extensive ones if they had 
not been checked in due time. 

The most extensive robbery ever committed here, 
or at least acknowledged to have been, was on 
Wednesday night, November 28, 1832, when the 
store of Philip Mechling was entered by cutting a 
hole through one of the window-shutters, on the 
Water sti-eet side of the building, removing a pane 
of glass, taking the key out of the bolt-pin by 
which the iron bar was fastened across the outside 
of the shutter, hoisting the sash, and thus effecting 
an entry. Mr. Mechling was thus robbed of about 
$2,000 worth of property, consisting chiefly of bank 
notes. Although a reward of 1300 was offered for 
tiJie apprehension of the robber, he has thus far 
eluded detection. If he is still living the pangs 
of a remorseful conscience ought to impel him to 
make restitution ere he shall receive the final and 
irrevocable sentence of eternal condemnation. 
! 

CHURCHES. 

As early as April, 1806, the Presbyterian congre- 
i; gation of Kittanning applied to the Presbytery of 
■ Redstone for supi>lies, although there was not then 
a church organization here. The congregation 
probably consisted either of members of the Pres- 
byterian church elsewhere or of those who pre- 
ferred that denomination. Those supplies having 
; been ordered, the first of them was by Rev. Joseph 
; W. Henderson, on the second Sabbath of June, 
1806. Supplies were afforded by him and other 
members of the Redstone and Erie Presbyteries at 
the rate of one to five times a year, until a church 
organization was effected, August 31, 1822, when 
the number of members was twenty-one, and 
Thomas Hamilton, David Johnston and John 
Patrick were elected elders. From that time until 
January 1, 1825, there were occasional supplies. 
A stated supply was then commenced by Rev. 
Nathaniel P. Snowden, which continued until the 
latter part of 1827 or the beginning of 1828. 
Then followed occasional supplies until August 11, 
1830, when the first pastor. Rev. James Campbell, 
was installed. He preached here three-fourths of 
his time. He resigned his pastoral charge October 
4, 1831. The church was then dependent on sup- 
plies until the second Sabbath of April, 1834, when 
the late Rev. Joseph Painter, T>. D., commenced 
his ministerial labors. He was installed November 
14, 1834, and continued to be the active pastor 
until December, 1863, preaching here two-thirds of 
his time, and to other congregations the other 




z^^^^.^/^, 



^'s^^-r—^^.^^- 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



125 



third, until the spring of 1853. During the last 
ten years of his active pastorate all his time was 
siven to this oons:re2:ation. He was assisted for 
several months in 1863 by Rev. George P. Hays, 
D. D., now president of Washington and Jefferson 
college. The present pastor, Rev. T. D. Ewing, 
was installed May 10, 1864. 

The membership of this church was 32 in 1834, 
146 in 1864, and it is 318 in 1876. Its Sabbath 
school was organized in 1830. Its present number 
of scholars is 270. For several years after 1830 
there was in this place a union Sabbath school of 
all the Protestant denominations. 

Prior to the erection of the first court-house, re- 
ligious services were held in private houses, after- 
ward in the court-house, until a church edifice was 
erected in 1830-31. To aid in building it Thomas 
Hamilton, by his last will and testament, probated 
and registered October 30, 1829, bequeathed the 
sum of $400, and specified that it be " a neat brick 
building, to be called the First Presbyterian 
Church." Some of his other bequests were $100 
to aid the funds of the first Sabbath school organ- 
ized within this borough ; $100 to aid the first 
Bible society organized here ; $100 to purchase 
Bibles — one Bible to be given gratis to any poor 
family in this county, if so many were then un- 
provided, and the residue to single individuals. 
He also directed $200 to be paid to the American 
Bible Society, $200 to the Foreign Missionary So- 
ciety, and $400 to Princeton College, New Jersey, 
and $400 to Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, to be 
applied in aiding indigent "pious young men of 
competent talents in defraying the expenses of 
their education for the Gospel ministry." These 
last four bequests were to be paid out of the pro- 
ceeds of the sale of a certain 150-acre tract of 
land. After deducting from the amount of these 
proceeds the expenses of the sale, the balance was 
applied to the payment of the legacies of those 
two societies in full, and $305.32 to each of those 
colleges. 

That church edifice was erected on lot No. 177, 
east side of Jefferson, and second lot below Jacob 
street, where, in its remodeled state, it still stands. 
Its conveniences and style of architecture do not 
compare favorably with those of some of the more 
modern temples of religion elsewhere. A vigor- 
ous effort is being made to erect a new one in an- 
other part of the borough, on a scale comporting 
with the wants of the congregation and the 
esthetic taste of this age of progress and im- 
provement. 

This church was incorporated by tlie court of 
common pleas of this county June 26, 1841, The 



trustees named in the charter were Alexander Col- 
well, Adam McConnell, A. L. Robinson, Joseph 
McCartney, Darwin Phelps, John R. Johnston and 
James E. Brown, who were to continue as such 
until the election to be held on the third Wednes- 
day of November then next. A supplement was 
granted by the same court, amending articles 4, 5 
and 6 of the charter, March 8, 1865. 

The Lutheran church was organized in 1820. 
The records for several years after its organization 
were imperfectly kept, so that a considerable por- 
tion of the knowledge of it which the writer has 
been able to acquire is traditional. Until 1840, 
the preaching was chiefly, if not altogether, in the 

German language, by Revs. Adam Mohler, 

Ezardfels, G. A. Reichert,* Burnheimer and 

Stackfeld ; from 1840 to 1858, by Revs. George 



F. Ehrenf eldt, W. A. Passavant, D. D., Asa Waters, 
Michael Sweigart, and Reck — partly in Ger- 
man and partly in English. 

St. John's — the English branch — was organized 
May 13, 1858, of which Rev. J. A. Ernest was the 
pastor from October, 1859, until October, 1867, when 
he resigned and was succeeded by the present pas- 
tor. Rev. J. A. Kribbs. Trinity, the German 
branch, recalled their former pastor. Rev. G. A. 
Reichert, in 1858. The present membership of 
both branches, 218, with 190 scholars in their two 
Sabbath schools. 

In 1830-31, the Lutheran and Ejjiscopal congre- 
gations united in erecting a church edifice, a brick 
structure, with a tower, in which was the vestry 
room, on lot No. 33, on the east side of Water, 
above Arch street, where Simon Truby now lives, 
which was alternately occupied by these two con- 
gregations until July 21, 1845, when it was blown 
down by a violent storm of wind, accompanied by 
thunder and lightning and copious rain, which did 
other damage in this borough. For some time 
previous to this casualty, the Episcopalian rector 
insisted that his congregation must have the ex- 
clusive use of that edifice, because it was contrary 
to the rule or canon of the Episcopal church for 
any other denomination to have services in the 
same building, the force of which was not percep- 
tible to the pastor of the Lutheran congregation. 
The contest thus begun was ended, so far as actual 
occupancy was concerned, by that act of God. 
The Lutheran congregation then worshiped in the 
court-house, until they became possessed of the 
first edifice erected by the Union, now United 



*Rev G A. Reicliert ineached his I'areweU sermon to bis congre- 
gation in the Methodist Episcopal church, Sabbath, December 17. 
1837— in English in the forenoon, and in (ierman in the afternoon. 
He had accepted a call to become pastor of a German Lutheran 
church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after visiting once more the 
several congi-egations then under his charge. 



126 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Presbyterian, congregation, on the pai'ts of lots 174 
and 180, fronting on Jacob street and on one of 
the public alleys, a frame building, now occupied 
by the German branch. The erection of the brick 
edifice, now occupied by the English branch, was 
commenced in 1867 and finished in 1872. Services 
were held in it before its completion, the first hav- 
ing been in January, 1869. 

The Methodist Episcopal church is the out- 
growth of class-meetings held and preaching 
enjoyed here more than sixty years ago when 
occasional services were held in private houses, 
one of which is still standing on the corner of 
Market street and a public alley, on lot No. 127, 
and in the court-house. 

Among the first circuit preachers, about 1816, 
were Revs. Bair and Baker, and about 1821, Rev. 
Thomas Hudson, heretofore mentioned. This point 
became a station in 1861. The station preachers. 
Revs. E. Hingeley, 2 years, A. H. Thomas, 3 years, 
M. W. Dallas, 1 year, W. P. Turner, 3 years, N. G. 
Miller, 3 years, J. B. Uber, 1 year, and the present 
pastor, M. J. Sleppy, now in his second pastoral 
year. The present membership is 240 ; Sabbath 
school scholars, 150. 

The first church edifice was erected near the 
head of the extension of Market street, on the 
south side, on that part of out-lot No. 24, now 
owned by James Mosgrove. The deed to the 
trustees of the church is dated December 29, 1838, 
and the house was probably erected in 1839. It 
was one-story brick, and of adequate size for the 
then congregation. The present edifice is brick, 
two stories, and situate on the old jail lot, corner 
of McKean street and the public alley between 
and parallel to Arch and Market streets. It was 
commenced in the fall of 1860, and completed in 
the winter of 1862. It was incorporated by the 
court of common pleas of this county, June 5, 
1871, and James Piper, Daniel B. Heiner, Samuel 
C. Davis, W. D. Mullin and W. R. Milliun were 
named as charter trustees. 

The Episcopal — St. Paul's — was organized in 
1824. Prior thereto an effort was made to secure 
aid for this point from the Society for the Ad- 
vancement of Christianity in this State, as appears 
from an autograph letter, in the possession of 
James B. Neale, from the venerable Bishop White, 
who was appointed chaplain* to Congress during 
the time of its flight to York, Pennsylvania, and 
was thereafter annually chosen until the capitol 
of the United States was located at Washington, 

* In a postscript to a letter from his sister, Mrs. Robert Morris, to 
their mother, dated Marcli 15, 1777, she said: "Billy has been told 
that the Congress appointed hiin their chaplain when in Baltimore, 
but has not yet heard it from them, and begs it may not be men- 
tioned,'' ' 



dated at Philadelphia, March 26, 1822, in reply to 
one which he had received from Dr. Neale, in 
which he wrote : " I have received your letter of 
6th instant, and shall hand it to the committee of 
missions in order that if it should be in their 
power, during the ensuing summer, to employ a 
missionary to go beyond the mountain, there may 
be due attention to your request. 

" The Society for the Advancement of Chris- 
tianity in Pennsylvania feel most keenly the 
pressure of the times. We shall, however, continue 
to aid our distant brethren as much as the funds 
afforded to us will permit." 

The efforts of the late Robert Brown and Dr. 
Samuel S. Neale were effective in establishing this 
church. 

There was occasional Episcopal preaching here 
before 1824, by Rev. Mr. Thompson. Services 
were held in the court-house from 1824 until the 
erection of the edifice by the Episcopalians and 
Lutherans in 1830-31. 

Rectors — Rev. Moses P. Bennett, from 1824 until 
1827; Rev. William Hilton, from 1829 until 1832, 
and again from 1839 until 1871, since which time 
he has been, and he still is, emeritus rector; Rev. 
B. B. Killikelly, D.D., from August, 1834, until 
October, 1839; Rev. O. S. Taylor, from 1871 until his 
death, April 6, 1874; Rev. R. W. Micou, the pres- 
ent rector, commenced his clerical labors in July, 
1874. 

Membership — (In 1876) 151. Sunday-school 
scholars, 140. 

The present church edifice, brick, one story, with 
vestry-room in the rear, is on lot No. 105, on Water 
street. The corner-stone was laid September 21, 
1846, when the late Bishop Potter, who died at 
San Francisco, California, July 4, 1865, was present 
and delivered an eloquent and appropriate address.* 

This church was incoi'porated by the proper 
court September 26, 1846. The wardens named in 
the charter were David Patterson and Joseph 
Boney, and the vestrymen Robert Brown, Joseph 
Buffington, John Portsmouth, Ephraim Buflington 
and George W. Smith, who were to continue as 
such until the next regular election. It was con- 
secrated by Bishop Potter, August 27, 1847. 

The choir is aided by a large, good-toned organ. 
A neat, comfortable brick manse, one and a half 
stories, has been erected near the church within the 
last few years, valued at $6,000. 

The Associate Reformed, now United Presby- 
terian, Church was organized September IS, 1845. 



* Bishop Potter, in his annual address or report to the sixty-third 
annual convention, held in St. Andrew's church, Philadelphia, 1847, 
.said: "I delivered an address and laid in a beautiful position the 
corner-stone of a new edifice for St. Paul's church, Kittanning," 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



127 



Before that time Rev. John Dickey, deceased, and 
other clergymen of what was formerly called the 
Seceder, and then the Union, Church, preached 
occasionally to congregations in the old court-house. 
The following is a copy of a subscription paper, in 
the handwriting of the late David Reynolds: 

Under a strong and impressive presumption that it 
will enforce on the minds of the rising generation an 
important view of eternity, we, either as parents or 
guardians of families, feel it an incumbent duty in which 
we are bound, for our offspring as well as ourselves, to 
have the Scriptures publicly preached amongst us. 
Therefore, we, the subscribers, do hereby promise to pay 
the sums annexed to our respective names for the yearly 
support of the Rev. John Dickey, as a minister of the 
Gospel, for the part of Associate Presbytery denominated 
Kittanning. 

February 17, 1S15. 

The writer is not informed whether that was one 
of the several other like papers. The amount of 
subscriptions on it appears to have been $76. 

Some time previous to the date of the organiza- 
tion application had been made to the Presbytery 
of the Lakes, by persons living at and in the 
vicinity of Kittanning, for preaching and foi- the 
organization of a congregation. By order of that 
Presbytery Rev, Isaiah Niblock and S. G. Purvis 
and A. P. Ormond, Sr., met at Kittanning, and 
having constituted a session, received forty per- 
sons into the fellowship of the Associate Reformed 
Presbyterian Church, administered the sacrament 
of the Lord's Supper, presided at the election and 
ordination of John Cunningham, Moses Patterson, 
Hugh Rodger and Alexander Henry as ruling 
elders, and thus completed the organization. At 
that time Rev. Joseph Kerr Riddle was preaching 
as a stated supply to this people, and he continued 
thus for a year or more afterward. He was fol- 
lowed by Rev. Joseph Buchanan as stated supply 
for another year, and then by several other min- 
isters, who were sent hither by order of the above- 
mentioned Presbytery. 

In the winter of 1849 a call was moderated by 
order of Presbytery, which was made out for Rev. 
John N. Dick, D. D., which was presented at a 
meeting of Presbytery, held in April of that 
year, and was accepted. He commenced his 
pastoral work that month, the church roll showing 
the immber of members to be thirty-two. He was 
ordained and settled as pastor October 16, 1849, 
and continued thus imtil February 2, 1876, when 
the charge was diniitted and the Butler Presbytery 
released him from the pastorate. The present 
number of church members is 95; number of Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 35. A large portion of the 
congregation reside in the surrounding country. 



The Associate Presbyterian and the Associate 
Reformed Presbyterian Churches united in 1858, 
thus forming the United Presbyterian Ciiurch of 
North America. The denomination to which this 
congregation belonged having entered into that 
union, it has ever since been known as the First 
United Pre.sbyterian congregation of Kittanning, 
under the care of the Butler Presbytery. It has 
been dependent on supplies ordered by Presbytery 
since Dr. Dick's resignation. It is not improbable 
that another pastor will be called before the next 
4th of July. The present church edifice is a large 
brick building, containing an audience room, 
lecture room and pastor's study, situate on the 
northwest corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, 
on lot No. 166. 

The Associate Reformed Church was incorpo- 
rated by the proper ('ourt March 23, 1850, and the 
trustees named in the charter were James Col well, 
Robert Speer and Samuel C King, to serve until 
the election held on the first Monday of Januar}^, 
1851. 

The United Presbyterian Church was incorpor- 
ated by the same court June 15, 1859, and the 
council of deacons named in the charter were 
George Bovard, John M. Daily, William McClel- 
land, Samuel M. Sloan and John Barnett, to serve 
for one year. 

The First Christian Church, Campbellite, was 
organized about 1853. The deed for lot No. 172, 
on Jacob street, to the trustees thereof is dated 
October 20, 1853. A two-story brick edifice was 
erected on that lot. The audience room is in 
the second story, and lecture and Sabbath-school 
room, two other rooms and vestibule are in the 
first story. ^ The membership was small and the 
organization was short-lived. That lot and build- 
ing subsequently became the property of J. E. 
Meredith. 

The Reformed (St. Luke's) Church was organ- 
ized August 30, 1869, by adopting a constitution 
and electing Fred'k Smith elder and David Ivnoble 
and Diederich Stoelzing deacons, with a member- 
ship of twenty-five. Rev. C. A. Limberg, of Butler, 
Pennsylvania, preached to the congregation in Ger- 
man, as a supply, prior to the organization of the 
church, from some time in the fall of 1858 until 
some time in the following spring, when, by order 
of the Clarion Classis, the service was changed 
from German to English, and Rev. J. F. Wiant was 
designated to preach as a supply, which he did 
semi-monthly until he was relieved by that classis 
in 1872. Rev. L. B. Leasene, of Irwin's Station, 
Pennsylvania, was then elected and continued to 
be the pastor during the next eight months, preach- 



12J 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ing semi-monthly. The present pastor, Rev. D. S. 
DiefEenbacher, received a call, which he accepted, 
and entered upon his pastoral duties June 1, 18*73. 
The j)resent membership is 156 ; Sabbath-school 
scholars, eighty-five. 

The congregation, feeling the urgent necessity 
of a church edifice, appointed a committee, Sep- 
tember 26, 1870, to secure one, and succeeded in 
effecting a purchase of the above-mentioned edifice 
of the First Christian Church for $2,500. The 
deed is dated June 15, 1871. During the summer 
of that year the congregation caused the building 
to be finished, 'beautified and made a comely and 
inviting place of worship. It was dedicated 
October 8, 1871, under the name of St. Luke's 
Reformed Church. 

St. Mary's (Catholic) church was organized in 
or about 1851. The first services were held at the 
house of William Sirwell, near the head of Jeffer- 
son street, and subsequently at other private 
houses, in the academy and court-house, until the 
present church edifice was erected in 1853, which 
is a neat, comfortable brick structure, at the cor- 
ner of High and Water streets, on lot No. 1, and 
is furnished in the usual style of that denomina- 
tion. The first priest who had charge of this 
church was Rev. Mitchell, who was followed by 
Revs. Gray, Scanlan, Phelan, O'Rourke, Lambing 
and Dignam, that is until July 4, 1876, and the 
number of families belonging thereto is fifty. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first school in Kittanning was taught by 
Adam Elliott, in a log house situate on lot No. 69, 
near the public alley, between Water and Jeffer- 
son streets, which lot is now owned by Mrs. Mary 
A. Craig. Its only pupils known to be still living 
are Mrs. Catherine Truby and her brothers Jacob 
and John Mechling. 

That school was opened in 1805, and continued 
to be kept in that house until the completion of 
the first jail, to one of the upper rooms of which it 
was transferred and from which it was subse- 
qviently removed to a private house on lot No. 165, 
corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, now owned 
and occupied by John Croll. 

Adam Elliott continued to teach for many years, 
and sometimes used the rod quite vigorously. One 
of his pupils, now a grave and respected senior, 
related to the writer that, on a certain occasion. 
Teacher Elliott gave him. a severe flogging which 
he thought he did not deserve. Feeling aggrieved, 
he told his father all about it when he went home. 
After listening to the grave story of his boy's 
fancied wrong the father consoled him by saying 



that he must go and see the teacher about it. 
Father and son proceeded to the schoolroom, the 
latter in high glee, fondly expecting the teacher 
would suffer a penalty, of a reprimand at least, for 
the injustice which the pupil considered had been 
inflicted upon him. After entering the school- 
room the father inquired of, the teacher whether 
he had flogged his son. Being answered in the 
aftirmative, he wanted to know whether he really 
deserved a good flogging. The teacher said that, 
in his opinion, he did. "Well, then," said the 
father, " give him another one." That affair took 
a turn so different from what that young hopeful 
wished and expected that he never again com- 
plained at home for being punished in school. 

There is in the Gazette, of Wednesday, March 
22, 1826, an editorial notice of an examination of 
the students then under the tuition of Rev. Na- 
thaniel G. Snowden on the next previous Satur- 
day evening, written by Josiah Copley, in which 
he said: They "were examined in the presence of 
a numerous audience who were well pleased with 
the proficiency they had made, and which was 
highly creditable to them and their teacher. After 
the examination the scholars gave a few specimens 
of their elocution, in which their teacher appears 
to have spared no pains to instruct them in ges- 
ture, emphasis and pronunciation. We were par- 
ticularly pleased with the easy, clear and unem- 
barrassed manner in which the young ladies 
recited a number of pleasing pieces, in the selec- 
tion of which they manifested fine taste." The 
writer has learned from one of the participants* 
in that first school exhibition in Kittanning that 
the late Thomas McConnell was so well pleased 
with the exercises that he presented to the teacher 
twenty-five dollars as an indication of his apprecia- 
tion of his ability and of his fidelity to his pupils. 
That school was taught in one of the jury-rooms 
in the court-house, and the examination and exhi- 
bition were held in the court-room. Of the pupils 
who participated in these exercises the following 
are the only ones known to be still living, namely, 
Mrs. Geo. A. Barnard, Mrs. Mary M. Johnston, 
Mrs. Mary M. Killikelly, Mrs. Margaret Nulton, 
Mrs. Mary Watson, Alexander Reynolds, Sr., and 
James Ross Snowden. The two last named 
appeared in the amusing dialogue entitled "The 
Gentleman and the Farmer." 

There were, besides Mr. Elliott's and the last- 
mentioned school, various other subscription 
schools, which were well patronized, prior to and 
after the establishment of the common school 



*Mrs. Watsou, 





r^%£4MMT^ 



DANIEL BRODHEAD HEINER. 

Daniel Brodhead Heiner, whose portrait appears 
above, was born in Milford, Pike county, Pennsylvania, 
on the 24th day of September, 1807. When but a few years 
old his father, John Heiner, removed to western Pennsyl- 
vania, locating temporarily in Indiana, Pennsylvania. 
His object was to take possession of and look after a 
large tract of land bequeathed to him by his grandfather. 
Gen. Daniel Brodhead. At the breaking out of the war 
of 1812 John Heiner returned east with his family, to 
Charlestown, Virginia, the home of his wife's family, 
with whom he left his wife and children, and entered 
the army as a captain of volunteers and served with dis- 
tinction through that war. At its conclusion he removed 
with his family again to western Pennsylvania, locating 
at Kittanning, in which vicinity were many of the Brod- 
head lands. Daniel B. Heiner, the subject of this 
biography, lived till the date of his death in Kittanning. 
He grew up with the town. He engaged in early life in 
the mercantile business with Thomas McConnell, under 
the firm name of Heiner & McConnell. Later in life he 
entered the mercantile business with John Mechling, 
und^r the firm name of Heiner & Mechling. He served 
in Kittanning as justice of the peace for a period of twenty 
years consecutively. 

Mr. Heiner was a man of unswerving principles. He 
was one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal 
church at Kittanning, and for nearly fifty consecutive 
years a member of the official board of the church. He 
inherited his Methodism from his mother, she having 
been a member of that church for sixty years at her 
death, and her father before her, Peter Haines, of Vir- 
ginia, was a Methodist, making a continuous succession 
from the very advent of John "Wesley to the present day. 
Peter Haines, of Virginia, the grandparent of D. B. Hei- 
ner, was a soldier of the revolutionary war. One of the 
marked features of his life was a deep-seated hatred for 



Hessians because they fought against our liberties for pay 
alone. After the war of the revolution if ever one spoke 
in his presence he never failed to strike him with his 
cane, regardless of consequences. i\Ir. Heiner was a 
cousin of the Hon. Richard Brodhead, United States 
senator, from Pennsylvania, from 1849 to 185.5, who was 
married to the daughter of Jefierson Davis, afterward 
president of the Southern confederacy. Mr. Heiner had 
numerous relatives in Virginia, on his mother's side, who 
held commissions in the southern army, yet so true was 
his loyalty that he was never known to express even the 
slightest sympathy for them in their rebellious cause. . 
Daniel B. Heiner was the only male lineal descendant 
of Gen. Daniel Brodhead, from whom he inherited a 
membership to the society of the Cincinnati, a distin- 
guished hereditary title of honor. This membership 
now descends to his oldest son, Capt. Robert G. Heiner, 
United States army, by right of primogeniture, with the 
certificate of membership signed by Gens. Washington 
and Knox. He leaves behind him four sons and five 
daughters. Capt.-R. G. Heiner, 1st U. S. Inf.; John H. 
Heiner, who served in the Union army throughout the 
late war of the rebellion in the 8th regt. Pa. Reserves ; 
Hon. W. G. Heiner and D. B. Heiner, Esq., of Kittanning, 
Pennsylvania ; Mary L. Heiner ; Sarah Heiner Core, wife 
of the Rev. J. F. Core ; jMargret I. Heiner ; Annie Heiner 
Burleigh, wife of Capt. T. B. Burleigh, of Dakota, and Lydia 
Heiner Trippe, wife of Lieut. Percy-Edwards Trippe, 
of the 10th U. S. Cav. Mr. Heiner died' December 29, 1882, 
in his seventy-sixth year. He was a man of irreproacha- 
ble morals, a christian of the most exemplary type, and in 
every relation of his public and private life a man of un- 
blemished reputation. Seldom do we find a life so blame- 
less and so full of the graceful amenities of christian 
tenderness and social benignity. In the example of an 
upright and patriotic citizen, a kind and tender parent, 
and a consistent christian deportment, he left, a legacy of 
priceless inheritance. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



129 



system. One of them was kept in a brick school- 
house on the upper part of lot No. 149, now owned 
by H. N-. Lee, on the public alley parallel to and 
between Market and Jacob streets. One of the 
walls fell in one day soon after school was dis- 
missed at noon, when fortunately neither teacher 
nor scholars were there to be injured. The mason 
who built it on being told by certain quizzers that 
he had put too much lime in his moi'tar innocently 
replied, "No, no, it was more than half sand." 
The teacher of that school was a Mr. Jones, who 
was addicted to flagellating his larger pupils with 
great severity. One of them says Jones used to 
box his ears, and tell him he " would yet be gov- 
ernor of Pennsylvania," in consequence of which 
the other boys, for the purpose of aggravating 
him, called him " Governor," at which he became 
indignant and threatened vengeance on his tor- 
mentors. Teacher Jones refused to treat his 
scholars one Christmas day, for which they barred 
him out for three days, receiving food and encour- 
agement from his wife. After a long and vigorous 
attempt of Teacher Jones to gain an entrance into 
his schoolroom, he became hors de combat by an 
accidental fall which injured his back. Thus the 
boys became victors. 

At a later period, two other subscription schools 
were in operation at the same time. One of them 
was taught by David Simpson in a frame building, 
recently torn down, near the stone house on Jacob 
street. The other was taught by Dr. Meeker in the 
building on lot No. 193, on Water street, now occu- 
pied by Mr. Bowman. A rivalry in muscular scholar- 
ship existed between the male pupils of these two 
schools. The boys of the Meeker school, by boast- 
ing of their courage and strength, and frequently 
taunting the boys of the Simpson school, provoked 
the latter to take up stones and other weapons to 
which juveniles resort to when incited to combat. 
Thus armed, and with their banner waving o'er 
them — they had been presented with a flag — the 
boys of the Simpson school marched in serried line 
upon their boastful rivals, who were also arrayed 
and armed for the shock of battle. The contest was 
short and decisive. It resulted, says an eye-witness, 
in the boys of the Meeker school being driven to 
the wall, or rather within the walls of their own 
schoolroom. Then followed a conference between 
the teachers, which suddenly ended when the casus 
belli was disclosed to the teacher of the van- 
quished. 

About 1830-31 a one-story brick schoolhouse was 
erected by the late Samuel Houston on lot No. 176, 
on the west side of Jefferson, below Jacob street, 
on account of dissatisfaction with the management 



of school matters in the Academy, in which a 
well-patronized school was taught for several years 
by the late Thomas Cunningham, who was after- 
ward a member of the bar of Beaver county, Penn- 
sylvania, and an incumbent of a judicial position 
in Kansas. His successor in that school was 
Jonathan E. Meredith, who taught it several 
months. January 20, 1836, George Fidler issued 
his notice in the Kittanning Gazette, then edited 
and published by Josiah Copley for the estate of 
Simon Torney, deceased, southwest corner of Mar- 
ket and McKean streets, informing the people of 
Kittanning that he was about to open "a school 
for instruction in the usual branches, in Mr. Hous- 
ton's schoolhouse on Jefferson street." 

Other i^rivate pay-schools were, at various times, 
liberally supported. 

The free-school system was inaugurated by the 
act of April 1, 1834. In pursuance thereof, the 
then sheriff of this county. Chambers Orr, de- 
ceased, issued his proclamation, dated August 6, 
1834, for the election^ to be held on the third 
Friday of September of that year, of six school 
directors in each township and borough in the 
county — if a borough connected with a township 
for the assessment of county rates and levies, it 
and such township formed one school district. 
The candidates for the first board of school di- 
rectors, under that law, for the borough and town- 
ship of Kittanning, announced in the Gcozette and 
Columbian, Wednesday, September 3, 1834, were 
Frederick Rohrer, Samuel McKee, Findley Patter- 
son, John R. Johnston, Josef)h M. Jordan and 
Richard Graham. 

The first free schoolhouse in the borough of 
Kittanning was built on the upper part of lot No. 
1'73, on the south side of Jacob street. It was a 
one-story frame building, fifty-five by twenty-four 
feet ; hight of ceiling, eight feet ; and contained 
two rooms, heated by stoves. In the course of 
time — several years — the increased number of 
pupils required additional room. That building 
was enlarged by adding a story built of brick, nine 
and one-half feet high, lower down toward McKean 
street, and removing the frame house, which was 
on higher ground, on to it, thus making a two- 
story school-house with four rooms, which an- 
swered the public wants for a few years. During 
the last several years of its occupancy for school 
purposes, its capacity was not adequate to the 
health and comfort of the largely increased num- 
ber of scholars. In 1842-3, Judge Boggs taught 
in that building for fifteen months. Educational 
interests and public sentiment demanded a more 
capacious, comely and comfortable temple of 



130 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



knowledge, to be located on higher and better 
ground. The board of school directors were will- 
ing and anxious to meet that demand. The chief 
obstacle in the way for several years was their in- 
ability to obtain a lot of sufficient size and suitable 
location at a reasonable price, for such an edifice 
as the educational wants of this borough required, 
until the purchase of an acre of ground, with 
gravelly soil, a gradual northwesterly slope, con- 
sisting of lots Nos. 37, 43, 49 and 55, bounded by 
McKean and Vine streets and two of the public 
alleys, was made by the school directors from Gen. 
Orr, for the reasonable sum of $3,500, in 1867-8, 
the deed for which is dated Februaiy 28, 1871. 

The contract for building the new or present 
school edifice was made between the school board 
and James McCullough, Jr., in April, 1868. The 
building was finished in December following, and 
accepted by the school board January 1, 1869. It 
*is a substantial brick building, eighty-two feet and 
two inches by sixty-two feet and two inches, three 
stories. Hight of ceiling in the first and second 
stories, thirteen feet, and seventeen feet in the 
third story. The roof is hipped, in the center of 
which is the belfry, in which is suspended a bell 
of adequate size and clear, pleasant tone. The cost 
of that edifice, substantial outbuildings, 264 feet of 
stone wall in the rear, cherry desks and seats and 
other furniture, maps, apparatus, Ijell, lightning- 
rods, grading, paving walks, iron picket fence, 
shade trees and their boxes, is about $26,290, add- 
ing to which the cost of the grounds, $29,700. 

The basement of the school edifice is divided 
into four rooms, each 34 by 28 feet, ceiling eight 
feet, and arranged for the introduction of furnaces 
for heating the entire building. Two of the four 
schoolrooms in the fi)'st story are each 34 by 28 
feet, and the other two 34 by 24 feet. There is 
the same number of rooms of the same dimensions 
in the second story, and one, 34 by 28 feet, parti- 
tioned ofi: in the northwest corner of the third 
story. The present number of schoolrooms, then, 
is nine. The third story was originally designed 
for a hall for exhibitions and other public exercises. 
It will probably be necessary to still further 
divide it into three more schoolrooms. The present 
means of heating the several rooms is by stoves, and 
the fuel is bituminous coal. There are five windows 
in each room, and sixty-five in the entire building. 

The width of the main halls in the first and 
second stories is twelve feet, which are intersected 
on their southwestern sides by side halls eight feet 
wide. The width of the stairs in the main halls is 
six feet, and in the side halls eight feet. The 
number of steps to the third floor is forty-seven. 



The average surface of blackboard in each room 
is 166 square feet, and the total surface in the 
building is 1500 square feet. 

The school is graded. The number of grades is 
eight. The corps of teachers consists of a princi- 
pal or superintendent, who is a gentleman of learn- 
ing, skill and experience, and eight competent and 
faithful female assistants. Each grade is under 
the special charge of one of those assistants. Those 
grades are divided into three departments. The 
last monthly report for the school yeai-, ending in 
June last, showed the attendance to be; in primary 
department, 259, and the average, 219; in the 
secondary department, 73, and average, 65; in the 
grammar department, 73, and average, 64. In all 
departments: total attendance, 405, average attend- 
ance, 348. All the common and several of the 
higher English branches and the Latin language 
are taught. 

The uninviting and uncomfortable condition of 
the old schoolhouse begat an unwillingness on the 
part of many of the pupils to attend school. Tru- 
ancy became quite a common offense. Corporal 
punishment did not prove effective in cheeking it. 
The board of school directors found it necessary to 
adopt a rule requiring every scholar who was 
absent a certain number of times without wrjtten 
excuses to be suspended — to be sent home with his 
Ijooks. Parents, at first, before they understood 
the reason and necessity of the rule, were sorely 
displeased that their children should be suspended, 
but when informed why it was adopted, and that 
those who had been suspended could be readmitted 
by obtaining a permit from the president or secre- 
tary of the school board, approved- of it and prom- 
ised that they would co-operate with the directors 
and teachers in securing punctual and regular 
attendance. The vice of truancy was nearly eradi- 
cated by thus bringing it to the knowledge of 
parents. The comforts, conveniences, equipments 
and attractions of the new schoolhouse and the 
improved methods of teaching which have been 
adopted have wrought a favorable change in the 
inclinations of pupils in this respect. 

ACADEMY. 

An act of assembly, approved April 2, 1821, pro- 
vided for and authorized the establishment of an 
academy or public school for the education of 
youth in the English and other languages, in the 
useful arts, sciences and literature, by the name, 
style and title of " the Kittanning Academy," un- 
der the direction and government of six trustees, 
viz. : Thomas Hamilton, James Monteith, Robert 
Robinson, Samuel Matthews, David Reynolds and 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



181 



Samuel S. Harrison. They and their successors 
■were thereby declared to be one body politic and 
corporate in deed and in law, by the name, style, 
and title of " the Trustees of the Kittanning 
Academy," and they were to be so changed that 
none of them should remain trustees longer than 
three years without being re-elected by the citi- 
zens of this county. Their first meeting was to 
be on the first Tuesday of September, 1821, at 
which they, or a quorum of them — not less than 
four — were required to cast lots for ascertaining 
the numbers to be changed, each year, until the 
whole number should be changed. Any vacancies 
thus occurring were to be filled by the citizens of 
the county electing two trustees at the general 
election on the second Tuesday of October, 1822, 
and annually thereafter, and in case a vacancy or 
vacancies should occur by resignation, death, or 
otherwise, the remaining trustees should fill the 
same by appointment, until the next general elec- 
tion. That corporation was to have perpetual 
succession, and was authorized to sue and be 
sued, plead and be impleaded, to erect such 
buildings as might be necessary, accept and dis- 
pose of personal and real property, and do all and 
singular the matters and things which should be 
lawful for them to do for the well-being of the 
academy, provided, that the yearly value or income 
of the estates or money should not exceed four 
thousand dollars. 

That act or charter, authorized the appropriation 
of two thousand dollars out of any unappropriated 
money in the treasury of the commonwealth, to be 
applied under the direction of the trustees, viz. : 
One thousand dollars to the erection of a building 
or buildings, suitable for the accommodation of the 
institution, on such lot as might be chosen or pur- 
chased for that purpose, and to the purchasing of 
books, mathematical instruments, and the neces- 
sary philosophical apparatus ; the remaining 
thousand dollars was to be placed in some safe 
and productive fund or funds, and the income to 
be forever applied, in aid of other revenues, to 
compensate a teacher or teachers in said academy. 
The trustees were required to give bond to the 
Governor in the sum of three thousand dollars, for 
the use of the commonwealth, conditioned for the 
faithful application of the money thus appropri- 
ated to the purposes mentioned, and leave was 
given them to cause to be erected academy build- 
ing or buildings on any of the lots reserved for the 
use of the public buildings in the town — as it was 
then called — of Kittanning, if they should ap- 
prove of the situation and judge the same to be 
expedient. That act or charter also requires the 



trustees to exhibit aiuuuilly all their books, ac- 
counts, and vouchers to the county auditors, to be 
settled and adjusted in the same manner as the 
accounts of the county commissioners, under the 
penalty of forty dollars each for neglecting so to 
do. 

OEGANIZATIOSr OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 

The first meeting of the trustees was held on Tues- 
day, September 4, 1821, at the house of David 
Reynolds. Present : Samuel S. Harrison, Samuel 
Matthews, David Reynolds and Thomas Hamilton. 
Being a quorum for the transaction of business as 
provided in the charter, they cast lots for determin- 
ing the length of the term of service of each mem- 
ber of the board, which was determined by ballot 
thus : Samuel Matthews and David Reynolds were 
to serve until October, 1822 ; Samuel S. Harrison 
and Robert Robinson until October, 182-3 ; Thomas 
Hamilton and James Monteith until October, 1824. 
Rev. John Dickey and Eben S. Kelly were elected 
in October, 1822, and Thomas Blair and Frederick 
Rohrer in October, 1823. 

The minutes do not show that any meeting of 
the board was held after the first one, Sej)tember 4, 
1821, until Friday, April 2, 1824. Then present : 
Thomas Hamilton, James Monteith, Rev. John 
Dickey, Eben S. Kelly, Thos. Blair and Frederick 
Rohrer. It does not appear from the minutes that 
any business was then transacted. Another meet- 
ing was, however, held the same day, at which all 
the members, except Mr. Dickey, were present, 
when Mr. Kelly's resignation was tendered and 
accepted and David Reynolds appointed ; also Mr. 
Hamilton's and Samuel S. Harrison appointed"; and 
Mr. Monteith's and Alexander Cohvell appointed. 
At another meeting, held on the evening of that 
day, Samuel S. Harrison was elected president and 
James Pinks treasurer of the boai'd, and it was 
resolved that the trustees execute the bond required 
by the charter, which was done on the next day. 
The bond was soon after forwarded to the treasurer 
of the commonwealth, but was returned, May 4, 
with the governor's objections. On or about the 
10th of that month another bond avoiding those 
objections was executed and forwarded to the state 
treasurer. 

On September 25, 1824, an agreement was entered 
into between the board and Samuel Matthews for 
erecting the academy building for the sum of 
11,130, and an order for $500 was then directed to 
be issued in favor of the contractor or builder. On 
January 15, 1825, the trustees examined the ground 
on which to erect the academy and selected the 
one-half acre — as the minutes of the board show — 
" on the northeast end of the public lot," on which 



132 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the first court-house was situated. Those minutes 
do not show that the trustees subsequently changed 
the location for the academy from the " northeast " 
to the southwest end of that public lot where, front- 
ing on Jefferson street, and nearly opposite what is 
now the Walker House and William Gates' store, 
that academy edifice was erected. The question of 
employing a teacher seems to have been first con- 
sidered by the board March 27, 1826, when it was 
unanimously resolved that it was inexpedient to 
employ a teacher until the academy building should 
be taken oflE the hands of the contractor, which was 
n.ot done until February 17, 1827, when, or about 
that time, a contract was made with Charles G. 
Snowden to commence teaching on the first day of 
April then next, or sooner, whose compensation 
was to be $1 5, quarterly, out of the public money 
in addition to private subscriptions. The board 
was not to be liable for the latter. The number of 
students was limited to thirty-five and the rates of 
tuition were fixed at $2 per quarter for reading, 
writing and arithmetic, $3 for English grammar 
and geography, and $4 for languages,, mathematics, 
etc. The second story of the academy {building* 
was not finished until the summer of 1884. On 
September 2 of that year the board TGSolved that 
the upper story should be occupied exclusively for 
the schoolroom and for no other purpose, and the 
lower stovj for general purposes. Provision was 
made by the board, March 17, 1842, for erecting a" 
paling fence in front of the academy and a cupola 
over the bell. In that condition, with occasional 
repairs, that building continued to be used, the 
upper story for school purposes and religious and 
some secular meetings, and the lower story as 
family residences, until the spring of 1864, when 
the First Christian Church, on Jacob street, was 
rented for academy purposes from .Samuel Owens 
and J. E. Meredith at $60 per annum. 

To understand why that change as to the build- 
ing was made, it is necessary to go back several 
years in the chronological order of events. The 
trustees, it will be remembered, had in the charter 
a legislative permission to erect the academy on 
one of the lots reserved when the town was laid 
out for public uses, of which they availed them- 
selves without acquiring a grant or title from the 
county. In 1855-6 the trustees of the academy 
and the school directors of the common school 
district wished to unite the academy and fi-ee 
school into one institution, in which, besides the 
common school grades, there should be an academic 
department and a normal school department — the 
latter to afford facilities for the proper training of 
common school teachers in this county. In order 



to consummate such a plan, the trustees of the 
academy realized the necessity of obtaining a deed 
of conveyance of the ground on which the academy 
building was erected and the adjoining ground 
which had been used as belonging to the academy. 
The minutes of the board of Monday evening, 
March 10, 1856, show that a resolution, offered by 
Jeremiah Heighhold, was passed, directing the 
writer of this sketch "to confer with the county 
commissioners in reference to calling a county 
meeting to take into consideration the expediency 
of the commissioners executing to the trustees of 
the academy a deed or quit-claim of the ground 
on which the academy building stands." The 
commissioners, it should have been stated, were 
willing to convey to the trustees, provided their 
conveyance should be approved by a meeting of the 
citizens of the county. That meeting was not called, 
because the trustees apprehended that not to be an 
opportune time to secure an attendance from all 
parts of the county, and that a large attendance 
from and about those points in this county where 
vigorous efforts were theu being made, and consid- 
erable sums of money had been subscribed to 
establish normal schools, would be large enough to 
defeat an expression favorable to the approval of 
such a conveyance. Two other conferences — the 
first by two and the last by all the members of 
the board — were subsequently directed to be had 
with the covinty commissioners in refei'ence to the 
same matter. Whether the Kittanning academy 
had not acquired by legislative grant and occu- 
pancy a valid title to that portion of the half acre 
selected by the trustees as before stated, which the 
county commissioners had sold in several lots, 
agitated the minds of some of the trustees, and 
there was more or less talk by them, at several 
meetings of the board, of instituting proceedings 
to try that title, which was not favored by those 
members who were of opinion that the purchasers 
of those lots had acquired good titles thereto. At 
a meeting of the board, held August 24, 1858, at 
which a bare quorum was present, a resolution was 
passed, directing that "a writ of ejectment be 
brought immediately for the academy property 
against all persons in possession," i.e. in possession 
of the several lots which the commissioners had 
sold to Judge Buflington, J. E. Brown and others. 
Suit was accordingly brought, tried in the court of 
common pleas of this covinty, and a verdict and 
judgment rendered in favor of the defendants. 
The case was removed by the plaintiff, or the acad- 
emy, to the supreme court, where the judgment 
of the court below was affirmed at October term, 
1861. It is reported in 5 Wright, pp. 270-71. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



133 



The cuiirt there held the public buildings of the 
county to be " a court-house, the uecessarj^ public 
offices for the conduct of the business of the county 
officers, and a jail. An academy is not a public 
building within the meaning of the act of assem- 
bly. The legislature had in mind those buildings 
which are ordinarily used in conducting county 
affairs. . Nothing more. Churches, academies,.- 
schoolhouses, poor-houses and the like are in some 
sense public buildings, but they are not what is 
meant by legislative language, when, in the erec- 
tion of new counties, ' public building? ' are pro- 
vided for, because they are not indispensable to the 
conduct of the ordinary business of the county. 
This title, therefore, was never held upon any 
trust for an academy. * * * Holding the lots, 
as the county did, for the purpose of supplying the 
people with the necessary public buildings, the 
acaderny accepted its license necessarily subject to 
that paramount trust. The trustees of the academy 
were bound to know that their house was not one of 
the ' public buildings ' of the county, and they knew 
also that if they placed it on ground devoted specifi- 
cally to public buildings, the necessary implication 
of the license or contract would be that they must 
quit the premises whenever they should be wanted 
for the purposes of the county's public buildings. 
The most that can be made out of the license is 
that it was a contract for quiet enjoyment during 
the pleasure of the county. * * * The substance 
of th§ transaction may be expressed in language 
like this: 'You may place your academy building 
on our ground if you choose — for the present there 
is room enough for you and us; but when the time 
comes for us to occupy all the ground, or sell it 
for the purpose of enabling us to build public 
buildings elsewhere, you must take yourselves out 
of possession, for we have neither the power nor 
the disposition to devote the ground permanently 
to any other than county nse.' * * * Still less 
reason has the academy to claim title under the 
statute of limitations, for in the first place it is 
settled law that public rights are not destroyed by 
long-continued encroachments or j)ermissive tres- 
passes. And in the next place the possession here 
was not adverse to, but under and according to the 
title of the county." 

Soon after that decision, the county commis- 
sioners assumed possession of the academy 
building and the ground on which it was situated, 
and leased the same for several years. The npper- 
room of the building was occupied by the Union 
Free Press company as a printing office, from 
April 1, 1864, until January, 1873, when the 
latter was removed to its present location in Orr's 



building, on the north side of Market, below 
McKean street. 

By the act of April 8, J 851, the commissioners 
of this county were authorized to divide the acre 
lot fronting on Market and Jefferson streets, on 
which the first court-house, public offices, and the 
academy had been erected, into lots, and sell them 
to aid in the erection of new public buildings. 
That acre was divided into eighteen lots, fifteen 
of which were sold July 2, 18.52. By the act of 
March 12, 1872, the county commissioners were 
authorized to sell the three unsold lots, in the 
occupancy of the academy, on what was called 
" the old court-house square, with the buildings 
thereon," at public sale, with fifteen days' notice 
of the time and place of sale, in the newspapers 
printed in this borough, to execute deeds therefor 
to the purchasers, conferring good and indefeasi- 
ble title, and the proceeds of the sale were 
directed to be paid into the county treasury, and 
applied toward defraying the expenses of erect- 
ing the new jail and jailer's house. They were 
accordingly sold May 1, 1872, for the sum of $7,250. 

For years after that Academy went into active 
operation, it afforded the only facilities, except 
those of the Doaneville Seminary, for acquiring 
by both sexes a knowledge of such branches as 
are usnally taught in institutions of that grade, 
throughout this county. The minutes of the 
board indicate that the trustees were careful and 
painstaking in securing competent teachers, among 
whom were Alexander Shirran,* Rev. J. N. Stark, 
Rev. Joseph Painter, D. D., and Rev. E. D. 
Barrett. Some of the pupils have honorably dis- 
tinguished themselves in the learned professions 
and in other useful avocations. 

Besides the above-mentioned state appropria- 
tion and private subsci'iptions of citizens, the 
academy was the recipient of a bequest of four 
hundred dollars, made in the last will and testa- 
ment of the late Thomas Hamilton, which was 
paid in 1836 and 1837, amounting with interest, 
after deducting ten dollars collateral inheritance 
tax, to $501.35. 

All that remains of that academy, designed to 
be a' permanent instrumentality for advancing the 
great interests of education in this region, now 
consists of its charter franchises, its board of trus- 
tees, and a fund amounting to $4,971.09, of which 
the sum of $1,813.13 is loaned to Armstrong 



* A part of Mr. .Shirran's system of sfhool government was by a 
sheriff wliom tie appointed from among his scholars, one of whose 
duties was to look up absentees, and, in case tliey had not permi.'i- 
slon from parents or some valid excuse for their absence, to arrest 
and bring them into school. It is said that truants had great dread 
of Shirran's sheriffs, one of whom was the late Thomas S, Tomey, 
who took great delight in apprehending such wrong-doers. 



134 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



county, and the sum of $3,157.9(5 to the school 
board of this borough. 

TJNITEESITT. 

Bj the act of assembly, approved Marcli 18, 
1858, a very liberal charter was granted for the 
incorporation of the University of Kittanning, " for 
the encouragement, promotion, cultivation and 
diffusion of the liberal arts and sciences, literature, 
law and medicine" — "to embrace the departments 
of a university, grammar school, a faculty of 
science and letters, a faculty of law, a faculty of 
medicine, and an agricultural school, or any one or 
more of said departments," and such other depart- 
ment as might be deemed necessary for such insti- 
tution. The original charter consists of five 
articles, in which are ample provisions concerning 
the board of trustees, chancellor, professors, stu- 
dents, and for the regulation of the various depart- 
ments, and, through a senatus academicus, for con- 
ferring academical, legal, philosophical, or medical 
and honorary degrees, diplomas to graduates, and 
certificates to such as might have pursued a partial 
course. The trustees of the Kittanning academy 
were authorized and empowered to transfer the 
funds and convey all the estate, real, personal and 
mixed, of that academy to the trustees of the Uni- 
versity of Kittanning, when at least ten thousand 
dollars should be subscribed to the funds of the 
latter, which has not yet been done. The supple- 
ment of May 1, 1861, provided, among other 
things, for the organization of a department for 
the education of females, to be called the Young 
Ladies' Collegiate Institute. The supplement of 
March 13, 1868, changed the name to Columbia 
University, changed considerably the board of 
trustees, limiting the number to nine, six of whom 
to be chosen by and from the shareholders-at-large, 
the remaining three from and by the First Presby- 
terian church of Kittanning, as follows : the first 
to be the active pastor, the second is chosen from 
and by the session, and the third by and from the 
board of trustees of that church. A majority of 
the trustees are to be members or communicants 
of the Presbyterian church in the United States, 
whose general assembly met May, 1867, at Cincin- 
nati, Ohio, or of its legitimate successors. That 
supplement also provides that all persons, irrespec- 
tive of birth, sex, creed, or denomination, shall be 
admissible to any class or department, examina- 
tion, degree, or honor in or of this institution, 
without any sectarian test whatever ; that all stu- 
dents shall be freely permitted to attend such 
church, religious meeting, or worship as their par- 
ents or guardians or their own unbiased consciences 



may prefer ; and that the pastors of the several 
churches of Kittanning shall be permitted to in- 
struct the students of their respective denomina- 
tions in such moral and religious culture as they 
may respectively deem prudent, so as not to in- 
fringe upon the regular hours of instruction in the 
institution. The name of the chief oflicer is 
"changed from chancellor to that of president of 
the university. The subscriptions which had been 
made to the pastor or treasurer of the First Pres- 
byterian church of Kittanning, for founding and 
establishing an institution of learning, were de- 
clared to be valid, and required to be paid to the 
treasurer of the board of trustees of this univer- 
sity. Various other modifications of the original 
charter were made by that supplement — vide acts 
of March 18, 1858, March 31, 1859, May 1, 1861, 
and March 13, 1868. 

Departments were organized under the original 
charter ; also under the last supplement. But as 
the institution, notwithstanding the amj3le pro- 
visions of its charter, never had an adequate pecu- 
niary basis or suitable buildings for a university 
in these modern times to make a vigorous and sub- 
stantial start, its organization, however fair on 
paper, was necessarily ephemeral. Although the 
pupils — male and female, adult and juvenile — num- 
bered one hundred and fourteen for the session 
commencing in May and closing in September, 
1868, all that now remains of that university is 
the corporate name, and the liberal franchises con- 
ferred by its charter. 

COLLEGE. 

Soon after the passage of the above-mentioned 
act of March 13, 1868, the Episcopalians of this 
diocese determined to establish a college at Kittan- 
ning and accordingly took the necessarj' legal steps 
to secure a charter, which was granted by the court 
of common pleas of Armstrong county, September 
7, 1868. The body corporate thereby constituted 
consisted of prominent Episcopalians of Kittanning, 
Brady's Bend, Allegheny City, Pittsburgh, Erie, 
Clearfield, Rochester and Sewickley. The charter 
confers upon that corporation the name of Lambeth 
College, and, among other usual and necessary 
powers, the powers to hold jDroperty, real, personal, 
and mixed, by piirchase, gift or devise, whose 
annual income shall not exceed $30,000 ; to confer 
degrees of bachelors of ai'ts, science and philoso- 
phy, master of arts and philosophy, and the several 
academic degrees honoris causa,- to award honors 
in the girls' school in the form either of certificates 
or diplomas. The bishop of this diocese is consti- 
tuted ex officio the chancellor of the corporation. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



1 af) 



It is provided tLiat the college be managed liy a 
board of nine trustees, who must be members of and 
in faith attached to that branch of the church 
catholic known as the Protestant Episcopal Church 
in the United States. Authority is given to estab- 
lish primary, preparatory and academic depart- 
ments, also departments of law and medicine, and 
a girls' school. The object of the corporation, as 
declared by the charter, is the promotion of liberal 
learning on a distinctive church basis — the reli- 
gious instruction to be in accordance with the Chris- 
tian faith as held by the last above-mentioned 
church — the worship to be in conformity to the 
formularies thereof, and daily morning and evening 
prayer to be an essential part of the exercises of 
the college. ( Vide Deed book, Vol. 35, p. 385 ei 
seq., in the office for the recording of deeds in this 
county.) 

Since its incorporation until now this institution 
has afforded educational facilities in the primary 
and higher English branches and the classics to a 
respectable number of students of both sexes. The 
examinations of its pu.pils and the exhibitions in 
which they participated, like those of its cotempo- 
rary, the Columbia University, were creditable to 
both the teachers and the taught, but, like the latter 
in another respect, it has not yet an adequate pecu- 
niary basis and suitable buildings and equipments 
for consummating the purpose for which it was 
established. Whether either or both of the char- 
ters of those institutions will, during the coming 
century, be effective in accomplishing the designs 
of their originators is a question for some future 
historian of this county to answer, and for those 
who may have the means of placing the one or the 
other, or both of those corporations, on a broad and 
enduring basis to determine. Ought not both 
those charters to be fully utilized so as to meet the 
educational wants of the dense population with 
which this valley and this region will be filled 
before 1976 ? 

PUBLIC LIBKARY. 

As early as, or perhaps prior to 1820, the found- 
ing of a public library was commenced, to which 
Thomas Hamilton and Thomas R. Peters were 
liberal contributors. Several hundred volumes of 
standard historical and other works were contrib- 
uted by them and others. That library was kejjt 
for several years in the northeast room in the sec- 
ond story of the first court-house,, and was removed 
thence to the southwest room in the first story of 
the academy. After being sadly neglected in the 
latter years of its existence and then having 
received ephemeral attention, the books were finally 
scattered, and thev have thus continued for more 



than thirty years in the custody of numerous indi- 
viduals. 

DEAMATIC AND LITERARY SOCIETIES. 

Between 1840 and 1845 a Thespian society was 
organized, consisting of about fifteen young men 
of the town, whose performances are said to have 
been quite entertaining. They were a mixture of 
tragedy, comedy and recitations. The society's 
rehearsals were had and its exhibitions given in 
the old oil mill, which had been erected by the 
late James Pinks about 1824, on lot No. 66, where 
the late Charles Cermpstey afterward erected a 
steam grist mill, now known as the Briney mill. 
Their first public theatrical performance was on 
Friday evening, November 17, 1843, when the fol- 
lowing plays were, or at least advertised to be, 
acted: The Review; Perronation, or Fairly Taken 
In; Swiss Cottage, or Why Don't You Marry? 
Those Thespians are represented not only to have 
acted tragedy and comedy well, but some of them 
to have had a large share of wit. Some of 
them, too, were great wags. Among the anec- 
dotes related is this : One of the members, on a 
certain occasion, was to render the piece begin- 
ning with, "My name is Norvel. On the Gram- 
pian hills," etc. After repeating the first line 
several times, and vainly endeavoring to recall 
what followed, another member, a noted wag and 
fun-provoker, assayed to help the declaimer's fal- 
tering memory by shouting at the top of his voice, 

" What the is your name in America ? " 

which caused peals of hearty laughter. That inci- 
dent is akin to one which once happened in class- 
room at a noted theological seminary in this 
country. It was a certain student's turn to deliver 
a discourse before one of the professors and the 
class. He had chosen for his theme or text the 
words: "None of these things move me." He 
rose, uttered the words of his text, but could not 
recall the beginning of his discourse. Several 
times he repeated, "None of these things move 
me, — none of these move me," when the venerable 
professor, having become impatient to hear more 
of the discourse, with much earnestness exclaimed: 
"What in the world does move you?" 

That Thespian society's existence was not per- 
manent — it was ephemeral — it was not a lasting 
success. Therefore, I leave the names even of its 
stars behind the cui-tain. 

In the winter of 1854 the Literary and Scientific 
Institute was organized, with a fair prospect of 
permanent success. The number of members was 
respectably large, among whom were those 
engaged in the literary professions and other busi- 
ness pursuits. The meetings for awhile were well 



136 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



attended. The subjects selected for oral debate, 
written discussion and essays were investigated 
with a commendable degree of thoroughness and 
research, and the various exercises were creditable 
to the industry and ability of those who partici- 
pated in them. So long as the generalitj' of its 
members felt and evinced a lively interest in pro- 
moting the object for which it was established, it 
was an effective instrumentality for acquiring 
knowledge and enhancing mental culture. A 
library was founded, the maximum number of vol- 
umes in which was about 250, among which were 
substantial literary, scientific and historical works. 
Nevertheless, the organization, in the course of a 
year or two, became extinct, either from the lapse 
of the charm of novelty or want of unanimity 
among its members, or both. The library was sold 
at public outcry, and the proceeds of the sale were 
distributed pro rata among those who had contri- 
buted the means for purchasing the books. 

The meetings of that institute were held in the 
third story of the brick building on the southwest 
corner of Market and Jefferson streets, in the hall 
of the Sons of Temperance, fronting chiefly on 
Jefferson street. The close of its brief career was 
signalized by the delivery by the late Alonzo Pot- 
ter, D. D., the then bishop of the Episcopal diocese 
of Pennsylvania, of his masterly and eloquent 
lecture on the life and services of Washington, 
before a large audience in the court-room, on a 
pleasant April evening in 1856. 

On the evening of November is, imsl, about 
sixteen young and middle-aged men met for the 
purpose of organizing a Young Men's Christian 
Association. On Thursday evening, December 5, 
1867, an organization was effected by the adoption 
of a constitution and by-laws, which were subse- 
quently amended. The object of the association 
was declared to be the mutual improvement and 
encouragement of its members in Christian work ; 
the cultivation of brotherly love and kindness, 
and Christian charity ; to use their means for the 
relief of the poor and suffering and their personal 
influence for advancement of home evangeliza- 
tion. Its officers were a president, vice-president, 
treasurer, corresponding and recording secretaries, 
and four standing committees, viz.: executive, 
finance, lecture, and on members. Special com- 
mittees were also appointed as emergencies 
required. The various evangelical denominations 
were, as far as practicable, to be represented in the 
appointment of those committees. The officers 
were elected by ballot semi-annually. The several 
committees were appointed by the president. 

The members consisted of four classes — active, 



sustaining, life, and honorary. Each active mem- 
ber was required to pay two dollars annually ; each 
sustaining member, five dollars annually ; and 
each life member ten dollars at any one time. 
Active and life members only had the right to 
vote. The number of active members who signed 
the constitution was 91, about 25 others applied 
and were elected active members ; sustaining 
members, 2 ; life members, 3 ; honorary members, 
4. The regular meetings were held weekly on 
Thursday evening, except from the first week in 
June until the first week in October, when they 
were held once in two weeks. The places of meet- 
ing, until May 21, 1S68, were in the lecture rooms 
of the First Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist 
Episcopal, and United Presbyterian churches. 
Afterward, until regular meetings ceased to be 
held, they weie held in McConnell's hall, which is 
in the third story of the store building on lot No. 5 
of the old court-house square, fronting on Market 
street, and in MeCulloch's hall, second story of the 
building on lot No. 1 of the old court-house 
square, fronting on Jefferson street and an alley 
between that lot and lot No. 6 of that square. 

The opening and closing exercises of the regu- 
lar meetings were devotional. For several weeks 
considerable time was spent in revising and 
amending the constitution and by-laws. 

A series of excellent sermons on practical sub- 
jects, were occasionally preached by six clergymen 
of the different denominations, in the several 
churches, on which occasions the usual Sabbath 
evening exercises in the churches were suspended, 
so as to enable the congregations to hear these ser- 
mons. The audiences on these special occasions 
were large, interested, and ajipreciative. 

A large number of the constitution and by-laws 
and a suitable selection of hymns and j^salms used 
in the devotional exercises was printed for the use 
of the members. 

A branch relief committee was appointed at an 
early period of the existence of the association, 
upon which devolved the duty of seeking out the 
destitute of this borough in order that they might, 
if found woi'thy, receive such aid as could be 
afforded them by the means at the disposal of the 
association. A then unprecedented degree of des- 
titution existed on account of so many having 
been thrown out of employment by the burning of 
the rolling mill at the lower part of the borough 
in December, 1867. The aid thus rendered was 
timely and greatly needed by some who would 
have gladly declined it if they could. 

About the same time, a special committee was 
appointed to devise ways and means for establish- 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



137 



ing a library and reading room, which residted in 
securing a respectable number of valuable standard 
works for the former, which were chiefly con- 
tributed by several ladies, and a variety of maga- 
zines and religious and secular papers containing 
excellent reading matter for the latter. Both 
were in due time opened to the members and the 
public, but much less extensively used than such 
reading matter deserved. 

Soon after the comjilete organization of the 
association, it was determined to have a series of 
popular lectures. The first one was delivered 
February 20, 1868, by Rev. Alexander Clark, 
Pittsburgh — subject, " Creed and Copy ;" the 
second, by Rev. Charles A. Dickey, Allegheny 
City, March 10 — "At Home and Abroad;" the 
third, by Rev. Jonathan Edwards, D. D., then 
president of Washington and Jefferson college — 
subject, "The Philosophy of the Fine Arts ;" the 
fourth, by Rev. J. M. Guiley, Butler, Pennsylvania, 
at the opening of the new hall, McConnell's, June 
1_« The Young Man's Glory ;" the fifth, by Rev. 
Alexander Clark, November 18, 1869 — subject, 
" Common Wonders ;" the sixth, by Rev. George 
P. Hayes, D. D., President of Washington and Jef- 
ferson college, December 31 — subject, "Hunting 
an Appetite." Prof. Robert Kidd gave several of 
his varied and masterly elocutionary entertain- 
ments, February 3, March 2 and 3, 1869, and in 
the latter part of January or fore part of February, 
18*70. A free lecture on the Darwinian theory 
was delivered by Rev. G. P. Hays, May 1, 1871. 
The plan for securing audiences was by publishing 
in the usual way the time and place of each lecture 
and entertainment and trusting to the inclination 
of the people to attend. At first, the price of a 
single admission was twenty-five cents, which was 
afterward increased to fifty cents. The total re- 
ceipts from all these lectures, except the fifth, of 
which no account appears to have been kept by 
either the treasurer or the secretary, were 8208. TS, 
and from the elocutionary entertainments, $!300.20 
— from both lectures and entertainments, $508.95. 
Through some misunderstanding, the attendance 
at the fifth lecture, though a very able one, was so 
meager that the receipts did not exceed, if they 
equaled, the expenses. Net proceeds from lec- 
tures, -SlOS.Vo ; from elocutionary entertainments, 
$163.30. 

In the summers of 1868 and 1869, festivals were 
held for the benefit of the association. Each con- 
tinued for several evenings. The friends of the 
association, especially the ladies, in town and the 
surrounding country, made liberal contributions of 
material and of their time, labor and attention to 



render those festivals successful. The total re- 
ceipts from the first one were f 21 2.70, and from the 
second one, $65.33 ; from both, $278.03. I do not 
find in the records any statement of the expenses 
of the first one. Those of the second were $32.58. 
The net proceeds o& both were, I judge, about 
$157.75. 

When the association was organized it had an 
open field, which for a while it had a fair prospect 
of fully occupying for an indefinite period. In 
the absence of other organizations outside of the 
churches for advancing the moral and religious in- 
terests of this community, a large number of young 
men of different religious denominations, desirous 
of uniting on common ground for promoting these 
interests and their own . improvement, were natur- 
ally attracted to it and were actuated by a desire 
to make it a permanent benefit to themselves and 
to society. But as the charm of novelty wore 
away, as the interest of some of its members was 
divided between it and various other organizations 
which, about the beginning of its second year, 
entered the field to help gather the fruits of good 
works, and after some of its most active members 
had removed to other jjlaces, the lively interest 
which it had awakened gradually flagged, and its 
regular meetings almost ceased to be attended by 
a quorum. It was sometimes difficult to get a quo- 
rum together for the transaction of urgent business. 
In June, 1870, the balance in the treasury was only 
$1.04, and a considerable amount due for rent of 
hall. Notwithstanding such an adverse state of 
affairs, the few who still adhered to its interests, 
determined to institute on a different plan another 
course of lectures, to be given bj' some of the most 
noted lecturers in the country, during the winter 
of 1871-2. The lecturers were selected, and then 
a successful attempt was made to sell season tickets, 
so that the lecture committee knew, before they 
absolutely engaged the lecturers, on what pecuniary 
basis they could stand. With the encouragement 
afforded by the extensive sale of that kind of 
tickets, the committee ventured upon the experi- 
ment of inaugurating for that season the follow- 
ing course: 

December 12, 1871, Daniel Dougherty — "Oratory." 
Januar_y 1 2, 1872, Mark Twain — " Roughing it." 
February 9, 1872, Rev. G. P. Hays, D.D.— " Talk, wise and 

otherwise." 
March 7, 1872. Frederick Douglass — "Self-made Men." 
March — , Felix R.Brundt — "Indians and Indian Policy." 
April 3, Miss Anna E. Dickinson — " ,Ioan of " Arc. 

The amount realized from the sale of season 
tickets was $755, and from single admission tickets, 
$224.50. Total, $979.50. Expenses, $636.10. Sur- 



138 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



plus, $343.40, out of which the back hall-rent was 

paid, still leaving a balance of $143.40 to be added 

"to the trifle that was left in the treasury as above 

stated. 

The committee continued to provide for three 

more courses, viz.: , 

FoK 1872-3. 

December 18, 1872, Daniel Doughert} — "The Stage." 
January 3, 1873, S. K. Murdock — " Select Readings." 
January 25, 1873, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore— " AVhat shall 

we do with our Daughters? " 
February 4, 1873, Rev. A. A. Willetts, D. I).—" Sunshine, 

or the Secret of a Happy Life." 
February 21, 1873, Hon. Wm. Parsons — " Richard Brins- 

ley Sheridan." 
March 4, 1873, Miss Anna E. Dickinson— " What's to 

Hinder?" 

Receipts from season tickets, $586; from admis- 
sion tickets, $175.25. Total, $761.25. Surplus 
$26.95, making the balance then in the treasury 

$1*70.35. 

Foe 1873-4. 

November 27, 1873, Rev. A. Willetts, D. D.— " Tlie Model 

Wife." 

December 4, 1873, Andrews — "Dialect Humor." ' 

December 26, 1873, Rev. Geo. P. Hays, D. D.— " Every- 

Day Reasoning." ' 

. January 28, 1874, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore — "The Battle ' 

of Money." 
February 9, 1874, Josh Billings — " Specimen Bricks." i 
February 27, 1874, John B. Gough — " Peculiar People." . [ 
March 2, 1874, Frederick Douglass — "John Brown." 
March 26, 1874, Rev. F. A. Noble, D. D.— " Christian Com- ' 

munism." 

Receipts from season tickets, $536; from reserved 
seats, $195; from admission tickets, $263.50. To- 
tal, $994. Expenses, $1,112.53, including $118.35 
paid for chairs. Deficit, $118.53, which, deducted 
from the balance in the treasury at the close of the 
last season, still left in the treasury a balance of 

$51.82. 

For 1874-5. 

Decembers, 1874, Rev. W. H. Gill—" AVilliam the Silent." 

December 14, 1874, Daniel Dougherty — " American Poli- 
tics." 

January 20, 1875, Grace Greenwood and Mrs. Sarah 
Fisher Ames — Impersonations of Various Characters. 

January 27, 1875, Rev. A. A. AVilletts, D. D.— " A Plea for 
Home." 

February 8, 1875, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore — " Concerning 
Husbands." 

March 5, 1875, John B. Gough—" Man and his Masters." 

Receipts from season tickets and reserved seats, 
$479.25; from admission tickets, $229.25; from 
other sources, $62.93. Total, $771.43. Expenses, 
$762.40. Surplus, $9.03, which, added to the 
balance in the treasury at the close of the preceding 
season, equaled $60.85 as the surplus at the close of 
the fourth and last course of lectures. 



These lectures — -those embraced in all the series 
and courses from 1868 to 1875 — evinced ability 
and research. None of them were devoid of merit 
or of ideas, sentiments, and information which are 
well calculated to improve, elevate and purify the 
public taste and morals. Some of them had a 
practical bearing upon the affairs and every-day 
life of all who heard them. Genuine bursts of 
eloquence, flashes of wit and humor, laughter- 
provoking fun, and rational amusement were, dur- 
ing the several series and courses, happily blended 
with the grave matter and useful knowledge with 
which they abounded. 

As the public interest had evidently begun to 
wane even in that branch of the association's 
work, the committee deemed it best not to provide 
courses of lectures for the last two seasons. Alas! 
all that remains of that association consists of a 
few members who would gladly resuscitate it, if cir- 
cumstances were auspicious, of some of its furni- 
ture, of a nucleus for a library, and of a small 
balance in its treasury. 

How many more organizations, designed to en- 
hance moral and intellectual improvement, are 
destined to rise and fall in this community ? Is 
some evil genius hovering over Kittanning to blast 
all such benign enterprises ? 

TEMPEEANCE SOCIETIES. 

Tlie first temperance organization here — the 
Kittanning Temperance Society — was established 
at a meeting held in the academy on Wednesday, 
August 18, 1830, and was auxiliary to the State 
Temperance Society, at Philadelphia, by which the 
temperance pledge of those times was adopted, 
which was not to use ardent spirits unless in cases 
of bodily hurt or sickness, or provide them for en- 
tertainment of friends or employes, and to dis- 
countenance their use throughout the community. 
How long and effectively it existed I have not 
learned, yet, as I have heard, for years after the 
public mind in Massachusetts and other states be- 
gan to be agitated concerning the enormous evils 
resulting from the use of intoxicating liquors as 
beverages, by Kitteridge, and other apostles of 
temperance, it was hazardous for speakers to pub- 
licly advocate the cause of temperance and de- 
nounce the use of and traflic in those intoxicants, 
in Kittanning. On one occasion, in or about 1836, 
as the writer is credibly informed, a temperance 
speaker was in imminent danger of being mobbed, 
and would have been if he had not been protected 
by several sturdy and resolute citizens who volun- 
teered to escort him from the place of meeting to 
his lodgings, at the Temperance House, then kept 



THE BOROUGH Ol<^ KIITANNING. 



I ;^<) 



by Hamlet Totteii, in the brick building on lot No. 
128, southeast corner of Market and McKean 
streets. Several years afterward, however, the 
Washingtonian excitement, which had originated 
among some confirmed inebriates in a bar-room in 
Baltimore, who called themselves Washington- 
iaus, extended to Kittanning — the constitution of 
the Washington Total Abstinence Society was 
adopted January 12, 1842 — and such a change in 
public sentiment was effected respecting the use of 
such beverages, that one of the physicians remarked 
that he found it to be unsafe, or at least unpopular, 
for him to be seen carrying a bottle of whisky even 
for medical purposes, and one of the hotel-keepers 
deemed it prudent for him to temporarily close his 
bar. 

On Thursday evening, January 7, 1842, delegates 
from the Washington Total Abstinence Society 
lectured here to a large and attentive audience. 
Their labors were crowned with success. Between 
one hundred and two hundred took the pledge, 
among whom were a goodly number of both tem- 
perate and intemperate drinkers. 

That movement was instrumental in permanently 
rescuing at least a few from the horrors of drunken- 
ness. The refoimation which it effected in some 
others was but temporary. The excitement which 
it caused, though spasmodic, was wholesome. After 
it subsided, it was followed by another organiza- 
tion — a close or secret order, the Kittanning Di- 
vision of the Sons of Temperance, its charter is 
dated December 2.3, 1848 — which flourished for 
several years, and was effective in both saving and 
rescuing a goodly number from drunkenness — some 
at least permanentlj? — and in helping to make up a 
correct and wholesome public sentiment. After 
prospering, with over a hundred members, for 
several years, it was dissolved in 1853 or 1854. 

By the act of April 28, 1854, the qualified voters 
of this state were authorized to vote at the general 
election, on the second Tuesday of October, 1854, 
for and against a law which should entirely pro- 
hibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating 
liquors, except for medicinal, sacramental, mechan- 
ical and artistical purposes. The vote in this 
borough was: For the law, 193; against the law, 
118; majority for a prohibitory law, 80. 

An open temperance societj^ was afterward 
organized, but was ephemeral. 

A juvenile temperance organization, called the 
Band of Hope, was effected and floui-ished for a 
brief period and expired. The light of science 
clearly discloses that the great harm which liquor- 
drinking causes to individuals, communities, the 
state and nation is done by the mircotico ctcrid 



poison contained in even those which are pure. 
That is what the great chemists tell us alcohol is.. 
The question arises, will the evils of intemperance"* 
be completely eradicated until all parents and 
teachers become persistent and faithful in so 
bringing the light of science to bear upon the 
minds of their children and pupils as to show 
them that it is poison alone that causes drunken- 
ness, and thus enlighten their understanding and 
educate them against its use in any form of a 
beverage? In this as in other respects, 

'"Tis education forms the common mind; 
Just as tlie twig is bent the tree's iuclin'd." 

A lodge of another close or secret order, the 
Good Templars, was organized here December 28, 
1868, bearing the name of "Bay Leaf Lodge, No. 
654, 1. O. of G. T.," holding a legal charter granted 
by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Its consti- 
tution required that " every member shall take a 
solemn pledge never to make, buy, sell or use as a 
BEVERAGE any spirituous or malt liquors, wine or 
cider; and shall also promise to discountenance the 
manufacture, sale and use thereof in all j)roper ways." 

The total number of enrolled members, male 
and female, was 206, many of whom were firm in 
their fealty to the spirit of the constitution of the 
order. Some, however, soon wavered, and yielded 
to the temptations of the mocking demon that is 
concealed even in the purest wine which is " red," 
which "giveth its color in the cup, which moveth 
itself aright, and at last biteth like a serpent and 
stingeth like an adder." 

The "Bay Leaf" bloomed with varying vigor 
until it, too, wilted in the summer heat of 1873. 

A lodge of the Temple of Honor, or True 
Templars, was organized July 9, ] 869. Its enrolled 
members numbered about 90. The discipline of 
this temperance order is more rigid than that of 
the Good Templars. It is claimed that its mem- 
bers, by their vigilance and concerted action, 
thwarted a well-laid plan of the liquor men to 
prevent this borough from giving a majority against 
license to sell intoxicating liquors at the election 
of 1873. That lodge was suspended in December, 
1875. 

That both of those lodges were effective in 
doing good while they lasted cannot, I think, be 
denied. Their decline is but the fate common to 
•kindred organizations which had preceded them. 

An informant who has been cognizant of the 
state of affairs in this county for more than half a 
century says: "Profanity and drunkenness and 
horse-racing and fisticufling were more prevalent, 
in proportion to the population, in the forepart of 
that period than they are now." 



140 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



By the act of March 27, 1872, commonly called 
the local option law, the question of granting or 
not granting license to sell intoxicating liquors as 
beverages was to be triennially submitted to a vote 
of the people of the respective counties of this 
state. The vote on that question in this county 
was taken on Friday, February 28, 1873. The 
number of votes in the borough against license was 
184, and for it 139; a majority of 45 against it. 

Since the decadence of the above-mentioned 
temperance organizations and the repeal of the 
local o^Jtion law, the only restraints upon the 
liquor traffic have been the penalties of the present 
license law and such checks as public sentiment 
affords. 

SECRET AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 

The Masonic Lodge, No. 244, was constituted 
March 12, 1850. Its place of meeting was in the 
third story, fronting on Market street, in the brick 
building on the southwest corner of Market and 
Jefferson streets, on lot No. 126, until it was trans- 
ferred to the third story of the brick building on 
the southeast corner of Market and Jefferson 
streets, on the old court-house square, which is ■ 
still occupied by the lodge. The present number 
of members is 120. 

The Orion Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was 
constituted in June, 1874, and has about 75 
members. 

Lodge No. 340, Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, was instituted March 31, 1849. Its charter 
was surrendered December 5, 1853. This lodge 
was resuscitated and reorganized August 10, 1857. 
Members, 100. Its hall is in the third story of the 
above-mentioned brick building, on lot No. 126, 
fronting on Jefferson street. 

Echo Encampment, a branch of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted November 
19, 1873. Its hall is in the third story of Orr's 
building, on Market, third door below McKean 
street. 

Ariel Lodge, No. 688, Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, was instituted in November, 1869. Its 
hall is in the third story of McCulloch's building, 
on the old court-house square, corner of Jefferson 
street and an alley, the first alley below Market 
street, being one of the alleys laid out when the 
lots in that square were laid out by the county 
commissioners for the purpose of sale. Mem- 
bers, 80. 

Knights of Pythias, Lodge No. 296, was organ- 
ized May 10, 1871. Members, about 40. Its hall 
is in the third story of Orr's building, near the 
northwest corner of Market and McKean streets. 



INDEPENDENT MILITARY OEGANIZATIONS. 

Besides the companies organized and drilled 
under tlie militia laws of the state, the first inde- 
pendent or volunteer company organized after the 
war of 1812 was the Armstrong Guards, whose 
organization was maintained until, perhaps, after 
1830. There is in an old Columbian, aX&o in an 
old Gazette, an order, dated June 21, 1828, issued 
by the late Isaac Scott, orderly sergeant, by order 
of the captain, for that company to parade precisely 
at nine o'clock a. m., Friday, July 4, then next, at 
the court-house, with arms and accouterments in 
complete order for training, each member to fur- 
nish himself with thirteen rounds of blank car- 
tridges. The captains of that ancient company 
were Thomas McConnell, Thomas Blair, John R. 
Johnston, James McCullough and John Reynolds. 
The two last named are the only ones still living. 
It was reorganized in 1844, and was ordered to 
meet for parade at the court-house at 4 p. m., Satur- 
day, May 23, of that year. The captains of the 
■latter were James Rowlands, A. L. Robinson and 
Andrew Mosgrove. 

The next company appears to have been the 
Independent Blues. The writer has not been able 
to learn when it was disbanded. The latest which 
he has respecting it is an order issued by Hamlet 
Totten, orderly sergeant, by order of the captain, 
dated January 20, 1836, for the company to parade 
at the court-house on Monday, February 22, then 
next, in complete winter uniform (blue pantaloons, 
etc.), with ammunition for twenty rounds of firing. 
Notice was also given that an appeal would be 
held on that day at the Temperance House, then 
kept by H. Totten, southeast corner of Market and 
McKean streets, where absentees might attend, 
and that new rifles would be given to such mem- 
bers as then apjjeared in full uniform. 

The third company was the Washington Blues, 
which was organized about 1845. Its captain, 
Wm. Sirwell, and its first lieutenant, Wilson Col- 
well, and its second lieutenant, Daniel Cruin, were 
in the Union military service in the late civil war. 
Both of these lieutenants fell in battle, the former 
at South Mountain and the latter in the Wilder- 
ness. 

The young ladies of Kittanning, July 4, 1846, 
presented to that company a beautiful silk flag, at 
the house of the late George Reynolds, on Water, 
between Arch and Market streets. The presenta- 
lion speech was made by Philip Templeton, colonel 
of the 126th regt. of Pennsylvania Militia, which 
was responded to by George Rodgers. 

The Armstrong Rifles, Capt. F. Mechling, and 
later the German Yeagers and the Brady Alpines 



i 



s?;;' 




THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



141 



were organized by Col. Sirwell. The Yeagers, 
Capts. Ingles and Cantwell, and the Alpines, Capt. 
Sirwell, were consolidated at or shortly before the 
beginning of the rebellion, and most, if not all, of 
their members were in the military service during 
the war. 

BANDS. 

The first brass band was organized in 1858, and 
consisted of twelve pieces. Its leader was G. A. 
Schotte. The organization continued until 1861, 
when, and in the following year, several of its 
members went into the army. A reorganization 
was subsequently effected by the accession of other 
members. That band accompanied the company 
of three months men, and afterward Company A, 
8th Reserves, to Pittsburgh, and was the first one 
present on the occasion of Ex-Gov. William F. 
Johnston making his first great war speech from 
the steps of his residence in that city. It was also 
in attendance at the various M^ar meetings held in 
this coimty during the rebellion, for recruiting men 
for the army. In 1860, there was a schism in the 
band, which was caused by some of its members 
wishing to play for the Presbyterian, and others 
for the Episcopal Sabbath school on the 4th of 
July, and from which resulted a law suit — an action 
of replevin, Henry vs. Robinson, No. 15, Septem- 
ber Term, 1860, for the bass drum, sticks and 
cymbals, which were in the possession of and re- 
tained by the defendant, who adhered to the 
Presbyterian side of the controversy. The case 
was tried and a verdict rendered for the defendant. 
By consent, a motion for a new trial was granted, 
and discontinuance entered by the plaintiff. 
Several, if not all, of the instruments were de- 
stroyed by the fire which occurred August V, 1862. 
The present cornet band was organized in Novem- 
ber, 1874, and consists of fifteen pieces. The in- 
struments were partly, if not wholly, ordered from 
Germany. For several months after the organiza- 
tion, experienced teachers taught and drilled the 
members in the theory and practice of music, and 
fair progress has thus far been made. 

BOAT CLUBS. 

There have been organized, at different times, 
several boat clubs. The last one was the Arm- 
strong Boat Club, organized in the summer of 
18*73, and consisted of a goodly number of young 
men, who entered into the enterprise with much 
zest and vigor. They procured a neat, well- 
equipped, narrow, sharp-pointed boat, sixty feet 
long, which they named the " Alhambra." A re- 
gatta occurred between that and a Pittsburgh club, 
on the Allegheny river, over the space of about a 
9 



mile from and above the Kittanning bridge, in 
which the latter was victorious by reason, it is 
said, of the breaking of one of the former's oars. 
These boat clubs, like various other voluntary or- 
ganizations that have from time to time sprung up 
here, were ej)hemeral. 

MANUFACTCTRES. 

Besides the usual and various mechanical trades 
carried on in a town or borough, several branches 
of other manufactures have been established and 
prosecuted from time to time and for varying 
periods. 

Hand-wrought nails were manufactured by John 
Miller, deceased, from 1811 to 1813 ; by Alexander 
Colwell, deceased, in 1814-15, and by Robert 
Speer from 1816 till 1825, on lot No. 122, on the 
northeast corner of Market and Jefferson streets, 
excepting that Mr. Speer occupied lot No. 143, on 
the northwest corner of McKean street and the 
public alley intersecting it, during at least a por- 
tion, probably the latter portion, of the time that 
he was engaged in the business. 

Alexander Reynolds, then a schoolboy, now an 
iron-master, employed his leisure hours in assisting 
Mr. Colwell in making nails, thus earning six and 
a fourth cents a day, which he doubtless regarded 
as a liberal compensation for his time and labor 
thus usefully and, because so, honorably spent, for 
all useful labor is honorable, in acquiring a knowl- 
edge of a useful art and enjoying the amusement 
which that employment afforded him. The iron 
from which those nails were wrought was trans- 
ported hither from east of the Allegheny moun- 
tains on pack-horses. 

The first foundry was started as an experiment 
in 1843, by Adams & Thompson, on the upper side 
of Grant avenue, on out-lot No. 25 or 26, nearly 
opposite to the public alley between and parallel 
to Market and Jacob streets. It was operated at 
first by horse power, and afterward by steam. 
About three-fourths of a ton of pig metal was used 
per week in making jjlow-fioints, the other iron- 
work of plows, and other agriciiltural utensils. 
Those proprietors, after running it about six 
months, sold it to parties by the name of Wann, 
who ran it about a year, but did not find it a profit- 
able experiment. The next foundry was connected 
with the Tolling-mill. 

Anderson & Buflington's foundry went into 
operation about June, 1853, and was destroyed by 
fire in March following. Its site was on lot No. 
206, on the west side of Jefferson street. It was 
rebuilt and operated by Mr. Anderson for awhile, 
then by Anderson & Buffington. For the last few 



142 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



years it has been operated by Anderson & Mar- 
shall. Its average consumption of pig metal has 
been about two and a half tons at each of the 
three heats per week. Its products are stoves and 
a general assortment of iron castings. 

Hulings & Robinson's, afterward Robinson & 
Crawford's foundry, went into operation about 
1857-8, and continued until May, 1876, when it 
was closed by reason of the dissolution of partner- 
ship, caused by the death of Mr. Robinson, which 
occurred in the winter previous. It was situated 
on lot No. 84, corner of Arch street and the public 
alley between, and parallel to, MoKean and Jeffer- 
son streets. From three to four tons of pig metal 
were consumed each week, in the jjroduction of 
stoves, machinery, and various other iron castings. 
An explosion occurred at this foundry September 
23, 1870, by which James Kerr, an employe, was 
seriously and permanently injured, the building 
was considerably damaged, and the boiler pro- 
pelled with so great force that it penetrated the 
brick wall of the then dwelling of Judge Boggs, 
and was deposited in the middle of the dining-room, 
in which no one except his aged aunt happened to 
be at that time. She was slightly- injured. Had 
that casualty occurred half au hour later, the 
family would have been at dinner, and most if not 
all of them would probably have been killed or 
severely injured. McCullough's National foundry, 
on lot No. 240, west side of the lower end of 
McKean street, was built and put in operation in 
1873. From sixteen and a half to eighteen tons 
of pig metal are used weekly in producing stoves 
and a general assortment of iron castings. 

The rolling-mill was built in 1847, and was put 
in operation in January, 1848. The cost was 
chiefly furnished by the solid men of Kittanning. 
The original firm name was the Kittanning Iron 
Works. Then in the mutations of ownership the 
firm names were Brown, Phillips & Co., Brown, 
Floyd & Co., R. L. Brown & Co., Martin, Brickel 
& Co., and Meredith, Neale & Titzell. Connected 
with it were a foundry and nail factory. The pro- 
ducts were common bar, rod, sheet and hoop iron, 
nails, and castings. It gave employment, while 
in full operation, to about 150 men, and thus 
afforded support to about 750 persons. Other 
beneficial effects were a considerable impetus to 
the general business of the borough, and an in- 
creased demand and consumption of, and a cash 
market for, agricultural products. Its benefits in 
these resjjects were sensibly felt while it was in 
operation, and the loss of them was sadly realized 
in the several intervals during which it was tem- 
porarily idle, and since it became, at least thus far. 



permanently so. The buildings and machinery 
were so much injured by fire Wednesday night, 
December 18, 1867, that the then proprietors, Mar- 
tin, Brickel & Co., did not repair them, but 
subsequently sold their interest therein to Mere- 
dith, Neale & Titzeli, who repaired them, and 
operated the works until March, 1873, since which 
time they have been idle. They are now owned 
by Brown, Colwell & Mosgrove. There were con- 
nected with that rolling mill sixteen puddling and 
five heating furnaces, three trains of rolls, twenty- 
two nail machines, and one squeezer. . Its annual 
capacitj^ is said to have been seven thousand tons. 

The Kittanning Iron Company (limited), consist- 
ing of James E. Brown,* James Mosgrove, J. A. 
Colwell, Henry A. Colwell and C. T. Neale, of 
Kittanning, and several Pittsburgh men, associated 
under the name and style of Groff, Bennett & 
Company, organized in October, 1879, with a 
capital of $150,000, purchased the property of the 
last named firm, and, enlarging their facilities, 
began iron manufacture on an extensive scale. 
This company built a large blast furnace, the 
capacity of which is at least 15,000 tons per 
annum, the product of which is in part sold and in 
part manufactured by the company into muck bar. 
New puddling furnaces were constructed and old 
ones repaired, until at j)resent (1883) the works 
include thirty-three. The company has, besides, all 
of the machinery necessary for the manufacture of 
iron in all its forms. The product of the furnace 
and the mill reaches a value of about $600,000 per 
annum. Fully $100,000 has been expended by the 
company in the erection of buildings, rejjairs, 
purchase of macliinery and in building railroad 
side-tracks, etc. The company owns several thou- 
sand acres of iron land and leases several thousand 
more in the Allegheny valley, in Armstrong and 
Clarion counties, the ore from which is used with- 
out admixture in their blast furnace. When the 
pig-iron goes to the jjuddling furnaces it is mingled 
with about one-fourth its own bulk or weight of 
lake ore. The coke used is also manufactured at 
works from coal mined in the immediate vicinity. 

About a year after this company began business 
they purchased a gas well, about three miles west 
of the works, which had been struck by parties 
boring for oil three years before. The gas from 
this well was conveyed to the works in 8|-inc.h 
pipes, and has since been the only fuel used in 
the puddling process. As the flow, which is very 
strong, making a pressure of eighty-five j)ounds to 



* The company has remained unchanged, with the exception of 
the removal by death of James E. Brown. His interest was talcen 
I by the other m'embers of tlie company. 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



143 



the square inch, has never sensibly abated, it is fair 
to infer that it may remain undiminished for a very 
long period. 

The company gives employment in its furnace, 
mill and coal bank to about 400 men, and to about 
300 more elsewhere, chiefly in its iron mines. It 
is thus carrying on an industry very valuable to 
Kittanning and also to other localities in this 
county and its northern neighbor. 

The facilities for grinding grain were for many 
years very meager. At an early day, probably in 
] 805-6, Abraham Parkinson fitted up a hand-mill 
on lot No. 30, fronting Vine and Jefferson streets. 
James Gibson also had such a mill somewhat later 
on one of his lots fronting on High and Water 
streets, and still later Michael Truby had one of 
the same kind on lot No. 75. For other milling 
facilities the people were dependent on the mills 
on Cowanshannock, Crooked Creek, Rinker's Run 
and other streams several miles distant, until the 
late Andrew Arnold erected a steam grist-mill on 
Jacob between Water and Jefferson streets in 
1834-5, which continued in operation but a short 
time. Charles Cumpsley who had previously 
manufactured mowing machines, a large number of 
government wagons for use in the West and wheel- 
barrows for the contractors on the Allegheny Val- 
ley railroad, erected the steam grist-mill, in 1857, 
on the site of James Pink's old oil-mill on lot No. 
66, which is a two-story brick building, containing 
two runs of stones, and which has been for several 
years past known as the Briney mill. The Klin- 
gensmith or Federal Spring steam grist-mill, brick, 
three stories, three runs of stones, was erected on 
lot No. 3, corner of High and Jefferson streets, in 
1859, and went into operation January 1, 1860. 
Those two mills accommodate not only the people 
of this borough, but of the surrounding country, 
especially when the water in the streams is too 
low, by reason of drouth, for running water mills. 

The first tannery was established by Henry 
Worts, probably in 1804-5, on lot No. 30, fronting 
southwardly on Vine, between Water and Jefferson 
streets. The vats and other parts of his tannery 
having been seriously damaged by high water in 
the river, he abandoned the business, disposed of 
those and his other lots, Nos. 126 and 218, and re- 
turned to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, whence he came. 
It appears from the assessment list that John Da- 
vison and Henry Jack had tanneries in 1808. That 
of the former was on lot No. 6, on the west side 
and near the upper end of Jefferson street, and the 
latter on lot No. 164, on the north side of Jacob, 
and between Jefferson street and the public alley, 
parallel to the latter. Lot No. 248, corner of Wal- 



nut and McKean streets, was assessed that year to 
William Reynolds, tanner, who about that time 
started thereon his tannery. Mr. Davison carried 
on his tannery until 1810-17, when he removed to 
Stoystown; Mr. Jack until about 1830, when he 
sold to Andrew Arnold, by whom it was operated 
until 1850, and then by H. J. Arnold and otliers 
until 1855-6; Mr. Reynolds until about 1840. 
There was another tanyard on lot No. 170, south 
side of Jacob, between Water and Jefferson sti-eets, 
which was operated by A. Boyd & Co. for a year 
or so prior to October, 1830, and for a term of years 
thereafter, i.e. from October 16 in the last-men- 
tioned year, by Joseph Galbraith and John Shields. 
In October, 1843, that property was conveyed to 
Joseph McCartney, who used it as a tannery until 
1862. Stephen B. Young carried on the same 
business on ground adjoining Arnold's steam mill 
for a limited period in 1835-6. John S. Alexan- 
der's tannery was started on lot No. 34, corner of 
Vine and Jefferson streets, and continued uutil 
1873-4, when occurred, thus far at least, the finale 
of the manufacture of leather in this borough. 
The products of these tanneries were sole, upper 
and harness leather in considerable quantities. 

Before the spinning of yarn and thread was 
cheapened by machinery, or, as some good old 
ladies would say, befoi-e pianos were substituted 
for spinning wheels, the business of the wheel- 
wright was a necessary and important branch of 
manufactures. In 1804 lot No. 90, on west side of 
McKean, next but one below Arch street, was 
assessed to James McElhenny as wheelwright, but 
not afterward. It was carried on by George Clark 
in 1809 and perhaps later, by Daniel Morrow in 
1812-13, by Robert Robinson, Sr., for awhile, by 
Thomas Clyde from 1813 until 1817-18, by James 
Richart in 1819, as appears from the assessment 
lists. James McCullough, Sr., settled here in 1820, 
and soon entered into that branch of manufactures, 
on or near that part of lot No. 127 where the First 
National Bank is located. In the course of a few 
years he had three shops in different parts of the 
borough, in which that kind of wheels was made, 
to the making of which he added that of chairs. 
After his retirement from the business, in 1862, it 
was conducted for several years by his son Alex- 
ander, on lot No. 167, northeast corner of Jacob 
and McKean streets. D. B. Heiner, who learned 
his trade with the elder McCullough, also carried 
on the manufacture of spinning-wheels, on both 
sides of Jefferson, near Arch street, from 1829 
until 1854, exclusive of several years, during which 
he was engaged in mercantile business. 

In the Columbian of June 21, 1828, is an advcr- 



144 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



tisement of .John Clugsten, in which he stated, j 
among other things, that he had " commenced the 
manufacture of eight-day and thirty-hour brass 
clocks, in the frame building next door to Thomas 
Blair's office," which was on lot No. 122, on the 
north side of Market, a little above Jefferson street, 
and opposite the old Register's office. He, how- 
ever, made none of the thirty-hour and but five 
of the eight-day kind. Those which he did make 
were the long-case corner clocks, one of which was 
pui-chased by John Mechling, which is now owned 
by J. E. Brown; one by James MeCullough, Sr., 
who still keeps it in good running order, the cost 
of both clock and ease being $40; one by the late 
David Reynolds, which is still in the dining-room 
of the Reynolds House, but it has not been kept 
in running gear for several years; one by the late 
James Monteith, which became the property of his 
daughter, the late Mrs. Dr. John Gilpin, and was 
removed by Dr. Gilpin, several years before his 
death, to his homestead in Cecil county, Maryland, 
and the remaining one by the late James Mat- 
thews, which was sold with his other effects after 
his death. Mr. Clugsten's part of the work con- 
sisted in making, polishing and fitting the different 
parts of the machinery, and adjusting them to the 
dial-plate, which he did in such a way as to be 
creditable to Kittanning artisanship. There are 
attachments to those clocks showing the day of the 
month and the phases of the moon. 

The first carding machine was operated by 
Richard Graham, and then, in 1822, by Robert 
Richards, on lot No. 59, now owned by David 
Patterson, on the east side of Jefferson street and 
on the south side of a public alley between, and 
parallel to. Arch and Vine streets, probably not 
longer than a year or two, for, in 1823-5, he was 
assessed as a schoolmaster, and shortly afterward, 
for a year or two, as a surveyor. 

The next carding machine, with fulling-mill and 
spinning machinery, was operated by Hugh Fuller- 
ton, on lot No. 51, on east side of Water street 
near the mouth of Truby's run, in 1855, and con- 
tinued to operate the same until the fall of 1860, 
when he sold to J. Kennerdell & Co., who extended 
the business by manufacturing jeans, blankets, 
flannels and cassimeres, producing daily about 100 
yards of those articles. The machinery, etc., cost 
14,000. In the fall of 1863 the machinery was 
transferred to the three-story brick building known 
as the Iron Store, on lot No. 145, on Water street 
and the public alley between and parallel to Market 
and Jacob streets. It soon after changed hands. 
J. E. Brown and J. B. Finlay became largely inter- 
ested in the factory. Large accessions were made 



to the machinery, costing $70,000 or $80,000. The 
products were flannels, blankets and cassimeres, 
amounting to about 500 yards a day. The number 
of employes was about fifty. With occasional 
stoppages, it continued to be operated the last few 
years of its existence by Goodell & Co., until 
Wednesday morning, March 25, 1874, when it was 
destroyed by a fire, which originated, it is sup- 
posed, in the engine-room. It was insured for a 
considerable amount, the claim for which, or a part 
of it, is in litigation. How long before, or whether 
ever, it will be rebuilt is questionable. 

It is said that lightning strikes the same spot 
but once. Be that as it may, fire sometimes rav- 
ages the same locality more than once. On the 
site of that factory a three-story brick building 
was erected prior to 1820, in which resided, for 
several years, John Brodhead, deceased, who was 
a son of Gen. Daniel , Brodhead, who was the 
commandant of Fort Pitt in 1778-9. This house 
was, twenty or more years after the death of 
that descendant of Gen. Brodhead, occupied by 
Rev. Joseph Painter, and Thursday night, Novem- 
ber 14, 1844, was destroyed by fire, which subjected 
him and his familj^ to such loss and inconvenience 
as such disasters usually occasion. Hence, the 
trustees of the academy gave him the use of the 
lower story of their building until April 1, 1845, 
and elected him principal. 

In the spring of 1837 the late John S. Watson 
began the manufacture of farm, road and Dearborn 
wagons, chaises, buggies, sulkies, barouches, gigs, 
sleighs, etc., at the corner of McKean and Jacob 
streets, near Isaac Scott's pottery, and continued it 
a few years. 

About 1842, L. C. Pinney commenced the manu- 
facture of buggies, carriages and sleighs, on lot 
No. 142, on the corner of two public alleys, which 
was afterward continued by Pinney & Combs, and 
by Pinney & Son until 1870, on the opposite 
corner on the old court-house square. It was sub- 
sequently carried on by Croll & Myers, in the old 
schoolhouse building on Jacob, between McKean 
street and the public alley jjarallel thereto, and it 
is now conducted there by J. F. Keener. 

The manufacture of threshing machines was 
commenced by Henry Rush in 1849, and it is still 
continued, averaging about twelve per year. 

In 1866, the first and as yet the only planing 
mill in this borough, was put in operation by the 
Heiner Brothers, on lot No. 86, corner of Arch 
street and Grant avenue, which was removed to 
their new brick building on lot No. 10, on the west 
side of that avenue, in 1874. The average quan- 
tity of lumber used annually is about one million 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



145 



feet. The products are worked and rough lumber, 
doors, sash, moldings, brackets, window and door 
frames, shutters, mantels, palings, and the various 
kinds of scroll work. The machinery consists of 
planers, molders, scroll and circular saws, mor- 
ticers, and tenon-machine, which are worked by 
steam. 

In IS'/S the manufacture of machinery, of brass 
work, and the repairing of engines, boilers, and 
threshing machines, etc., was commenced by 
George M. Read, on lot No. 103 on the east side 
of McKean street and the public alley between and 
parallel to Arch and Market streets. The machin- 
ery was worked by steam, and continued in 
operation until the building was destroyed by fire, 
on the rdorning of Saturday, November 27, 1875, 
since when this distinctive branch of manufac- 
tures has ceased, excejjt so as it is carried on in 
connection with the foundries. 

The manufacture of hats was carried on by dif- 
ferent individuals, from at least as early as 1804 
imtil 18.58, when it ceased. 

The manufacture of cabinet-ware was com- 
menced in 1807-8, and is still continued, though 
much of the furniture sold by the cabinet-makers, 
for some years past, has been purchased from large 
manufacturing establishments elsewhere. 

The number of tailors has increased with the 
increase of population from 1803-4 until now. Of 
late years they have generally been merchant 
tailors, keeping on hand assortments of cloths, 
trimmings, and ready-made clothing, but still 
making many suits to order from their own stock 
or from material furnished by their customers. 

The number of shoemakers has been, since the 
laying out of this town, commensurate with the 
wants of its population. Several of this class of 
tradesmen have, for several years past, combined 
with their manufacture of boots and shoes the 
purchase and sale of the ready-made. So that 
boot and shoe makers' shops have, in some in- 
stances, been expanded into large boot and shoe 
stores. 

The manufacture of tinware, which was from 
1823 until recently a branch by itself, is now con- 
nected mostly with the foundries. 

The business of the silversmith, i. e., repairing 
watches and other chronometers, was introduced 
here in 1820-1. For most of the time since then, 
there have been at least two establishments there- 
for, which of late years have kept more or less ex- 
tensive, varied and suitable assortments of clocks, 
watches and jewelry — made elsewhere. 

The milliners, in addition to what they make 
themselves, have, for a number of years past, kept 



supplies of articles in their line, purchased in the 
great marts of trade. 

It appears from the assessment lists, that the fol- 
lowing trades and occupations began to be exer- 
cised here thus: Cooijer, in 1808; weavers, 1811-12; 
saddle and harness-maker, 1815; gunsmith, 1821; 
tinner, etc., 1823; barber, confectioner, 1833; mill- 
wright, grocer, butcher and dentist, 1843; plow- 
maker, 1834; windmill-maker, stone-cutter, 1844; 
baker, 1848; brewer of lager beer, marble-cutter, 
1849; pump-borer, druggist or apothecary, 1831; 
bookseller, lumber-merchant, 1853; livery stable- 
keeper, 1856; banker, broker, restaurant-keeper, 

1856-7; daguerrotyper ; photographer, 1863; 

bookbinder, 1871; undertaker, 1873. Several of 
these branches of business may have been com- 
menced somewhat earlier than the assessment lists 
indicate. What used to be called strong beer was 
brewed, on a small scale, between 1820 and 1830, 
on lot No. 75, on Water street. There was an in- 
terval of several years between the cessation of 
brewing this kind of beer and the beginning of the 
brewing of lager beer. Daguerreotyping has been 
substituted by photographing. The rest of these 
branches of business, with a few exceptions, are 
still carried on — most of them have been extended 
to meet the increasing wants of the community. 

The number of stone and brick masons, plaster- 
ers and carpenters has, from the first, kept pace 
with the increasing demand for their labor. Much 
of the carpenter work formerly done by hand is 
now done by machinery ; especially that of plan- 
ing, molding and carving. House painting became 
an established branch of business here at a some- 
what later period, and the number of those now 
engaged in it has increased. Since 1858, there has 
been a marked change for the better in the style of 
buildings ; an improved architectural taste has 
been evinced in most of the edifices since then 
erected. 

The first pottery was started by John Black, ac- 
cording to the assessment list, in 1814. Lot No. 
215 was then assessed to him, which is on the south- 
east corner of McKean and Mulberry streets. The 
next year lot No. 202, on the opjaosite side of Mc- 
Kean, being the third lot above Mulberry street, 
was also assessed to him. Afterward, from 1816 
to 1818 inclusive, he was assessed with lot No. 184 
only. He seems to have commenced the pottery 
business on the first named, and to have closed it 
on the last named lot. He occasionally taught 
singing-school in his own house. Portions of Mc- 
Kean street were then quite swampy, and the 
frogs were so numerous that it was called " Frog 
street." A common expression, when they were 



146 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



croaking near his residence, was, " There's Black's 
singing-school." 

The pottery manufacture was resumed by the 
late Isaac Scott, on lot No. 184, on the west side 
of McKean street, being the third lot below Jacob 
street, in 1822, in which he was succeeded in 
1846-7 by George Buyers, who carried it on until 
his death, which was caused by the accidental dis- 
charge of his gun that was lying on the bags of 
grain in his wagon, behind which he was walking 
on his way to the mill near the mouth of the 
Cowanshannock, in the summer or fall of 1849. 
His successors were George Gabel, John M. Dosch 
and John Volk. The last-named retired from the 
business in 1863. After Mr. Scott ceased to oper- 
ate the pottery, it was probably transferred to lot 
No. 190, which was assessed to George Buyers un- 
til his death ; while lot No. 184 was assessed from 
1847 to 1851-2 to Benjamin Blanchard, as a wind- 
mill-maker. The products of the pottery were 
chiefly earthenware. 

Plows were manufactured, on a limited scale, 
by Francis Dobbs, on lot No. 136, west side of 
Jefferson, between Market street and the public 
alley parallel thereto, in 1843-5. Adam Cook was 
assessed as a plow-maker in 1844. 

Brickmaking must have started, not exactly 
within the borough limits, but just " over the bor- 
der," or northern limit, opfiosite out-lot No. 8, as 
early at least as 1805, for articles of agreement 
were made February 22, 1806, whereby Andrew 
Goudy leased to Paul Morrow his." brick-yard and 
land appurtenant, situate just above the town of 
Kittanning " — which some of the oldest inhabit- 
ants distinctly remember was in the locality above 
indicated — for one year from that date, " together 
with all the clay already dug, the molding tools, 
two spades, one ax and a wheelbarrow." Goudy 
also agreed to repair the roof of the shed and per- 
mit Morrow to carry away the casing of the kiln 
and any cordwood that might remain after the 
bricks were burned. For all which Morrow agreed 
to pay Goudy, his heirs or assigns, the sum of $30 
on the 1st day of November then next, and the 
further sum of three shillings and sixpence for 
every cord of wood then cut. It does not appear 
from any endorsement on that lease, or any other 
accessible source, whether that lease was con- 
tinued for a term or terms running throvigh the 
three or four subsequent years. But it does 
appear from the county commissioners' records 
that Paul Morrow furnished 189,000 brick for the 
first court-house, in 1809-10. The piece of land on 
which that brick-yard was located contained two 
acres and sixteen perches, and was one of the " two 



fragments or pieces of land" which James Arm- 
strong, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, conveyed to 
Robert Brown for $130 by deed dated October 18, 
1809, and which the latter, for $500, by deed dated 
January 1, 1813, conveyed to Robert Stewart, who 
supplied this town with brick therefrom until 1827. 
He was one of the very few marked " colored " on 
the Kittanning assessment lists. His complexion, 
it is said, indicated that he was of African descent, 
but his hair did not, so that he was regarded by 
some as a Portuguese. His successor in that brick- 
yard until 1830 was John Hunt, who was followed 
by James Daugherty, deceased, and William Sir- 
well, Sr. The latter there erected the first dry- 
house and made the first jsressed brick in this 
county, in 1851. Since then, that ground has been 
used for other purposes. One-fourth of an acre of 
it was conveyed to John W. Rohrer and wife, by 
deed dated April ], 1852, for $250.. Another, 
quarter of an acre in the rear part of it has been 
covered with water, winter and summer, since it 
was excavated, making a pond which does not dry 
up at any season of the year and affords a con- 
siderable supply of good ice in the winter, and has 
no visible inlet or outlet. 

The manufacture of brick was carried on, at 
different points within the borough limits, at dif- 
ferent periods, from 1838-9 until 1866, by the above- 
mentioned James Daugherty, and then by John F. 
Nulton, H. D. & G. B. Daugherty, and, perhaps, some 
others, until 1866. The Avenue Brick Works, 
on out-lots Nos. 20 and 21, are owned and operated 
by G. B. Daugherty, with which are connected a 
dry-house capable of holding 6,000 bricks, and two 
kiln walls, etc. Their present capacity is equal to 
the manufacture of 4,500,000 bricks per annum. 

The annual product of the various kilns has 
varied from 100,000 to 1,000,000 bricks. 

BANKING. 

In the Gazette of February 17, 1836, is a call for 
a meeting of the citizens of Kittanning and vicinity 
to be held in the grand jury room on Saturday 
evening, the 27th of that month, for the purpose 
of forming a Mechanics' Savings Fund Company. 
The call also stated that drafts of a constitution 
and by-laws would be submitted. That meeting 
was held and the company organized. 

At a meeting of the directors March 16, 1836, a 
resolution was adopted requiring the members of 
the company to pay into its treasury respectively 
five dollars on Saturday, the 26th then instant. As 
that institution is one of the things of the distant 
past, readers may be interested to know who the 
officers and directors of that first banking company 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



u; 



in this Lorougli were. Fi-om the papers of those 
times they appear to have been: William P. John- 
ston, president; William Matthews, secretary; Jo- 
seph M. Jordan, treasurer; Frederick Rohrer, 
Nathaniel Henry, Francis Dobbs, Hugh Campbell 
and Archibald Dickey, directors. 

The stockholders were almost exclusively me- 
chanics. There is but a faint recollection of this 
financial institution left in the minds of even those 
who were its stockholders. I have not been able 
to obtain a copj' of its constitution and by-laws or 
access to its records, so that I cannot state the 
amount of stock subscribed, or that of each share, 
or how long it continued in operation. I am, how- 
ever, informed by one of the stockholders that 
stock was j)aid ujj and some loans made, but to his 
surj)rise it was determined at one of the meetings 
of the officers or managers to close — wind up the 
affairs of the company — which was accoi-dingly 
done, and the amount of stock which each had 
paid, together with its earnings, was refunded. It 
was not, of course, clothed with banking powers 
and privileges, but was intended to afford without 
them some of the facilities incident to banking 
institutions. My informant suggests that opposi- 
tion to it originated among the merchants, because 
it afforded its members facilities for loaning money 
with which they purchased such goods as they 
needed in Pittsburgh or elsewhere. Another cause 
of its discontinuance, suggested by another infor- 
mant, was, according to his best recollection, dissat- 
isfaction among such of its members as could not be 
accommodated with loans when they wanted them. 

For several years after 1836 there was a great, a 
distressing scarcity of money here as well as 
everywhere else in this country. So general was 
the dearth of currency that merchants and other 
business men in Kittanning and other places re- 
luctantly resorted to the issuing of scrip or " shin- 
plasters," as they were called, as a medium of small 
change or currency. The following is a copy of 
one of those " shinplasters ": 



|e 



as 



No. 275. 



"50 GENTS. 



.50 



Received by the Kittanning Savings Companv from 
E. Cuuningham, on deposit, Fifty Cents, which is payable 
to him or bearer, on demand, in current 

Bank Wotes of tlj£ ®thj of jOtttsburglj, 

With interest, at one per cent per annum, by A. Col well, 
R. Robinson, 1'. Mechling, J. E. Brown, G. Monroe, and 
T. McConnell, or either of them, when presented in 
sums amounting to five dollars. 

(Signed) "P. MECHLING, President." 
" R. Robinson, Treumrer. 

" Kittanning, 1 June, 1S37." 



Though the paper-promises, of one of wliich tlie 
foregoing is a copy, were not as widely and univer- 
sally current as is the present United States scrij) 
or fractional currency, they nevertheless were very 
convenient in those truly hard times as a means of 
exchange, or as small currency here, and where the 
solvency and reputation of the promisers were 
known. 

A number of citizens of this liorough inaugu- 
rated a movement for the establishment of a bank 
here in 1844, as appears from their notice, dated 
June 27, that they would apply to the legislature 
at its next session for the incorporation of the 
Armstrong County Bank. That application did 
not prove to be successful. 

By the act of May 5, 18.57, the Kittanning Bank 
was incorporated, with a capital stock of $100,000 
and the right to increase it to $300,000, to be 
divided into shares of fifty dollars each; to be 
organized, managed and governed as provided by 
the general act regulating banks, approved April 
16, 1850; and to pay a bonus of one per cent of the 
amount of its capital stock into the state treasury. 
Its charter is dated June 24, 1857. It was duly 
organized and commenced business in August, 
1857, in a small brick office adjacent to the present 
building, on lot No. 127. Its capital stock was 
$200,000. During the general bank suspension of 
specie payments in 1857-8 it continued to pay 
specie. It was one of the very few that did not 
suspend. In those times bills of banks were not 
readily received out of their own states or vicini- 
ties. During that general suspension the writer 
had occasion to purchase a railroad ticket in Cleve- 
land, Ohio, but had with him only bills of the 
Kittanning Bank, which the ticket agent at first 
refused to accept, requiring bills of such banks as 
were in his own state, but on my assuring him 
that that was a specie paying bank, and that it had 
never suspended, he receded from the stand which 
he had taken and sold me a ticket. 

Soon after the passage of the National Bank act 
the First National Bank of Kittanning was organ- 
ized, but did not then, viz., August 21, 1863, or 
until 1867, commence business. An attempt 
having been made to establish a Second National 
Bank here, the Kittanning Bank, being then a 
state bank, was changed to a national bank, July 
2, 1866, so that until the next year, when the latter 
was closed or wound up, there were two national 
banks, under one management, in operation. 
Since then the First National has been the only 
one of that kind in operation here. Its capital is 
$200,000. 

The Allegheny Valley Bank was establi.shed in 



148 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



April, 1872. It is not incorporated, but is rather a 
copartnership, with individual liability. It is not 
a bank of issue, but of deposits and loans. Its 
capital stock is $100,000. It is located in the 
Reynolds block, on lot No. 121. 

All of the banks in Kittanning have thus far 
done a safe business, their customers or depositors 
not having lost a dollar through failure or insolv- 
ency of either of them. 

INSUEANCE COMPATSry. 

By act of April 2, 1853, the Kittanning Insur- 
ance Company was incorporated. The number 
of corporators specified in the charter is twenty, 
any five of whom were authorized to be con- 
stituted commissioners, who, at any time within 
one year from the passage of that act, after 
giving two weeks' notice in one or more news- 
papers printed in Kittanning, to meet and receive 
subscriptions to the capital stock, which is to 
consist of 1,000 shares at $50 each, and to be paid in 
as the directors might determine, and which could 
be increased at any time to 10,000 shares of $50 
each. This corporation is authorized to take risks 
on the mutual plan or otherwise against fire; to 
effect marine and inland insurances on vessels, 
cargoes, freights, etc.; also to make insurance on 
the lives of persons and animals; to invest the 
capital stock and other moneys of the company, or 
intrusted to it, in bonds, notes, mortgages, ground 
rents, judgments, stocks and loans of the United 
States and Pennsylvania, and in other good secur- 
ities, and to sell, transfer and change the same, and 
to reinvest the proceeds thereof in such other 
bonds, notes, etc., whenever the directors may deem 
it expedient, but it is not authorized to engage in 
the business of banking. The directors must 
annually declare a dividend of so much of the 
profits as they may deem advisable, which is to be 
paid to the respective stockholders, according to 
their rules and regulations, and annually publish a 
full and accurate statement of the condition and 
affairs of the corporation. 

The company was duly organized, and it has 
ever since been doing more or less business in 
investing its stock and other moneys, and but little, 
if any, in insuring either property or lives. 
Whether it will, after this year (1876) engage in 
the latter branch of business remains to be seen. 
There have been established- here for some years 
past several efiicient agencies, representing a con- 
siderable number of fire insurance companies of 
this and other states. 

GAS WOEKS. 

The Kittanning Gas Company was incorporated 
by the act of March 13, 1858, which gave to 



that corporation the exclusive authority to supply 
this borough and its vicinity with gaslight. The 
capital stock is limited to $20,000, and each share 
to $50. The penalty for using the gas without 
proper authority is not less than $20 or more than 
$80, and for injuring the works a fine not less than 
$100 and not more than $500, or imprisonment not 
less than ten days and not more than one year, or 
both, at the discretion of the court. The managers 
are authorized to issue certificates of credit or 
evidences of indebtedness not exceeding $15,000 at 
any one time, for the purpose of aiding in construct- 
ing the works and managing the business of the 
company, no certificate to be for a less sum than 
$50, the payment of such certificates to be secured 
by a general mortgage upon the real estate and all 
the effects of the company; and makes the stock- 
holders jointly and severally liable individually for 
all debts due mechanics, workmen and laborers 
employed by, and for material furnished to the com- 
pany to the amount remaining unpaid on each share 
of stock held by the respective stockholders. By 
Act of April 15, 1859, the Armstrong Gas Company 
was incorporated with the exclusive right and 
authority to furnish this borough and its vicinity 
with gaslight; the capital stock to be $50,000, and 
each share $25; the company to be organized and 
governed as provided in the general act of incorpo- 
ration of gas and water companies of March 11, 
1857. All acts and parts of acts conflicting there- 
with were repealed. A company was organized 
and commenced building their works on the lot on 
the southwest corner of Water and Walnut streets; 
a house was erected and the ground prepared for 
constructing the gasometer, in 1860-1, but the em- 
barrassment of the chief stockholder, who resided 
elsewhere, prevented the completion of those works, 
and the company's property was subsequently sold 
under the sheriff's hammer. The act of February 
25, 1860, repealed the above-mentioned act incor- 
porating the Armstrong Gas Company, and the 
act of March 25, 1859, which was a supplement to 
the act incorporating the Kittanning Gas Company, 
and provided that the last-mentioned company 
should commence practical operations within six 
months from the passage thereof. By the act of 
February 25, 1868, the above-mentioned supple- 
ment was revised, and the provision requiring the 
last-mentioned company to commence operations 
within six months was repealed. Thereupon the 
present Kittanning gas company was organized 
May 14, 1868, and erected their works, gasometer, 
etc., in the spring and summer of 1872, on lot No. 
197, northwest corner of McKean street and the 
public alley between and parallel to Jacob and Mul- 




INTEI^IOR OF ^A/lLL.^.^/10I^1^IS0K'S DRY GOODS STOf^E, KiTTAMisIi KG, P^ . 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTAXNING. 



14U 



berry streets, and commenced the manufacture of 
gas in July, 1872. On a certain night in that month, 
after the gas had been distributed, every building, 
private and public, into which it had been introduced 
■was illuminated with its light free of charge, which 
was, of course, a cheerful and brilliant entree of 
this changed mode of illumination. Besides the 
borough, which has, by contract with the gas com- 
pany, forty-four posts and street lamps distributed 
along the streets, there are one hundred and 
thirty-seven paying consumers. The aggregate 
length of the main pipes for distributing gas 
is a fraction over two and a third miles, which 
from three to six inches in diameter, and are laid 
from three to seven feet below the surface of the 
ground in the various streets. Those works cost 
$31,000. On Thursday, November 25, 1875, a fire 
occurred there, caused by the bursting of the gas- 
pipe, which, it was feared, would cause a general 
explosion and conflagration. So serious a disaster 
was prevented by shutting off the gas from the large 
tank, and by the prompt, resolute and well-directed 
efforts of the manager, Wm. B. Kerr. The loss 
thus occasioned was about $1,500, which was 
nearly, if not entirely, covered by insurance. 

WATER WORKS. 

By act of March 12, 1866, a charter was granted 
to the Kittanning Water Company for the purpose 
of introducing pure water from any stream in this 
county into this borough. The cai:>ital stock is 
$50,000, divided into shares of $50 each. The 
company was to be organized, managed and gov- 
erned as provided by the general act of March 11, 
1857, providing for the incorporation of gas and 
water companies. The charter gives this company 
the right to enter upon and take possession of any 
lands or inclosures, streams of water within this 
county for effecting its purposes, on filing bond as 
required by that general act to cover all damages 
assessed therefor. This company is also authorized 
to borrow any sum of money not exceeding $20,000 
and issue bonds at such rates of interest as maj' be 
agreed upon between the parties, each one not to 
be for a less sum than $100. Letters patent were 
issued May 17, 1871, and the company was organ- 
ized June 7, next following. Within the ensuing- 
seven months the water works were completed and 
the water was turned into the pipes January 10, 
1872. The number of paying consumers is 354. 
The reservoir, with a capacity of 35,717 barrels, 
is located in the upper part of the field east 
of the street and road extending past the court- 
' house and jail into Valley township, 190 feet in 
hight above Water, Jefferson and McKean streets. 



giving a pressure of eighty pounds to the square 
inch, to which water from near the bottom and 
middle of the Allegheny river, through a pipe 
extending from along the bed of the river beneatli 
the public alley between and parallel to Arch and 
Vine streets, by steam pumps located on lot No. 58, 
on the south side of that alley and adjacent to the 
southern bend in Truby's Run. The reservoir, if 
empty, can be filled in forty-five hours. The main 
pipes are iron, four, six, and ten inches in diameter, 
and laid from three and one-half to four feet below 
the surface along all the streets, their aggregated 
length being four and one-half miles, besides 3,500 
feet of six-inch rising main extending from the 
pumps to the reservoir and 600 feet of ten-inch suc- 
tion main extending from near the middle of the 
river to the pumps, which, with the engine, are in 
a brick structure erected therefor. 

MERCANTILE AND I'ROFESSIOXAL. 

Although most of the merchants still keep a 
variety of- such goods as belong to the different 
branches of mercantile business, there has been for 
some time a growing change in this respect, so that 
there are now four large drug-stores, whose trade is 
confined to drugs and such other articles as are 
usually kept by druggists. The trade in hardware, 
groceries, provisions, books and stationery has 
become more distinct from other mercantile busi- 
ness than it formerly was. 

The professions of medicine and dentistry are 
more distinctly and numerousl}' represented than 
was heretofore the case. 

The legal profession remains in statu quo in re- 
gard to the choice of specific branches of legal 
business by the respective members of the bar, 
such as is so often made in large cities. Each 
practitioner still continues to take charge of cases 
in courts of law, in courts of equity and in criminal 
courts, without making any particular branch a 
specialty. A few are overburdened with their 
mixed business, while others, some at least, for 
lack of opportunity to develop, are comparatively 
briefless. Notwithstanding the increased facilities 
for traveling, the presence here of distinguished 
members of the Vtars of some of the adjoining coun- 
ties, during our court weeks, is far less frequent 
than was the case when the usual mode of locomo- 
tion was on horseback. In those times, when the 
general business in the courts in this and in those 
counties was lighter tban it now is, but when there 
were more of important land titles to be tried than 
there have been for several years past, there was 
many an able, brilliant and vigorous contest before 
court and jury, in which those foreign and our 



150 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



own resident lawyers zealously participated ; and 
there was, too, many a pleasant social gathering- 
out of court, which was not barren of genial flashes 
of wit and humor and good feeling. 

PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 

In 1859, a town hall, bi-ick, two stories, 50 by 32 
feet, was erected for $1,000, under a contract be- 
tween the borough and Charles B. Schotte. The 
rear part of the lower story is used for keeping the 
flre-hose, hose-carriages, etc. The front part of 
that story is used as the chamber of the town 
council, and the post-ofliee. The upper story was 
for a while used for public meetings and a school- 
room, but of late years it has been occupied as the 
printing-oflice of the Armstrong MepuUican. This 
hall is situated on the northeast corner of Market 
street and an allej^, on the old jail square. \ 

In 18V2, a grain elevator, frame, 100 by 60 feet, i 
25 feet high, was erected by J. A. Gault & Co., on 
the east side of Grant avenue, on out-lot No. 22. 
Though owned by a private company, it is, on the 
score of general convenience to the agricultural 
class, at least, a quasi-public building. It has 
a capacity for holding or containing about 70,000 
Inishels of grain. The largest number as yet 
stored in it at any one time is 36,000 bushels. 

In 1874, an opera house was erected by a joint- 
stock company, on leased ground, on the upper 
part of lots Nos. 128 and 133, on the southeast 
corner of Market street and a public alley between 
it and the Avenue House. It is a frame building, 
the main or front part, containing the parquet, 
dress circle and gallery, is 60 by 49 feet, with a 
hight of ceiling varying from about 16 to 25 feet. 
Its roof is what its builders call a drop-Gothio. 
The rear part, containing the stage, dressing-rooms 
and scenery, is about 24 by 20 feet, with a less 
hight of ceiling than the main part. The acoustic 
properties are very good, bating the ringing noise 
made by movements on the floors and stairs, on 
which are but single layers of boards. If they 
were so modified as to deaden the soimd caused by 
foot-falls upon them, and the building were other- 
wise finished, the comfort and satisfaction of the 
audiences that assemble in it would be greatly en- 
hanced. Its cost, including that of some well- 
painted scenic representations, is $6,000. 

CEMETEEIES. 

The first ground used for interring the dead 
within the borough limits consisted of lots Nos. 61, 
67, 73 and 79, on the east side of McKean, between 
Arch street and the public alley next north of the 
last-mentioned street, forming the square now 
owned by James Mosgrove and John Gilpin. Dr. 



James Armstrong, the former owner, appropriated 
those lots to be used as a burial-ground. 

Few interments, however, were made therein. 
Some, it is said, were made by mistake on the 
public alle}' bounding them on the east. Upon 
the representation made by the inhabitants of this 
town that if those lots should be occupied as a 
burial-ground, the water with which the people 
were supplied, owing to the sandiness of the soil 
and the elevation of these lots, would be materially 
adulterated, the legislature passed an act March 19, 
1810, authorizing and empowering the commis- 
sioners of Armstrong county, after giving four 
weeks' notice in The Farm.efr''s Register, printed at 
Greensburg, Westmoreland county, in one of the 
newspapers in Pittsburgh and by written or printed 
advertisements put up in six of the most public 
places in Armstrong county, one of which was to 
be on the court-house door in the town of Kittan- 
ning, of the time and place of sale, to sell the 
above last-mentioned four lots for the highest and 
best price that could be had therefor, to execute 
deeds to the purchaser or purchasers on payment 
of the purchase money, and to immediately apply 
the money arising therefrom to the purchase of 
other more eligible ground to be occupied as a 
public burial-ground for the inhabitants of this 
town and its vicinity, which was to be taken and 
considered in lieu of those four lots. 

A few residents of this town were buried in the 
grave-yard on Pine Run, on the west side of the 
Allegheny river, now in East Franklin township. 

A part of the field east of the public road ex- 
tending from the head of Market street past the 
court-house and jail, now owned by Mrs. J. F. 
Nulton, was used for a while as a burying-ground. 
Among the interments made in it was that of the 
remains of Robert Duncan, a former proprietor of 
a part of the Manor, and a brother of Thomas 
Duncan, deceased, one of the former justices of the 
supreme court of this state. 

The location of the next cemetery is on out-lot 
No. 2, which, and out-lot No. 4, were purchased by 
Joseph McClurg at the first sale of the town lots 
for $93. Mr. McClurg and Anne, his wife, by their 
deed dated July 13, 1808, conveyed the former to 
Paul Morrow for $100. As the money arising from 
the sale of the above-mentioned four lots was not 
suflicient to purchase out-lot No. 2, some of the 
inhabitants of this town and of other places sub- 
scribed and paid the requisite amount. Where- 
upon, the commissioners having agreed to appro- 
priate the proceeds of the sale of those in-lots to 
the purchase of that out-lot, Paul Morrow and 
Lydia, his wife, by their deed, dated September 21, 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



151 



1818, conveyed it to the commissioners of this 
county, viz.: Isaac Wagle, David Reynolds and 
Joseph Rankin and their successors in trust for the 
use of the inhabitants of the town of Kittanning 
and its vicinity, and of the grantors for their pur- 
chase money for a public burying-ground for the 
sum of $130. Thomas Hamilton made this, among 
other bequests, in his will: " One hundred dollars 
to aid in putting a neat substantial board or post 
and rail fence around the grave-yard lot in or near 
'the said borough." That lot was unfenced for 
several years after it began to be used for burial 
purposes. There probably never was such a fence 
around it as specified in Mr. Hamilton's will, as no 
credit for the payment of that bequest was claimed 
by James Hamilton, the surviving executor of that 
will, in his final and only executorship account, 
which was approved by the proper court September 
16, 1839. It was, however, aptplied toward defray- 
ing the expense of building the present brick wall 
around that lot, which was done by John F. Nulton 
in 1842. That bequest and a portion of the amount 
subscribed was all that he received. The quantity 
of land contained in that lot is, according to the 
assessment list of 1804, one acre, one rood and ten 
perches. It was never laid out in walks and roads, 
and it has been beautified by shrubbery to only a 
limited extent. 

The company having control of this cemetery 
was incorporated by the proper court March 18, 
1844. 

The first catholic cemetery is located in the rear 
of St. Mary's church, on High street. One of the 
new ones, laid out a few years since, is on the high 
ground in Valley township, a mile and three-quar- 
ters in an air line northeast from St. Mary's 
church, and about one hundred and seventy-five 
rods east from the river. The other — that of the 
German portion of the congregation — is about 200 
rods northeast of that church, on land purchased 
from James Patrick, in Valley township. 

By act of February 18, 1853, a charter was 
granted to a corporation styled " The Kittanning 
Cemetery," which contains ample provisions for its 
perpetuity and for effecting the purposes for which 
it was constituted. The corpoi-ators are, at least 
once every year, to meet to fill vacancies that may 
occur in the corporation. The minimum number 
of members is restricted to seven, and the maxi- 
mum to twenty-one, who must be lot-holders. The 
officers are five managers, a president, secretary, 
and treasurer, who must report their proceedings 
and the state of the finances at the annual election, 
on the first Monday of June, and whenever a 
majority of the corporators may require. The 



corporators or managers are authorized to purchase 
any quantity of land, not exceeding twenty-five 
acres, within five miles of the borough of Kittan- 
ning, for the purpose of the cemetery ; to lay out, 
ornament, divide, and arrange it into suitable plats 
and burial lots ; to allow the remains of persons 
buried elsewhere to be reinterred therein ; to pre- 
serve and replace head and foot stones, tombs, 
obelisks or monuments, to do all other things neces- 
sary and proper to be done to adapt the ground 
to the purposes of a cemetery ; and to sell the lots 
and burial plats in fee simple or otherwise, for the 
purpose of sepulture, to individuals, societies, or 
congregations without distinction of sect or creed, 
under such rules and regulations as the corpora- 
tors may establish for the government of lot- 
holders, visitors, and burial of the dead. The lots 
cannot be used for any but burial purposes and are 
free from taxation, levy or sale, under any process 
against the grantees and holders thereof or the 
corjjoration. It is also provided that the corpora- 
tion may hold as much personal property as may 
be necessary for its purposes, and that a fund be 
created out of the proceeds of the sales of burial 
lots to be invested in judgments or mortgages, the 
income therefrom to be applied to the improve- 
ment and perpetual maintenance of the cemetery 
in proper order and security ; that at least ten per 
cent of the j^urchase money of all burial lots be 
set aside for these improvements and the creation 
of that perpetual fund ; and if the managers or 
coi'porators fail to perform the duties devolved 
upion them, they shall be subject to the control of 
competent judicial authority for correction. The 
penalty for opening any tomb or grave in this 
cemetery, without the consent of the corporation, 
and clandestinely or unlawfully removing, or at- 
tempting to remove, any body or remains there- 
from, is imprisonment in the county jail or the 
western penitentiary not less than one nor more 
than three years, and pay a fine of not less than one 
hundred dollars, and for wilfully destroying, mu- 
tilating, defacing, injuring, or removing any tomb, 
monument, obelisk, gravestone, or other structure 
in the cemeteiy, or any fence or railing or other 
work for the protection or ornament of the ceme- 
tery or any lots therein, or for cutting, griddling, 
breaking, injuring or destroying, or removing any 
tree, shrub, or plant therein, or for shooting or 
discharging any gun or firearms within the limits 
of the cemetery, shall be deemed guilty of a mis- 
demeanor, and on conviction be subject to a fine of 
not less than five nor more than fifty dollars, and 
be imprisoned at the discretion of the court from 
one to six months. No street, lane, or road can be 



152 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



laid out or made through the lands in the cemetery 
without the authority of the corporation, and such 
lands are exempt from taxation. The corporators 
or managers can borrow any sum of money not 
exceeding five thousand dollars, and issue therefor 
the bonds of the corporation, each not to be less 
than one hundred dollars. 

The first meeting of the incorporators was held 
July 23, 1851. The Board was duly organized and 
officers elected. Subscriptions were soon after 
solicited for the purpose of securing suitable 
ground for the cemetery. On or before August lY 
of that year the subscriptions thus obtained 
amounted to $3,285. On January 23, 1858, an 
agreement was made between Franklin Reynolds 
and the cemetery company for the sale and pur- 
chase of fifteen acres and four perches of land in 
Valley township, but adjacent to this borough, sur- 
veyed by James Stewart and J. E. Meredith, Sep- 
tember 23, 1857, for the sum of $3,000. On the 
payment of the purchase money in full Mr. Rey- 
nolds and Mary Jane, his wife, executed their deed 
therefor, dated May 20, 1864, to the cemetery com- 
pany or corporation. The site is eligible for such 
a purpose, being on elevated ground sloping north- 
westwardly, southeastwardly and southwestwardly, 
and but a few rods from the northeast corner of 
the borough limits. Grand, Centre, North, South 
and Crescent avenues are each thirty-three feet, 
the Holy Cross avenue is sixteen feet, another 
unnamed one is ten feet wide. The width of the 
walks in three of the sections is three, and of all 
other internal walks four feet. All the regular 
lots in seven of the sections are each 10X15 feet, 
all in four of the sections are each 16X16 feet, 
and those in one of the sections are each 16X17 
feet. The entire number of lots, regular and 
irregular in shape and size, is 1011, besides eight 
others which appear on the draft or plot to be laid 
out, but not numbered. The number of lots in the 
various sections that have been sold is 248, at 
prices varying from. $20 to $150 per lot, amount- 
ing to nearly $15,000. In 1875-6 the company 
expended fully $2,000, as I am informed by the 
secretary, in building stone wall on each side of 
the westerly entrance, stone steps, paved stone 
gutters or water-ways, etc. Evergreen and other 
kinds of trees and shrubbery have been extensively 
and successfully planted. Considerable money 
has been expended and much fine taste displayed 
on various lots by their respective owners; so that 
this cemetery is, year after year, becoming a more 
and more beautiful city of the dead. 

In proportion to the length of time since those 
several cemeteries were laid out, the number buried 



in them is not large, which, in connection with the 
fact that there are now within the borough limits 
seventy-five persons over the age of sixty, a goodly 
number of whom are over seventy and eighty 
years of age, is good evidence of the salubrity of 
this region. Althougli this, as well as other places 
along the river, is subject to dense fogs, they are 
not such as generate chills, or fever and ague. So 
dense are they sometimes that it is impossible to 
see objects quite near, and for experienced pilots 
to keep their boats in the channel. Their great 
density may be conceived from this incident: 
Many years ago Philip Mechling, William Rey- 
nolds and Daniel Reichert, when they were young- 
men, being on the west side of the river, attempted 
to cross over to this side at night through one of 
those fogs. Their attempts were several times 
thwarted by their boat striking the shore on that 
instead of this side of the river. They finally suc- 
ceeded in crossing by following the direction of 
some noise on this side. Each thought, after land- 
ing, that he could reach his home without diffi- 
culty. But Mr. Reynolds, who lived in the lower 
part of the town, became so bewildered that he 
wandered about, unable to find his house, until the 
fog began to clear away early in the morning. 

Since the close of the war of the rebellion the 
comely and grateful custom of strewing the 
soldiers' graves in those cemeteries with flowers 
has been annually observed, on some occasions by 
large multitudes of people of this borough and 
vicinity, and by appropriate and patriotic addresses 
on decoration day, which by act of assembly has 
been made a legal holiday. 

THE TOWN IN 1876. 

The number of public buildings, dwelling and 
business houses this centennial year is estimated 
at 530, a large portion of which are substantial 
brick edifices, a respectable number of which, as 
well as some frame ones, are elegant and costly. 

The mercantile appraiser's list shows the num- 
ber of wholesale and retail dealers for this year to 
be fifty-seven, viz.: In the 14th class, 41; 13th 
class, 8; 12th class, 3; 11th class, 3; 4th class, 1. 
One of those in the Sth class was exonerated from 
paying license because he had not been en- 
sraged in the mercantile business since the 1st of 
May. 

Population— In 1810, 309; in 1820, 318; in 1830, 
526; in 1840, 702; in 1850, 1561; in 1860, 1696; in 
1870, 1889. The number of taxables in 1876 is 
580, which, at tlie rate 4J persons to a taxable, 
makes the present population 2,628. The number 
1 of the different kinds of mechanics is adequate to 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



ir)M 



the wants of the community. There are 9 licensed 
hotels. One of the stores does a large wholesale 
as well as retail business. The mode of transact- 
ing business, as in many other Pennsylvania towns, 
is quiet. The amount thus done here would make 
far more show and bustle in places of equal or even 
of less size in some other states. 

GEOLOGY OP THE LOCALITY — MINERAL SPRINGS. 

Ferriferous limestone of a gray or blue color, 14 
to 16 feet thick, not containing many fossils, un- 
derlies this borough. Its fragments cover the river 
banks; it sinks under water level below the south- 
erly limit of the borough. It is seen on Mr. Rey- 
nolds' farm, one mile north, where the Kittanning 
coal is twenty feet above it. On the Nulton land, 
north of the court-house, it is four feet thick, and 
is divided by a thin slate about one foot from the 
top; a short distance south, it is from two to two 
and a half feet thick, and below the rolling-mill 
two feet and ten inches thick, whence it gradually 
sinks beneath the river-level. 

The strata, compiled from around Kittanning, 
indicate as follows, descending, i. e., from the sur- 
face of the high ground to the river-level: 

Slaty sandstone, 35; red and variegated shales, 
15 feet; brown shales and argillaceous sand- 
stone, with nodules of iron ore and bands of 
aranaceous limestone, 45 feet; limestone, blue, 
black, sandy, 12 inches; coal, not always present, 6 
to 9 inches; olive shales and slaty sandstones, 25 
feet ; brown shales, 25 feet ; upj)er Freeport 
coal, 3 feet; blue, compact shale, 10 to 15 feet; 
Freeport limestone, 5 to 6 feet; shale and sand- 
stone, 30 feet ; lower Freeport coal, 4 feet, 
sometimes thinned away; brown and black shales, 
25 to 30 feet; coal, 6 to 15 inches; fine clay and 
shales, 25 feet; iron ore; ferriferous limestone, 12 
to 14 feet.* 

The forgoing features are to be taken in connec- 
tion with such as are presented in the sketches of 
Manor, Valley, and East Franklin townships. 

The passing remark may here be made, that as 
that part of the report of the second geological 
survey of Pennsylvania relating to this county, 
under the charge of Prof. Lesley, has not yet be- 
come accessible, the writer is limited, in presenting 
the geological features of this and other portions 
of this county, to the able and extensive report of 
the first geological survey of our state, under the 
charge of the late Prof. Rogers, and to such devel- 
opments as have casually and more recently oc- 
cun-ed. 

While Anderson and Marshall were excavating a 

* Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania. 



piece of ground for a foundry, in June, ]K7(i, next 
below outlot No. 27, on the upper side of Grant 
avenue, below and opposite the head of Jacob 
street, they developed a ten-inch vein of excellent 
iron ore, a stratum, several feet thick, of blue lime- 
stone of a superior quality, and a mineral spring.* 
The water of this spring is agreeably cool and very 
clear, except when some vis a tergo forces it up more 
rapidly and copiously than usual through divers 
apertures in the bed of the spring, when the sediment 
is disturbed and the water is temporarily roiled. 
Analyses of that water by able and experienced 
chemists and the opinions of learned physicians 
clearly indicate that it contains valuable medicinal 
properties. The following are the analyses: 

1. By Drs. David and Myron H. Alter, of Free- 
port, this county : 

"Reaction slightly acid ; gravity, 1.002. 

" Sulphate of lime in one pint 15 grains. 

" Sulphate of magnesia in one pint 1 " 

" Carbonate of iron in one pint 4 " 

" Substances not determined in one pint 1 " 

" The proportion of iron in this water being greater 
than in that of the Bedford Springs, it is therefore a bet- 
ter chalybeate — the Bedford containing only 1| grains in 
a pint. The gas being held in solution b)' carbonic acid 
renders it a most valuable tonic — a grain of it being 
equal to at least ten grains as found in the shops." 

2. By Dr. F. A. Genth, chemist of the Geologi- 
cal Survejr of this state, and professor of chemistry 
in the University of Pennsylvania, in accordance 
with the request of Prof. Lesley, chief geologist : 

" Calculated in grains for one gallon of 231 cubic 
inches : 

" Sulphate of alumina 1.527.53 

" " ferrous oxide 24.49271 

" " magnesia 2(3.84937 

" lime 65.12190 

" soda 8.72.585 

" potash 907()2 

Phosphate of lime 11036 

Bicarbonate of lime 16.0.5-W5 

Bicarbonate of manganese 24629 

Chloride of sodium 64741 

Silicic acid 1.17201 

145.8.5460 
Prof. Genth's is manifestly a very elaborate and 
minute analysis, such as can only be made by so 
extensive and complete an apparatus as there is in 
that university. Both analyses show that the 
water of this spring contains an unusually large 
percentage of iron and magnesia, which, combined 
with other ingredients, make it a valuable '' altera- 
tive and tonic,"! effective in removing " gastric 
troubles caused by indigestion," and in curing those 

* This spring is really in Manor to«Tiship. 
jDr. .1. G. Cunningham. 



154 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



complaints " arising from an impoverished condi- 
tion of the blood,"* as intimated bj' some of our 
resident physicians. 

It is noticeable that a pint of this water contains, 
by Dr. Alter's analysis, four grains of iron, and a 
gallon of it, by Prof. Genth's, 2iA92ll grains, 
denominated bj^ the former " carbonate of iron," 
and by the latter " sulphate of ferrous oxide." 
Whether the iron ingredient is a carbonate or a 
sulphate, it is manifestly very large — much larger 
than in any other known spring in the world. A 
gallon of the Ballston Spa, New York, contains of 
iron 5.95 grains ; Lebanon Springs, New York, 
3.25 grains ; Congress Springs, Saratoga, 5.075 
grains ; Pavilion Spring, Saratoga, 3.51 grains ; 
Capon Spring No. 1, West Virginia, .041 grains ; 
Capon Spring No. 2, West Virginia, .052 grains ; 
Buffalo Lithia Spring No. 1, Virginia, .500 grains; 
Buffalo Lithia Spring No. 2, Virginia, .300 grains ; 
Buffalo Lithia Spring No. 3, Virginia, 3.774 
grains. 

One of the merits justly claimed for the waters 
of those springs is that they are tonic. Such is the 
deliberate conviction and candid opinion of learned 
and experienced physicians who have carefully 
studied their medicinal properties and observed 
their effects. Granted that they are tonic, it must 
be granted that the water of the Kittanning 
spring is, a fortiori, tonic. An Eastern physician f 
of close observation and several years' successful 
practice, in a letter to the present writer, says after 
examining the analyses of the last-mentioned 
spring : "I have by me analyses of all the springs 
of any note in the world. It [the Kittanning 
spring] is by far the richest in iron, magnesia, 
lime sulphates, lime bicarbonates and phosphate 
of lime of any other mineral spring of which we 
have any analysis. * * * This one in your place 
exceeds them all for the tonic properties which the 
water contains. * * * The effect of the water pre- 
pared in nature's laboratory is much more effica- 
cious than that prepared by art. * * * In all cases 
where a tonic, alterative and exhilarating effect is 
needed I think you have just the water to produce 
this." 

An eminent physician,^ in an article respecting 
the medicinal properties of the water of the Buf- 
falo Lithia Springs, of Mecklenburg county, Vir- 
ginia, in the Virginia Medical Monthly, says : " It 
may be said, however, of all mineral spring waters, 
that analysis can never reveal the combinations 
upon, which their efficacy depends ; in fact, the 
very process of analysis may break up combina- 

* Dr. W. H. Stewart. 

t Dr. D. E. Smith, New York. 

JDr. M. H. Hcmston, Virginia. 



tions formed in the laboratory of nature, which the 
best skill of the chemist can never detect, and 
which may impart to them their most valuable 
properties." 

About thirty-five yards from that spring is an- 
other, which was covered four or five feet deep 
while excavating as above mentioned, the water of 
which is quite acid, which, mixed with sugar, 
made a drink tasting like lemonade. It probably 
contains sulphuric acid in solution. 

The elevation or level above the Atlantic ocean, 
at the top of the curbstone, northwest corner of 
Market street and Grant avenue, is 809.94 feet. — 
(Pennsylvania Second Geological Survey, N.) 

THE PUECHASB OF 1768. 

No. XLI of London Documents, published soon 
after the making of the treaty of 1768, contains the 
entire deed then executed, establishing the boun- 
dary or purchase line. Various good and pruden- 
tial reasons and considerations are given in the 
preamble or recitals why such a line should be 
established. The grantors in that deed were the 
Sachems and chiefs of the Six Confederate Nations, 
and of the Shawaneese, Delawares, Mingoes of 
Ohio, and other dependent tribes. The grant, con- 
sideration and boundaries are in these words: 

" Now, therefore, know ye, that we, the Sachems 
and chiefs aforementioned, native Indians or pro- 
prietors of the lands hereinafter described, for and 
in behalf of ourselves and the whole of our con- 
federac)', for the considerations hereinbefore men- 
tioned, and also for and in consideration of a 
valuable present of the several articles in use 
amongst Indians which, together with a large sum 
of money, amount in the whole to the sum of ten 
thousand four hundred and sixty pounds seven 
shillings and threepence sterling, to us now deliv- 
ered and paid by Sir William Johnson, Baronet, 
His Majesty's sole agent and superintendent of 
Indian affairs for the northern department of 
America, in the name and on behalf of our sovereign 
Lord George the Third, by the grace of God," etc., 
"the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge: 
We, the said Indians, have, for us and our heirs 
and successors, granted, bargained, sold, released 
and confirmed, and by these presents do grant, 
bargain, sell, release, and confirm unto our said 
sovereign Lord King George the Third all that 
tract of land situate in North America, at the back 
of the British settlements, bounded by a line which 
we have now agreed upon and do hereby establish 
as the boundary between us and the British colo- 
nies in America, beginning at the mouth of Chero- 
kee or Hogohege (Tennessee) river, where it emp- 



THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING. 



i; 



ties into the river Ohio, and running from thence 
upward along the south side of said river to Kit- 
.tanning, which is above Fort Pitt, from thence by 
a direct line to the nearest fork of the west branch 
of the Susquehanna, thence through the Allegany 
mountains along the south side of the said west 
branch until it comes opposite to the mouth of a 
creek called Tiadaghton,* thence across the west 
branch along the south side of that creek and 
along the north side of Burnett's Hills to a creek 
called Awandae, thence down the same to the east 
branch of Susquehanna and across the same and 
up the east side of that river to Oswegy (Owego), 
from thence to Delaware river and up that river to 
opposite where Tianaderha falls into Susquehanna, 
thence to Tianaderha and up the west side of the 
west branch to the head thereof, and thence by a 
direct line to Canada creek, where it empties into 
the Wood creek at the west of the cari-ying-place 
beyond Fort Stanwix, and extending eastward from 
every part of the said line as far as the lands for- 
merly purchased, so as to comprehend the whole 
of the lands between the said line and the pur- 
chased lands or settlements, except what is in the 
Province of Pennsylvania, together with all the 
hereditaments and aj)purtenances to the same be- 
longing," etc. It was sealed and delivered, and 
the consideration paid in the presence of William 
Franklin, governor of New Jersey, Frederick 
Smith, chief justice of New Jersey, Thomas 
Walker, commissioner of Virginia, Richard Peters 
and James Tilghman, of the council of Pennsylva- 



* It was questionable for several years after that treaty, whether 
Tiadaghton was Pine creek, now in Tioga county, or Lycoming 
creek, tlie next considerable branch of the Susquehanna to the east- 
ward. While there was doubt as to which of thftse two streams was 
meant, it was not prudent for settlers to occupy west of the latter 
creek. That A-exed question ought to have been settled in the nego- 
tiations betAveen the Pennsylvania commissioners for treating with 
the Indians and the six confederated tribes of Indians, effected at 
Sunbury, Pennsylvania. October 2S, 17iy, when Capt. Aaron Hill, on 
behalf of the Six Nations, declared to the commissioners: " Willi 
regard to the creek called Teadaghton, mentioned in your deed of 
171)8, we have already answered you and again repeat it, it is the 
same you call Pine creek, being the largest emptying into the west 
branch of the Susquehanna," which declaration' Samuel Kirkland, 
missionary, and James Dean, interpreter, certified as having been 
made by Hill on that day. (Pennsylvania Archives.) It is stated in 
2d Smith's Laws, page 19.5, that the Indians declared at Fort 
Stanwix, in October, 1784, that Pine creek was meant by Tiadaghton, 
which is recognized as the boundary in the Indian deeds of October, 
1784. and January, 1785. Nevertheless the act of December 21, 1784, 
rescinded the powers given to those commissioners, and maintained 
the view taken by the proprietaries that Lvcoming creek was the 
boundary line in the purchase of 176S, so tliat settlements on land 
between those two streams were unlawful. That act, however, de- 
clared that those who bad made actual settlement there prior to 
1780, and had made an application and tender of purchase money 
prior to November 1, 1785, on account of " their resolute stand and 
sufferings during the late war," should be allowed the right of pre- 
empting tracts, respectively, of not more than three hundred acres, 
that is, not a greater quantity than that in any one tract. Those pro- 
visions of course ended the exercise of the functions of the fair plan 
men, who were a self-constituted tribunal, established in that doubt- 
ful district to decide all controversies and disputed boundaries, from 
whose " decision no appeal was allowed, and it was enforced by the 
whole body, who rose up en masse on tbe mandate of the court to 
carrj- their decree into execution." 



nii},. It was executed at Fort Stanwix November 
5, 1768, in the presence of Sir William Johnston 
by Tyorhansere als Abraliam for the Mohawks, 
Canaghaguieson for the Oiieidas, Seguareesera for 
the Tuscaroras, Otsinoghiyata als Bunt for the 
Onondagas, Tegarria for tlie Cayugas, Guastrax 
for the Senecas. 

Among other descriptions of the Purchase Line 
of 1768 is the following, by Chief Justice Agnew, 
in Poor vs. McClure, 11 Pa. St. Reports, p. 218: 
i " Part of the western and southwestern boundary 
lines are thus described in the treaty of 1768: 'To 
the said west branch of the Susquehanna, then 
crossing the said river and running up the same on 
the south side thereof to a fork [canoe-place on 
the old and Cherry Tree on the recent maps] 
which lies nearest to a place on the Ohio 
[Allegheny] called the Kittanning, and from said 
fork in a straight line to Kittanning aforesaid, and 
then down the said river Onio by the several 
courses thei'eof to where the western boundaiy of 
said Province crosses the same river, and then with 
the said western bounds to the south boundary 
thereof, and with the south Ijoundary thereof to 
the east side of the Allegheny hills,' " etc. He 
further says: "The treaty of October 22, 1784, is 
for the land within the state lying west and north 
of the purchase of 1768, and is bounded eastward 
by the line of the treaty of 1768, reciting it by 
quotation in the language just given." The com- 
missioners on the part of the United States on that 
occasion were Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler and 
Arthur Lee, and Cornplanter and Red Jacket were 
the most prominent of the Indian chiefs. The 
former was in favor of, and the latter opposed to, 
peace. La Fayette, who was f)resent and advised 
them to keep the peace, to rely upon the clemency 
of the American people, to sell their lands only to 
those who were the duly authorized agents of Con- 
gress, and to abandon the use of intoxicating liquors, 
says that Red Jacket's speech in favor of war was 
" a masterpiece, and every warrior who heard him 
was carried away with his eloquence." The treaty 
was not signed until after a long conference, one of 
the conditions of which was, that six hostages should 
be immediately delivered to the commis.sioners, to 
remain in possession of the United States until all 
the prisoners, white and black, which had been 
taken by the Senecas, Mohawks, Onondagas and 
Cayugas, or by any of them, in the revolutionary 
war, from among the citizens of the United States 
there, shall be delivered up. 



CHAPTER V. 
ALLEGHENY (NOW BETHEL, PARKS AND GILPIN). 



Division of the Township in 1878 — Origin of the Name Allegheny — English and French Traders — Conrad Weiser 
and Christian Frederick Post — The Earliest Land Tracts Surveyed and Seated — Valuation at Different 
Periods — Names of Pioneers — Churches — Schools — Mills — A Notable Fox Hunt — Old-Time Fourth of July 
Celebration — Railroad Stations — Towns — Leechburg — Lively Enterprises — Canal Packet Lines — Taxable 
Inhabitants in 1832 — Steamboat Arrival in 1838 — The Town Incorporated in 1850 — Religious History of 
Leechburg — Litigation in the Lutheran Church — Education — Physicians — Cemetery — Primitive and 
Improved Means of Crossing the River — Manufactures — Mercantile and Other Occupations — Soldiers' 
Aid Society — Secret Societies — Temperance — Population — Borough of Aladdin — Its Schools — Oil Works — 
Statistics — Geology of Allegheny Township. 



[The township of Allegheny was in existence when the author 
wrote this volume, and its history is here presentetl intact, as it, of 
course, covers the three new townships of Bethel, Paries and Gilpin, 
erected from the territory of the old one. 

A number of the inliabitants of Allegheny township petitioned 
the Court of Quarter Ses.sions, June o, 1S78. asking for a division of 
the territory comprisinj^ Allegheny into two or more townships, by 
the old sub-.school district lines as" near as was practicable, so as not 
materially to change the said school districts. Remonstrances were 
also presented, and the project was vigorously opposed. September 
18, 1S78, however, the court ordered a vote by the gnalilied electors 
of Allegheny to be talcen upon the question of division, and fixed 
Tuesday, November ,^, following, as the time. The return of tliis 
election, made December 2fi, 1878, showing that a majority of tlie 
voters were in favor of a division of Allegheny into three townships, 
the court ordered that it be divided as the commissioners had recom- 
mended and that three new townships be erected. It w'as further 
ordered and decreed that the names of the divisions should be, " No. 
1, Bethel ; No 2, Parks : No. 3, Gilpin." The day fixed for the first 
election in each of the townships was February 18, 1879. The place 
designated in Betliel was at schoolhouse No. 4, known as Bethel 
schoolhouse : and in Parks, schoolliouse No. 1, known as Hill's 
schoolliouse. The place originally ordered for the holding of the 
election in Gilpin was at " Spruce College " schoolhouse, but a subse- 
quent order of the court designated the house of Joseph Lessig as 
being more convenient. Bethel township was named after the 
church and schoolhouse which had been for years so called ; Parks, 
after the Park family, old and prominent resKlents ; aud Gilpin, in 
h(mor of ,Johii Gilpin, Esq., of Kittanning Borough, who, as an 
attorney, liad assisted the people of Allegheny who favored the 
division. — Editor.] 

THE township of Allegheny, though having 
until 1878 an extensive area for a township 
in these later times, included but a small portion 
of the territory that once bore its name. Its 
name was derived from the Allegheny river, 
which is its western and southwestern boundary. 
Heckewelder says : Allegheny is corrupted from 
AUegewi, the name of a race of Indians who are 
said to have dwelt along a river of that name, and 
in Allegewinnink, i. e., all the country west of the 
Alleghenies. The Shawanees called the river 
Pidawu-thepi-M, i. e. the " Turkey River place," 
or country, according to J. Hammond Trumbull.* 



*The writer gratefully acknowledges the receipt of the following 
letter : 

"The Watkinson Library, \ 

Hartford, Connecticut, December 4, 1877. J 

Dear Sir: Sir. F. Vinton, of Princeton, encloses to me your re- 
quest for the etymology of tlie Shawano name for Allegheny river, 
\vhicli you write " Palawu-thep-iki." This name properly belongs 
to land (or some locality) on the river, or near it. Palawn — other- 
wise written Pftora— is the Shawano name for the Wild Turkey; 
Mianii, pllanh ; Illinois, piiiwa, Pelewa-sepi, or, as a Shawano often 
pronounced it, Pelnva-thepi, is "Turkey River;" Peleii^a-fhepi-kl, 
" Turkey River place" (or country). 

Whether the Allegheny was so named because of the abundance 
of wild turkeys, or from the Turkey tribe { Vnaldchtgo) of the Dela- 
wares, I cannot certainly say ; hut the former is the more probable. 
Yours truly, .1. Hammond Tkumbui.l." 



On the Historical Map of Pennsylvania the 
upper Allegheny is named Palavmihepiki, and the 
lower Allegheny Palawuthepi. 

The Indian settlements within the limits of this 
township were probably visited by English traders 
from the East, from 1730 until 1749, and there- 
after by French traders and agents. 

In 1748 Conrad Weiser must, the writer thinks, 
have passed through the southeastern portion of 
the present township of Allegheny, on his route to 
Logstowu. It may be remarked, in passing, that 
he was one of ten children of John Conrad Weiser, 
and was born at Herenberg, Germany, November 
2, 1696. His father and family emigrated to 
Schoharie, New York, in the summer of 1710, 
where the Mohawk chief Quagnant became well 
acquainted with him, and induced his son Conrad 
to accompany him to his home and learn the Mo- 
hawk language. After acquiring a good knowl- 
edge of it he returned to his father's residence, 
and was now and then employed as an interpreter. 
In 1729 he removed with his wife and children to 
that part of the Tulpehocken valley, a half mile 
east of the present town of Wormelsdorf, in upper 
Heidelberg township, Berks county, Pennsylvania. 
The Muhlenbergs are among his descendants. He 
was a prudent, conscientious man. Because of his 
knowledge of the Indian language and customs, 
and his being a favorite with the Indians, he was 
frequently withdrawn from his farm, where he 
wished to spend the rest of his days after leaving 
Schoharie, to act as interpreter and agent for the 
Province. Twenty-five years of his life were thus 
spent. On June 23, 1748, Anthony Palmer, then 
president of council, gave him instructions to be 
followed in his mission to the Indians, at Logs- 
town, from which it appears that the government 
had promised the Indians who were in Philadel- 
phia in November, 1747, that Weiser should be 




...o^^^ 




DAVIU KrppFL, 



IV1)-;S. DAVlC KEPVEL, 



DAVID KEPPEL. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject, Nicholas Kep- 
pel, was born in Germany, and came to this country early 
in the eighteenth century. His son Daniel, who was 
David Keppel's father, was born in this state in 1767, and 
died in 1824. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Yearyan, of 
Westmoreland county; born in 1770, and died in 1821. 
Her father, George Yearyan, was a native of Germany, 
and worked his passage to America, his services being 
sold, before he left the Fatherland, to a farmer named 
David Kaufman, for a period of three years and nine 
months, at the expiration of which he received a horse, 
a saddle and bridle and two suits of clothes. His wife's 
maiden name was Williams. She was a Welsh woman, 
who came to this country with her parents and brothers 
and sisters at an early day. 

Daniel and Elizabeth (Yearyan) Keppel were the par- 
ents of twelve children, whose names were Susan, Mar- 
garet, George, Mary, Elizabeth, Daniel, Frances, Christina, 
Esther, Philip, Hannah and David. Three of this family 
are now living, viz.: Esther, wife of John Gumbert, of 
Westmoreland county ; Hannah, widow of George 
Spicher, who resides in the same county, and David 
Keppel, our subject, who was born February 6, 1818, on 
the old homestead in Parks township, where he is now 
living and has always lived. He has never been away 



from his farm longer than sixteen days, and on the oc- 
casion of that absence made a long journey to Iowa, to 
visit his sister Mary. He has been a hard worker, and 
by his steady, industrious habits has made for himself a 
fine farm, and, at the same time, an enviable reputation 
in the community in which he lives. His farm is one of 
the best in Parks township. 

Mr. Keppel has been twice married. His first wife, 
with whom he was united in 1844, was Miss Mag- 
dalena Hawke, daughter of Daniel and Mary Hawke, 
born in Westmoreland county in November, 1816. She ■ 
died May 17, 1855. By this marriage five children were 
born, three of whom are now living, viz. : William, Mary, 
wife of S. S. Marshall, of Beaver, Pennsylvania, and 
Caroline. In 1858 Mr. Keppel married as his second 
wife the lady whose portrait appears with his in this 
work. Her name was Elizabeth Whitesell, and she was 
the daughter of Jonathan and Susan (Vensel) Whitesell, 
of Kiskiminetas township, born August 12,1817. There 
were no children born of this union. 

Mr. Keppel's son William lives upon and carries on 
the old farm. He was married in 1873 to Miss Susan L. 
Keppel, who was born in 1848. They have four children, 
as folio (vs: David James, born April 6, 1874; Albert 
Jacob, born August 18, 1876 ; Philip Frank, born October 
16, 1878, and Charles Hawke, born August 23, 1881. 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



157 



sent to them early in the spring. A pi'eseut of 
considerable value having been provided for them, 
he was to proceed thither with all convenient de- 
spatch. He and the goods were to be convoyed by 
George Groghan, the Indian trader', who was well 
acquainted with the roads to the Ohio. Weiser was 
instructed, among other things, " to use the 
utmost diligence to acquire a perfect knowledge of 
the number, situation, disposition and strength of 
the Indians in those parts ; " " to use all means in 
your (his) power to get from them all kind of in- 
telligence as to what the French are doing or 
design to do in those parts, and indeed, in every 
other place ; " " to make particular inquiry into the 
behavior of the Shawanese, since the commence- 
ment of the war, and in relation to the counte- 
nance they gave to Peter Chartier." He set out 
on that mission from his house in Heidelberg 
township, August 11, 1748, passing on his route, 
Tuscarora Hill, Standing Stone, near Huntingdon, 
Frankstown, where he overtook the goods, because 
four of George Croghan's hands had fallen sick, 
over the Allegheny hills, past the Clear Fields, 
arriving at the Shawanese cabins August 23. 

On August 25 they "crossed the Kiskeminetoes 
creek, and came to the Ohio that day." The point 
where they crossed the Kiskiminetas must have 
been at the ford just below the mouth of Carno- 
han's (formerly Old Town) run, having the latter 
name on Reading Howell's map, so called from 
Old Town, on the opposite or Westmoreland side 
of the river. That must have been the town men- 
tioned in Christian Frederick Post's Second Jour- 
nal. Post was a Moravian, unobtrusive and 
upright, who emigrated from Germany to this 
state, or province as it then was, in 1742. The 
next year he went with the missionaries Pyrlaeus 
and Senseman to Shekomako, an Indian village 
on the Connecticut border, where he married a 
baptized Indian woman. He preached the gospel 
to the Indians for several years. Though abused 
and persecuted, arrested at Albany and imprisoned 
in New York, after he was released he preached 
the gospel to the Indians at Shattock, or Pachgat- 
goch, in Connecticut, working as a joiner or car- 
penter. Having revisited Europe he returned to 
this country, and while at Bethlehem, Pennsyl- 
vania, he was induced to deliver messages on two 
different occasions, in 1758, to the Western Indi- 
ans at Cushcushking, an Indian town, or rather 
four towns at short distances from one another, on 
Slippery Rock creek, in the northwestern part of 
what is now the county of Butler, Pennsylvania, 
in which were about ninety houses and two hun- 
dred able warriors. About four years afterward 
10 



he made an unsuccessful attempt to establish a 
mission about one hundred miles west of Fort 
Pitt, and later went to the Bay of Honduras and 
preached to the more tractable Mos<|uito Indians. 

He set out on his second mission to Cushcush- 
king from Easton, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1758, 
and proceeded by the way of Bethlehem to Read- 
ing, where, on the 27th, he met Capt. Bull, Lieut. 
Hays, Pisquetoman (an Indian chief), Thos. Hick- 
man, Totintiontonna, Shickalomy and Isaac. Still, 
who had been selected by Gov. Denny to accom- 
pany him. Taking in their route Carlisle, Ship- 
pensburg. Fort Lyttleton, Raystown, Stonyoreek 
and the Loyal Hannon, where they were gladly 
received in the camp of Gen. Forbes at Fort Ligo- 
nier on November 7. The next day the general 
had a conference with and made a speech to the 
Indians, including some Cherokees and Catawbas 
who happened to be present. Post and his party 
were detained there until near noon on the 9th for 
letters which Gen. Forbes was writing, and were 
escorted thence by Capt. Hazelet and a hundred 
men through a tract of good land, about six miles 
on the old ti'ading-path, and again reached the 
Loyal Hannon, where they found an extensive and 
well-timbered bottom. Thence they ascended a 
hill to an advance breastwork about ten miles 
from the camp, about five miles from which Capt. 
Hazelet and his command separated from them, 
and kept the old trading-path to the Ohio. Lieut. 
Hays, with fourteen men, was ordered to accom- 
pany Post and his men to the Allegheny. At three 
o'clock P.M., November 11, they "came to Kiske- 
meneco, an old Indian town, a rich bottom, well- 
timbered, good fine English grass, well watered, 
and lays waste since the war began." They fed 
their horses there, and agreed that Lieut. Hays 
and his party might return. They did so. Post 
learned after he reached Cushcushking that the 
lieutenant and four of his men had been killed and 
five taken prisoner by a party of Indians whom 
they encountered. 

The writer infers that " Kiskemeneco " must 
have been Old Town, from which the first name of 
Carnohan's run was derived, and that Weiser and 
his party crossed the Kiskiminetas at the ford just 
below the mouth of that run. According to the 
recollection of Philip Mechling, who was, in his 
boyhood, familiar with the Kiskiminetas from 
Livermore to the Allegheny, that was the only 
ford between Kelly's, near Livermore, and the 
junction of those two rivers. In some old deeds 
land about Leechburgh is mentioned as being a 
mile or so below " Old Town." 

Coal and two Indian towns on the right bank 



158 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of the Kiskiininetas are indicated on the historical 
map of this state, published by the Historical So- 
ciety of Pennsylvania, thus: " Coal, 1'754," a short 
distance above the first bend below Leechburgh; 
" I. T. Kiskamanatas," at that bend; " I. T." on 
the left bank of the Allegheny, a short distance 
above the mouth of the Kiskiminetas. 

Alexander Gordon says that while surveying in 
1838 he first discovered the vestiges of a circum- 
vallation about one hundred and thirty rods above 
the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, on the left bank 
of the Allegheny. The embankment was then 
three and a half feet high, and enclosed from two 
to three acres. White oak trees had grown up on 
the top or crest, which were then two feet in 
diameter. 

The Indian town at or near this point must 
have been the one which Capt. Bienville de Celerou 
mentions in his account of his expedition down 
the Allegheny and Ohio in the summer of 1749. 
Its name was Atteques, and it then contained 
twenty-two houses. 

Maj. Denny, in that part of his Military Jour- 
nal relating to that part of the tour of inspection 
which he and others made to Fort Franklin, men- 
tions that on Monday, April 28, 1188, he and 
those with him " passed several lodges of Indians 
near the Kiskiminetas," and that he and the others 
that night " lay five miles above the mouth of that 
river," which point is at or near the present White 
Rock station, on the Allegheny Valley railroad. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Snyder, who died a few years 
since, in her one hundredth year, used to relate 
that in her girlhood — about 1787-8 — she and her 
brother went to a cornfield one morning to hoe 
corn, where they then lived, on the Westmoreland 
side of the Kiskiminetas, below Saltsburgh, when 
they were startled by discovering a number of In- 
dians in ambush. She and her brother escaped to 
the blockhouse in that vicinity. All, or nearly all, 
the horses of the white settlers in that locality 
were stolen that night by the Indians. They were 
pursued the next day- by the whites, and overtaken 
between Pine Run and what is now Logansport, on 
the land now owned and occupied by her son, 
Joseph Snyder, where all the horses, except a 
stallion that was killed, were recaptured. The In- 
dians escaped across the Allegheny at Nicholson's 
Falls. 

Maj. Eben. Denny mentions in his Military Jour- 
nal, June 1, 1794: "Two days ago the Indians at- 
tacked a canoe upon the Allegheny; there were 
three men in it. They killed one and wounded the 
other two, but got nothing. The accident hap- 
pened five miles above the Kiskiminetas," 



Col. Charles Campell, in his letter dated at 
Greensburgh, J-une 5, 1794, to Gov. Mifflin, re- 
specting the stopping of the d5 aft for the support 
of the Presque Isle station, wrote : The Indians, 
May 30, fired on a canoe between the mouth of the 
Kiskiminetas and the Kittanning (as he spelled it, 
"Cattannian ") and killed one man and wounded two. 
Neither he nor Denny states on which side of the 
river the canoe was. If on the east side it was in 
Allegheny, but if on the west side it was in Deer 
township. This river at that time was the divid- 
ing line between Allegheny and Westmoreland 
counties, and between those two townships from 
the mouth of the Kiskiminetas to the mouth of 
Truby's run, in Kittanning. After mentioning 
the attack upon Capt; Sharp and his party, he 
added : " The frontiers seem to be much alarmed 
at such unexpected news and the signs of the In- 
dians seen on the frontiers. I consulted with Gen. 
Jack, and we agreed to order Capt. Elliott, of the 
rifle company, on the frontiers until such time as I 
could get your approbation, as it will be impossible 
to keep them from breaking unless they be well 
well supported." 

Some time during the Indian troubles, 1785-90, 
while Capt. Miller and Lieut. Samuel Murphy and 
the rest of their company were moving from 
Hand's Fort, at the mouth of the Loyal Hannon, 
in Westmoreland county, to Fort Armstrong, in 
this county, they met three men between Taylor's 
run and Crooked creek, probablj^ at or near Lo- 
gansport. The captain halted, questioned, and 
then let them go. The lieutenant and some of the 
men, thinking that the captain had not questioned 
them closely enough, sent ensign or sergeant Purs- 
ley back for them. They evinced a belligerent in- 
tent when they were ordered to halt. He, how- 
ever, brought them back. Upon further investiga- 
tion it became evident that they had deserted from 
the force stationed near Bald Eagle's Nest, proba- 
bly at Fort Davis, northeast of Milesburgh, on Bald 
Eagle creek, in what is now the county of Center. 
Capt. Miller sent him to Pittsburgh in a canoe. 

The only indication of any land having been 
taken up prior to 1792, on Reading Howell's map 
of that year, is the word " Montgomery's," in the 
forks of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers. 
John Montgomery, Sr., took out several warrants 
for tracts of land in this township. 

Prom the ancient map of this county, elsewhere 
mentioned, it appears that within the present 
limits of this township, as neai'ly as the writer can 
trace them on that map, seventy-eight tracts had, 
before that map was made, been surveyed on war- 
rants, the names of the warrantees and the number 




^. 





ALLEGHENY TOWNSHll'. 



159 



of acres being written on the respective tracts. 
The names of those by whom the various tracts 
were seated, according to an early list in the com- 
missioners' office, will be found below, within 
parentheses: 

John Elder, 182. 1 acres; John Collier, 313 acres; 
David MoKee (Peter Shaeffer), 364| acres ; J. 
Heckman (P. Heckman), 10 acres; John Barrick- 
man, captain of the drafted company from this 
county in the war of 1812, 100 acres; James Beatty 
(himself), 12.5|- acres; Martha Maris, 308.8 acres;* 
Hugh Glenn, 402^ acres; John Wigton (Wm. 
Highfield), 403.2 acres; James Glenn, 460 acres; 
John Glenn, 465 1^ acres ; John Morrison (Jacob 
Williams), 415^ acres ; Nicholas Bray (Wm. 
Kelly), 125.1 acres; Margaret Wigton (Geo. 
Wolf), 394-^ acres; Samuel Cochran, 110 acres; 
Gen. Alexr. Craig, of Westmoreland county, Penn- 
sylvania, 275 acres; John Pinkerton, 424 acres; 
Geo. Bartram, 410.7 acres; Ann Criswell (Robert 
Walker), 452 acres ; Alexr. Walker, 248 acres, 
purchased from Alexr. Clark; Sam'l Walker, 212.6 
acres, purchased from Thos. Burd; Enoch Westcott, 
419f acres; Sam'l Waugh (Sam'l Stitt), 394.4 acres ; 
Francis Bailey (Sam'l Stitt), 394.4 acres; Charles 
Vanderen (Henry Girt), 363.8 acres; John Steele 
(Jacks), 322.8 acres; Joseph Parker, member of 
assembly in 1777 (Wm. Stitt), 317.7 acres; Geo. 
Risler ( — Neale), 380.8 acres ; Griffeth Jones 
(Henry Klingensmith), 350.7 acres; James Camp- 
bell, 219.7 acres; ditto, 174.5 acres; Wm. Campbell, 
219.7 acres ; Jeremiah Pratt (John Hawk), 425^ 
acres ; Sebastian Fisher (P. Klingensmith), 322 
acres; John Vanderen ( — Hickenlooper), 358 acres; 
Geo. Ingram (Philip Klingensmith), 329 acres; 
Thos. Campbell (Jno. Hill), 305 acres ; Geo. Ise- 
buster (Jas. and Jno. Jack), 315.7 acres; Charles 
Campbell, member of assembly in 1777 (James 
Anderson), 245.3 acres ; Hugh Cunningham, 269 
acres; Archibald McKatten, 213.8 acres; Michael 
Barrickman, 218| acres; James Crosby (Jas. Fitz- 
gerald), 7f acres ; John Montgomery, 50.4 acres; 
John Hawk (same), 400 acres; Isaac Vanhorn, who 
was a captain in the 6th Pa. Regt. in and prior to 
1782, 412.9 acres; John Vanhorn, Jr., 404| acres; 
John Vanhorn, Sr., 365.9 acres; Mary Gibson (Jno. 
Klingensmith), 355 acres; John Conrad (Sam'l 
Stitt, Jr.), 332.1 acres; Sam'l Evans, 338 acres; 
Robert Caldwell, 377.9 acres; Thos. York (Geo. 
Elliott), 342 acres; John Brown (Jacob Beck), 



* The patent for this tract was granted Mav 2i), 1784, to Mary Paul 
ex X, anrt Joseph B. Paul, ex'r of John Paul, "for £1 Is 4d. The war- 
rantee's name, as mentioned in the patent is Matthew Maris, and tlie 
tract IS called " Matthewsborough." The entire tract was conveyed 
by Paul's heira to Peter Klingensmith, the present owner, Noyember 
11, 1849, for S3,705. The White Rock station, A. V. E. R., and school- 
house No. 12 are on this tract. 



357.8 acres, partly in Burrell; Barnard Macho, 430 
acres; Amelia Gro*ver, 437.2 acres; Wm. Smith 
(Jno. Shall), 386^ acres; Thos. Hood (Wm. McAl- 
lister), 124.2 acres; Jacob Reese, 360.4 acres; 
Lambert Cadwallader, 314J acres; Wm. Hamilton, 
314.7 acres; James Mease, 314.7 acres; Geo. Clymer, 

314.9 acres; Sam'l Meredith, member of assembly 
from Philadelphia in 1778 (Wm. Jack), 322 acres; 
Thos. Cadwallader (Robt. Hanna), 322J- acres; — 
Hesselgesser, 75f acres; Jno. Montgomery (Robert 
Parks, 226 acres, 20 perches; Sam'l Crosby, 60 
acres), 286 acres, 20 perches; John Montgomery 
(Sam'l Crosby), 270.8 acres; A. Marshall, 212 acres, 
23 perches; Hugh Cunningham (Assemus Boyer), 
206^ acres, in a bend of the -Kiskiminetas, next 
above the Henry Arnistrong tract, which contained 
about 212 acres; Jacob Hawk (Jno. Stitt), 62.10 
acres; Jno. Cadwallader* (Alexr. Hanna), 320 acres; 
Adam Moyer (Jno. Waltenbaugh), 332^ acres; 
Andrew Hamilton (George Waltenbaugh), 306 
acres, partly in Kiskiminetas township; Thomas 
Barclay, 306.6 acres; Samuel Printz, 309.6 acres; 
John Wilson (Philip Schutt), 357.6 acres; William 
Smith (Jno. Scholl), 386^ acres. 

Some, if not all, of these tracts were designated 
by particular names in the patents. For instance, 
the Lambert Cadwallader tract was called " Ox- 
ford ;" the William Hamilton tract, "Hampton 
Court ;" the James Mease tract, " Presburg ;" the 
James Vanhorn tract, partly in Burrell, " Sin- 
cerity ;" the George Clymer tract, " Flint Castle ;" 
the Samuel Meredith tract, "Mingrelia;" the 
Samuel Printz tract, " Richland ;" the John Cad- 
wallader tract, " Campus Major ;" the Thomas 
Cadwallader tract, " Tascony " — perhaps Tuscany ; 
the Jacob Reese tract, " Springfield ;" the John 
Mongomery tract (above Leechburgh), "Farmers' 
Delight ;" the Adam Moyer tract, " Union Green ;" 
the Hugh Cunningham tract (in a bend of the Kis- 
kiminetas), " Cornfield ;" the other Hugh Cun- 
ningham tract (on Elder run), " Poplar Grove ;" 
the Archibald McHatton tract, " Rich Hill ;" the 

* John Cadwalader. above-mentioned, was a native of Philadel- 
phia, was the commander of a corps of volunteers at the beginning 
of the revolutionary war, nearly all of whom were afterward com- 
missioned officers in the Pennsylvania line. He was promoted to 
the rank of colonel in one of the city battalions, and then to that of 
brigadier general, and commanded the Pennsvlvauia troops in the 
winter campaign of 177G-7. He participated as a volunteer in the 
battles of Princeton, Braudywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and in 
other actions, and received the thanks of Washington, whose con- 
fidence and esteem he had deservedly won. He was appointed to 
command one of the divisions into which the army was separated 
when Washington determined to attack the British force at Trenton, 
but the ice in tlie Delaware river i^revented both him and (yen. 
Irvine, the commander of another division, from crossing in time. 
He, however, succeeded in crossing the next day after Washington's 
return, and pursued the beaten foe to Burlington. Congress ap- 
pointed him, in 1778, general of cavalry, whic'h appointment he 
declined, because he was satisfied that he could be more useful in 
the position which he then held. He died Februaiy 10. 17SH, aged 
foity-three. 

Lambert Cadwalader was commissioned by order of congress as 
colonel of the 4th regt. Pa. Inf , October 2.5, 177G. 

.^amuel Meredith was major of the 3d battalion, ("ien. Cadwala- 
der's brigade. 



160 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Isaac Vanhorn tract, " Parnassus ;" the Charles 
Yanderen tract, " Chai'lesburgh ;" the Sebastian 
Fisher tract, " Fishing Place ;" the George Risler 
tract, " Rislersburgh ;" the Martha Maris tract, 
" Marthasboroiigh ;" the Alexander Craig tract 
(Logausport), "Bird Bottom;" the John Wilson 
tract, " Wilsonburgh;" the Charles Campbell tract, 
" Bloomfield." 

At a critical period of the Revolutionary War, 
when there was great danger of the dissolution of 
the American army for want of provisions to keep 
it together, a number of j^atriotic citizens of Phila- 
delphia gave their bonds to the amount of £260,000 
in gold and silver for procuring them. They were 
procured, the army was kept together and our in- 
dependence finally achieved. Though the amount 
of these bonds was never called for, the lending of 
these men's credit, at that juncture, answered the 
purpose as well as the money would have done if 
they had advanced it.* Among those who thus 
patriotically subscribed, were the above-named 
Thomas Barclay, James Mease and Samuel Mere- 
dith, who each subscribed £5,000. Barclay was 
American consul at Paris in and about 1784. 

In 1804, the valuation of some of those tracts 
were : Sebastian Fisher, 40 cents; John Vanderen, 
65 cents; George Ingram, 50 cents: Thomas Camp- 
bell, 65 cents ; Charles Campbell, 65 cents ; 
John Montgomery (all his tracts), 75 cents; John 
Vanhorn, Sr. and Jr., 50 cents; Thomas York, 50 
cents; John Brown, 65 cents; Barnard Macho (or 
McCoo), 50 cents; Amelia Grover, 40 cents; James 
Vanhorn, 50 cents; William Smith, 40 cents; 
Jacob Reese, 50 cents; Lambert Cadwallader, 40 
cents; James Mease, 65 cents; George Clyner, 65 
cents; Thomas Cadwallader, 40 cents; Hugh Cun- 
ningham, 50 cents; John Cadwallader, 40 cents; 
Adam Meyer, 65 cents; Andrew Hamilton, 50 
cents; John Wilson, 50 cents. 

In ISYe the assessment of the land embraced in 
the John Elder, Montgomery & Stewart, and John 
Collier tracts, at and around Schenly station, in the 
forks of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers, 
varies from $15 to $800 per acre which, in 1804, 
was assessed at from 40 to 65 cents per acre. Along 
Taylor's run — so called after Robert Taylor, who 
was killed by some Indians and buried opposite the 
mouth of a small run, on land now owned by A. 
Grantz, two miles and ten rods in an air line from 
the mouth of Taylor's run, where a stone with the 
initial letters of his name on it is still standing — 
and at and around Kelly's station land is now 
assessed at from $3.50 to $6 which, in 1804, as the 
Gleem and Wigton tracts was assessed at from 40 



■ The statesman, an old Pittsburgh paper. 



to 50 cents per acre ; the Nicholas Bray tract, at 
the junction of Crooked creek and Allegheny river, 
was then assessed at 40 cents, now at $5 per acre ; 
in the central part of the township, then from 50 
to 65 cents, now from 14.50 to $9.50 ; above Leech- 
burgh, along the Kiskiminetas, " Farmers' De- 
light," then 75 cents, now $11 per acre. 

The assessment lists show a gradual diminution 
of the number of unseated tracts — very gradual for 
a number of years. In 1837 the number of such 
tracts returned by the assessor was sixteen, thir- 
teen of which were returned in the names of the 
original warrantees, viz : Robert Caldwell, Lam- 
bert Cadwallader, Barnard Macho, John Vanhorn, 
Wm. Smith, John Wilson, Enoch Westcott, Amelia 
Grover, Mary Gibson, Adam Moyer, J. Vanhorn, 
Andrew Hamilton and John Wigton, i. e. in most 
of these instances parts of the original tracts. In 
1846, 168 acres of the Barnard Macho tract were 
returned on the last time as unseated. Parts of 
two other tracts were returned as unseated in other 
than the names of the original warrantees. In 
1876 only four parcels of land, aggregating 52 
acres, are returned by the assessor as unseated. 

Some of the above-mentioned warrants are 
dated in 1792-3. Others may have been of dates 
varying from 1769 and onward. Alexander and 
Samuel Walker were among the earliest settlers in 
the northern part, on the south side of Crooked 
Creek ; James Cunningham, a revolutionary sol- 
dier, in the northwest corner, at the junction of 
that creek and the river ; Philip Bolen and James 
Coulter, along Elder Run and the jiresent Kittan- 
ning and Leechburgh road, on lands now owned by 
I. Turney, Hiram Hill, J. Lessig, J. G. Allshouse, 
two or three miles north of Leechburgh ; John 
Klingensmith, on the hill below Leechburgh ; 
Philip, Peter, and Nicholas Klingensmith, farther 
down and back from the Kiskiminetas ; Wm. Hill, 
between James Coulter's, now Hiram Hill's above- 
mentioned, and the Kiskiminetas ; Wm. Hum, in 
the vicinity of the last ; Conrad Hauk, Sr. and Jr., 
about a mile southeast of White Rock Ferry 
and Station ; Samuel and David Hill, and John 
Carney, in the southeastern part, along and near 
Carnahan's Run ; Jacob and William Hesselgesser, 
and Robert Hanna, on the river above Leechburgh, 
at and near " Farmers' Delight " ; John Hawk, 
about a mile and a half northeast of Leechburgh, 
including the farm now owned and occupied by 
Henry Truby ; John, Samuel, and William Stitt, 
along and near Taylor's Run, two miles more or 
less back from the river ; Eliah Eakman, in the 
eastern part of the township ; William Beatty, on 
the Margaret Wigton tract, adjoining the Manor ; 



1 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



161 



Thomas Gallagher carried on a distillery for mau}- 
years in, probably, the northeastern part of the 
township ; and Peter Le Fevre kept a ferry a little 
below the mouth of Carnahan's Run, on the Henrj^ 
Armstrong tract, called "Woodland," from 1805, 
and perhaps from before 1800, until 1825, when he 
left this county. Le Fever's Ferry was a promi- 
nent point in early times. The warrant for the 
Henry Armstrong tract, or " Woodland," is dated 
November 8, 1784. Armstrong conveyed his inter- 
est therein to John Guthrie December 3, who 
conveyed the same to Michael Rugh April 5, 1798, 
who obtained a patent therefor February 17, 1806. 
Rugh conveyed 213 acres to Peter Le Fevre March 
25, 1807, for £1,059 and 15 shillings, who conveyed 
22 acres and 122 perches thereof to Daniel Kepple 
August 10, 1808, for $67.91, and the residue to 
Jacob Drum, April 2, 1825, for |1,528, who con- 
veyed to William Williams, May 10, 1825, for 
88,000, who conveyed to Paul Morrow August 10, 
1826, for $8,000, -who subsequently conveyed it to 
John Y. Barclay, John Kuhns, and Hugh Y. Brady, 
together with all the rest of his real estate for the 
main specific purpose of paying off what he owed 
the Westmoreland Bank of Pennsylvania, who 
convej'ed it to E. M. Bigham, from whom it passed, 
under the sheriff's hammer, to Jacob Hill, who con- 
veyed it to Hugh Bigham, who sold an undivided 
moiety to William P. MeCulloch. The last two 
conveyed it to James Hunter, from whom it passed 
by deed to James Shauer, the present owner. 
Those twenty-five persons appear from the assess- 
ment list to be the only taxables within the present 
limits of Allegheny townshij), in 1805-6. The 
population within those limits must have then been 
about one hundred and twenty. The population 
of Allegheny township in 1810, when it included 
all the territory between the Kiskiminetas and 
Crooked Creek, from the Allegheny to the Lidiana 
county line, was 820 ; it was 1,443 in 1820, and 
2,966 in 1830. In 1840, after Kiskiminetas town- 
ship had been detached from it, the population 
was 1,839 ; in 1850, whites, 2,504, colored, 2 ; in 
1860, whites, 2,493, colored, 3 ; in 1870, exclusive 
of Leechburgh and Aladdin boroughs, whites, 
2,563, colored, 5. Between the census of 1850 and 
that of 1860, (in 1855), a part of the territory of 
Allegheny was detached and included in that of 
Burrell township. The number of taxables this 
year (1876) is 674. If there are four and three- 
fifths persons for each taxable, its j)resent popula- 
tion is 3,200.. 

CHURCHES. 

The first church organized in this township is 
the Crooked Creek Presbyterian, designated in the 



last township map, " Union Church," located be- 
tween the second and fifth bends in Crooked Creek 
above its mouth — a little more than half way fi-om 
the neck of the second to the fifth — on the road 
leading from the southern part of Manor township 
across that creek, at a ford therein to the mill 
formerly owned by Robert Walker (of A.), but 
now by Held & Kough. Just when it was organ- 
ized is uncertain, but probably by the old Redstone 
Presbytery, prior to 1825. "I first visited the 
church of Crooked Creek," wrote the late Rev. Dr. 
Painter, "in the summer of 1834. The people 
had ceased to attend church among themselves, 
and though they had commenced, some years be- 
fore, to erect a church,* they had not finished it. 
They had cut and hewed and put up logs for a 
large church, and had it under roof ; the places for 
the doors were cut out, but the house never had a 
floor, or doors, or windows, and the wide places 
between the logs had never been closed. When I 
first saw it, I noticed some sheep reposing on the 
ground within the log enclosure ; in fact, the 
building appeared to be the resort of all kinds of 
cattle that grazed through the woods ; they had 
free ingress into it, and egress out of it." That 
edifice was made tenantable, and for a few years 
Dr. Painter gave that church one-sixth of his time. 
It soon revived and began to prosper. It was 
statedly supplied for awhile by John Kerr, a licen- 
tiate of the Washington Presbytery, and since 
1841 it has been under the pastoral charge of Revs. 
Levi M. Graves, William Colledge-, G. K. Scott, 
and Perin Baker, the present pastor. It was in- 
corporated by the court of common pleas of this 
county, June 21, 1843, and the trustees named in 
the charter were James C. Kerr, William McKee, 
Hamilton Kelly, Andrew Jack, and Robert Walker 
(of A.), who were to continue until the election, 
on the first Monday of the then next June. Its 
present membership is 84 ; Sabbath-school scholars, 
40. A neat, new frame edifice was erected, partly 
on the site of the second log house, in 1869, and 
is designated "Union Church." It is 45X40 feet, 
and neatly furnished. 

The other three churches in this township are 
Lutheran. Zion's is situated in the forks, near a 
branch of Elder run, the fourth from its mouth, as 
indicated on Pomeroy & Co.'s map of the township. 
The church was incorporated by the proper court 
December 19, 1849. The oflicers named in the 
charter were Henry Isensee, pastor, John Torney 
and Henry Wanamaker, elders, Griflith Baker and 
Jonathan Moyer, deacons, John Allshouse and 



«Alog edifice, built by Alexander Walter, in 1820: another log 
edifice was built in 1S40-1, about fifteen rods from the first one. 



162 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG OOtJNTY. 



Henry Klingensmith, trustees, and the last named, 
treasurer. The present number of members, 150; 
Sabbath-school scholars, 100. The edifice is frame. 

St. Paul's is in the southeastern part of the town- 
ship, near the main eastern branch of Carnahan's, 
formerly Old Town, run. Members, 75; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 10. 

Bethel, situated near the head of a small branch 
of Taylor's run, on the Amelia Grover tract, about 
two and a half miles in an air line southeast 
from the mouth of the latter, or Kelly's station. 
It is a neat-looking frame structure, which was 
erected in or about 1848. Church members, 128; 
Sabbath-school scholars, 100. This church was 
incorporated by the proper court June 2-t, 1848. 
The trustees named in the charter — Rev. David 
Earhart, Samuel Mansfield, Joseph Snyder, Peter 
Wareham and Jacob Kieflfer, to continue until the 
last Saturday in March, 1849. 

Prior to 1826 preaching was in barns and under 
shade-trees, and sometimes in private houses. 

SCHOOLS. 

About 1812-14 a log schoolhouse was erected 
west of the present Kittanning and Leechburgh 
road, opposite the mouth of a short branch of 
Elder run, and about one hundred rods from the 
present schoolhouse, near Abraham Klingensmith's 
residence. Among its first teachers, if not its first, 
was James Stitt. About the same time another 
similar house was erected on the east side of a 
branch of Carnahan's run, being the first desig- 
nated on the above-mentioned township map, one 
hundred and twenty rods above its junction, and 
the same distance northwest of the graded schools. 
The first teachers were John Griswell and Samuel 
Taggart. Mrs. Alexander Gordon, of Leechburgh, 
is one of its surviving pupils. Another school- 
house was erected, perhaps a little later, about 
seventy-five rods east of St. Paul's Lutheran 
church, in the forks between an eastern branch of 
Carnahan's run and a little spring run. Townsend 
Adams was the first teacher. The next school was 
taught in a log schoolhouse, which was erected in 
1820-1, on land then belonging to Robert Orr, Jr., 
and afterward owned by Andrew Stitt, one and a half 
miles from Kelly's station, or mouth of Taylor's 
run, on the road leading therefrom to the Bethel 
church. Its first teacher was Henry Girt. There 
was a log schoolhouse near the Presbyterian 
church in 1830-1, in which Robert Walker and 
Samuel Simoneral taught. The only other school 
before 1835, when the free-school system was 
adopted, as the writer is informed, was kept in a 
schoolhouse about two miles north of Jacksonville, 



or Bagdad, in or near the forks of the run that 
empties into the Allegheny, a little below the 
head of the island, near Donnelly's station. The 
bi'anches taught were generally those mentioned in 
the general sketch of the county. 

Upon the adoption of the free-school system the 
township was divided into sub-districts, in each of 
which a hewed log schoolhouse, with glass 
windows, was erected. The distance from one 
schoolhouse to another was about two miles. At 
a later period, before 1856, those log houses gave 
place to frame ones, except one which was brick, 
near Klingensmith's mill. The first graded school 
in a rural district, in this county, was established 
in 1858 by the directors of the Allegheny school 
district. The nvimber of scholars in the school 
in the southeastern part of the township, near 
Stitt's, now Marshall's, mill, on Carnahan's run, 
about a mile and a half northeast of its mouth, 
became too large for one school, or at least for one 
room. The directors were petitioned to establish 
another school in another part of that portion of 
the township. Instead of doing that they graded 
the school — two grades — and erected a new build- 
ing adjoining the old one. That experiment 
proved to be successful. The county superinten- 
dent in his annual report, dated June 20, 1859, 
referred to it thus: "From information derived 
from the directors, teachers and some of the citi- 
zens in its locality, and from my own observation, 
I conclude that the pupils in both departments 
were more diligent in their studies, more ambi- 
tious to excel, and derived more benefit from the 
instructions of their teachers, last term, than they 
ever had before the school was graded." Yet the 
directors had the pleasure of being brought before 
the court, on an application of a few citizens to 
have them removed, for trying that successful 
experiment. The court very properly dismissed 
that apjjlication at the costs of those who made it. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 15; average 
number months taught, 4; teachers all male; average 
salaries, 122; number male scholars, 442; female, 
319; average number scholars attending school, 
437; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 48 
cents; amount tax levied for school purposes, 
$1,826.70; amount tax levied for building purposes, 
1304.45; total amount levied, $1,826.70; received 
from state appropriation, 1155.04; received from 
collectors of school tax, $1,730.46; cost of instruc- 
tion, i.e. whole amount of teachers' wages, $1,320; 
fuel and contingencies, $135.07; cost of school- 
houses, purchasing, building, renting, repairing, 
etc., $428.92. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 16; average 




c^^zz^^^^^tr^^i^^ )^^^^, 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



163 



number months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female, 
11; average salaries of males per month, 83-1.80; of 
females, $34.40; number of male scholars, 400; of 
female, 314; average number attending school, 344; 
cost per month, 86 cents; total amount of tax levied 
for school and building purposes, $4,039.80; state 
appropriation, $567.13; total receipts, $4,687.92; 
paid for teachers'' wages, $2,914.50; fuel, collectors, 
contingencies, etc., $1,041.53. Total expenditures, 
13,956.03. 

MILLS. 

Alexander Walker built a grist and sawmill, 
before 1805, near the second bend above the mouth 
of Crooked creek, about three-quarters of a mile 
southeast from the bridge across that creek on the 
Kittanning and Leechburgh road. He was not 
assessed with them after 1824. His death occurred 
in 1826. John Walker was assessed with a grist- 
mill, probably that one, in 1830-1. As that was 
the only gristmill in early times, in that region, 
that could be operated all the year round, it was 
resorted to by people from a great distance in 
times of low water in other streams. Michael 
Mechling and others used to take their grists there 
in canoes from Kittanning, and found it difficult 
to row up the creek on account of its rapid descent. 
Grists were also taken by the same means to Hill's 
mill on the south side of the Kiskiminetas. In 
1836-7 Robert Walker (of A.) erected a grist-mill 
about a mile and a half east of the other, in the 
lower part of the most easterly bend or loop of the 
creek, with which he was first assessed in 1838, it 
being then rated at $500. The mill-seat is rock 
and was prepared by blasting, which was done by 
Jacob Waltenbaugh, who is now upward of ninety 
years of age. A tunnel for a head-race, 160 feet 
long, 4 feet wide and 4^ feet from base to top, was 
about the same time excavated by blasting through 
sand-rock and slate from one side to the other of 
the lower part of that bend, or peninsula, by two 
Englishmen by the names of Allison and Porter, 
who happened along there at that time, for the 
sum of $1,600. The time spent upon that work 
was six or seven months. That mill is still in 
operation, being now owned by Held & Kough. 

From 1812 till 1822 Michael Barrickman had a 
sawmill on Elder or Klingensmith's run, on a tract 
of land found to be vacant after the other warrants 
had been issued, and for which he obtained a war- 
rant dated April 19, 1793, and seated the tract 
himself. 

Philip Klingensmith's sawmill was erected in 
1817 and his gristmill in 1828, both on the last- 
mentioned run, on the high ground north of the Kis- 
kiminetas, which v\-ere continued in operation until 



1852-3. They were on the George Ingram tract, 
the warrant for which is dated December 17, 1784, 
3294^ acres of which Klingensmith purchased from 
Joshua Elder, to whom a patent therefor was issued 
April 28, 1789, by deed dated November 7, 1802, for 
£350. There must be a mistake in the description 
in the patent, for which reason it is here specifically 
and somewhat at length referred to. The patent 
describes this land as a " tract called ' senior,' on the 
waters of the Kiskiminetas, in Plmburgh toicnshi'p, 
Westmoreland county." Now, Armstrong township 
was organized April 6, 1773, as heretofore stated, 
and a part of its southern boundary was from the 
mouth of the Loyal Hannon down the Kiskiminetas 
to the Allegheny, thence ap the Allegheny to the 
Kittanning, thence with a straight line easterly, 
etc., so that this Ingram tract must have been in 
Armstrong instead of Pittsburgh — or rather Pitt — 
township in 1784, when the warrant was issued, 
and in 1789, when the patent is dated. By deed 
dated March 22, 1822, Philip Klingensmith, Sr., 
and Catheine his wife conveyed 232 acres and 67 
perches of that tract to Philip Klingensmith, Jr., 
for $700. 

John Stitt's gristmill was erected in or about 
1819 on Carnahan's run, a mile and three-fifths 
northeast, in an air line from its mouth, and his 
sawmill in the same locality in 1826, which con- 
tinued to be operated by him, his widow, and one 
of his heirs until 1866, and since then by Thomas 
M. Marshall. "Just as good as wheat at Stitt's 
mill " used to be a common saying in that region. 
John Hill's sawmill was erected about 1819-20 and 
was continued in operation several j'ears, probably 
on one of the runs about midway between Leech- 
burgh and Donnelly's station. Jacob Riggle's 
sawmill was erected in 1839-40, somewhere in the 
forks of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas, and 
appears to have been operated until about 1858. 
Levi Klingensmith's sawmill — now a steam mill — 
has been operated since 1855-6, near the mouth of 
the first run above Donnelly's station, and Hill, 
Seaman & Co.'s steam sawmill for several years at 
White Rock. Of late years a portable steam saw- 
mill has been used in different parts of the town- 
ship. Beatty's sawmill went into operation in 
1855-6 at Center Valley, on Taylor's run, about a 
mile and a half from its mouth. Both it and a 
gristmill are in operation there now. 

OTHEE INDUSTEIES. 

In 1835 there were ten salt wells in operation 
from the mouth of Carnahan's run, along the Kis- 
kiminetas to a few miles below Leechburgh. The 
next year there were two less. In 1837 there were 



164 



HISTORY OP ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



two new ones. The number was considerably 
diminished in the course of a few years. There 
were about three on the Kiskiminetas in 1854, and 
for several years after, and one on the Allegheny 
in 1853 was continued a few years thereafter. 

The North American Oil Works were established 
bj' a joint stock company in 1856 and were located 
on the right bank of the Kiskiminetas, about 200 
rods above its mouth. Oil for illuminating pur- 
poses was manufactured from cannel coal, which 
abounds in pots rather than regular strata in that 
region. The coal was placed in revolving retorts, 
which were heated by external coal fires. Thus 
the coal in the retorts was roasted and its oleagi- 
nous matter expelled in the form of gas, which was 
conducted into a number of iron pipes several inches 
in diameter, which were placed horizontally and 
side by side in reservoirs of cold water, where it 
was condensed into the form of crude oil, which 
was conducted into large tanks, from which it was 
drawn off, refined, and prepared for burning by the 
use of chemical agencies and suitable apparatus. 
The capacity of these works was from 1,500 to 
2,000 barrels a month. The subsequent discovery 
and abundant supply of petroleum in Venango 
county and elsewhere proved a death-blow to the 
manufacture of oil from coal, which resulted in the 
stoppage of those works, which was severely felt 
both by their owners, who had invested in them a 
large amount of capital, and by a large number of 
employes, who were thus thrown oiit of employ- 
ment. 

The Penn Oil Works were established on the 
Allegheny, about one hundred and twenty-five rods 
above the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, in 1865. 
Their capacity for refining crude petroleum is 
about 5,000 barrels per month. 

The chief industry is of course agricultural. 
The number of mechanics needed in such a popu- 
lation, though by no means large, has been ade- 
quate to their wants. A carding machine was 
established by Joshua Cooper in 1824, at what is 
now Donnelly's Station. It is notable that Isaac 
David was assessed in 1807 as a hookhinder, but 
where his place of business was is not known to 
the writer. 

On the side hill facing the Kiskiminetas, a short 
distance above Leechburgh, are two vineyards, one 
containing about 200 and the other about 300' 
vines, from which several barrels of wine have an- 
nually — that is, in some years — been produced. 
Farther up the river, near the first bend above 
Leechburgh, is a noted point called " Lover's 
Leap," whence, it is said, a loving but disap- 
pointed maiden precipitated herself, the cause of 



her rashness being different from that of the beau- 
tiful Indian girl, the daughter of an Indian chief, 
who, to avoid marrying against her will, threw 
herself from another " Lover's Leap," a projecting 
I'ock six or seven hundred feet high on the east 
side of Lake Pepin, some fifty years ago, in the 
presence of her tribe. 

The assessment list for 1876 shows as follows : 
laborers, 160 (one of whom is assess.ed with a 
piano); coal-miners, 19; carpenters, 6; black- 
smiths, 5 ; millers, 3 ; shoemakers, 2 ; coopers, 3 ; 
teachers, 3 ; singing teacher, 1 ; book-agent, 1 ; 
railroad agent, 1 ; dispatcher, 1 ; clerk, 1 ; plas- 
terer, 1 ; mason, 1 ; sawyer, 1 ; tailoress, 1 ; team- 
ster, 1 ; wagonmaker, 1 ; disabled persons, 3 ; old 
man, 1. The rest of the taxables are engaged in 
agricultural and mercantile pursuits. 

The mercantile appraiser assessed twelve as 
merchants of the fourteenth class, one of whom 
was exonerated from paying license because not 
engaged in the business, and one in the thirteenth 
class. Total in both classes, 12. 

GREAT rOX-HUXT OF 1828. 

In accordance with previous arrangements, a 
fox-hunt occurred on Friday, March 11, 1828. 
The circle commenced at Long* run, in Kiskimin- 
etas township; thence up that run to Jno. Shirley's; 
thence to Jacob George's; thence in a straight line 
down Crooked creek to its mouth; thence down the 
Allegheny river to the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, 
and thence up the same to the mouth of Long 
run. The closing inner circles were closed by 
strewing straw lightly around at or near Robert 
Criswell's, on Carnahan's run. The distance from 
the center to the inner circle was one-fourth of a 
mile, and to the outer circle one-half a mile, both 
having been marked by straw or blazing the trees. 
Seventeen or eighteen red foxes were taken in the 
course of that hunt. 

EARLY FOURTH OF JCXY CELEBEATION. 

The anniversary of our national independence 
used to be observed in a proper manner by more or 
less of the citizens. The chronicle of the celebra- 
tion of July 4, 1838, has casually come to the 
writer's notice. On that occasion the Armstrong 
Light Dragoons and a large number of citizens as- 
sembled at " Farmer's Delight," the residence of 
the late Robert Parks, along the first bend in the 
Kiskiminetas above Leechburgh. David Kuhns 
was appointed chairman, and Alexander Gordon 
secretary. After various evolutions by the dra- 
goons, they partook of an excellent dinner. The 
Declaration of Independence was read, and thir- 




(y'b.(^^^-^'^ ^^S. 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



1(1 5 



teen sensible and patriotic toasts were submitted 
and unanimously approved. There were only two 
volunteer toasts, one of which was complimentary 
to Mr. and Mrs. Parks and expressive of the 
thanks and gratitude of the assemblage to them, 
as host and hostess, for their liberality and bounti- 
ful repast, and the other complimentary to the 
Armstrong Light Dragoons for their correct and 
gentlemanly deportment, reflecting upon them 
honor and the admiration of their fellow-citizens. 

THE CANAL. 

The southern border of Allegheny township was 
skirted by the Pennsylvania canal, the construction 
of which, from 1826 till 1829, and its subsequent 
operation gave a vigorous impulse to agricultural 
and other interests of the people of and caused a 
more extensive and rapid emigration to this town- 
ship than had previously been the case. The 
facilities for transportation of passengers and 
freight which it afforded are now offered by the 
West Pennsylvania division of the Pennsylvania 
railroad, on the opposite or Westmoreland side of 
the Kiskiminetas. 

EAILEOAD STATIONS. 
f 

Schenley, named after Mrs. Capt. Schenley, who 
owns, or did once own, the land around it, is a 
short distance above the mouth of Kiskimine- 
tas. It is on a tract of land which, it is said, was 
surveyed to Montgomery and Stewart March 25, 
1769. It is on the tract designated on the ancient 
county map as the John Elder tract. Aladdin is 
nine-tenths of a mile above Schenley, on the John 
Collier tract. Donnelly's is a little over a mile and 
a half above Aladdin, on the John Barrickman 
tract. White Rock is three miles and four-tenths 
above Aladdin, on the Martha Maris tract. Kelly's 
is a mile and two-tenths above White Rock, at the 
mouth of Taylor's Run, on the James Glenn tract. 
Logansport is two miles and two-tenths above 
Kelly's, on the Alexander Craig tract. 

TOWNS. 

The town of Crosbysburgh was laid out on the 
James Crosby tract, which adjoins the John Mont- 
gomery tract, called " Farmers' Delight," on the 
south, in or perhaps before 1816, for, on the 27th 
of June, of that j^ear, Alexander Duncan paid 
James Crosby thirteen dollars as the consideration 
for two lots, Nos. 7 and 8, each 66 by 65 feet, front- 
ing on the main street, and adjoining land of Rob- 
ert Parks on the north. The patent to Crosby for 
this tract, containing seven and one-half acres, is 
dated July 28, 1817, and the deed for those two 
lots June 13, 1818. 



The town of Jacksonville, known for many years 
by the name of Bagdad, but which is now called 
New Jacksonville, was laid out about 1828, on the 
Michael Barrickman tract, which originally con- 
sisted of 218^ acres, which Barrickman conveyed 
by deed from the commonwealtli to John Hill, ex- 
cept the mill-seat and six acres and 150 perches, 
February 17, 1814, of which Hill conveyed ninetj'- 
six acres to Michael Shoop, November 28, 1814, 
which Shoop conveyed to John Hill for use of 
Michael Kiestler, August 1, 1815, which the latter 
conveyed to Samuel Kiestler December 1, 1843. 
This town is on each side of Elder or Klingen- 
smith's run, near its mouth, along the right bank 
of the Kiskiminetas, two and a half miles above 
its mouth. The first assessment of seated prop- 
erty in Jacksonville was made in 1832, viz.: Cath- 
erine Byers, one lot, 815; John Klingensmith, Jr., 
one house and lot and one head of cattle, |33; 
John Stoll, one house and lot, one head of 
cattle, §108 ; John Shoop, two cattle, 841 ; George 
Walter, one house, four lots, one head of cat- 
tle, 858; Philip Walter, single man, $50; Peter 
Yingst, shoemaker, one house and lot, two cattle, 
$266 ; Samuel Yingst, shoemaker, single man, 
$75; total, $596. The first list of unseated lots 
was in 1835, when two such lots were each assessed 
at $10. This town was in its most flourishing con- 
dition while the salt works there and in its 
vicinity and the canal were in operation. 

Kelly's Station, established June 14, 1860; Ham- 
ilton Kelly, first postmaster. Schenley Station, 
established May 30, 1862 ; Peter Eakman, first 
postmaster. 

By act of March 29, 1813, the elections were di- 
rected to be held at the house of Eliab Eakman. 
Sometime after the organization of Kiskiminetas 
township, the place for holding them was changed 
to the schoolhouse in the central part of the town- 
ship, near Abraham Klingensmith's, where it now 
is, on the Charles Vanderen tract, called " Charles- 
burgh." 

LEECHBUKGH. 

This town was formerly a part of Allegheny 
township, in a deep bend of the Kiskiminetas, on 
its right bank, a little more than five miles above 
its mouth, is situated on the southern part of the 
John Vanderen tract, the warrant for which is 
dated February 10, 1 773. White Matlock obtained 
a patent for 192^ acres in the southern part of that 
tract, dated August 12, 1783, which had been sur- 
veyed to James Walker October 13, 1773. Its 
subsequent owners were William P. Brady, Jacob 
Mechling, a brother of Michael Mechling, one of the 
first settlers in Kittanning, Frederick Sleiff, Joseph 



166 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Hunter, Matthew Shields and David Leech. It 
was, it is said, once called " Friendship." In sev- 
eral of the deeds by which it was afterward con- 
veyed from one to another, it is called "White 
Plains." It had been occupied by but very few 
persons before the construction of the Pennsylva- 
nia canal. A log cabin was erected some, perhaps 
ten or fifteen, years before the completion of the 
canal, near a spring of good water on the east side 
of the tract, and a small patch was cleared about 
the same time. Michael Moorhead and Joseph 
Hunter, the latter a drover, were among the ear- 
liest, if not the earliest, of its settlers. The deed 
from Matthew Shields and wife to David Leech 
for one hundi'ed and seventy-two acres of that tract 
is dated October 16, 182T, which Joseph Hunter 
had previously agreed to sell to Leech & Trux, but 
being unable to make a good title, Trux became 
wearied with the delay and insisted on seeing the 
article of agreement, which, when he got hold of 
it, he destroyed by putting it in the stove, where- 
upon there was a dissolution of the partnership 
between Leech and him. They had entered into 
a contract with the canal commissioners for build- 
ing a canal-lock which the engineers had located 
on that land, and for building a dam five hundred 
and seventy-four feet long and thirty-six feet high 
across the Kiskiminetas, adjoining that lock, which 
was at first called the " Big Dam," but afterward 
the Leechburgh dam, and dam No. 1. By reason 
of that dissolution Mr. Leech acquired, through the 
interposition of Matthew Shields, a title to that 
tract of land, on which, in 1828 or thereabouts, he 
laid out the town of Leechburgh. He was a native 
of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, whence he came 
to Sharpsburgh, Allegheny county, where he had 
another contract on the canal, and thence to 
" White Plains." The route of the canal was sur- 
veyed in 1826, and in 1828-9 boats commenced 
running on it from Pittsburgh to Blairsville. 

A high freshet, about November 18, 1827, caused 
considerable damage to the works along the Kis- 
kiminetas. One-half of the " Big Dam " was swept 
away, and the tow-path was considerably damaged, 
causing a loss of six or seven thousand dollars. 

After the completion of those public works Mr. 
Leech was authorized by the proper authorities to 
use water from that dam for the purpose of running 
a sawmill, gristmill and woolen-factory. In 1829 
he was assessed with a sawmill, and in 1830 with 
it and a gristmill, and in 1831 with only the 
former, after which he does not appear to have 
been assessed with either. He built the passenger 
and freight boats of the first line on the canal from 
Pittsburgh to Blairsville, and used as a boat-yard 



the lot on the northwest corner of Canal and Sec- 
ond streets, which is the one now next east of H. 
K. McKallip's dwelling house, and William Gos- 
ser's blacksmith shop on the northeast corner of 
Market and Second streets, was the one used by 
the builders or workmen. The work was superin- 
tended by Captain Cole. 

The first boat that passed Leechburgh on the 
canal was a packet, built near Saltsburgh, probably 
at Coal Port, which made a fine display, having on 
board banners and music. About two weeks after- 
ward one of Leech's boats was launched and started 
for Pittsburgh. She was detained a considerable 
length of time below Freeport, in consequence of a 
break in the embankment at the aqueduct. After 
the water was let into the canal above Leechburgh 
a boat was drawn out of the river into the canal, 
run up to Johnstown and loaded with fifty tons of 
blooms. On her return, while passing through the 
tunnel, says Morris Leech, she was filled with 
about three tons of stone and clay. When about 
one hundred yards below the tunnel, hundreds of 
tons of earth, etc., fell fi-om the tunnel into the 
canal, which shut off the water below it, so that 
the boat did not reach Leechburgh until nearly 
a month afterward. Soon after the breach at the 
Freeport aqueduct was repaired, a prize of five 
hundred dollars was offered to the proprietor of the 
boat that would first arrive at Pittsburgh. Harris 
and Leech were the contestants. The former's 
boat was a light packet, and the latter's — the Gen. 
Leacock — was a much larger and heavier one. 
Harris was confident that his smaller and lighter 
boat would win the prize. On the 1st of July, 
about four miles above Pittsburgh, Leech's was 
within a mile of Harris'. The next day Leech's 
men cut poles, peeled the bark off them and laid 
them across the canal, in which there was then 
only six inches of water. By the aid of one hundred 
men, relays of the poles, five yoke of oxen and ten 
horses the boat was kept up out of the mud and 
moved onward. When Leech's horses came abreast 
of Plarris' boat, an extensive and fierce fight 
between the crews of the two boats began. When 
Harris discovered that he had to contend with su- 
perior numbers, he proposed that he would give up 
the contest if his contestants would quit fighting 
and permit his boat to go to the rear. On a signal 
being given by Leech all fighting ceased, and his 
hundred muddy men plunged into the clear water 
of the Allegheny and washed. The next day all 
hands aided with the poles in hauling Harris' boat 
to the rear and starting her up the canal. On the 
Fourth of July tables were set in the hold and un- 
der canvas on the deck of Leech's boat, on which 



ALLEGHENY TOAVNSHIP. 



167 



a sumptuous dinner was served to iive hundred 
persons, including Gen. Leacock, then canal super- 
intendent, who presided, engineers and a large 
number of Pittsburgh merchants. Such was the 
finality of the first trip of the first of Leech's boats 
that reached Pittsburgh. 

The number of freight and passenger boats then 
built was four, viz.: Pioneer, Capt. Monson; Penn- 
sylvania, Capt. Cooper; DeWitt Clinton, Capt. 
Joshua Leech; Gen. Leacock, Capt. Robert King. 
The cabin for passengers in each was in the center. 

A part of the dam was swept away July 7, 1831, 
by a sudden and heavy flood in the Kiskiminetas, 
causing a cessation of canal navigation for the 
rest of that season. A new lock and dam were 
located by the engineers about sixty rods below 
the former ones and within the limits of the town. 
At the letting the contract was awarded to Thos. 
Neil, of Tarentum, Pennsylvania, for about $16,000. 
He had scarcely entered upon the performance of 
his part of the contract when the commissioners 
turned it into a state job, the cost of which, says 
Alex. Gordon, is known to very few persons, if 
any. From November 10, 1831, and throughout 
the principal part of the following winter, the 
weather, most of the time, was very cold, which 
caused a large accumulation of ice in the river, 
which broke up February 10, 1832, with a high 
flood that carried away the lock, the northern 
abutment of the dam, and did much damage else- 
where. That abutment had to be repaired and a 
new lock built before navigation could be resumed 
on the canal. 

David Leech, Robert S. Hays, George Black, 
Geo. W. Harris and Wm. F. Leech, constituting 
the copartnership of D. Leech & Co., of which 
David Leech was the traveling agent, subsequently 
established distinct lines of freight boats and 
packets, or exclusively passenger boats, which they 
continued to run until the canal was superseded by 
the Pennsylvania railroad. Travelers on the 
Pennsylvania canal in those times will not likely 
forget that company's packets and their attentive 
and obliging captains. 

David Leech, having purchased the right to use 
water from the dam, erected, in 1844, a sawmill, a 
large gristmill, with four runs of stone and expen- 
sive machinery, the walls in the first or lower 
story of the latter being stone, and those in the 
other stories brick, which subsequently became 
vested in Addison Leech, who conveyed the same 
to the present owners, R. D. Elwood & Bro. 

In addition to the above-mentioned enterprises 
the founder of Leechburgh was, soon after he 
settled here, engaged in the mercantile business; 



he and his sons were afterward extensively en- 
gaged in the same business. He was, still later, 
from 1853 till 1856, engaged as an active member 
of the firm of Leech, Chamberlain & Co., in the 
construction of the Allegheny Valley railroad from 
Pittsburgh to Kittanning. His vigorous constitu- 
tion began to yield to the weight of years, the 
numerous cares and responsibilities of his active 
life and to the approach of disease, in IBS'?, and 
he died November 3, 1858, regretted and esteemed 
at home and abroad. 

The growth of Leechburgh as a town commenced 
with the construction of the canal. The first brick 
house in it was built in 1830 on the corner of Third 
street and Basin alley, by Solomon Moore. The 
first separate assessment list of its taxables was 
made in 1832, viz. : 

John Brown, lot No. 87, land 125 acres (Mar- 
tin's), one head of cattle, valued or assessed at $833; 
Joshua Cooper, lots No. 78-9, one head of cattle, 
$58; Samuel Dickey, one house and lot, one horse, 
one head of cattle, |223; George Dupehorn, lots 
Nos. 83, 96, one head cattle, 1108; Daniel Freeze,. 
lot No. 36, one head cattle, 1108; John Fee, black- 
smith, lot No. 49, one head cattle, |283; "Wm. 
Hickenlooper, lot No. 117, one head of cattle, |208; 
Jacob Hill, lot No. 10, two cattle, $616; David 
Kuhns, lots Nos. 98-9, two horses, one tanyard, one 
head of cattle, $286; Christian Grove, head of 
cattle, $8; Malcom Leech, lots Nos. 38 and 31, $225; 
John R. Long, lot No. 12, one head of cattle, $408; 
James McBride, lot No. 84, one head of cattle, $183; 
William F. Martin, hatter, $100; Peter Nees, lot 
No. 3, one head of cattle, $108; Samuel Philliber, 
lot No. 30, $50; Matthew Taylor, tailor, lots No. 
69, 101, one head of cattle, $108; Peter Ulam, cabi- 
net maker, lot No. 11, one head of cattle, $508; 
Robert Walker, hatter, $100; Peter Weaver, shoe- 
maker, one head of cattle, $33; David Weaver, one 
head of cattle, $8. Total valuation, $1,198. 

STEAMBOAT ARRIVAL. 

On Friday, May 18, 1838, the steamboat New 
Castle made a trip up the Kiskiminetas as far as 
Leechburgh with a large number of passengers, on 
account of a slip in the canal above Freeport. She 
left the same day with about 150 passengers. The 
dam at that point prevented navigation higher up 
that stream. By the act of April 13, 1791, provid- 
ing for the opening of sundry roads and improving 
sundry navigable waters, the governor was empow- 
ered to contract with certain individuals or com- 
panies for improving among others the Kiskimine- 
tas river from the mouth of the Loyal Hanna to 
the second falls, inclusive, and thence to the Alle- 



168 



HISTOBY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



gheny river, and the sum of £2rM was appropriated 
for improving the navigation of the former and of 
£100 for improving that of the latter portion of 
this. 

THB TOWN INCOEPOEATBD. 

By the act of March 22, 1850, this town was 
incorporated into a borough, included within these 
boundaries, viz. : Beginning at a buttonwood on 
the Kiskiminetas river south eighty degrees, east 
seventy perches, north twenty degrees, east sixty- 
five perches to a post corner of land of D. Leech ; 
thence by same south sixty and a half degrees, east 
one hundred and twelve perches to a post ; thence 
south five, east seventy-nine perches to a black oak 
(fallen) on the bank of the river ; thence down the 
said river the several courses and distances of the 
same to the place of beginning. 

The first election, as provided by the charter, 
was to have been held on the first Friday of May 
in that year, and on the first Friday of March there- 
after until LSTi, since when, by the constitution of 
1873, it, in common with the elections of cities, 
boroughs and township.s, has been on the third 
Tuesday of February. The bui-gess and town coun- 
cil elected on the first Friday of May, 1850, and 
their successors are made a body politic and corpo- 
rate by the name, style and title of the burgess 
and town council of the borough of Leechburgh, 
and have and possess and enjoy all the rights, lib- 
erties, franchises and privileges of a borough in- 
corporated in pursuance of " an act to provide for 
the incorporation of boroughs," passed April 1, 
1834. It is also provided by that charter that the 
constable of the borough shall perform the duties 
of high constable, but that the burgess and town 
council may authorize the election or appointment 
of a high constable if they deem it expedient. The 
other ofiicers elective by the voters of the borough 
are two justices of the peace, a judge and two 
inspectors of election, assessors, overseers of the 
poor, agreeably to the laws of this commonwealth; 
and three school directors at the first election, one 
to serve one year, one for two, and one for three 
years, and one annually thereafter, who must per- 
foi'm the same duties and possess the same powers 
as those elected under the general laws of this 
commonwealth. 

There does not appear to have been a borough 
election held on the first Friday of May, 1850. At 
the spring election of that year, however, Alexander 
Gordon had thirty-five and Jonathan Hettrick 
twenty-six votes for justice of the peace. 

David Leech was elected the first burgess and 
Addison Leech, J. Thos. Johnston, Jonathan Het- 
trick, Wm. R. Garver, and Jacob Ulam were 



elected the first oouncilmen, at the spring or 
borough election in 1851 and the municipal gov- 
ernment of Leechburgh was soon thereafter inaug- 
urated. 

CHUECHES. 

There appears to have been preaching at Leech- 
burgh by both Lutheran and Presbyterian clergy- 
men early in its history, before either the organi- 
zation of any church there or its incorporation 
into a borough. The early Lutheran clergymen 
who preached here were Revs. Michael Stock, Sr. 
and Jr., Adam Mohler and Jacob Zimmerman, and, 
later (in 1844), David Earhart. 

There was preaching here by a Presbyterian 
clergyman (Rev. Samuel Caldwell) at times for 
about a year before the organization of the Pres- 
byterian church, which appears to have been first 
in the chronological order of church organization. 
Rev. A. Donaldson, D. D., in his sketches of the 
churches of Kittanning Presbytery, presented at its 
April session in 1873, at Elder's Ridge, says : 
" Leechburgh, in an irregular way, had become a 
preaching point for a brother not in the presbytery 
of Blairsville, which, therefore, sent the writer 
to the village to inquire into the case. Having 
done so, and reported that an organization there 
was needed, it was effected April 24, 1844." That 
church was thereafter supplied by Rev. Levi M. 
Graves, Messrs. John Steele and John Black, licen- 
tiates; Revs. Andrew McElwain and William F. 
Keane, and Thos. S. Leasou (a grandson of the 
Mrs. Leason elsewhere mentioned). The last 
named was the settled pastor from 1851 until 
1859, when, by reason of "an unhappy and obsti- 
nate feud arising, the relation was- dissolved." 
Rev. J. E. Caruthers was immediately settled as 
pastor for half time until 1864, and from that year 
until 18*71 his whole time, when the state of his 
health required his removal west. He was suc- 
ceeded by the present pastor. Rev. David Harvey 
Sloan, for three-fourths of his time. The present 
church edifice was erected in or about 1850 on the 
northwest corner of Main and First streets. It 
has been several times repaired. Membership, 178; 
Sabbath school scholars, 130. 

The Hebron Evangelical Lutheran church was 
organized November 21, 1844. The present brick 
edifice was erected in 1845, on the north side of 
Back, at the head of Second street. The pastors 
since its regular organization have been Revs. 
David Earhart, Louis M. Kuhns, Jonathan Sarver, 
and the present one, F. T. Hoover. Membership, 
188; Sabbath-school scholars, 80. This church was 
incorporated by the court of common pleas of this 
county June 22, 1848. The trustees named in the 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



169 



. charter, who were to continue until the election 
held on the last Saturday of March, 1850, were 
Rev. David Earhart, George Kepple, Jacob Trout, 
Thomas Van Tine, Abraham Heckman, Andrew 
Ashbaugh, Jr., and Samuel Shuster. The charter 
provided, among other things, that the pastor or 
pastors should be in communion with some Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Synod in the United States. 
That portion of the charter was amended by the 
same court, March 15, 1864, thus : "The pastor or 
pastors of this congregation shall be members of 
some Evangelical Lutheran Synod which is in con- 
nection with the General Synod of the Lutheran 
Church in the United States." In 1860 or 1861 
this church received an accession of eighteen or 
twenty members from the Zimmerman charge, con- 
sisting of two churches a mile or two apart in 
Westmoreland county, they retaining their church 
organization there so far as church property was 
concerned. Congregational unity continued until 
March, 1868. To understand the cause of the 
schism which followed, it is necessary to bear in 
mind that the General Synod of the Lutheran 
Church in the United States, organized as shown 
by the testimony in 1821, once embraced the terri- 
tory of the principal portion of the United States, 
but now it embraces all north of Mason and Dix- 
on's line; that the General Council embraces all of 
the United States and Canada; and that a portion 
of the District Synods seceded from the General 
Synod, and organized, in December, 1866, at Read- 
ing, Pennsylvania, an ecclesiastical body known 
as the General Council, which adopted its consti- 
tution at a meeting held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, 
in December, 1867. The original Pittsburgh 
synod was organized in 1845, and incorporated by 
act of April 18, 1846. From the organization of 
that synod this church wa« a constituent part of 
it. At a regular meeting of that synod, held at 
Greenville, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, in Octo- 
ber, 1867, after discussing the question whether it 
would still adhere to the General Synod or attach 
itself to the General Council, a majority of its 
members resolved to join the latter. The minor- 
ity declined to do so, but immediately met, elected 
officers, and then adjourned to meet at Worthing- 
ton, in this county, on the fourth of the then next 
ensuing December. They held a session there of 
three or four days. Thus there were two bodies, 
each claiming to be the Pittsburgh synod, one ad- 
hering to the General Synod and the other to the 
General Council. 

In April, 1866, Rev. Jonathan Sai'ver was elected 
pastor of the Hebron Evangelical Lutheran church 
for a term ending April 1, 1867. He was then in 



connection with the General Synod, but afterward 
became an adherent of the General Council and was 
aware that some of his congregation were for that 
reason opposed to his being their pastor. A com- 
promise was entered into between those in favor 
of and those opposed to his being continued the 
pastor, by agreeing to employ him for another 
year. After examining tlie above-mentioned amend- 
ment to the charter, he thought he could not prop- 
erly be the pastor of a church that did not belong to 
a District Synod attached to the General Council 
For he said in the course of the hereinafter-men- 
tioned testimony: "Tlie reason which would force 
me to leave the congregation was, that I was not 
and could not be connected with any synod in con- 
nection with the General Synod." The question on 
tlie amendment to the amendment of the charter 
was considered by members of the congregation and 
by the council, and notice was given from the pul- 
pit that a congregational meeting would be held 
on March 5, 1868, to determine whether the con- 
gregation would be in favor of changing the amend- 
ment of 1864, so as to read: "That no minister 
shall be eligible to the office of pastor of this con- 
gregation unless he be a member of the Pittsburgh 
synod of the Evangelical Lutheran church, or con- 
nect himself with it as soon as possible after his 
election, and a failure to be so connected shall be 
considered a resignation of his office as pastor of 
this congregation," and to remove and repeal in 
both supplement and charter everything inconsist- 
ent with this amendment. The meeting was held 
and the vote stood fifty-seven for and forty-two 
against the proposed change. A petition in favor 
of and a remonstrance against the proposed amend- 
ment were presented to the court of common pleas 
of this county. The court refused to grant the 
prayer of the petitioners. The majority, however, 
continued to hold the church edifice and other 
property, and the pastor and council unanimously 
refused the use thereof to the minority or adherents 
of the General Synod, who thereupon employed a 
pastor and used the academy building for a while 
as a place of worship, still claiming that they were 
the lawfully constituted Hebron Evangelical Lu- 
theran church of Leechburgh. Their council and 
trustees on April 24, 1869, filed their bill in equity 
in the court of common pleas of this county. No. 
49, June term, 1 869, against the pastor, council and 
trustees of the general council portion of the 
church, in which, among other things, they alleged 
or charged that they, the plaintiffs, were the duly 
elected council and trustees of that congregation; 
that the congregation was, by its connection with 
the Pittsburgh synod, still in connection with the 



170 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



General Synod; that the defendants had dissolved 
their connection with the General Synod and con- 
nected themselves with the General Council who 
have departed from the faith and doctrinal basis of 
the General Synod, and adopted a doctrinal basis 
widely different from that of the General Synod; 
that the defendants were not the legal pastor, 
council and trustees of the congregation; and that 
the said pastor persisted in the possession of the 
church property and the exclusion of the plaintiffs. 
The bill concluded with the prayer that the de- 
fendants and all others of the General Council be 
restrained from the use of the church property, 
and that the plaintiffs be restored to the possession 
thereof, and for general relief. 

On the other hand the defendants, in their 
answer to the plaintiff's bill, averred that the 
Pittsburgh synod was only incorporated by the 
legislature by act of April 18, 1846; that said 
synod was organized in January, 1845, and the 
congregation of the Hebron Evangelical Lutheran 
church of Leechburgh participated, through its 
then pastor. Rev. David Earhart, in its organiza- 
tion, and that it had ever since remained a part of 
the Pittsburgh synod, and never in connection 
with the General Synod except through the Pitts- 
burgh synod and its connection therewith; that 
the Pittsburgh synod united with the General 
Synod in 1853, and in 1866 legally and orderly 
dissolved that connection; that the only connec- 
tion a congregation can have with a General Synod 
is through a District Synod ; that such connection 
is matter of choice ; that the withdrawal of the 
Pittsburgh synod from the General Synod was 
orderly and legal, and involved no departure from 
the faith of the church or violation of charter or 
constitution, but a closer adherence thereto ; that 
the defendants' j>astor was the legal pastor and the 
other defendants were the legal council and trus- 
tees, and that the plaintiffs were secessionists. 
That answer denied all schism on the part of the 
defendants' pastor ; that any synod has control of 
church property ; and that the defendants had not 
ousted or excluded the plaintiffs from the congre- 
gation or church, but alleged that the plaintiffs 
voluntarily withdrew therefrom. The answer con- 
cluded with a prayer that the plaintiffs' bill be 
dismissed with costs. 

During the pendency of the case for several 
years testimony was taken on both sides, filling 
one hundred and thirty-two printed octavo pages, 
on the questions as to which of these two divisions 
of that church adhered most closely to the faith and 
doctrinal basis of the Evangelical Lutheran church 
in the United States, and as to which of those two 



divisions was legally entitled to the use and con- 
trol of the property belonging to the Hebron 
Evangelical Lutheran church of Leechburgh. In 
the latter was involved the question raised by the 
defendants touching the validity of the above- 
stated amendment of 1864, their counsel alleging 
in his historj^ of the case that it was " slipped 
through " under pretence of amending the charter 
of the church so as to embrace an academy prop- 
erty, and referring to certain testimony adduced 
by the defendants in support of that allegation, 
which was denied by the plaintiffs' counsel in their 
counter history of the case, who used certain other 
testimony in support of their denial. That ques- 
tion was argued by learned counsel on both sides 
on the application to change that amendment by 
the substitution of the one above-mentioned, voted 
for by a majority of the congregational meeting 
March 5, 1868. It was claimed that the petition- 
ers for and the remonstrants against that change 
were, respectively, in the majority. Judge Logan, 
in giving the reasons of the court of common pleas 
of this county for not allowing that change of the 
amendment of 1864 to be made, said : " Our duty, 
however, is but the exercise of a judicial function 
in determining whether, under the laws of the 
land and of this corporation, the amendment de- 
manded can be granted, and we shall refer to doc- 
trinal questions only as they may be necessary to 
guide us in this inquiry. * * * It seems to be 
conceded on all hands that the Pittsburgh synod" 
(the body to which the petitioners for that change 
and defendants in the bill in equity belong) "is 
not connected with the General Synod, but with 
the General Council of the Lutheran church. It 
may be further stated that the General Synod and 
General Council, whilst both claiming to be within 
the Lutheran church, are yet in antagonism, neither 
yielding recognition or obedience to the other. 
* * * We do not at present say what might be 
the effect were this an application to set aside that 
decree " (allowing the amendment of 1864). " It 
is enough to say that here the question cannot be 
inquired of. But more : this amendment was 
acted under for almost, if not quite, three years, 
and it is held" (by the supreme court) "in the 
Commonwealth ex rel. vs. CuUen et al., 1 Harris, 
140, that a single unequivocal act may be patent 
enough conclusively to establish assent. We are 
compelled, therefore, to regard this as an existing 
and valid jsrovisioii of the charter, and in that 
light must examine this application. * * * Of 
I course this is not a possessory action, but its effect 
j is to give title under which possession may be en- 
1 forced." Having cited two cases in which the 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



171 



supreme court of Pennsylvania holds that " the 
title to the church property of a divided congrega- 
tion is in that part of it which is acting in har- 
mony with its own law, and the ecclesiastical laws, 
usages, customs and principles which were ac- 
cepted before the dispute began, are the standards 
for determining which party is right," and that it 
is " unimportant on which side the majority is." 
That learned judge further said : " By this rule we 
are bound. * * * The charter of this congre- 
gation, to the extent of its expression, was the law 
of the corporation before and at the time this dis- 
pute began. To that charter we must look for any 
expression of ecclesiastical law, usage, custom or 
princi2:)le i-elating to the present question. Within 
that charter and that part of the amendment of 
1864 before quoted we find that the pastor or pas- 
tors shall be members of some Evangelical Lu- 
theran Synod, which shall be in connection with 
the General Synod, etc. This, then, was a con- 
stituent part of the law of the congregation at the 
time the dispute arose, and as to the subject of 
which it treats, is controlling. The present amend- 
ment is, by its preface and its terms, as stated in 
the petition, to change and repeal this part of the 
charter by the substitution of a new synodical 
connection, consistent with the views of the pe- 
titioners, and is asked as a right because claimed 
by a majority of the corporation. With which 
side is doctrinal right in this controversy we can- 
not inquire. It is enough for us to know that at 
least a large minority of the corporation desire to 
retain a connection consistent with the terms of 
the charter as existing when the dispute began, 
and to that end resist this application. To allow 
this amendment would be but to take this church 
property from those who have followed the law of 
its charter, and give it to those who seek by this 
amendment" (proposed in 1868) "to establish a 
new law. To do this would be in violation of the 
announced opinion of our supreme court. This 
amendment cannot, therefore, be granted." 

From the law and the facts as above abstracted, 
the reader will perceive why the same court, De- 
cember 14, 1871, finally adjudged and decreed in 
the above-mentioned bill in equity, among other 
things, that the defendants should deliver to the 
plaintiffs the church building, the lot of ground 
thereto belonging, with the appurtenances, and the 
books, records, and effects of that church, within 
twenty-five days from that date ; enjoined that no 
pastor who is not in synodical connection with the 
General Synod from ofiiciating as pastor in that 
church', unless regularly elected its pastor by the 
congregation agreeably to its constitution and 



cliarter ; and restrained the defendants from pre- 
venting or in any manner interfering with the 
occupation of the church by the plaintiffs and 
others who are qualified members thereof, adher- 
ing in faith and practice to a chuich in connection 
with the General Synod, yet saving to the defend- 
ants the subsequent right, after compliance with 
the decree, to avail themselves of chartered rights 
and privileges in church and property under and 
subject to a synodical connection, as expressed 
in the charter and its amendment of 1864. The 
case was taken to and affirmed by the supreme 
court. The costs followed the event of the case. 
That controversy appears to have been a sincere 
and earnest attempt of both parties to maintain 
their respective rights, legal and ecclesiastical. 
The result of it was, as is usual, the development 
of bitter feeling, and a division of that church 
into two. 

The General Synod branch retain the original 
church edifice and other church property, and em- 
ploy a pastor of their own faith. The General 
Council branch erected, in 1872, an elegant and 
commodious church edifice, brick, on the south side 
of Main street, on the third lot east from Mulberry 
alley, and they still retain Mr. Sarver as their 
pastor. Membership, 200; Sabbath-school scholars, 
150. 

The exact date of the organization of the Metho- 
dist church has not been ascertained. Services 
were held for awhile in the small schoolhouse. 
About 1846, a brick edifice was erected on the 
southwest corner of Main street and Spring alley, 
which has since been replaced with a frame one. 
Membership of Leechburgh circuit, 225 ; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 175. 

A Baptist church was organized in 1873. A 
church edifice, situated on the southwest corner of 
Third street and Siberian avenue, was commenced 
in 1875, which is not yet completed. It is frame, 
40X40, and Gothic in style of architecture. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first one was taught by John Faulk, in a 
small frame schoolhouse, which Avas erected by 
David Leech at his own expense, before the free 
school system was inaugurated. In the latter part 
of March, 1830, a large number of the inhabitants 
of Allegheny township met in that schoolhouse to 
witness the exhibition of the pupils who had 
previously been taught by a Mr. Lee. Their per- 
formances were said to have been highly creditable. 
After their conclusion, N. P. Cooper, R. Criswell 
and S. Dickey were appointed a committee to draft 
resolutions, which, having been presented, were 



172 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



unanimously adopted. They expressed the pleas- 
ure and admiration of the meeting for the public 
spirit evinced by David Leech in his manly and 
spirited exertions to promote the welfare of the 
people of this place, and tendered him their thanks 
for his liberality in erecting, furnishing and sup- 
plying with fuel at his own expense a large and 
commodious schoolhouse for the exclusive use of 
the pupils of this place. A larger one-story frame 
schoolhouse was erected by the school directors in 
1843, on the southeast corner of Main street and 
Bridge alley, which continued to be used for school 
purposes until a few years since, when the use of 
the Lutheran Institute building was secured there- 
for until the completion of the present public 
schoolhouse, which was erected in 1815, on an 
acre lot bounded by Siberian avenue, First street. 
Back street and Spring alley. The area of this 
creditable temple of knowledge is 85X54 feet. Its 
basement story, with stone walls nine feet high, is 
of the same area. The superstructure consists of 
two stories, with brick walls. The hight of ceil- 
ing in the lower is thirteen, and in the upper story 
is sixteen feet. The areas of the schoolrooms in 
the lower story are, respectively, 34 by 25 feet. In 
the upper story is a hall for public exercises, 58 X 
51 feet, the remaining portion of it being reserved 
for additional schoolrooms when they may be 
needed. Each room is well lighted and is supplied 
with nice patent furniture. The requisite out- 
buildings have been erected. With proper labor, 
attention and expenditures, whether voluntarily 
contributed by the pupils of the school and the 
people of Leechburgh, or bj- the school directors 
at the public expense, the grounds around that 
schoolhouse can be made a beautiful and attractive 
campus. The entire cost of the ground and build- 
ings thus far is about $15,000. 

In 1860 the number of schools, 1; average num- 
ber of m.ouths taught, ft; teacher, male; average 
monthly salary, $22; number male scholars, 80; 
number female, 40 ; average number attending 
school, 47 ; cost of teaching each scholar per 
month, 31 cents; amount tax levied for school pur- 
poses, $146.8/; received from state appropriation, 
$37.91; received from collector of school tax, 
$143.74; teachers' wages, $121; fuel and contin- 
gencies, $10; repairing schoolhouse, $8. 

In 1876 the number of schools, 4;* average num- 
ber months taught, 5; male teachers, 1; female 
teachers, 3; average salaries per month, male, $70; 
female, $41.67; number male scholars, 152; number 
female scholars, 119'; average number attending 
school, 191; cost per month, 52 cents; total amount 

*That is a graded school of four grades. 



tax levied for school and building purposes, 
$2,802.79; state appropriation, $332.84; total re- 
ceipts, $3,667.86 ; paid for teachers' wages, $1,- 
243.50; fuel, collectors and contingencies, $1,177.21; 
total expenditures, $3,723.88. 

In 1857-8 the Leechburgh Institute, an institu- 
tion for the education of both sexes in the higher 
grades of learning, was established by people of 
Leechburg and vicinity. A two-story brick build- 
ing of suitable size was erected on lot No. 124, on 
the north side of Back street, in which there was 
for several years a flourishing school under the 
charge of David McKee, now connected with 
Thiel College, and other principal teachers. The 
deed for that lot from David Leech to the trustees 
in trust, etc., is dated August 5, 1857. The con- 
sideration therein expressed is "for the further- 
ance of education and for the sum of one dollar." 
The size of the lot is 60X120 feet. It was con- 
veyed "for the purpose of erecting thereon suita- 
ble buildings for an institution of learning." A 
company was organized, which appointed a board 
of trustees, who caused the building to be erected 
and assumed the discharge of such other duties as 
usually pertain to such a board. In the preamble 
of an act relative to certain real estate in the 
borough of Leechburgh, approved June 28, 1871, 
it is alleged that a company by the name and style 
of the Leechburgh Institute, etc., "was incorpo- 
rated by the Court of Quarter Sessions of Arm- 
strong county." That court had not the powei- 
and authority to incorporate an institution of that 
kind. If incorporated by the court it must have 
been by the court of common pleas. It does not 
appear from the records of that court to have been 
incorporated. That preamble further sets forth 
that that company became insolvent and its real 
estate^was sold at sheriff's sale, and the proceeds 
thereof were applied to the discharge of the debts 
of record against the company; that the sheriff 
did, on the 4th day of June, 1862, make and 
deliver a deed for such real estate to Edward S. 
Golden, who, on the 30th day of June then 
instant, did transfer, set over and assign all his 
right, title, interest and claim thereto to the then 
board of trustees and their successors in trust for 
themselves and others interested by virtue of their 
written agreement. Wherefore it was enacted 
that the title which passed by the sheriff's deed 
be ratified and confirmed, and that the trustees be 
authorized and empowered to sell that lot and the 
buildings thereon, with the appurtenances, and to 
execute and deliver a deed in fee simple to the 
purchaser or purchasers thereof, and distribute the 
proceeds of sale amongst the stockholders in pro- 






^V^^- 




if 'Sv^^-rN'O-'r"'"' ?'■ ■. 












ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



173 



portion to the stock held tlierein by eacli one. By 
deed, dated November 4, 187ii, the trustees con- 
veyed that propertj' to J. Henry Bergman for 
$1,000. That institution was chiefly under Pres- 
byterian control. 

The Lutheran "Leechburgh Institute," commonly 
called the Lutheran Academy, was incorporated by 
the court of common pleas of this county, March 
15, 1864. Its charter and a supplement to the 
charter of the Hebron congregation of the Evan- 
gelical Lutheran church of Lecchburg were con- 
joined and granted together. The aj^plicants for 
the charter of this "Institute" stated that they 
were " desirous of establishing a good academy 
or high school," the object of which was to be " to 
afl'ord to both sexes opportunities for acquiring a 
knowledge of the common and higher branches of 
education." The prescribed number of trustees 
was nine, six of whom were to be regular members 
of the Evangelical Lutheran church and to be 
elected by the Lutheran congregation of Leech- 
burgh aind other subscribers or contributors to the 
institute. A three-story brick edifice, containing 
six. schoolrooms, with cupola and bell, was soon 
after erected. This institution was in a flourish- 
ing condition for several years. Among its in- 
structors were Revs. David McKee, D. M. Kem- 
merer and Samuel F. Breckenridge. It began to 
languish after the commencement of the contro- 
versy in the church and was closed in 1869. 

Both of those Institutes were, during their two 
brief careers, eflScient promoters of education, and 
quite a large number of pupils of both sexes 
availed themselves of their advantages. It is 
probable that one alone might have been per- 
manently prosperous if established on such a basis 
as to have commanded the support of the different 
denominations. 

MEDICAL. 

The first resident physician was Dr. George W. 
Marchand, who was succeeded by Drs. J. P. Pul- 
lard, William Wilson, J. Kiers; John T. Craw- 
ford, who removed to Kittanning, studied law, was 
admitted to the bar, entered the military service of 
the LTnited States in the late war of the rebellion, 
and died of disease contracted in that service; T. 
C. McCulloch, who has been for many years a resi- 
dent physician of Kittanning; Washington Rey- 
nolds, who also removed to Kittanning, where he 
practiced his profession until his death; W. L. 
Morrow, who removed to Freeport; R. P. and J. A. 
Hunter, J. A. Armstrong and J. A. Carson. 

CEMETERY. 

The Leechburgh Cemetery Company was incor- 
porated by the proper court September 5, 1864. 
11 



The charter pi-ovides that its capital stock consist 
of one hundred shares at *25 a share, Avhich can 
be increased to two hundred shares by the corpo- 
rators holding a majority of the shares. The an- 
nual election of its otticci's is held annually on the 
first Monday of May. This company, among other 
things, is authorized to purchase land not exceed- 
ing twenty acres within a mile of Leechburgh for 
cemetery purposes, and to borrow money not ex- 
ceeding $5,000. Bonds given for such borrowed 
money are not to be liens on the cemetery ground, 
but only upon the proceeds of the sale of lots. 
The ground belonging to this company at present 
consists of two lots, nearly, and is situated 
between Back street and Siberian avenue, and 
nearly midway between Spring and Bridge alleys. 
Lots have been laid out and a number of them 
have been sold, but as yet regular streets and walks 
have not been opened. The former, at least some 
of them, are appropriately adorned. The grounds 
generally are susceptible of being made a beautiful 
resting-place for the dead. 

The old cemetery adjoins the new one, fronting 
on Siberian avenue. 

CROSSING THE EITBE. 

The primitive means of crossing the Kiskimine- 
tas was by ferrying in canoes and larger boats. 
More convenient facilities were needed. By act of 
7th of April, 1832, the Governor of this common- 
wealth was authorized to incorporate a company to 
erect a bridge over that stream, on the big dam, at 
Leechburgh. The capital stock consisted of 200. 
shares at $25 each. The books for subscription 
were to be opened on the 1st of the then next 
October, and the comjjany was required to com- 
mence the work of erecting the bridge in two 
years, and to complete it within five years after the 
passage of the act, or forfeit to the commonwealth 
the rights, liberties and franchises granted by. the 
charter, but these portions of that act or charter 
were repealed by the act of April 10, 1845, and the 
time extended to January 1, 1846. A bridge was 
built, by contract with Hugh Callen, on trestles, 
which, having become unsafe, was removed, and 
one with stone piers and abutments was erected in 
its place, which was carried away by a high flood, 
September 28, 1861, and replaced by the company 
in the summer of 1862. It was swept away by the 
heavy ice-gorge, March 15, 1875. A difference of 
opinion and a controversy had arisen between the 
bridge company and the hereinafter-mentioned 
iron works company respecting the tolls which the 
latter was to pay. The former. May 20, 1875, 
presented their petition to the court of common 



174 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



pleas of this county, praying that their charter 
mio-ht be disannulled, which was resisted by the 
latter. After argument and due consideration of 
the law and the facts involved, the court granted 
the prayer of the petitioners, July 21 of that year, 
and appointed the writer a trustee to sell all the 
lands and other real estate then owned by the 
former. Thereupon the Kiskiminetas Bridge 
Company was incorporated by the Governor of 
this commonwealth by virtue of a general act of 
assembly, with a capital of $.25,000. The property 
of the Leechburgh Bridge Company was sold by 
public outcry by the trustee, at two oclock p. m., 
on Thursday, August 19, 1875, to the Kiskiminetas 
Bridge Company, for the sum of $2,301, which sale 
was confirmed by the court, September 6, 18'75, and 
the trustee was ordered, on payment thereof, to 
execute and deliver to the purchaser a proper deed 
of conveyance, -which was accordingly done. The 
new company immediately contracted for the 
repairing of the piers and abutments and raising 
them several feet higher than they had previously 
been, and the erection thereon of a superstructure 
partly of iron and partly of wood, all which was 
completed so that the new bridge began to be used 
on the then next Christmas day, and it has been in 
successful operation ever since. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The supply of the various kinds of mechanics, 
such as are usual in every town, has kept pace with 
the growth and wants of the pojndation of this 
borough. John Taylor's tannery, between Main 
and Back streets, and Spring alley and the Lutheran 
Institute or Academy lot, was established by David 
Kuhns, in 1828, as appears from the assessment 
list. That is the first year in which he was 
assessed with a tan-yard.. 

Rogers & Burchfield having purchased at what 
were then considered low rates divers lots in 
Leechburgh, and a considerable quantity of other 
land, partly therein and partly in Allegheny town- 
ship, erected in 18Y2 and 1874 extensive iron andtin 
works, consisting of six single puddling furnaces, 
two knobbling fires, one refiner's fire, six heating 
furnaces, four sheet heating furnaces, three anneal- 
ing furnaces, two pairs of muck rolls, two pairs of 
sheet rolls, two pairs of tin rolls, two pairs of cold 
rolls, one pair of muck shears, two pairs of sheet 
shears, one blast cylinder with engine complete, 
five cylinder boilers and one Allen engine of about 
350 horse-power. The quantity of finished iron 
made per month was two hundred and fifty tons, 
the quality of which was equal to the Juniata char- 
coal made iron and number one stami^ing. All the 



other was equal to the best brands of sheet iron. 
The tin works, consisting of three stacks, were 
built in 1874. Their daily product was ninety 
boxes of excellent tin. The number employed m 
the manufacture of iron and tin was one hundred and 
fifty. They were suddenly thrown out of employ- 
ment by the suspension of those works September 
19, 1875. The rolling-mill and other buildings are 
situated in the southwestern part of the borough, 
between Main, Third and Canal streets. 

By act of March 23, 1872, Canal street was va- 
cated between the southwest corner of lot No. 19 
to Main street; Market, between Third and Canal 
streets; and Brown alley, between Main and Mar- 
ket streets. That act provides that the borough 
shall not be charged with any damages therefor. 

A large store belonging to the Siberian L-on 
Company is situated on the southwest corner of 
Third and Market streets. 

Coal was used at first for fuel, which was aban- 
doned and gas substituted, of which the well on 
the opposite side of the river, from which it is con- 
ducted through iron pipes, affords an abundant and 
apparently exhaustless svipply. It is much cheaper 
than coal, and being free from sulphur, makes a 
much better quality of iron than can be made with 
bituminous coal. Besides it is used for illuminat- 
ing the town at night, which is done by means of 
a perpendicular gas-pipe extending upward thirty- 
five feet, more or less, near the rolling-mill, from 
the top of which jets of burning gas make a large 
and brilliant flame, whose light extends a great 
distance. That gas-well was developed in 1871 by 
an oil-well company, composed largely, if not en- 
tirely, of citizens of Leechburgh, who drilled 
for oil, having been induced to do so, as the writer 
is informed, by the knowledge of the sandrocks 
and other strata which they gained from the geo- 
logical articles that had previously appeared in the 
Union Free Press. The depth to which that well 
was drilled is 1250 feet, and that of the gas vein 
about 1200 feet from the surface. 

Brickmaking is carried on in a yaid on a lot 
fronting on Canal street, nearly west of the inter- 
section of Third and Fourth streets, with which a 
a dry-house is connected, by a joint stock company. 

MBECANTILE AND OTHER OCCUPATIOKS. 

There are, according to the mercantile apprais- 
er's list, this year eighteen stores, of which seven- 
teen are in fourteenth and one in the thirteenth 
class. Under this head are included drug stores, 
groceries and merchant tailor establishments. 

The appraisement list for this year shows the 
number of ministers to be 4; physicians, 3; mill- 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



175 



foreman, 1; piiddlers, 8; rollers, 5; heaters, 5; 
shearers, 2; shinglers, 3; kiiobblers, 1; piekler, 1; 
tinmen, 3; teacher, ] ; surveyor, 1; clerks, 7; agents, 
5; contractor, 1: miners, 23; laborers, 58; wagon- 
maker, 1; brickmaker, 1; cabinetmakei', 1; jjaint- 
ers, 3; miller, 1; butchers, 4; teamsters, 5; brick 
merchant, 1; stonemasons, 2; blacksmiths,-!; shoe- 
makers, 9; carpenters, 9; tinners, 3; grain mer- 
chant, 1; cabinetmakers, 2; engineers, i!; baker, 1; 
farmer, 1; barber, 1. 

The postoffice was established November 18, 
1829. The first postmaster was David Leech; the 
present one is Israel Putnam Kerr. 

SOLDIEES' AID SOCIETY. 

A humane and patriotic spirit animated the people 
of Leechburgh and vicinity during the war of the 
rebellion. Considerable quantities of lint and 
clothing and fruits were forwarded to the army by 
them before any regular organization was eifected. 
The first meeting of the Soldiers' Aid Society was 
held probably in the spring of 1862, shortly after 
the battle of Malvern Hill. It is regretted that the 
minutes of that society cannot be found, because 
without them a full and accurate presentation of 
its good work cannot be made. Immediately after 
that battle three large boxes of sanitary stores 
were sent with Rev. L. M. Kuhns and Addison 
Leech to the wounded soldiers. As those gentle- 
men were not allowed to pass beyond Washington, 
those stores were detained until Mr. Kuhns, as 
chaplain, succeeded in forwarding them to Fortress 
Monroe, where they were handed over to the hos- 
pitals. In July of that year the contributions of 
this society were sent to the Soldiers' Aid Society 
of Philadelphia, and afterward to the Pittsburgh 
branch of the sanitary commission. 

As the records cannot be found and as. the re- 
ports of its doings were not published, it is very 
diflicult to form a correct estimate of the industry 
and liberality of its members and the value of the 
contributions made by others. One of its treasurers, 
Mrs. Mary Watson, told the writer that she remem- 
bered distinctly of four or five hundred dollars 
being in the treasury at one time, which, and all 
other moneys belonging to the society, were ju- 
diciously expended in procuring materials to be 
made up by the members, and other needed articles. 
It is altogether probable that the aggregate value 
of the labor performed by this society and the con- 
tributions made through it, if a pecuniary estimate 
could be made of them, might justly be set down 
at several thousands of dollars. The following is 
taken from a letter of one of its members: " I must 
say, for the size of the place and the means of the 



people generally, the amount sent elicited some 
very complimentary letters from oificers of the 
commission. Everything was prepared with great 
care and liberality, and evinced the jiatriotism and 
industry of the ladies of Leecliburgh and vicinity, 
of whom Mrs. John Klingensraith, Mrs. William 
Parks and Mrs. Henry McKallip were particularly 
eflicient in collecting materials and working; in- 
deed, all did a, full sha,re." 

The society persisted in doing its good work 
until the necessity for it ceased. Most, if not all, 
of its meetings were held at the residence of Mrs. 
Addison Leech, who was one of its devoted and 
efficient members. 

SOCIETIES. 

I. 0. O. F. Lodge No. 650; instituted March 
12, 1869; members, 70. 

Knights of Pythias, instituted in 1871; mem- 
bers, 66. 

Order of American MechMnics, instituted in 1873; 
members, 68. 

Order of United Workmen, instituted in 1874; 
members, 42. 

The hall of both these lodges is the Lutheran 
institute building. 

The Leechburgh Banking Company commenced 
business in February, 1873. 

TEMPERANCE. 

The sentiment of a large number of the people 
has been for years adverse to the granting of 
licenses for the sale of intoxicating beverages, 
which demanded the special act of March 27, 1866, 
prohibiting their sale within the borough limits. 
The old time temperance organizations at times 
existed. Tlie Bay Leaf Lodge of Good Templars 
No. — , was organized December 19, 1868, flour- 
ished and languished, having had a membership of 

■ . At the election, February 28, 1873, the vote 

on the license question stood : for license, 6; 
against license, 77. 

POPULATION. 

The number of inhabitants in 1860 was, whites, 
358; colored, 1. In 1870, whites, 350; colored, 18. 
The number of taxables this year is 280. If there 
are four and three-fifths persons for each taxable, 
the population this year, 1876, is 1,288. 

BUEOUGH OF ALADDIX. 

This municipality was taken from Allegheny 
township and incorporated as a borough by the 
court of quarter sessions of this county June 8, 
1867. Its boundaries were prescribed thus: Begin- 
ning at a black oak, thence north 26:^ degrees west 
22.7 perches to a post; thence north 63f degrees 



176 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



east 72 perches to a post; thence south 26i[ degrees 
east 28 perches to stones; thence south 63f degrees 
west 42 perches to a post; thence north 26^ de- 
grees west 5.3 perches to a post; thence south 63f 
degrees west 22.7 perches to the place of begin- 
ning, containing eleven acres and ninety-seven 
perches. 

The site of this borough is on the upper or 
northern part of a long narrow tract, originally 
surveyed to John Montgomery and Alexander 
Stewart, March 25, 1769, which lay between the 
John Elder, John Collier and Robert McKee tracts 
and the Allegheny river. To that upper part of 
the Montgomery and Stewart tract Peter Shaeffer 
acquired title by occupancy, and is included in the 
warrant issued to him, dated December 3, 1824, 
and in the patent to him, dated June 8, ] 836, and 
portions of which he conveyed, July 11, 1855, to 
David Boyd, viz., 60 acres and 37 perches for 
$249.25, and February 17, 1859, to Thomas Don- 
nelly, viz., 11 acres for |2,450. The former con- 
veyed his tract, September 10, 1859, to Thomas J. 
Brereton, J. Thos. Johnston, H. Brady Wilkins 
and Charles H. Shattuck for $1,125; the last- 
named confirmed his title thereto to the others, 
viz., Brereton, Johnston & Co., May 10, 1860, and 
the latter conveyed his tract, June 4, 1860, to that 
company for $10,000. The Aladdin Oil Works, or 
Refinery, were erected by that company in 1859 
for the manufacture of oil from cannel coal by the 
same process as that of the North American Oil 
Works in Allegheny township. About 1863 they 
commenced distilling petroleum. From 1870 
until 1876 these works were run by Dr. H. W. C. 
Tweddle for manufacturing refined and lubricat- 
ing oils and parafline. They were then purchased 
by the Standard Oil Company. The quantity of 
crude oil consumed in those manufactures was 
about 8,000 barrels a month. The number of men 
employed was from thirty to forty. The crude 
oil has been for some time received by a pipe line 
from the oil wells. The operation of the oil works 
has been suspended and resumed several times 
since they were built. Some of their products at 
the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia so 
attracted the attention of some of the foreign 
visitors and scientists as to induce them to visit 
Aladdin and examine the works. 

Natural gas was first discovered in Leechburgh 
in 1870 by Jos. E. Beale and others while drilling 
a test well for oil, and was first utilized for the 
manufacture of iron in the Leechburgh Iron 
Works in 1872, being conducted into the furnaces 
by pipes leading into the mill from the wells. A 
patent has been asked for and is yet in litigation 



in regard to the same. It has since been used for 
the manufacture of iron near Pittsburgh by parties 
who laid a pipe line some eighteen miles from the 
producing wells to their works. It is also now in 
use for the manufacture of steel by the open hearth 
process by Jos. E. Beale in his West Pennsylvania 
Steel Works at Leechburgh, the place of its first 
utilization. It is acknowledged by all who have 
any knowledge of it to be the finest fuel for the man- 
ufacture of iron or steel ever discovered; being so 
free from all the injurious ingredients of which 
coal is composed, and being so easily controlled and 
applied makes it invaluable for the purposes named. 
It can also be applied for burning brick, smelting 
iron ores and purposes of that kind, so that the 
vicinities where it is found, that are convenient to 
transportation, have advantages for the manufactur- 
ing of steel and iron that cannot be competed with. 

The first election was held by order of the court 
at the office of the Aladdin Oil Company, Decem- 
ber 18, 1861. E. B. Barton was elected the first 
burgess, and Babteste Scott, P. Donnelly, D. Shair, 
William Gillman and James Boyle, the first coun- 
cilmen. 

The vote on the license question was ten for, and 
none against, granting licenses to sell intoxicating 
liquors. 

SCHOOLS. 

A frame one-story building was erected, probably 
in 1867-8, which is used for a free school and for 
religious meetings. The first school report is for 
the year ending first Monday of June, 1869. 

In 1869 there was one school; No. months taught, 
5; female teacher, 1; salary jier month, $28; m„le 
scholars, 19; female scholars, 12; average number 
attending school, 23; cost per month, $1.16; amount 
tax levied for school and building purposes, $177.28; 
received from tax collectors and other sources, 
$218.28; from state appropriation, $8.50; cost of 
instruction, $140; fuel and contingencies, $30.25; 
cost of schoolhouse, $39.88; balance on hand, $8.23. 

In 1874 there was one school; number months 
taught, 4; one female teacher; salary per month, 
$28; male scholars, 8; female scholai's, 14; average 
attendance, 19; cost per month, $1.48; received 
from state appropriation, $8.16; from taxes and 
other sources, $164.98; total, $173.14; cost school 
houses, etc., $24; paid for teacher's wages, $112; 
for fuel, contingencies, etc., $18.30 ; resources, 
$10.68. There has been no annual report since 
1874. 

STATISTICS. 

Population in 1870, native, 23 ; foreign, 6 ; total, 
29. Number of taxables this year 17, and the 
population 78. 



ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP. 



177 



The assessment list for 1876 shows thus : Oil 
refinery, §11,000. Occupations — manager, 1 ; re- 
finer, 1 ; stillmen, 2 ; laborers, 7 ; firemen, 2 ; me- 
chanic, 1 ; miner, 1. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

The formations just below the mouth of the Kis- 
kiminetas are, it is presumed, quite similar to 
those just above its mouth. They are, therefore, 
given as indicating what are immediately above. 

" On the lands of Mr. Stuart and Mr. Dodd, on 
the east side of the Allegheny, below the mouth of 
the Kiskiminetas, the slaty cannel coal is sep- 
arated from the bright bituminous bed by from 
six to eight feet of slate. The cannel stratum 
averages five feet in thickness. The Freeport 
sandstone beneath forms massive ledges along 
the railroad. On the east side of the Allegheny 
the coals are at a much higher level than on Buf- 
falo creek, owing to a local rise in the strata, but 
there can be no difficulty in identificaticm. A 
proximate analysis of Dodd's cannel coal by Dr. 
Alter, develops thirty-four per cent of volatile 
matter. From twenty-two pounds of the coal he 
obtained thirty-three ounces of crude oil, a gallon 
of which yielded one ounce of paraffine, besides 
coal tar, lighter oils, benzole, etc. 

" One and one-half miles above the mouth of the 
Kiskiminetas, are tine exposures of the Freeport 
sandstone, dipping both west and north (falsely 
bedded, perhaps). Two and a half miles above its 
mouth, the Upper Freeport coal is about one hun- 
dred and eight feet above the canal, due east and 
twenty-five feet higher than at Freeport. Four 
miles above the mouth at (what used to be) Otter- 
man's and Cochran's salt works, the Freeport sand- 
stone has passed the fourth axis and descended 
below water level, dipping southeast. There the 
Upper Freeport coal is sixty-nine feet above 
the canal, all the strata below it being shales. At 
the canal level are black shales from four to five 
feet thick. The mass of shales dips up the river 
rapidly, and at .the same time changes into sand- 
stone beds still interstratified with shales. 

"A fourth of a mile below" Leechburgh "the 
following section exhibits the coal at a much lower 
elevation " than there : Descending from the sur- 
face — "shale, 9 feet; Upper Freeport coal, 3 feet 
3 inches ; shale, 22 inches ; coal, 1 inches ; shale, 
3 feet. Freeport limestone, blue, 2 feet ; soft 
sandstone, 1 foot; shale, 17 feet to bed of Pine 
run, not much above slack wSter. 

"This appears to be about the middle line of the 
Fourth Basin. In the middle of the basin both 
coal and limestone seem thin and irregular. 



"At Leechburg, five and a fourth miles above 
the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, above which is a 
gentle undulation of the strata, the foUoAving sec- 
tion of rocks was obtained at the quarries : Sand- 
stone and shale, 16 feet; Upper Freeport coal, ik 
feet, 63 feet above slack water ; blue-black shale, 
14 inches; light shale, 6 inches ; coal, 4 inches; 
light shale, 14 inches; iron ore, 3 inches; Free- 
port limestone, 1 foot ; calc slate, shale, 3 feet ; 
shale and large chunks of limestone, 3-^ feet; lime- 
stone, 32 inches ; shale, with calcareous nodules 
and flags, 5 feet ; calcareous shales, C feet 8 
inches; shale, sandstone, etc., 3 feet; sandstone, 1 
foot ; shales, a little bituminous, 1 foot ; blue fer- 
riferous shale, 7 feet ; shale and sandstone, 6 feet ; 
massive Freeport sandstone, 42 feet; Lower Free- 
port coal, interstratified with slate, 4 feet. 

"The Freeport sandstone, near the water's edge, 
is a fine quartzose conglomerate, containing vege- 
table impressions and pebbles of nodular carbon- 
ate of iron, of all sizes, and so numerous as to 
compose the whole mass of the rock for a thick- 
ness of 6, 8, or even 10 inches. A slip appears 
to combine with the original oblique bedding of 
the sandstone to express to the eye of the spec- 
tator an unconformity of stratification at the upper 
limit of the sandstone, and upon its apparently up- 
heaved edges rests the calcareous slates and coal 
above. Something similar may be observed else- 
where along the Kiskiminetas, at a pioint seven 
miles below Saltsburgh. 

"At the salt works, half a mile above Leech- 
burgh, the upper Freeport coal, three and a half 
feet thick, covered by sixteen feet of shale, is sixty- 
two and a half feet above slackwater and sinks to 
an altitude of fifty feet for the next two miles up 
the river, and is there three and a half feet thick, 
covered by two feet of black slate and this bj' 
eight feet of sandstone." (Rogers' Geology of 
Pennsylvania.) 

It is inferrible, then, that Leechburgh is near 
the synclinal axis of the Fourth Basin,* ;'. e. the 
line along which the opposite descending strata 
meet. The Fourth Basin lies between the anti- 
clinals of the Fourth and Fifth, or the axes of the 
Third and Fourth Basins. The anticlinal of the 
Fifth, or axis of the Fourth Basin, passes northeast 
and southwest about two and three-fourths miles to 
the northwest of Leechburgh on to the Kiskimine- 
tas. The distance by a straight line from the anti- 



* According to tlie geologists there was in the formation of the 
various strata a gnat wave from north to south, but Ijetwccn the 
Allegheny mountains and the highhind iu Erie county, Pennsylva- 
nia, there \vere six minor cross waves I'rom iiorthea.>t U) suUthwest, 
which they call the six Coal Basins. The synclinal of a basin is i;s 
bottimi, or the line along which its i ippo.-ite slopes meet ; its anticlinal 
is the line alons: the top or crest of its southeastern sli pe; and its axis 
is the line along the top or crest of its northwestern slope. 



178 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



(ilinal of the Fifth Basin through Leechbtirgh to 
the anticlinal of the Fourth Basin is about ten and 
three-fourths miles. If there are oil-bearing rocks 
in the Fourth Basin the oil in them will be tapped 
at a less depth on the slopes than at the center of 
the basin, that is, the line along which the strata 
of each descending slope meet. The northwestern 
slope of the Fourth Basin appears to be about 
three miles, while its southeastern slope is about 
seven and three-fourths miles from the respective 
anticlinals to its center, or synclinal axis. The 
diiference in the depth of a particular rock or stratum 
at the center and along the slopes up to the anti- 
clinals will of course be in proportion to the degree 
of ascent from the center to the anticlinals, provided 
no local changes occur to vary the regular interval 
between water-level and the de.sired rock or stratum. 

About 75,000 perches of sandstone have been 
taken out of the quarries near Jacksonville, or 
Bagdad, and sent to market, by Samuel Bowers and 
his employes, worth $8 a perch delivered on the 
canal boat. 

For the geological features or indications of the 
northern part of Allegheny township the reader is 
referred to those elsewhere given as those along 
Crooked creek. 

The following is the record of the Leechburgh 
gas well, furnished to J. F. Carll, of the Second 
Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, by Joseph G. 
Beale : The well mouth is about fifteen feet below 
the level of the West Pennsylvania railroad depot at 
that point. Conductor, 22 feet; sand rock, .50; lime- 
stone, with gas and water, 6; fireclay, 12; soft, 
loose shale, 200 ; blue pebble, 60; sandstone, white, 
15; pebble, dark, 12; soapstone, 18; blue rock,- 5; 
red rock, 8; slate, dark, 35; sandstone, white, with 
a little salt water, 75; slate, blue, 60; soft blue rock, 
100; sandstone, gray, 20; soapstone, 100; rock, soft 
and changeable, with salt water, 152; sandstone, 
white, 30; shale, 200; blue rock, hard shells, 20; 
pebble and sand rock mixed, present gas vein, 30 ; 
blue rock and hard shells, 20; depth of well 1,250 
feet. The great flow of gas is about 50 feet above 
the bottom of the well and comes (observes Frank- 



lin Pratt, assistant geologist in charge of the 
second geological survey of Armstrong and several 
other counties) from the first sand rock. No coal 
beds are mentioned as having been passed through 
in drilling this well, yet coals were struck in boring 
various salt wells between that point and the Alle- 
gheny river. The fl.ow of gas is apparently as 
strong now as when it was first struck. 

Levels above tide, at stations on the West Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, along the left bank of the 
Kiskiminetas. The datum is the mean tide in the 
Schuylkill river at the Philadelphia Market street 
bridge. Add seven feet to each to ascertain its 
elevation above the mean Atlantic Ocean level : 
Helena, 1010 feet above tide; Salina, 948 feet; 
Northwest, 887 feet; Roaring Run, 820 feet; 
Apollo, 816 feet; Townsend's Summit, 880 feet; 
Grinder's (near Leechburgh), 820 feet ; Bagdad, 
or Hill's Mills, 773 feet ; Allegheny, or West Penn- 
sylvania Junction, as corrected by J. F. Carll, 
790. 6-t feet. [Ibid, N.) 

Along the Allegheny river, between the above- 
mentioned Junction and Crooked Creek : North- 
west, inside corner of north abutment of Kiski- 
minetas bridge, 793.21 feet above ocean; opposite 
mile post, 795 feet ; bench mark on lower inside 
corner of north wall of culvert, 795.3 feet ; oppo- 
site Aladdin station, 792.9 feet ; opposite mile 
post, 786 feet; opposite mile post, 779.6 feet; B. 
M. on upper inside corner of south abutment of 
bridge No. 32, 779.8 feet ; opposite mile post, 784.3 
feet ; B. M. on lower inside corner of north wall 
of cnlvert, 781.7 feet ; opposite White Rock Sta- 
tion, 782.4 feet ; opposite mile post, 780.4 feet ; B. 
M. on lower inside corner of north wall of culvert, 
778 feet ; opposite Kelly's Station, 780.6 feet ; 
opposite mile post, 781.3 feet ; B. M. on "Hickory 
Right," 315 feet north of 35th mile post, 794.82 
feet ; opposite mile post, 784.3 feet ; B. M. on lower 
inside corner of north wall of culvert, 782.7 feet ; 
opposite Logansport Station, 785 feet ; opposite 
mile post, 785.5 feet ; opposite mile post, 787.9 
feet ; B. M. on upper inside corner of south abut- 
ment of bridge No. 38, 789 feet. 



CHAPTER VL 



KITTANNING. 



Blanket Hill — Relics of the Battle Fought There — Original Tracts of Land in the Township — Residents in 
1805 — Beers' Mills — John Giild — A Circle Hunt — The Paper Town of " Benton" — Churches— Popula- 
tion — Temperance — Postal — Humboldt Gardens — Geology. 

lutionary war, as related to the writer by Mrs. 
Joseph Clark, Fergus Moorheacl and Andrew Simp- 
son were, as their turn came, sent out from the 
blockhouse at or near the site of the borough of 
Indiana on a scout of two weeks' duration, which 
was extended to the Allegheny river probably 
by what Jacob Waltenbough says was the Pulleu 
path, which branched off from a tree on the farm 
now owned by Peter Heilman, and struck that 
river near the mouth of Garrett's run. On their 
return they were unexpectedly surrounded by 
Indians in the vicinity of Blanket hill. Simpson 
was shot and scalped in the presence of Moorhead, 
and soon aftei'ward the latter's horse was shot. 
He was then taken prisoner by the Indians and 
rapidly driven on ahead of them. One of them 
w'rote a letter in English, placed it against a tree ■ 
and secured it from the rain by placing it in a 
saddle, the purport of w^hich was that that affair 
was nothing compared with what the English set- 
tlers might expect. When Moorhead learned that 
the Indian could talk English, he inquired why 
they didn't shoot him as well as Simpson. The 
Indian replied that they had shot and missed him 
three times, and that the Great Spirit wouldn't 
allows them to shoot at the same person more than 
three times. Those scouts had a supply of veni- 
son, which the Indians took and dealt out to their 
prisoner as rations. After it was exhausted the 
Indian fare was hard and unpalatable. The}^ 
took him to Quebec and delivered him up to the 
English, where he was kept in garrison until he was 
released on his parole of honor. It w^as about nine 
months from the time he left Indiana until lie 
returned. 

The above-mentioned letter was found, soon 
after it was written, by another party that was 
sent out in search of those scouts, who found the 
body of the one that was killed and the other's 
horse. 

Col. Archibald Lochry, in his letter to Thomas 
Wharton, Jr., president of the Supreme Executive 
Council of Pennsylvania, dated "Westmoreland, 
ye 20th May, 17*77," stated among other things 



KITTAISFNING township, since it has been 
shorn of so much of its original territory 
as is now included in that of six other entire town- 
ships and in the major part of two others, as at 
present formed, is one of the most regular in shape 
in the county, being nearly a parallelogram in that 
respect, as it appears on the map. 

The earliest notable event that occurred on the 
present territory of this township was the des- 
perate fight between Lieut. Hogg and a superior 
force of Indians, described in the general sketch 
of the country, on what has since been called 
Blanket Hill, being on the tract originally sui-- 
veyed on a warrant to Christian Signitz, dated 
February 4, 1776, and, the same day, conveyed to 
Joseph Cauffman by deed, the executors of whose 
surviving executor, June 80, 1834, conveyed it to 
Frederick Hileman and John Cravener ; Hileman 
having conveyed the larger part of his interest 
therein to Cravener, the latter conveyed his inter- 
est April 1, 1844, to Philip Dormyer — commonly 
called Dunmire. 

Besides the relics of the Blanket Hill battlefield, 
elsewhere mentioned, is a one-edged sword, found 
by John Nolder, which came into the possession of 
Gen. Orr. The blade had' not been much injured 
by rust when it was found, but the wood part of 
the hilt had completely decayed, nothing but the 
silver mounting having been left. Its appearance 
did not indicate that it had been in its scabbard 
when it was lost. Various other relics have been 
found there at different times, viz. : a spear six- 
teen or eighteen inches long, an arm carried, in 
1756, by a commissioned oflicer ; the iron and brass 
of a pistol ; a gun barrel ; a black quart bottle, 
broken in two pieces, the glass remarkably thick ; 
and a piece of brass with a curious device on it 
representing several Indians in different attitudes, 
supposed to have been a large clasp of a sword- 
belt. About sixty-two years ago, Samuel Nolder 
found the iron-bound bucket, heretofore mentioned, 
hanging on the limb of a tree, which had probably 
swung there since that battle. 

About or soon after the beginning of the revo- 



180 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



that on his arrival on the 4th of April he found 
the county in a confused situation. The alarm of 
the killing of Simpson and the absence of Moor- 
head struck the people with such terror that they 
fled from the frontiers into the heart of the settle- 
ments, and great numbers of them over the moun- 
tains. In order to prevent them from entirely 
evacuating the country, he stated that he had ven- 
tured to raise sixty men and station them on the 
frontier between Two Licks and the mouth of the 
Kiskiminetas, in four divisions, under command of 
two captains and two lieutenants, which covered 
that frontier so well that the people generally had 
returned to their plantations and resumed their 
labors. It will be borne in mind that the terri- 
tory of this township was then in Westmoreland 
county, over which Locliry's authority as county 
lieutenant extended. 

James White, of Pine township, informed the 
writer that John Guld was with Simpson when he 
was killed, and escaped down Cherry run toward 
Crooked creek, and that the Indians, after chasing 
him several miles, captured and kept him seven 
years. 

The following are the orignal tracts within the 
present limits of this township : George Gray,* 
324.7 acres, partly in Manor township, seated by 
William Hurtman ; a part of the Michael Huffnagle 
tract ; Robert Smith tract, 317 acres, partly in Bur- 
rell, seated by John King ; the Charles Fhl or John 
Phillips tract, 335 acres, southwest corner in Bur- 
rell, seated by John Shall ; the William Stewart 
tract, 415 acres, partly in Burrell, seated by John 
Serfoos ; the James Todd tract, 439^ acres, partly 
in Burrell and Plum creek, seated by John Alt- 
man ; the Thos. Smith, Sr., tract, 411 acres, seated 

by Jacob Hankey and Shised ; Thomas Smith, 

Jr., tract, 415 acres; the John Smith tract, 337 
acres, seated by Jacob Waltenbough and Philip 
Hartman ; the Robert S. Steele tract, 341.9 acres, 
seated by John Shotts ; the Jacob Rudolph tract, 
366 acres ; the Robert Smith, Jr., tract, 400 acres ; 
the Jacob Neninger tract, 330.9 acres, seated by 
Michael Hartman ; the Charles Grubb tract, 330.4 
acres, seated by John and Daniel Hilemau ; the 
Jacob Lindeg tract, 339.9 acres, seated by Henry 
King ; the Martha Phillips tract, 345 acres, seated 
by George Wensel ; the John Smith tra.ct, 346 
acres ; the Martin Dubbs tract, 365-|- acres, seated 
by James Patton ; the Peter Thompson tract, 319.4 
acres; the Charles Belts tract, 416.8 acres; the 
John Schenck tract, 301.8 acres, seated by Fred'k 
Hileman and George dinger ; the Chi-istian Sig- 



*An original member of the Board of Wars, appointed by the 
Supreme Executive Council March 12, 1777. 



nitz tract, 406.4 acres, seated by Daniel Yundt, Jr.; 
the Nathan'l Lewis tract, 380.7 acres, seated by 
Hugh Blaney ; the Isaac Franks tract, 395.4 acres ; 
the William Cooper tract, 408.4 acres, partly in 
Plum creek; the Samuel Smith, Sr. (member of 
assembly from Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 
1777-8), tract, 416.8 acres, seated by Robert Laf- 
f erty ; the Samuel Smith, Jr., tract, 387.8 acres; 
the Thomas Hutchinson tract, 300.8 acres, partly 
in Plum creek, seated by Henrj'^ Bowers ; the John 
Ewing tract, 400.6 acres, partly in Valley ; the 
William Henderson tract, 328 acres, seated by 
Sebastian Bowers ; the Peter Thompson tract, 
407.6 acres ; the Fred'k Rohrer, Jr., tract, 330 
acres, seated by John Cravenor ; the Thomas 
Salter tract, 384^ acres ; the Robert Smith tract, 
399.8 acres ; the Jonathan Shoemaker tract, 312.2 
acres ; the Philip Cleraburg tract, 294:|^ acres ; the 
John Guld tract, 359|^ acres,, seated by Andrew 
Lopeman ; the Moses Bartram tract, 338-J acres, 
partly in Valley, seated by Jacob Schrecengost ; 
the Christopher Oury (or Ourich) tract, 312^ 
acres, seated hj Richard Graham and Abram Tis- 
cus ; the Frederick Knhl tract, 313-^ acres, seated 
by Adam Olinger ; the John Pomeroy tract, 283-^ 
acres, seated by George Williams ; the Fred'k 
Rohrer tract, 90 acres, seated by Francis Rupp ; 
the Francis Rupp tract, 157 acres, seated by him- 
self ; the Benjamin Hogan tract, 352 acres, seated 
by Daniel Fitzgeralds ; the Peter Hileman tract, 
200 acres, seated by himself ; the John Carson 
tract, 319 acres, partly in Manor, seated by Daniel 
Bouch ; the Tobias Long tract, 341-|- acres, seated 
by Daniel Hileman and Adam Waltenbough ; the 
Benjamin Scheckengaust tract, 200 acres, seated 
by himself. 

In the southwestern corner of the township a run 
empties into Crooked creek at the upper or north- 
ern part of the loop, which received in early times 
the name of "Horny Camp run," because the In- 
dians hung deers' horns on the trees along its 
banks. Some years ago — Jacob Waltenbough, 
now ninety-one years of age, from his early life 
familiar with the Crooked creek region, thinks it 
was in 1 840 — a tree was cut down on the land of 
a Mr. Young, in which some deers' horns were 
found, covered by the growth of the tree and par- 
tially decayed. 

The Jacob Lindeg tract was called "Medway''; 
the warrant is dated May 12, 1773; Lindeg con- 
veyed his interest to Andrew Groff, to whom John 
Penn and John Penn, Jr., issued their patent, dated 
tTuly 4, 1776. It was sold for taxes in 1818 to Robert 
Orr, Jr., who conveyed it to Henry King December 
8, 1821, for two hundred and twenty-five dollars. 



KITTANNING TOWNSHIP. 



181 



The Beujaiuiii Ilogaii tract was called "Worms;" 
patent to Joseph Cauifman August 2, 1781, the 
executors of whose surviving executor conveyed it 
to Daniel Fitzgeralds July 27, 1827, for $1,409. 

The Tobias Long tract was called " Georgia," 
and one hundred and seventeen acres of it became 
vested in Adam Waltenbougli by deed in Decem- 
ber, 1S07. 

The Robert Smith, Jr., tract was called " Eras- 
mus." The proprietor advertised it for sale in the 
Western JSciffle September 20, 1810, and described 
it as " situate on a run on the north side of Crooked 
creek, about one mile southeast of Adam Walten- 
bough's, and about the same distance from Michael 
Hertman's — Hertman lives west of this tract. 
About four miles to the Kittanning county town." 
He also stated that families might have from forty 
to fifty acres, planting six fruit trees of different 
kinds on each acre — to erect such buildings as 
would best suit themselves, to keep the land im- 
proved and under good fence, and to supply rails 
in the place of those decayed; and that there was 
a prospect of several very public roads passing- 
through that land by the then next summer or fall, 
which would be " a market at the door for produce 
raised." Those who wished to make such improve- 
ments were directed to apply to William Craw- 
ford or Robert Sloan. The warrant for this tract 
is dated September 13, 1784, and the survey Sep- 
tember 3, 1787. 

The George Stine tract, a considerable portion 
of which is in this township, was called "Wheat- 
field;" the John Smith (337 acre) tract, "Smith's 
retreat; " the Moses Bartram* tract, " Hopewell," 
which was conveyed by the executors of the will 
of Mark Wilcox, deceased, to Thomas McConnell 
July 17, 1827, for |1,600; the Isaac Franks tract, 
" Walnut Bottom." 

Glancing over the assessment-list for Allegheny 
township for 1805-6, the writer infers that at least 
the following-named persons were then residing 
and had perhaps for several years before resided on 
the territory now included within the present limits 
of Kittanning township: 

George Beer, gunsmith, 140 acres of land, valued 
at $115 in 1805, and $126 in 1806, his trade being 
valued or assessed at $10. Samuel Beer, 30 acres, 
1 gristmill and 1 sawmill, 1 horse and 1 head of 
cattle— total valuation, $69 in 1805, and $74 in 
1806. John Beer, 53 acres, 1 head of cattle, $31.50. 
Daniel Fitzgeralds, 100 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 



*Probably a son of John Bartram, for a long time botanist to 
Queen Caroline of England, before the revolution, anci a brother of 
Wilhnm Bartram, who was well known in Pennsvh-auia, and who 
published a journal of his travels through the Creek eountry and 
among the southern Indians, 



$160 in 1805, and $155 in 1806. John Gnld (often 
written Gold), 245 acres, 1 horse, 1 head of cattle, 
$198.75. Daniel Guld, 76 acres, 4 cattle, 177 in 
1805, and $77.50 in 1806. Michael Hurtraan, 2 
cattle, $10 in 1805, and $15 in 1806. Peter Hile- 
man, 200 acres, 1 horse, 2 cattle, $170 in 1805, 
and $180 in 1806. John Hileman, single man, $5 
in 1806. Daniel Hileman, single man. John 
Howser, 400 acres, 1 head of cattle, latter $5 in 

1805, both in 1806 $220. Jacob Howser, 135 acres, 
3 cattle, $116.25 in 1805, and $121.25 in 1806. 
Jacob Hankey, joiner, 92 acres, $61 in 1806. John 
King, tailor, 50 acres — trade $10 — land $37.50 in 

1806. Jacob Lafferty, single man, 150 acres, $75 
in 1805, "married a wife," $85 in 1806. Christo- 
pher Oury, 300^ acres, 1 distillery, 3 horses, 3 cat- 
tle, $345.50 in 1805, and $350.50 in 1806. Adam 
Oury; 3 cattle, $15 in 1805. Francis Roop, 157 
acres, 1 horse, 4 cattle, $187. Adam Waltenbough, 
100 acres, 1 horse, 1 head of cattle, $65. Thomas 
Williams, 100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle in 1805, $70; 
no horse, 1 head cattle in 1806, $55. Jacob Wal- 
tenbough, 1 head cattle in 1805, $5; 163 acres in 
1806, $86.50. Peter Waltenbaugh, 80 acres, 2 
horses, 1 head of cattle in 1805, $85; only 1 horse in 

, 1806, $75. Daniel Yount, 341 acres in 1805, 1 head 
' of cattle, $175.50; 152 acres in 1806, 2 cattle, $86. 
How long before 1805 the mills, assessed to 
Samuel Beer, were erected is not known, probably 
two or three years. They were on Big Run, on a 
part of the John Guld tract. Although then called 
Beer's Mills, it is possible they at first belonged to 
Daniel Guld, for John Guld conveyed the portion 
of his tract on which they were, to Daniel Guld, 
August 10, 1795, and the latter to Samuel Beer, 
December 2, 1809, who conveyed the same to John 
Howser, October 29, 1810, who conveyed it to Ben- 
jamin Schrecengost in June, 1820. Since his death 
they have been owned by George Howser and 
Joseph Frantz, the present proprietor. Some of 
the chestnut clapboards sawed at that sawmill 
are still a part of the covering of the outer front 
side of the house erected by Michael Meehling, on 
lot No. 120, in Kittanning, in 1804, they having 
been placed there a few years after its erection. 
The warrant to John Guld for the tract on which 
these mills are situated is dated March 22, 1786, 
and the patent, August 8, 1787. He was a notable 
man in his day. The writer is informed by one of 
his descendants, that he was a scout as early as 
1749. He was often employed, on account of his 
fleetness, intrepiditj^ and power of endurance, as a 
bearer of dispatches from one military post to 
another, during and after the revolutionary war. 
He belonged to a company of rangers, and for 



182 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



a while carried the mail from Fort Pitt to or near 
to the Great Meadows, which point is in what is 
now Fayette county, between Chestnut Ridge and 
Lam-el Hill. While on one of his scouting tours, 
a surveyor was shot from his horse by ambushed 
Indians near Blanket Hill. He finally settled on 
that tract of land, from which he was occasionally 
forced by the Indians to flee to the blockhouse on 
the Allegheny river below the mouth of Fort Run. 
In part pay of his military services he received a 
grant of 200 acres of donation land, situated near 
Mercer, Pennsylvania, which he sold to John Dun- 
bar for £5. He was frequently in Kittanning dur- 
ing the latter jiart of his life, and his Indian-like 
appearance is still distinctly remembered by some 
of the oldest citizens of that borough. His last will 
and testament is dated December 9, 1815, and it was 
proven and registered December 19, then instant. 
He thereby devised his plantation in this township 
to his two sons, John and George, directed that the 
former should properly keep him the rest of his 
life, and left bequests of minor value to the rest of 
his children. It would be naturally supposed that 
he died between the ninth and nineteenth of that 
month. Yet the records fiu'ther show, that on 
the 7th of May, 1818, he conveyed 183 acres of 
that tract to his son George for $10 and his 
keeping the rest of his life, and on the 14th of 
the same month, seventy acres thereof to Thomas 
McConnell for $280.40 — nearly two years and a half 
after the jirobate and registration of his will, which 
is a singularity. 

These mills appear to have been the only ones 
within the present limits of this township for 
many years. In 1849-50 John Hileman was 
assessed with a sawmill, and thereafter Daniel 
Hileman, which is probably the one near the Hile- 
man schoolhouse, on a run flowing southeastwardly 
into the west branch of Cherry run. Jacob 
Hankey, Jr., was assessed with a sawmill for several 
years from and after 1852. George Loyster's grist 
and saw mills, on Spruce run, in the northeastern 
part of the township, were erected in 1868-9. 
Martin V. Remaley's steam flourmill, situate about 
170 rods in an air line northwest of the Hileman 
sawmill, was erected in 1872. 

For an agricultural people, as the great mass of 
the inhabitants of this township have been since 
its first settlement, the number of tradesmen and 
mechanics usual in every community has been 
adequate. 

From 1828 until 1855 the manufacture of whisky 
was carried on by a variety of persons at and for 
different periods, as the assessment lists show. 
The " Hileman " was regarded as being of very 



good quality and had the reputation of being genu- 
ine among good judges of liquor. At least one 
person who kept a quantity of it on hand, having 
occasion to dispense some of it rather freely in a 
certain emergency, was grievously affected because 
one or more of its imbibers intimated that it was 
not good whisky. 

A notable point in early times was on the Chris- 
topher Oury tract, where Richard Graham settled 
and kept an inn, which was a favorite resort for 
pleasure parties from Kittanning and elsewhere. 

On Wednesday evening, April 3, 1828, a large 
meeting was held in the borough of Kittanning, of 
which the late Michael Mechling was chairman 
and the late Chief Justice Thompson, secretary, 
for the purpose of organizing a grand circular wolf 
hunt, for which necessary arrangements were made 
and the following circle was agreed upon : From 
the mouth of Pine creek along the Allegheny river 
to the mouth of Crooked creek, thence up to Cherry 
run, thence across to Beck's mill (near what is now 
Oscar), thence to Col. Robert Walker's, and thence 
to the mouth of Pine creek. The closing ground 
was to be on the farm of Richard Graham and the 
time fixed for the hvmt April 22. The result of 
which was, not the capture of a wolf, but of a num- 
ber of foxes. It was on that occasion that a cler- 
gyman inadvertently became intoxicated, for which 
he was suspended from the ministry by his Pres- 
bytery, but was subsequently restored to his min- 
isterial functions. The people then were deeply 
interested in the hunt, and the marshals and the 
men whom they respectively controlled were 
promptly in their places, and as the signal for 
starting, which was the blowing of horns, passed 
round the circle they simultaneously commenced 
moving from the outer circle to the inner ones, 
each of which was indicated by small bunches of 
straw placed along on the ground. The huntsmen 
were mounted on horses and made all the din and 
noise possible with yells, horns, bells and horse- 
fiddles, for the purpose of starting the various kinds 
of game that may have been within the outer circle, 
which they finally concentrated within the inner- 
most or smallest circle, where they were to be 
killed or captured. Some, probably considerable, 
of the game then started was suffered to escape, 
saj's one of the marshals, through gaps in the 
circles, caused by some of the mounted men stop- 
ping or slacking the speed of their horses to talk, 
regardless or perhaps oblivious of the preacher's 
saying, " There is a time to keep silence and a time 
to speak." One of the times for the former is, 
from the nature of the case, while a circle of hunts- 
men are closing in upon their game. 



KITTANNING TOAVNSHIP. 



183 



Thai was also a point for holding militai-)' re- 
views, one of which was on Tnesday, May 21, 1839, 
of the first battalion of the 126th regiment of the 
Pennsylvania militia, by the order of Philip Tem- 
pleton, then the Colonel of that regiment. 



On the 10th of February, 1836, Abraham Fiscus 
advertised that he had laid out the plat of a new 
town, bearing that name, on the Annstrong and 
Indiana turnpike road, about five miles southeast of 
the borough of Kittanning. He stated that it was 
"beautifully situated in the midst of a thriving 
neighborhood and will afford an eligible situation 
for the prosecution of various branches of busi- 
ness;" and that on Thursday, March 15, then 
next, the lots would be offered at public sale, on 
the premises — a part of the Oury tract. The deed 
books in the Recorder's oflice do not show that a 
single one of these lots was conveyed to a pur- 
chaser. 

CHURCHES. 

The first organization of a church within the 
present limits of this township was Christ's, known 
in these later times as the one at Rupp's, four miles 
east of the borough of Kittanning, and one-fourth 
of a mile north of the Indiana Pike. Its early 
records were destroyed several years ago by the 
fire which consumed Mr. Rupp's house, in which 
they were kept, so that the writer is obliged to de- 
pend upon reliable tradition for the facts of its 
early historv. Jacob Hileman, now in his eighty- 
sixth year, who came with his father to the Peter 
Hileman tract in 1796, and has lived there ever 
since, remembers of this church having been or- 
ganized about sixty-five years ago, or about 1811, 
b}' Rev. Lambrecht, a Lutheran clergyman. A 
log meeting-house was soon afterward, probably 
the next year, erected on ground adjoining the site 
of the present one, on the five-acre tract given as a 
donation by Christopher Oury for chiirch pur- 
poses. The Lutheran and German Reformed con- 
gregations had for awhile a joint interest in the 
church property, but which has for many years 
been exclusively Lutheran. Rev. Wm. Weinel 
was the German Reformed clergyman, who offi- 
ciated here for most, if not all the time, while 
the joint occupation by the two denominations ex- 
isted. 

One of the early successors, if not the first one, 
of Rev. Lambrecht, was Rev. J. Sylenfelc, who, 
tradition says, having obtained the requisite au- 
thority and credentials from the proper church 
authorities, went forth on a mission to collect 
funds for erecting a new and better meeting-house. 



He never returned, though, as it was ascertained, 
he had collected several thousand dollars for that 
purpose. The supposition is that he returned to 
Germany with those funds. His successor was 
Rev. Adam Mohler, who became the object of 
another kind of scandal, whether justly so or not, 
the writer is not prepared to say. He was followed 
as early as, if not earlier than October 14, 1825, by 
Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert, Lutheran, who there- 
after made this one of his points in his extensive 
ministrations, which, in his diary, he denoted 
as "Williams'." It may be that he sometimes 
preached at the house of George Williams, Sr., 
which appears to have been a stopping-place — a 
ministers' hotel — in those times, for itinerating: 
clergymen, where, as at other points, they were 
hospitably entertained. This became one of his 
regular points for preaching on secular as well as 
Sabbath days. He preached at "Urich's" — 
Oury's — May 27, 1826, from the sixth and 
seventh verses of the second chapter of Colossians. 
Whether the services, on that day, were in the log 
church or at Oury's house does not appear from 
his diary. He held a communion service at " Will- 
iams'," May 8, 1829, at which fifty-one communed, 
many of whose residences were at considerable 
distances from that point. In his entry, April 
18, 1830, Conrad Schrecengost and George Wild 
(Wilt) are mentioned as elders, and George Farster 

and John Craveuor as deacons. Rev. Burnheim 

succeeded Mr. Reichert. Preaching in English 
commenced here in 1850. This church was in- 
corporated by the proper court, December 16, 1853, 
by the name of the Evangelical Lutheran Christ's 
church, of Kittanning township. The charter 
officers were Rev. George F. Ehrenfeldt, pastor, 
who was the first who preached in English; Ben- 
jamin Schrecengost and George Williams, Sr., 
elders; Isaac Fitzgerald and John Cravenor, dea- 
cons, and George Williams, trustee. The charter 
members were Michael Kunkle, John Bouch, Elias 
Bouch, George Shuster, Isaac Schrecengost, David 
Rupp, Lewis Koon and Israel Rowley. The 
pastors since then have been Revs. J. A. Ernest, 
S. S. Miller and A. S. Miller. The present number 
of church members is 65, and of Sabbath-school 
scholars, 50. 

A frame structure 30X22 feet was erected in 
1850 on the present site, which was burned before 
its completion. The present frame superstructure 
was erected soon afterward on the same foun- 
dation. 

The Emanuel (Evangelical Lutheran) church 

was organized by Rev. Burnheim in or about 

1840; the present edifice, frame, 32y40 feet, was 



184 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



erected in 1843. It is situated oii tlie Peter Hile- 
man tract, now owned by Jacob Hileman, a son 
of Peter Hileman, the warrantee and patentee 

tliereof. Its pastors have been Revs. Burn- 

heim, Geo. F. Ehrenfedt, J. A. Ernest, S. S. 
and A. S. Miller. Members, 124; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 50. 

Both of these churches are attached to the Gen- 
eral Synod. 

The St. John's (Evangelical Lutheran) church, 
commonly designated as the one at Shotts', was 
organized in or about 1850 by Rev. Henry Eas- 
ensy, who was subsequently silenced. A frame 
edifice 82X29 feet was erected in 1855-6 through 
the exertions, in a great measure, of Rev. Michael 
Swigert, who has frequently supplied its pulpit in 
his itinerating ministerial labors. It is situated 
on the north side of a public road, two miles and 
two hundred and thirty rods, in an air line, south 
of Emanuel church, and two hundred and fifty rods 
east of "Horny Camp run." Members, 100; Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 60. This church is attached 
to the general council. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
prior to 1860. It belongs to the Knox circuit. 
A frame edifice 37 X -50 feet was erected in the last- 
mentioned year; was blown down in June and the 
present superstructure reared on its foundation. 

POPULATION. 

The census has been taken only twice since the 
last curtailment of the territory of this township, 
which was in the formation of Burrell in 1855. In 
1850, "before that . curtailment, the number of 
inhabitants was IjlYS. In 1860 the number of 
whites was 1,236; colored, 1. In 1870 the native 
population was 1,431; foreign, 78; colored, none. 
The number of taxables in 1876 is 396, making the 
total population about 1,820. 

The assessment list for 1876 shows that there 
are in this township, besides the great body of 
agriculturists, laborers, 31; tenants, 18; hucksters, 
6; blacksmiths, 4; shoemakers, 4; carpenters, 3; 
stonemasons, 8; painter, 1; and stores appraised, 
5 in the fourteenth class. 

SCHOOLS. 

The facts relatiA'e to schools which existed 
before the adoption of the common school system, 
which the writer has been able to collect, are 
meager. There was, as he is informed, one of 
those early schools in a log schoolhouse situated 
about fifty rods south of Garrett's run and about a 
mile and fifty or sixty rods east of the Manor town- 
ship line, and another about a mile and a half 



southwest of the former and two hundred rods 
east of the above-mentioned line, in the Hileman 
settlement, or about a hundred rods south of 
Emanuel church. The names of early teachers 
met with are those of Geoi'ge Parster and George 
Leighley. 

After the adoption of the common school sys- 
tem the requisite number of log houses were 
erected, at the usual distances from one another, 
over the township, which have finally been replaced 
by frame ones. 

In I860 the number of schools was 8; average 
number months taught, 4; male teachers, 6; female 
teachers, 2; average monthly salaries of male 
teachers, $16.67 ; average monthly salaries of 
female teachers, $16.00; number male scholars, 
155; number female scholars, 158; average num- 
ber attending school, 251; cost of teaching each 
per month, 45 cents; amount levied for school pur- 
poses, S715.53; I'eeeived from state appropriation, 
$89.89; from collector, $715.53; cost of instruction, 
$528; fuel and contingencies, $43.76; repairs, etc., 
$10. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 9; average 
number months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female 
teachers, 4 ; average monthly salaries of male 
teachers, $27.20; average monthly salaries of female 
teachers, $25.50; male scholars, 264; female schol- 
ars, 199; average number attending school, 288; 
cost per month, 61 cents; amount tax levied for 
school and building purposes, $1,138.55; received 
from state apf)ropriation, $332.94; from taxes 
and other sources, $1,357.25; cost of schoolhouses, 
$78.23; paid for teachers' wages, $1,272.50; for 
fuel, collector's fees, etc., $197.58. 

TEMPERANCE. 

The vote, February 28, 1878, on the question of 
granting licenses to sell liquors, was 16 for, and 
36 against. 

POSTAL. 

Blanket Hill postoffice is the only one now in 
this township. It was established, May 1, 1850, 
and John M. Daily was appointed postmaster, who 
kept it at " Graham's," on the Christopher Oury 
tract, whence it was afterward removed to its 
present locality. 

HUMBOLDT GAEDENS. 

In 1861-2, Charles B. Schotte began to exten- 
sively enlarge and improve the culture of fruit and 
garden products on his farm, which he purchased in 
1855 and which consists of parts of the John Pome- 
roy and Fred'k Rohrer tracts. He estimates that he 
has since then planted from eight to ten thousand 



KITTANNING TOWNSHIP. 



185 



fruit-trees of various kinds, among which are many 
imported from the largest nurseries and gardens in 
Europe. Among his importations are different kinds 
of apple-trees from Russia, which lie received 
through the kind offices of Andrew G. Curtin, while 
he was the minister of the United States to that 
country; various kinds of fruits, including the small 
fruits, from the Botanical Gardens, at Berlin, in 
Prussia; and numerous other specimens of novel pro- 
ductions from ahroad, obtained through the Agricul- 
tural Department atWashington, for experimental 
jjurposes. The various fruits of California and 
Oregon are also Avell represented in the Humboldt 
Gardens. The enterprise, thus inaugurated, it is 
claimed, has stimulated the farmers of this section 
of the county to improve their orchards and the 
culture of their lands. It has undoubtedly been 
an efficient factor in so doing, and it may have- 
considei'ably influenced them to make the many 
and extensive purchases of fruit-trees from the 



nurserymen of other states, which they have made 
within the last ten years. 

WEOLOOV. 

The geological features of this township may 
be inferred, in part at least, from those presented 
along Crooked and Cowanshannock creeks and in 
Manor township. The anticlinal of the fifth, whicli 
is the axis of the fourth, basin crosses this town- 
ship diagonally from northeast to southwest, strik- 
ing the northern boundary line nearly two miles 
west of its eastern terminus, and its western 
boundary a mile and a half north of its southern 
terminus. The major part of the township is, 
then, on the northern slope of the fourth basin, 
and the rest of it on the southeastern slope of the 
fifth basin. There is a spring on that part of the 
John Schenck tract now owned by Peter Heilman, 
which, the writer thinks, a correct analysis would 
show to be strongly chalybeate. 



CHAPTER VII. 



RED BANK. 



Originally Orgiaiiized in ISOli — Name Derived from Red Bank Creek — Indian Appellations for that and Other 
Streams — The Creek Declared b}' Law a Public Highway — Rafting Lumber from Jefferson County to the 
Allegheny — Flatboats — Rsd Bank Navigation Company — Site of the Indian " Old Town " — Yost Smith 
and Peter Stone — Land Tracts in the Township — Indians Locate on the Creek as Late as 1816 — Emanuel 
Church — Railroad Project Agitated in 1852 — Indian Arrow "Factory" — Method of Making Fliutheads — 
Numerous Transfers of Property — Freedom Village — Oil Wells — Phenix Furnace — New Salem — Albright 
Methodist Church — Independence — Milton — Methodist Episcopal Chm-ch — Assessment List of the Town- 
ship for 1S76 — Census and Educational Statistics — Rocks — Coal — An Interesting Cave. 

THE present township of Red Bank, in this 
county, contains only about one-sixth or one- 
seventh of the territory inchided within the limits 
of old Red Bank township, organized September 
18, 1806. A glance at a county and township map 
shows that all of Reel Bank and Mahoning and 
a part of Madison townships in this county, and all 
of Red Bank, Porter, Monroe, Limestone, Clarion 
and Mill Creek townships in Clarion county were 
included in the original township of Red Bank. 

The name of this township is of course derived 
from Red Bank Creek. The Indian name of this 
stream was Lycamahon'uig, derived from Lycoming 
and Mahoning — the former corrupted from Legaui- 
hamie, a sandy stream ; the latter corrupted from 
Malmninh, signifying where there is a lick. 
Mahoni in the Delaware language means for a lick. 
Mahonitty means a diminutive lick and 3Iahon- 
hanne a stream flowing from or near a lick. Lyca- 
mahoning, then, must mean a sandy stream flowing 
from a lick, that is, Sandy Lick, which was the 
name of this stream as late as 1792 from its source 
to its mouth, according to Reading Howell's map 
of that year. It bore that name even later. By the 
act of assembly, of March 21, 1798, "Sandy Lick 
or Red Bank creek " was declared to be a public 
stream or highway " from the mouth up to the sec- 
ond or great fork." The writer has not been able 
to ascertain just when, why, or at whose' sugges- 
tion its original name was changed to Red Bank, 
by which it has been known by the oldest inhabi- 
tants now living in the region through which it 
flows. Perhaps the change may have been sug- 
gested by the red color of the soil of its banks 
many miles up from its mouth. This stream, it 
seems, was first used by Joseph Barnett for the 
transportation of lumber in 1806, a^ related to 
Lewis W. Corbett thirty years ago by William 
Clark, who had been at that early period in Bar- 



nett's employ. Barnett, the first white settler in 
Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, settled at Port 
Barnett in that county prior to 1799. He and his 
brother-in-law, John Scott, erected a sawmill there 
in the spring or early part of summer in 1806. 
Several Indians were there the day the mill was 
raised, whom Barnett invited to dine with him. 
They accepted his invitation. After dinner one of 
them remarked, " Dinner — Indian sleejD an hour — 
then strong." They then went off into the woods, 
their host supposing that he would not see them 
again that day. They, liowever, returned in the 
course of an hour and vigorously aided in raising 
the mill and partook of supper. The first lot of 
lumber which Bai'nett and Scott sent down the 
Red Bank was a small platform of timber, which 
Clark aided in running to the Allegheny river with 
poles instead of oars as the propelling power. 
This was a rough stream on which rafting was then 
very difficult. Iron used to be transported in those 
early times on pack-horses, in wagons, and on sleds 
from Center county to Port Barnett, some of which 
was sent down this creek on rafts which were occa- 
sionally wrecked on a bar between Timber Island 
and the river. As the iron was thus scattered 
about on that bar it received and it has retained 
the name of " Iron bar." 

There was a high flood in this stream in 1806 
which reached eight to ten feet up the trees on the 
flat where Fair Mount now is, as related by Lewis 
Daubeurpeck, who saw the grass, sticks and other 
drift which the Indians told him were lodged in 
the forks of these trees when that flood subsided. 
There were twenty-one feet of water on the riffle at 
New Bethlehem October 8, 1847, which swept away 
bridges, Hass', Knapp's, and Robinson's mills and 
mill-dams. Another one, September 28-9, 1861, 
twent3'--two feet high, did less damage than the 
pi-eceding one. 



RED BANK TOWNSHIP. 



187 



" Fishbasket Hill," a mile and a half above New 
Bethlebom, and about twenty-five rods below the 
mouth of Town creek, where Lewis Doverspike 
settled in 1870, and a point a short distance below 
Troy, are two of the localities on this stream from 
which the Indians formerly obtained lead ore, 
pieces of which David Doverspike gave to L. W. 
Corbett, then at New Bethlehem, who melted it. 
There were probably places where they concealed 
the ore which had been transported thither from 
Sinking Valley, in this state, or from the west. 

One thousand dollars was appropriated by the 
act of assembly "making appropriations for cer- 
tain internal improvements," approved March 24, 
1817, for the purpose of improving this creek, and 
Levi Gibson and Samuel C Orr were appointed 
commissioners to superintend the application of 
the money. By the act of April 4, 1826, "Sandy 
Lick, or Red Bank creek," was declared a public 
highway only for the passage of boats, rafts, etc., 
descending it. That act also made it lawful for 
all persons owning lands adjoining this stream to 
erect milldams across it, and other water-woi'ks 
along it, to keep them in good repair, and draw off 
enough water to operate them on their own land, 
but required them "to make a slope from the top, 
descending fifteen feet for every foot the dam is 
high, and not less than forty feet in breadth," so 
as to afford a good navigation and not to infringe 
the rights and privileges of any owner of private 
property. 

The first flatboat that descended this stream was 
piloted by Samuel Knapp, in full Indian costume, 
in 1832 or 1833 — two boats loaded with sawed 
lumber, owned by Uriah Matson, which found a 
good market in Cincinnati, with the proceeds of 
which Matson purchased the goods with which he 
opened his store at Brookville. 

By the act of assembly April 17, 1854, the Red 
Bank Navigation Company was incorporated, and 
authorized, among other things, to clean and clear 
the Red Bank, Sandy Lick and North Fork creeks 
of all rocks, bars and other obstructions; to bracket 
and regulate all the dams erected therein; to erect 
other dams and locks; to regulate the chutes of 
dams; to control the waters by brackets and other- 
wise for the purpose of navigation; to levy tolls 
on boards and other sawed stuff, square and other 
timber,- and boats that might pass down these 
creeks, to be collected at the mouth of Red Bank, 
and to be liens on the property upon which they 
might be levied, in whosesoever hands it might be. 
Some of the members of this company who were 
engaged in the lumber trade commenced clearing 
these streams of obstructions before their charter 



was granted, and expended before and since it was 
granted and the company organized about $8,000. 
In or about 1850 considerable blasting of rocks 
and of other work in clearing the Red Bank was 
done, under their direction, by Lewis W. Corbett, 
between New Bethlehem and the mouth, but 
principally at and for a distance of two and a half 
miles below Broken Rock. 

A supplement to the foregoing act, pa.'^sed 
March 28, 1860, provides that if persons shall, 
without the authority of the company, place any 
dam or other obstructions in the Red Bank, Sandy 
Lick or North Fork creek, the same shall be re- 
moved by the company at the cost of the persons 
placing them there; that the company may make 
such by-laws as may be necessary — such as do not 
conflict with the constitution and laws of the 
United States and this state — for the government 
of the company and the safe navigation of this 
stream, and to enforce them by fines, each not ex- 
ceeding llOO. Another supplement, passed March 
18, 1867, gives this company the power to increase 
their capital stock to |!20,000; to inflict a penalty 
of $5 on any person who shall refuse to return to 
the proper oflicer of the company the name of the 
owner of any raft, boat, logs, or other craft which 
he may be navigating or assisting to navigate on 
these creeks, or return them in any false name or 
false amount; if any person shall injure or destroy 
any dam, bridge, bracket, or other property of the 
company, he shall be deemed guilty of a misde- 
meanor, and, on conviction in the proper court, 
shall be fined not exceeding $100, or be imprisoned 
in the county jail not exceeding sixty days, or 
both or either ; the company is authorized to 
charge tolls additional to those prescribed in the 
charter, but not exceeding double those, upon any 
raft, boat, logs, or other craft " that may be run on 
any bracket flood raised by order of said com- 
pany;" to requii-e persons navigating these 
streams on freshet brackets to take out permits, 
and the penalty for neglecting or refusing to do 
so is $10 for each craft thus navigated, provided, 
that the company, before raising such bracket, shall 
give six days' notice thereof by a suflicient num- 
ber of handbills at the most public places in Sum- 
raerville, Brookville, Port Barnett, Reynoldsville 
and Richardsville. This supplement also provides 
that the company shall not be liable for damages 
that may occur in the navigation of these creeks, 
and that it shall, annually, on or before the first 
Monday of January, publish in a newspaper in 
Jefferson county a statement of its receipts and 
expenditures for the preceding year, showing how 
and on what account moneys were received and 



188 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



expended, sworn to by the treasurer, "and filed 
among the records of the court of common pleas 
of each of said counties." 

In the northwestern part of this township is 
the territory covered by the Pickering & Co. war- 
rant No. 439. In the sharp northern bend of the 
Red Bank, opposite the mouth of Town creek, was 
the site of the " Old Town," an Indian village, 
vestiges of which, such as stone and earthen 
mounds, kettles and other implements used by the 
Indians, were found by the early white settlers. 
Jacob Wells cut down a hickory tree, about eighty 
rods south of the Red Bank, on this tract, in 18Y5, 
in the trunk of which he found an ounce lead ball, 
between which and the bark were one hundred and 
five concentric rings or annual growths. Hence, 
it may be inferred that the " Old Town " was 
located here prior to 1770. The date of that war- 
rant is May 17, 1785, and that of the survey by 
George Woods, May 31, 1786. The patent to 
Pickering & Co., "including the Old Town," is 
dated March 25, and their conveyance to Yost 
Smith, August 17, 1820. He had probably settled 
on it in 1807, for he was assessed on the Red Bank 
list in 1808, with the land, and the next year with 
it and two horses, at §211. 

The first bridge across Red Bank, at the north- 
eastern part of this tract, was built in 1839, and 
its superstructure has since been twice rebuilt. 

Cotemporaneous with Yost Smith was Peter 
Stone, who settled about the same time, higher up 
on the same side of the Red Bank, on the John 
Anderson tract, called " Anderson's Choice," war- 
rant No. 3837. The patent to Anderson is dated 
April 25, 1793. He conveyed parcels of this tract: 
one hundred acres to Timothy Jaynes, April 6, 
1811, for $300, who conveyed the same to Cathe- 
rine Evans, June 27, for |150 ; two hundred and 
twenty acres to Peter Stone, May 1, 1815, for 
$240, who conveyed fifty acres thereof to John 
Evans' heirs, February 18, 1841, for $200, and 
probably another parcel to J. Mercer, as the old 
map shows his name on a subdivision above the 
parcel retained by Stone. A ferry across the Red 
Bank, about half a mile above Millville, was kept 
by Stone for several years, and as late as 1825-7. 
He and his wife used to relate that in early times 
six or eight Indians were accustomed to stop at 
their house and trade ; one time they went about 
a mile from there up the southeastern side of the 
Red Bank, whence they returned with a considera- 
ble quantity of lead ore of good quality, which 
they carried to one or both of the Indian encamp- 
ments at Smith's and at Leatherwood. Two 
Indians, John and Bill, staid over night at Stone's, 



in the latter part of October or fore part of Novem- 
ber. Bill opened the door just before bedtime, 
snuffed the air, and remarked that there would be 
a fall of snow by the next morning. There was a 
considerable one during that night. Mrs. Stone 
related that a party of seven or eight Indians, in 
passing up and down the creek, annoyed her by 
their often-repeated begging. They were not 
otherwise troublesome. On one occasion she no- 
ticed that quite an old Indian, who had previously 
accompanied them, was not then with them. She 
inquired where he was. One of them answered : 
" He fell asleep, and cannot walk any more." Her 

I inference was, that, as he had become burdensome 
to them, they had killed him. 

A considerable number of Indians must have 
returned and settled along the Red Bank as late as 
1815-16. James White, of "Mexico," informed 
the writer that three hundred of them, about that 

; time, settled along this stream below Brookville, 
partly in Armstrong county. Respecting their 
return to this section. Dr. M. A. Ward wrote to 
Eben Smith Kelly at Kittanning, from Pittsburgh, 
January 18, 1817 : 

" I am not at all surprised that the sober, industi'ious, 
religious inhabitants of Red Bank should be highly in- 
censed at their late acccession of emigrants, not only 

. because by them they will probably be deprived of many 
fat bucks and delicious turkeys, to which, according to 
the strict interpretation of all our game laws, they have 
as good a right, if they have the fortune to find and the 
address to shoot them, as any 'dirty, nasty' Indians 
whatever, but because the presence and examples of 
such neighbors must have a very depraving influence 
upon the morals. Their insinuating influence will be apt 
to divert the minds of the farmers from the sober pur- 
suits of agriculture and inspire a propensity for the bar- 
barous pleasures of the chase. * * * But what is 
worse than all, I have heard that they love whisky to 
such an inordinate degree as to get sometimes beastly 
dnuik, and even beat their wives and behave unseemly 
before their families, which certainly must have a most 
demoralizing tendency on the minds of the rising gen- 

, eration." 

i Stone's house was a favorite resort for lumber- 
' men in the rafting seasons on this creek. It is 
said they keenly appreciated dame Stone's excel- 
lent cookery as well as her husband's whisky. 

Above and adjoining Pickering & Co., No. 439, 
was " Henry Nulf's Improvement," two hundred 
acres, with which he was assessed in 1806 at $100. 
He did not reside here, but on one of the Joseph 
Thomas — Daniel Brodhead — tracts, on Town creek, 
in what is now Red Bank township. Clarion county, 
and was noted as a mightj'^ hunter. 

On November 19, 1818, he and Henry C. Barrett 
I consummated their previous agreement to trade or 



RED BAJN'K TOWNSHIP. 



189 



exchange properties. Nulf conveyed to Bariiett 
one hundred and fifteen acres and eleven perches 
of one of the Thomas Brodhead tracts for $450, 
and Barrett conveyed to Nulf lots Nos. 3, 4, and 
half-lots Nos. 5, 6, T, 8, 37, 38, 46, 47, 48 in the 
town of Millville, situate on the Pickering <fe Co. 
tract 441, which they conveyed to Adam Mohuey 
April 9, 1811, and he to Isaac Mohney October 28, 
1816, and all his water-right of Red Bank creek, so 
far as he had the right to obstruct its navigation 
by law, for the use of the mill in that town, for 
$450, the two full lots being valued at §100, the one 
half of the nine at $200, and the water-right at 
$150. 

Returning from this digression into Clarion 
county, Nulf obtained patents for the land con- 
tained in his " Improvement" on the southeastern 
side of Red Bank creek November 29, 1826, 
founded on a warrant to him March 14, 1823. He 
conveyed parts of those two tracts: two hundred 
and fifty acres to Jacob Shick August 10, 1827, for 
$687.50; one hundred and ninety-two acres and 
sixty-two perches to Henry Nulf, Jr., September 
30, 1830, for $154; and an equal quantity to Jacob 
Miller December 22, 1832, for $200. The first and 
only schoolhouse within the present limits of this 
township, prior to the passage of the school law, 
was erected in 1828 on the parcel of the " Improve- 
ment " conveyed to Jacob Shick, and now owned 
by John Harmon. It was a primitive log structure 
about 15 by 15 feet. 

Above and adjoining "Nulf's Improvement" lay 
the James Coulter tract, warrant No. 3836, two 
hundred and twenty acres, the patent for which 
was granted to Coulter January 17, 1817, which he 
conveyed to William Freas May 7, 1820, for $840, 
one hundred and thirteen acres and one hundred 
and twenty-one perches of which the latter con- 
veyed to Henry Freas September 3, 1823, for 1420. 
They entered into a written agreement the same 
day, the purpoi't of which is, that the tract they 
then lived on was bought in partnership from Coul- 
ter. It being understood that there was a mill-seat 
on it, they agreed to be equal owners of it, and of 
the water-right on Red Bank creek; the advantages 
arising therefrom to be equally enjoyed by both of 
them; no mill-race to be cut so as to injure adjoin- 
ing land; the one acre of ground on which the mill 
was to be located was to be of the part of that tract 
taken by William Freas, and each was bound in the 
penal sum of $1,000 for the proper performance of 
his part of the contract. Henry Freas erected an 
oilmill on his part of this tract between 1825 and 
1830, which he operated until 1834. William Freas 
was last assessed with his one hundred and ten 
12 



acres in 1824, and the widow Sarah Freas with tlie 
same quantity in 1825. 

Coulter conveyed acres and perches 

to Sarah Smith October 4, 1827, for $ , whicli 

became vested in John Smith, who conveyed one 
hundred and twenty-nine acres and seven perches 
to Philip Houpt May 13, 1837, for $1,290.03. 

It is on this part of this Coulter tract that the 
Emanuel church edifice, brick, 28 X 38 feet, is 
situated. It was erected in 1851 under the direc- 
tions of a building committee, which consisted of 
George Coleman, Philip Houpt, Jacob Shelley and 
Jacob Shick, and under a contract between that 
committee and Tobias Lanker. The church had 
been previously organized as an Evangelical Lu- 
theran one by Rev. J. G. Young, who was for sev- 
eral years afterward its pastor. Its present mem- 
bership is 63. 

In January or February, 1852, that edifice was 
crowded by an assemblage of people of this region 
to consider the practicability of affording aid for 
the construction of a branch railroad from the Alle- 
gheny river along the Red Bank to Brookville. 
A very active member of that meeting was the 
late Thomas McCullough, who in a speech of an 
hour and a half adduced numerous facts, statistics 
and arguments by which to persuade the j)eople 
that they would be greatly benefited by whatever 
contributions they might make for that purpose, 
and succeeded in favorably impressing his hearers 
with his views. They were ready to subscribe lib- 
eral amounts. But there were some opponents of 
that measure in that meeting, and I. W. Powell was 
requested to present the other side of the question. 
He did so, and he, too, succeeded in persuading his 
hearers not to contribute to that project, which lay 
dormant for more than a decade. The benefits re- 
sulting from the subsequent construction of the 
low grade or Bennett's branch of the Allegheny 
Valley railroad are yearly becoming more and 
more evident. 

Adjoining the Coulter tract and " Anderson's 
choice," on the southeast, were the Joshua and 
Robert Anderson tracts, contiguous to each other, 
covered by warrants Nos. 3834, 3835, the patents 
for both of which were granted to Joshua Ander- 
son, the latter February 24, 1801, which having be- 
come vested in James Anderson, his administrator 
de bonis non, John Galbraith conveyed two hun- 
dred and twenty acres to Jacob Mohny (of John) 
September 22, 1834, for $440, whose administrators 
conveyed the same quantity to John Mohney 
March 16, 1854, and he, the same day, to Adam 
Mohney, to whose estate it belongs, for $525. 

There is on this Adafti Molinv laud a vein of 



190 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



what is commonly called flint, but is what geolo- 
gists term qiiartzite, i.e., granular quartz. Quartz 
is pure silex, an essential constituent of granite, 
often occurring in pellucid glassy crystals and in 
masses of various colors more or less transparent 
to opaque. In the specimen from this vein which 
is before the writer at this writing there is a con- 
glomeration of variously-colored material which is 
very hard. The color of some of it is almost 
white ; of other portions blue, light and dark 
green, verging to slate, being the same color of 
the material of many Indian arrow-heads. In some 
of the cavities are small sparkling crystals. Boys 
in the vicinity of this vein, as the writer is in- 
formed, have struck fire from pieces of it with 
their knife-blades. The vein appears to be about 
eighteen inches thick and several rods long, and 
just above it is a spring of very good water. The 
present appearance of this vein indicates that large 
quantities of it have been excavated. From the 
quantity of the fragments of its material about 
two hundred rods distant from it, it is inferred that 
the Indians used it in manufacturing large num- 
bers of their spear and arrow-heads. 

About thirty-one years ago Enoch Buflington, 
who settled on the Big Mudlick about a mile 
northeasterly from New Salem, in 1836, found an 
iron tomahawk in his orchard, which appeared to 
be a place where the Indians made their spear and 
arrow heads. Another place of the same kind, 
where rings and tomahawks have been made, is 
about three hundred rods south, on Philip Dover- 
spike's place. 

Granted that spear and arrow heads were made 
here, the reader may be curious to know how 
the Indians made them, especially before iron 
and steel implements were introduced among them. 
From Jones' Antiquities of the Southern Indians, 
the writer has gleaned most of the following facts. 

They had a limited variety of copper imple- 
ments, which were of rare occurrence, and which 
were too soft to be of use in working so hard a 
material as flint or quartzite. Hence is is believed 
that they fashioned their spear and arrow heads 
with other implements than those of iron or steel. 
They must have acquired, by their observation and 
numerous experiments, a thorough and practical 
knowledge of cleavage, that is, " the tendency to 
split in certain directions, which is characteristic 
of most of the crystallizable minerals." Capt. John 
Smith, speaking of the Virginia Indians in his 
sixth voyage, says: "His arrow-head he quickly 
maketh with a little bone, which he ever weareth 
at his bracelet, of a splint of a stone or glasse, in 
the forni of a heart, and these they glew to the 



ends of the arrows. With the sinews of the deer 
and the tops of deers' horns boiled to a jelly, they 
make a glue which will not dissolve in cold water." 
Schoolcraft says : " The skill displayed in this 
art, as it is exhibited by the tribes of the entire 
continent, has excited admiration. The material 
employed is generally some form of horn-stone, 
sometimes passing into flint. No specimens have, 
however, been observed where the substance is gun- 
flint. The horn-stone is less hard than common 
quartz and can be readily broken by contact with 
the latter." Catlin, in his "Last Ramble Among 
the Indians," says : " Every tribe has its factory 
in which these arrow-heads are made, and in these 
only certain adepts are able or allowed to make 
them for the use of the tribe. Erratic bowlders of 
flint are collected and sometimes brought an im- 
mense distance, and broken with a sort of sledge- 
hammer, made of a rounded pebble of horn-stone, 
set in a twisted withe holding the stone and form- 
ing a handle. The flint at the indiscriminate 
blows of the sledge, is broken into a hundred 
pieces, and such flakes selected as from the angles 
of their fracture and thickness will answer as the 
basis of an arrow-head. The master workman, 
seated on the ground, lays one of these flakes on 
the palm of his hand, holding it flrmly down with 
two or more fingers of the same hand, and with his 
right hand, between the thumb and two fore- 
fingers, places his chisel or punch on the point that 
is to be broken ofl^, and a co-operator — a striker — 
in front of him, with a mallet of very hard wood, 
strikes the chisel or punch on the upper end, flaking 
the flint off on the under side below each project- 
ing point that is struck. The flint is then turned 
and chipped in the same manner from the opposite 
side, and that is chipped until the required shape 
and dimensions are obtained, all the fractures 
being made on the palm of the hand. In selecting 
the flake for the arrow-head, a nice judgment must 
be used, or the attempt will fail ; a flake with two 
opposite parallel, or nearly parallel, planes of cleav- 
age is fovmd, and of the thickness required for the 
center of the arrow point. The first chipping 
reaches nearly to the center of these planes, but 
without quite breaking it away, and each clipping 
is shorter and shorter, -until the shape and edge of 
the arrow-head is formed. The yielding elasticity 
of the palm of the hand enables the chip to come 
off without breaking the body of the flint, which 
would be the case if they were broken on a 
hard substance. These people have no metallic 
instruments to work with, and the punch which 
they use, I was told, was a piece of bone, but on 
examining it, I found it to be of a substance much 



RED BANK TOWNSHIl'. 



harder, made of the tooth — incisor — of the sperm 
whale, whicli cetaceans are often stranded on the 
coast of the Pacific." 

In 1854, Lieutenant Beckwith saw a Pah-Utah 
Indian, seated on the ground, make from a frag- 
ment of quartz, with a piece of round bone, one 
end of which was semi-spherical, with a small 
crease in it, as if it were a thread, the sixteenth of 
an inch deep, an arrow-head which was very sharp 
and piercing, and in all respects similar to those 
in general use among the Indians of that region. 
He says: "The skill and rapidity with which it 
was made, without a blow, but by simply breaking 
the sharp edges with the creased bone, by the 
strength of his hands — for the crease merely 
served to prevent the instrument from slipping, 
affording no leA'erage — were i-emarkable." 

In 1860, Caleb Lyon communicated to the Amer- 
ican Ethnological Society the mode of the manu- 
facture of arrow-heads of flint, glass, obsidian and 
other materials by the Shasta Indians of California: 
" The Shasta Indian seated himself on the floor, 
and placing the stone anvil, which was of compact 
talcose slate, upon his thigh, with one blow of his 
agate chisel he separated the obsidian pebble into 
two parts; then giving another blow to the frac- 
tured side, he split off a slab a fourth of an inch 
in thickness. Holding the piece against the anvil 
with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand, he 
commenced a series of continuous blows, every one 
of which chipped off fragments of the brittle sub- 
stance. It gradually acquired shape. After fin- 
ishing the base of the arrow-head, the whole being 
only a little over an inch in length, he began strik- 
ing gentler blows, every one of which, I expected, 
would break it into pieces. Yet such was his 
adroit application, his skill and dexterity, that in 
little over an hour he produced a perfect obsidian 
arrow-head. I then requested him to carve me one 
from the remains of a broken bottle, which, after 
two failures, he succeeded in doing. He gave me, 
as a reason for his ill success, he did not under- 
stand the grain of the glass. No sculptor ever 
handled a chisel with greater precision, or more 
carefully measvired the weight and effect of every 
blow, than this ingenious Indian; for even among 
them arrow making is a distinct trade or pro- 
fession, which many attempt, but in which few 
attain excellence." 

Jones says : " It is fair to presume that the 
method adopted by the modern Indians in the 
manufacture of their common flint arrow and 
spear heads was but the perpetuation of a mode 
which existed among the red men prior to historic 
times." 



Taking into account that vein of quartzite, the 
quantity excavated from it and the quantity of the 
chippiugs of that material in its vicinity, it seems 
quite probable that the Indians in the olden time 
had one of their open-air workshops " for the manu- 
facture of flint implements" where the peculiar 
knowledge of cleavage, skill and experience neces- 
sary to make them were brought into practical use 
right here on this Anderson-iMohney tract. 

Adjoining the Robert Anderson tract on the 
northwest was a small, triangular vacant parcel on ' 
was formerly a tannery which was first assessed to 
Daniel Hough, in 1842, to Abraham Sliirey in 
1847, and to George Gruber in 1859. 

Adjoining that tract on the southwest Avas the 
tract covered by the warrant to Joshua Anderson, 
to whom the patent was granted February 24, 1801. 
A portion of it subsequently became disputed terri- 
tory. There was a conflict between the Anderson 
and Holland company titles and between the origi- 
nal surveys and that made by Robert Richards, 
making the quantity of land in dispute 218 acres 
and 57 perches and allowance of six per cent 
for roads. Joshua Anderson, a descendant of the 
patentee of this tract, brought his action of eject- 
ment to No. 91 March term, 1849, in the court of 
common pleas of this county, against the then 
occupants. Widow Harmon, John and Jacob Har- 
mon, Matthew Houpt and James Shannon for -3:30 
acres. This case was tried December 20, 1850, and 
resulted in a verdict for the plaintifE for one-fifth 
of the land in dispute, on -which judgment was 
entered. Anderson conveyed fifty-four acres and 
148 perches to Philip Houpt, August 25, 1854, for 
$219. 

In the deep western bend of the Mahoning creek 
in the southwestern part of this township was the 
major part of the Samuel Wallis' tract. No. 4128, 
eleven hundred acres included in the Orr purchase,*. '^ 
the southern part being in Wayne and the north- 
western part in Mahoning township. Orr conveyed 
296 acres 125 perches of this tract to William Neal, 
July 10, 1840, for $222.56 ; 161 acres 25 perches 
to John Smith, May 25, 1841, for |162; 125 acres 
46 perches to George Smith, Jr., same day, for 
$126;' 172 acres 20 perches (in Wayne) to John 
Hettrick for $430; 20 acres 140 perches (in Ma- 
honing) to George Smith, Sr., September 18, 1846, 
for $20; 97 acres and 66 perches to Daniel Smith, 
October 10, 1872, for 8625. The sawmill, first 
assessed to McCrea & Galbraith, in 1849, was 
situated on the part of this tract purchased by 
them. 



* See sketch of Wayne township. 



192 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



In the southeastern part of this township was 
a part of the Mason & Cross tract, 548 acres 
and lo perches, No. 694. It was assessed as 
unseated to these warrantees in 1805, then in Toby 
township, at 1548.07. It continued to be thus 
assessed to them on the list of Red Bank township 
until 1822, when it was valued at 50 cents an acre. 
About one-lifth of the western part of it was in 
this and Wayne townships. The rest was in 
Indiana county. 

The rest of the territory of this township, except 
a portion in the southeastern part, was covered by 
warrants to Harmon LeRoy & Co., and to Wilhelm 
Willink & Co., that is, to the Holland Land Com- 
pany. That comjDany, by H. J. Huidekoper, attor- 
ney-in-fact, agreed, sometime in September, 1805, 
to sell and Judge Young to purchase the tract 
called " Lingan," No. 2899, 990 acres, which agi-ee- 
ment was consummated by the execution and deliv- 
ery to him of Willink & Co.'s deed, dated Septem- 
ber 1, 1810, the consideration therein expressed 
being |990. The major part of this tract is in 
what is now Mahoning township. This tract having 
become vested in Stephen B.Youngby conveyance 
from his sisters, September 16, 1845, to whom it 
had been devised, he conveyed 250 acres to Robert 
Morrison, March 11, 1846, for ^2,000; 100 acres to 
Craig Thorn, April 1, for $1,000; 100 acres to 
Samuel S. Harrison and Hugh Campbell, December 
19, for 8500; 100 acres to Alexander Colwell, July 
9, 1847, for $500; 34-3 acres to Hugh Campbell, 
February 6, 1849, for $1,000. 

The next sales of tracts of Holland land in this 
township, some of them partly in what is now Ma- 
honing township, made by Willink & Co., were : 
The one covered by warrant No. 2897, called 
" Quito," 930 acres, which adjoined " Lurgan " 
on the north, was first assessed to Thomas Ham- 
ilton and Alexander Craig in 1808; No. 2903, 
adjoining " Lurgan " on the south, to Dr. James 
Posthlewaite in 1808, and to Hamilton and Pos- 
thlevvaite in 1809; No. 2906, adjoining "Lur- 
gan," and No. 2903 on the east, to Thomas Ham- 
ilton in 1809, so that the agreements for their 
sale and purchase were probably made between 
1807 and 1809. "Quito" became vested in 
Thomas Hamilton, to whom Willink & Co. con- 
veyed it, September 21, 1814, for 11,018.25, and 
who devised 500 acres of the western part of it 
to Isaac Cruse, and the residue or eastern portion, 
adjoining the Pickering & Co. — Yost Smith tract — 
on the north, to Thomas McConnell, who devised 
it to Cruse. The latter conveyed 200 acres to 
Philip Kuntzleman May 24, 1834, for $725, and 
g50 acres, which had been sold to Cruse by Sheriff 



Hutchinson as the property of • William Smith, to 
Samuel Craig, August 31, 1838, for $750, both 
of these parcels being parts of the portion devised 
to Cruse ; and 297-2- acres, included in the devise 
to McConnell, to George Weinberg, September 
14, 1837, for $966.88 ; 120 acres and 60 perches, to 
Daniel Otto June 21, 1838, for $346, which the 
latter conveyed to Jacob Miller, March 13, 1844, 
for $550. 

Posthlewaite's interest in No. 2903 became vest- 
ed in Thomas Hamilton, to whom Willink & Co. 
conveyed it, October 19, 1818, for $838.80. Ham- 
ilton's surviving executor conveyed 410 acres and 
76 perches of this tract to Robert and William 
R. Hamilton, April 18, 1837, for $963.50. Robert 
conveyed his undivided moiety to William R., 
June 6, for $1.00 and "natural love and affection." 

Tract No. 2906 adjoined "Lurgan" and No. 
2903 on the east, in the western part of what is 
now the present township of Red Bank, in this 
county. It was assessed to Willink & Co. until 
1808 ; the next year to Thomas Hamilton ; it does 
not appear thereafter on the assessment list until 
1821, when and afterward it was assessed to Wil- 
link & Co., who conveyed 145 acres and 53 perches 
of it to John Holben, June 21, 1837, for $212; 
127 acres to J. E. Brown, August 18, 1847, for 
$158.75; 170 acres to John A. Colwell & Co., 
November 24, 1848, for $255. 

Passing northeasterly from the northeast corner 
of the last-mentioned tract, across No. 3050, and 
the two above-mentioned Anderson tracts, the tract 
covered by warrant No. 3053, called " Deer Park," 
is reached. It is another of the Holland Land 
Company's tracts, included among the early Ham- 
ilton purchases. Paul Burti conveyed it, as 
containing 941 acres and 152 perches, to Thomas 
and James Hamilton, December 2, 1816, for $942. 
It having become vested in James Hamilton, of 
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he conveyed 853 acres and 
49 perches to James E. Brown and Thomas Mc- 
Connell, November 13, 1842, for $985. One of the 
previous occupants of it was Charles Miller, who 
was first assessed with 100 acres, in 1837. After 
Brown and McConnell had made their purchase, 
the latter was deputed to visit the occupants and 
inform them on what terms they could purchase 
from the new owners. He went on his mission on 
horseback. Riding up to within talking distance, 
not venturing to dismount, and keeping at a re- 
spectful distance, he informed Miller at what price 
per acre he could retain the parcel occupied by 
him. There was then and there an exciting scene. 
Miller became intensely irate, and McConnell, put- 
ting whip and spur to his fleet horse, fled with 



BED BANK TOWNSHIP. 



193 



great celerity beyond the reach of the violent 
hands which that tenant, in that sudden ebullition 
of wrath, might just then have laid upon him. 
His fiery anger cooled, and in due time he agreed 
to pay the price asked for the land, which, 100 
acres, they conveyed to his administrator, Decem- 
ber 25, 1842, for $800, who conveyed the same to 
R. M. McFarland, July .30, 1845, for §1,000. 

The northwestern part or corner of "Deer 
Park" lay in what is now Clarion county, which, 
or a portion of which, was inadvertently included 
in Willink &' Co.'s conveyance of 43 acres and 94 
perches to George Geist as a parcel of allotment 
5, tract 254, warrant 3058, which adjoined "Deer 
Park" on the north. George conveyed that parcel 
to Daniel Geist December 1*7, 1838, for $3,000, 
which the latter conveyed to John Hess, December 
26, 1839, "together with a gristmill and sawmill in 
Clarion county," for $1,500. These mills had been 
erected by Geist, as it was made to appear, on 
Brown & McConnell's land, the conflicting claims 
to which were finally and conclusively adjusted 
by a comjjromise. Hess' mills were in the track 
of the destructive tornado which swept through 
this section in Maj'", 1860. 

George Mitchell was another occupant of "Deer 
Park." He was first assessed with 100 acres of 
it in 1841. Its jjroprietors were then exten- 
sively engaged in purchasing and selling land 
and were greatly in need of leady money, so 
that when Mitchell offered to pay the whole 
amount of the purchase money at once for the 
parcel which he occupied, it was readily accepted, 
for it was just then needed to relieve those pro- 
prietors from an imminent pressure. So they con- 
veyed to him 100 acres, "excepting one-half an 
acre, on which a schoolhouse was erected, so 
long as it should be used for school purposes," 
December 27, 1842, for $950. Mitchell, not being 
acquainted with the German language, and his 
partial deafness preventing him from .understand- 
ing much that was said in his presence, he con- 
ceived that his German neighbors had taken a 
dislike to him, and, therefore, with a sad heart 
besought these vendors to take back the land, 
which they declined to do. It so happened that 
they were afterward traveling through this sec- 
tion, and stopped at his house and found him and 
his wife and family distressed because their horse 
and wagon had been levied on and were to be 
sold for a store bill which they had not the money 
to pay. The younger of these proprietors, moved 
by a grateful sense of the benefit which had re- 
sulted to them from that vendee's paying the full 
amount of the consideration for the land which he 



had purchased from them, suggested to t lie elder 
that they .should contribute equally to the pay- 
ment of the debt for which that property ^^■as to 
be sold. Both promptly contributed, and relief 
came to the distressed, like the bursting of joy- 
ous sunlight through a dark, threatening cloud. 

Another purchaser of a parcel of " Deer Park " 
was John Shirey, to whom the proprietors con- 
veyed one hundred and thirty-seven acres and 
twenty-seven perches, Mai-ch 2, 1846, for $1,020. 
They conveyed another parcel of it, called "Chest- 
nut Hill Lot," one hundred and two and a half 
acres, to Jonathan Mohney, June 22, 1854, for 
$985. Shirey probably settled on the parcel which 
he purchased, in 1826, and Mohney not long before 
the date of his conveyance. John Hess purchased 
one hundred and seven acres and fifty-four perches 
May 17, 1864, for $1,073.73. 

Adjoining "Deer Park" on the south was the 
tract covered by the warrant to PI. LeRoy & Co., 
No. 3,052, which Paul Burti conveyed to James 
Hamilton, December 1, 1816. It , was awarded in 
proceedings in partition to Sarah Hamilton, who 
conveyed it, December 3, 1833, to Mrs. Susan H. 
Thorn. Adam Brinker settled and made an im- 
provement on a part of it, not previously covered 
by the warrants to Joshua and Robert Anderson 
in 1826, and John Neis on an adjoining portion in 
1837, to both of whom Mrs. Thorn and her hus- 
bane conveyed three hundred and eighty acres, 
January 24, 1845, for $1,330.25, on which Neis 
had built a sawmill in 1843. Brinker conveyed 
his interest in the undivided moiety, or Neis' 
part in the partition, which was one hundred and 
eighty-nine acres and one hundred and fifty-nine 
perches, to Moses Markle and Emanuel Rettinger, 
Neis' assignees, who conveyed it to Philip Mech- 
ling. May 13, 1846, for $1,246, and he to Jacob 
Stohlman, May 5, 1852, for $1,900. Mrs. Thorn and 
her husband also conveyed two parcels, one hun- 
dred and fifty acres and thirty-four perches, to 
Adam Mohney, July 29, 1848, for $600. 

Adjoining the last-named tract on the east, was 
the one covered by the LeRoy & Co. warrant, No. 
2,941, called " Willinkfieid," nine hundred and 
ninety acres, most of the eastern division of which 
was in Jefferson county, which Willink & Co. 
conveyed to Thomas McConnell, September 21, 
1814, for $990. He conveyed one hundred and 
seventy-five acres of the " western division " to 
George .Coleman, Sr., September 12, 1831, who set- 
tled on it that year, for $481 ; one hundred and 
seventy-four acres to Frederick Tount, May 6, 1837, 
for $398, who was first assessed therewith the same 
year. 



194 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The Holland Land Company sold none of their 
entire tracts, and but few, if any, parcels of their 
lands in this township for more than a decade of 
years after they had made their foregoing early 
sales. These tracts which they sold thus early re- 
mained on the unseated list, assessed respectively 
to those vendees for a considerable period before 
they were parceled out to their vendees. That 
company's sales of the rest of their lands in this 
township commenced about 1830, and continued 
with increasing briskness, so that here there were 
but few parcels and no entire tracts to be sold 
after that company's transfer of their interest in 
the lands covered by their warrants in this town- 
ship, and elsewhere in this and adjacent counties, 
to Alexander Colwell and his co-vendees. 

Philip Mechling remembers seeing but one house 
between Yost Smith's ferry on the Red Bank, in 
the northwestern part, and Martin's ferry, on the 
Mahoning, in the southeastern part, of this town- 
ship, as he passed from one to the other when he 
was collecting the United States internal revenue 
tax in 1817-18, which was in the vicinity of the 
latter ferry. There was but a slight increase of 
population throughout this township until after 
the resumption of the sales of the Holland lands 
in 1830. 

The following conveyances of parcels of those 
lands in various parts of the township are instanced 
for the j)nrpose of showing the prices at different 
times, and other indications of the progress of sev- 
eral of the industrial interests. They are pre- 
sented in topographical, not in chronological, order. 
Beginning with the eastern section of the town- 
ship, several of the tracts covered by that com- 
pany's warrants were partly in this and partly in 
Jefferson county. In the northeastern corner is 
the major part of the one covered by warrant 'No. 
3244, of which A. Colwell's executor, Alexander 
Reynolds, and their co-vendees conveyed ninety- 
five acres to Powell Gearhart October 16, 1871, for 
$222, including what had been paid prior to their 
purchase. 

Willink & Co. conveyed 105 acres of allotment 
5, tract 264, warrant 3245, next south of the last 
preceding one, to George Coleman April 18, 1831, 
for $450. That allotment is in the southwestern 
part of the tract, on which the flourishing little 
town of Freedom is situated, which was founded 
in 1871 by Jonathan Yount. It contains about 
twenty houses, two stores, a postoffice,* and one 
church edifice (frame) 30X^0 feet, which was 
erected in 1848 by the German Reformed and 



■■■ The North Freedom postoffice was established here in 1878. 



Lutheran denominations, and dedicated the 
next sj)ring. The churches were, however, pre- 
viously organized. The first pastors were Rev. 
J. G. Young, Lutheran, and Rev. L. D. Late- 
man, German Reformed. The building committee 
consisted of George Coleman and Peter Minnick, 
Lutheran, and John Sliirey and Jacob Zeats, Ger- 
man Reformed. 

George Coleman conveyed one acre and eight 
and a half perches, on which this edifice is erected, 
to John Shirey and Peter Minick, trustees of the 
Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed con- 
gregations of Red Bank township, June 7, 1850, 
for $1. 

Willink & Co. conveyed 165 acres of allotment 
1, tract 276, warrant 2,930, south of " Willink- 
field," to Isaac Redinger May 15, 1833, for $160, 
on which is a public schoolhouse and on which 
he built his sawmill in 1848 ; 166 acres and 132 
perches of the west end of allotments 2 and 
3, tract 295, warrant 3286, adjoining the last 
foregoing tract on the south, to Christian and 
John Miller March 7, 1849, for $371. On the 
eastern part of this tract is a little hamlet, in 
which is one store. Contiguous to that tract on 
the south was the one covered by warrant No. 
3276, which is numbered 304 on the company's 
maps and books, allotment 3 of which Colwell & 
Co. conveyed to David Yearger December 27, 
1862, for $70.50, and eighty-four acres and sixty 
perches of allotment 5 to George Emery November 
6, 1856, for $168, on which is John Emery's saw- 
mill ; Willink & Co. 156 acres and 103 perches 
of allotment 4, tract 323, warrant 3114, next south 
of last tract, to William Gallagher's administra- 
tor, August 4, 1840, for $117.50. 

Next south was tract 332, covered by warrant 
3107, of which Willink & Co. conveyed 154 acres 
and 150 perches of allotment 2 to George Potts 
June 6, 1837, for $163.24, and 165 acres of allot- 
ment 6 to Samuel Brooks January 1, 1840, for $165. 

Next south was tract 336, covered by warrant 
No. 3104, the southwest corner of which is in 
Wayne township. John Organ, whose house was 
the only one which Philip Mechling found between 
Smith's and Martin's ferries in 1817-18, settled on 
allotment 1, in the northwestern part of this tract 
in 1808, and was first assessed with one hundred 
acres of it the next year, at $15.* This parcel is now 
owned by Mrs. Susannah Hammond, and assessed 
at $12 an acre. Allotment 5, 173 acres, in 
the southern part of this tract, seems to have 
been claimed by Henry Lott many years ago, 



* As an innkeeper in 1823. 



RED BANK TOWNSHIP. 



195 



for it bears his name on the map of original 
tracts, though it does not appear on any of the 
assessment lists of this township. Benjamin B. 
Cooper's .executor conveyed thirty-two acres and 
sixty-two perches of allotment 4 to Jacob and Mar- 
tin Lantz June 3, 1845, for $69. A saltwell was 
drilled in the western part of allotments in 1S43-4. 
The drilling was probably begun in the fall of the 
former year, for on October 13 Daniel Wann and 
John Mock entered into a written agreement to 
purchase and jointly pay for eighty acres of this 
tract, and to be " at equal expense in lumbering 
and ei-ecting works of any kind " they might deem 
proper, and Mock was assessed with this well in 
1844. It is situated at or near the mouth of a 
small run that empties into, at that point, the east 
side of the Mahoning creek. Its depth is 425 feet. 
At first large iron kettles set in stone were used as 
grainers. This well produced eight barrels a day, 
the principal market for which was in the surround- 
ing country. Some of it was transported in wagons 
to Brookville. In 1861 this well was assessed to 
James Mansfield and David Anderson, to whom B. 
B. Cooper's executor conveyed eighty acres of this 
allotment (5) October 1, 1863, for $353.25. The 
well was assessed to Beck & Anderson in 1865, and 
to William Beck from 1866 until 1868. It is now 
owned by William M. Brinker, but it has not been 
worked for several years. 

James Morgan probably settled on the eastern 
part of allotment 5 — the Henry Lott parcel — and 
the western part of allotment 6 in 1843, for he was 
first assessed in this township as a single man in 
1844, and with 150 acres in 1846. Adjoining his 
parcel on the west was one called the " Ore Lot," 
ninety-three acres and thirty perches, from which 
a considerable portion of the ore used by Phoenix 
Furnace was obtained. Hugh Allen and Wesley 
Coleman have owned this with other parcels. 

Next west was the Holland Company's tract No. 
335, warrant either 3109 or 3040, only a portion of 
which is in this township. The patent is dated 
April 5, 1838. Colwell and his co-vendees con- 
veyed 156 acres and 52 perches of allotment 4* in 
the eastern part of this tract to George B. McFar- 
land September 3, 1849, for $165, in pursuance of 
a previous agreement between their and his pre- 
decessors, on which Henry Smith, W. B. Travis, 
Jonathan Grinder and Andrew G. Workman had 
erected Phoenix Furnace in 1846, which was first 
assessed to Smith & Guthrie in 1849, and to George 
B. McFarlaud in 1850. Its operations ceased in 
1853. It was a cold-blast charcoal furnace eight 

* Surveyed by J. E. Jlereflith to Daniel Wann April 15, 18J6. as 
containing 173 a^-res and loo perclies. 



feet across the bosh by thirty feet high, jn-oducing 
from twenty-five to thirty tons a week. It.s ore is 
described as a loamy outcrop of the lower or buhr- 
stoue kind, making excellent foundry iron. 

Benjamin B. Cooper's executor conveyed 160 
acres of allotmeni, 2 to Charles Coleman, Jane 13, 
1850, for §340, now owned by Wesley Coleman. 

Next north was tract No. 333, covered by 
warrant No. 3110, of which Willink & Co. con- 
veyed 305 acres and 50 perches of allotment 5 to 
William B. Neal, March 13, 1845, for $396.25, 
on which is schoolhouse No. 10, and in the 
southern part, on the Mahoning, is the sawmill 
first assessed to him in 1846, and to William C. 
Neal, in 1867. Arthur Fleming settled in the 
northwestern part in 1837, and was first assessed 
with 100 acres, the next year. He was soon after 
elected a justice of the peace and school director, 
and subsequently county commissioner. The build- 
ing which he first occupied here, and in which his 
oldest son was born, was afterward used as a 
schoolhouse, in which that son first attended, and 
in which he first taught, school. The present 
schoolhouse in this locality is No. 1. Fleming's 
agreements with the Holland Company for the 
purchase of his parcels of allotments 1 and 2 were 
not hastily consummated, for it was not until July 
4, 1849, that Colwell et al. conveyed to him 201 
acres and 44 perches for $152.50, and forty acres 
and six perches of the west end of allotment 2, 
June 19, 1857, for $270. A large portion of this 
tract was surveyed by Jonathan E. Meredith in 1840 
and 1843, and the rest of it August 30 and 31, 1875. 

North of the Wallis 4128 and west of the last 
■preceding tract was No. 334, covered by warrant 
3150, the western parts of allotments 1, 3, 5, being 
in Mahoning township. Adam Beck settled on 
allotment 1 in 1833, and built his gristmill on the 
right bank of the Mahoning in 1836, and was first 
assessed with it the next year, to whose adminis- 
trator Cooper's executor conveyed in trust, etc., 109 
acres, November 15, 1851, which, with the mill, 
Arthur Fleming, Beck's administrator, conveyed 
to Chambers Orr, December 4, for $2,500 (excepting 
a piece which Beck had sold to Geo. Gould), and 
which Orr conveyed to Robert Walker (of A.), 
February 24, 1858, for $9,500, to whose estate it 
still belongs, in connection with which he operated 
a distillery several years before his death. The 
northwestern corner of this allotment embraces a 
portion of Eddyville, a small town containing 
besides the gristmill about a dozen other buildings, 
and including a blacksmith shop, a store, a boat- 
yard, and a postoffice which was established May 
21, 1857, Turney S. Orr, postmaster. 



196 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Next north was tlie tract No. 321, covered by 
warrant No. 3279, on allotment 3, on which Joseph 
and Isaac Butler settled in 1831, with 100 acres, of 
which the former was first assessed in 1832, and 
with a sawmill in 1841. Willink & Co. conveyed 
to him 137 acres and 128 perches, September 15, 
1855, for $-310. John Kuhn settled on that part of 
allotment 1 about the mouth of Big Pine run, in 
1838, and was assessed the next year with 144 
acres. The eddy, made by the flowing of that run 
into the Mahoning, was called Kuhn's Eddy, and 
hence the name of the little town Eddyville. 
Kuhn built a sawmill at the month of that run in 
1838, which was afterward operated by Joseph and 
Isaac Butler, the title to which became vested in 
James E. Brown and Thomas McConnell, who 
agreed, June 23, 1847, to sell it and 190 acres of 
adjacent land, "known as the Kuhn mill property," 
to Adam Beck for $2,000. The mill was assessed 
to Francis Dobbs in 1849, to whom Beck's admin- 
istrator had conveyed it; to John Beachel in 1851, 
who had purchased it from Jeremiah Bonner ; to 
Bonner in 1862, who had purchased Beachel's 
_^interest at sheriflE's sale, and who conveyed it to 
George D. Smith, September 17, 1872. 

North of the eastei'n division of the last preced- 
ing tract was the one covered by warrant No. 3274, 
of which Colwell and others conveyed 150 acres 
and 135 perches to Joseph Butler, June 3, 1856, for 
$262.50, and which the latter conveyed, as con- 
taining 154 acres and 17 perches, to David Rum- 
baugh August 16, 1867, for $2,900. 

Willink & Co. conveyed, November 23, 1830, to 
Adam Smith for $300 196 acres and 8 perches, 
described as being parts of allotment 5, tract 305, 
warrant 3277, part of allotment 1, tract 322, war- 
rant 3146, and a part of allotment 5 — it should be 
4 — tract 321, warrant 3279, on which, near the 
mouth of Mud Lick, he erected a gristmill in 1854, 
which was burned several years afterward, and a 
new one, with three run of stone, erected on its 
site by Charles W. Ellenberger in 1864. This mill, 
and the store opened by Adam Smith, became the 
nucleus of the present little town of Charlestown, 
containing, besides the gristmill, about ten dwell- 
ing houses, a schoolhouse, sawmill and blacksmith 
shop. The distillery, assessed to John W. Smith 
& Bro., in 1862, was located on this parcel. By 
the act of assembly, passed January, 1844, Adam 
Smith's house was designated as the place in 
this township for holding township and general 
elections. 

Solomon Nulf probably settled on allotment 2, 
tract 321, warrant 3279, in 1831, to whom Willink 
& Co. conveyed 156 acres June 9, 1836, for $234, 



and on which he erected his sawmill in 1849, for 
he was first assessed with it in 1850. 

Tract No. 322, warrant No. 3146, adjoined the 
last above-mentioned one on the east, of which 
Willink & Co. conveyed seventy-eight and three- 
fourth acres of allotment 3 to David Yeager, Jr., 
March 2, 1846, for $157.50 ; 117 acres and 129 
perches of allotment 1 to John Thompson August 
5, 1842, for $265; eighty acres and forty perches, 
allotment 6, to Jacob Long, March 31, 1849, for 
$100; and Colwell et a^. conveyed fifty-nine acres 
and sixty-one perches to Jacob Fisher June 2, 
1864, for $226. Hereabouts was situated the card- 
ing machine, assessed to Alex. Richards in 1843. 
He was assessed with two in 1859. 

Tract No. 305, warrant No. 3277, adjoined the 
last above-mentioned one on the north, of which 
Willink & Co. conveyed 171 acres, allotment 1, to 
Henry Feather February 9, 1842, for $256.55. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the north 
was tract No. 294, warrant No. 3050. Tobias 
Shick settled on allotment 2 probably in 1827-8, 
to whose son Jacob Colwell et id. conveyed a parcel 
of it May 4, 1850, on the west end of which is sit- 
uated the town of New Salem, which was laid out 
prior to 1853. Its first separate assessment list 
was for that year, according to which it then con- 
tained one church, one physician, Dr. Alex. P. 
Heichhold — who wielded considerable influence in 
changing the political complexion of this town- 
ship by means of the organization commonly 
called " Know Nothing " — one carpenter and seven- 
teen taxables. The total n'aluation of property 
and occupations was $1,270. 

The Evangelical, or Albright Methodist, called 
the Salem church, at this place was organized by 
Rev. Daniel Long about 1851, and its frame edifice 
was erected the next year, when the membership 
was about fifty, which is now nearly four hundred, 
and they own a parsonage. 

The first dwelling-house (including a store- 
room ) was built by Jonathan Houpt, the second by 
Peter Aulenbaucher, and the third by William 
Bufiington and Adam Miller. The Pierce post- 
oflice was established here December 14, 1857, 
Solomon Wyant postmaster, whose successors have 
been Wm. Bufiington and Peter Hoch. The lots 
were sold, each, prior to 1860, for $30, more or less. 
For instance, Wm. Buifington paid Jacob Shick 
$30 for the one in the central part of the town, 
which was conveyed to him April 27, 1857. The 
assessment list for 1876 shows : Preacher, 1 ; 
school-teacher, 1 ; blacksmiths, 2 ; shoemakers, 2 ; 
innkeepers, ; merchants, ; wagon-makers, : 
there should be at least one each of the three last- 



RKD BANK TOWNSHIP. 



197 



named uccupations. Number of taxables, 2:!, rep- 
resenting a population of 105. One of the citi- 
zens of this place, William Buffington, was elected 
county commissioner in 1812, and re-elected in 
1875. One of the Red Bank district schoolhouses 
is situated in the upper part of this town, a short 
distance west of the church, near the intersection 
of the public roads. In the winter of 1865 the 
writer was accompanied by one of the school di- 
rectors of this township in his official visit to this 
school. He exhibited here, as in the other schools 
in the county, a hemisphere globe, and explained 
by it what is intended to be represented by the 
map hemispheres in the atlas, the shape of the earth, 
and how the relative motion caused by the 
earth's diurnal revolution makes the sun seem to 
rise and set — seem to move from east to west ; 
and had whatever satisfaction there was in learn- 
ing a few months afterward that that school di- 
rector had said, substantially, it was very foolish 
for the state to pay a county superintendent a sal- 
ary (then $400 per annum) for carrying such a 
thing as that globe with him to the schools and 
teaching such nonsense as that this earth is round, 
that all things on its surface are kept in place by 
the attraction of gravitation, and that it is kept 
moving in space in its orbit around the sun by the 
centrifugal and centripetal forces. That school 
director believed then, if he does not now, that 
the earth is not round, that it is stationary, and 
that the sun daily moves over and around it. 

Willink & Co. conveyed 160 acres and 59 perches 
of the last-mentioned allotment 2 to James Kerr, 
September 13, 1839, for $240.50. 

Next west of the last-mentioned tract was No. 
293, warrant No. 3135, skirting tract No. 306, 
warrant 2906, on the north and northeast, and 
" Lurgan " and " Quito " on the west. Willink & 
Co. conveyed 15*7^ acres of allotment 1, June 22, 
1831, for $200, and 323 acres and 112 perches of 
allotments 2 and 3, September IV, 1834, for $325, to 
John Holben, who conveyed 46 acres and 48 perches 
of allotment 1 to J. Wise, May 16, 1856, for 
$231.52; and 111 acres and 143 perches of allot- 
ment 5 to Mary Smith, June 18, 1833, for $127.20. 

North of tract 294, warrant 3050, or the New 
Salem tract, was tract No. 277, warrant No. 3051, 
into the northwestern part of which the south- 
eastern part of the Joshua Anderson tract seems, 
in the maps of connected drafts, to penetrate. 
Willink & Co. conveyed 165 acres of allotment 5 
to John Holewig May 14, 1832, for $165; ISOf 
acres of allotment 1 to Joseph Zangert April 27, 
1887, for $271 ; 165 acres of allotment 4 to Peter 
Gearhart May 18, 1838, for $247.50 ; 166 acres and 



133 perches of allotment 2 to George Kunsclman 
June 18, 1842, for $255; JC3 acres and 33 perches, 
which Himes had purchased from Moses Markle, 
September. 15, 1845, for $756, on which Ilimes was 
first assessed with a mill in 1851, being the same 
which Willink & Co. had conveyed to John 
Holben, Jr., May 14, 1832, for $165; Holben to J. 
& A. Miller May 5, 1845, on which was located the 
clover and feed-mill first assessed to them in 1847. 

Passing down to the southeastern part of this 
township, there was a portion of the LeRoy & Co. 
tract covered by warrant No. 3102, or, according 
to the later numbering of the Holland Company, No. 
344, of which Benj. B. Cooper conveyed 175 acres 
and 20 perches to Hugh Martin, November 15, 1825, 
for $298.72. This parcel lay chiefly in this township, 
some of it in Wayne. It was sold on a scire facias 
as the property of Hugh Martin, in the hands of 
his executors, by Sheriff Truby to Hugh Allen, 
March 23, 1844, for $700, who conveyed it to John 
and Thomas Allen, March 25, 1844, and the_y to 
John Segar, April 6, 1848, and he to Archibald 
Glenn, June 8, 1850, on the portion of which in 
Red Bank township the latter laid out the town 
of Presque Isle, containing twenty lots, 66X1165 
feet, ten of which being on each side of Main 
street, or the Clarion road, which is 60 feet wide, 
intersected by an alley, 16-} feet wide, between 
lots 5 and 6, and 15 and 16, which were surveyed and 
platted by James Stewart, April 29, 1851. There 
was not an instant demand for many of the lots. 
Glenn, however, conveyed some of them : Lot 
No. 17 to Michael B. Hileman, October 1, 1852, for 
$12.50 ; lots Nos. 11 and 12 to Wm. T. Glenn, the 
same day, for $37.50, and he to Davis H. Thomp- 
ton, March 26, 1858, for $15 ; lots Nos. 18 and 19 
to Sarah Yales, March 8, 1854, for $25 ; and lots 
Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, to Davis H. Thompson, September 
2, 1859, for $60. The first house in this town was ■ 
erected in 1852. The first separate assessment 
list was for the year 1853, when it contained nine 
taxables, representing a population of 41, with a 
total valuation of $466. It appeared on the assess- 
ment list for several years as "Presqu' Isle City." 
It reached its most magnitudinous proportions in 
1858, when its number of taxables was 15, and the 
total valuation of property, $1,303. Its last sep- 
arate list, the next year, shows only two taxables 
and the total valuation of five and a half acres and 
some personal property, $283. 

About one hundred and ten rods to the south- 
west of the Mahoning, in the same Holland Com- 
pany tract, is the little town of Independence, 
which received its name in the dry summer of 
1855, when it contained but four houses, the first 



198 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of which was built by Win. T. Glenn in 18 — , 
thus : Dr. Sims, arriving here one day, asked the 
name of this place, to which James L. Thompson 
replied that he thought they would call it Inde- 
pendence, as they were then, by reason of the 
drouth, independent of anything to live on. A. 
D. Glenn and his sister were attending the Dayton 
Academy that summer, and gave Independence as 
the place of their residence, by which it has ever 
since been known. It was separately assessed first, 
in 1859, when it contained five taxables, one saw- 
mill, one foundry and one blacksmith shop, with 
a total valuation of $1,245. According to its last 
separate assessment list, in 1860, it then contained 
one sawmill, one foundry, with a total valuation 
of $1,312. Michael Hileman was first assessed 
with a sawmill here in 1853 ; Isaiah Hopkins as a 
m^older, in 1852 ; Glenn, Hopkins & Co., with a 
sawmill and foundry in 1859 ; E. V. Thomas, saw- 
mill and foundry, in 1860-1 ; Hopkins, with the 
foundry, in 1863 ; Hopkins &Lamb, with foundry, 
in 1865, and Hopkins & Thompson, foundry, in 
1867. 

About fifty rods southeasterly from Independence, 
up the creek, was Martin's ferry, heretofore men- 
tioned, which was established — the writer has not 
ascertained when — by Hugh Martin, who settled 
on that part of tract No. 344 in 1805, then in Toby, 
afterward successively in Kittanning, Plum Creek 
and Wayne townships. His craft consisted of a 
canoe, at least a part of the time while he kept this 
ferry, which seems not to have been deemed of sufii- 
cient value by assessors to place it on their lists, 
even as the lowest or a seventh-rate ferry — one of 
that rate being then valued, for taxable purposes, 
at $10. It was at this point that emigrants and 
travelers from Westmoreland and adjacent coun- 
ties to what is now Clarion count}', in the early 
part of this centmy, crossed the Mahoning, many 
of whom were accustomed to say that they noticed 
a marked diflierence in the forwardness of veareta- 
tion in the sjjring, south and north of this stream, 
which seemed to them to be the line of demarka- 
tion in this respect. 

Next north of 344 and one of the Mason & Cross 
tracts was a vacant tract on the eastern division of 
which John McDonald setttled in 1822-3, and was 
thereafter assessed with 120 acres. His son, Robert 
McDonald, obtained a warrant for 155 aci-es and 
148 perches of it, chiefly in Jefferson county, No- 
vember 8, 1838, and the patent July 8, 1839. The 
small portion thereof in this county appears to 
have been divided into small parcels or lots. Mc- 
Donald conveyed one acre to John G. Thompson 
June 19, 1849, for $55; seven acres and ninety 



perches to Stephen Travis March 5, 1851, for $250, 
on which the latter had erected a foundry in 1848, 
which was first assessed to him in 1849, which 
Travis' widow and administrators conveyed to 
Archibald Glenn in June, 1858, when he carried 
on the foundry business for several years. He 
conveyed this and three other small parcels which 
he had purchased from different persons, aggregat- 
ing ninety-three acres and forty-three perches, to 
William Burns September 6, 1866, for $1,700, now 
owned by William M. Brinker. 

The western division of that vacant tract, 160 
acres, was taken up by William Hannegan in 1838, 
to whom the warrant was granted May 10 and sur- 
veyed May 18, 1839, 116 acres and 30 perches 
of which he conveyed to William and Andrew D. 
Guthrie October 18, 1839, for $2,250, and forty- 
three acres and 1 30 perches to George Wheatcroft 
the same day for $1. 

The town of Milton is situated on the Hannegan 
portion of that vacant tract. Its rise began about 
1845 by settlers who came from Milton, Northum- 
berland county, Pennsylvania. Its first separate 
assessment list was for the year 1852, when it con- 
tained nine taxables and showed a total valuation 
of $895. The Phoenix postofiice, William Guthrie, 
postmaster, was established here February 4, 1847. 
The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
here about 1845. The services were held for sev- 
eral years in the schoolhouse. The first church 
edifice was erected about six years after its organi- 
zation. 

Andrew D. Guthrie conveyed to Joseph Glenn, 
Archibald Glenn, Thomas Grey, George W. 
Thompson, James L. Thompson, Joseph W. Travis 
and Stephen Travis, trustees of this church, 131 
square perches " on the road leading from Warren 
to Clarion " October 18, 1851, for $10. 

The assessment list for 1876 shows: Taxables, 
24; merchants, 2; carpenter, 1; shoemaker, 1; labor- 
ers, 2. Total valuation of real and personal prop- 
erty and occupations, $3,016. 

The first settlers may have named this town 
after the one they had left in Northumberland 
county. Be that as it may, towns and persons of 
that name in this country have been so christened 
in ionor of the great English poet John Milton, 
whose devotion to and defense of civil and relig- 
ious liberty, as well as his brilliant mind and poetic 
genius, have rendered his memory fragrant to the 
civilized peoples of the earth, and especially to the 
free and enlightened people of the United States. 

The assessment list of this township, exclusive 
of Freedom, Milton and New Salem, for 1876, exclu- 
sive of farmers, shows: County superintendent, 1; 



RED BANK TOWNSHIP. 



199 



physician, 1; school teachers, 2; blacksmiths, 4; 
carpenters, 3; merchant, 1; mason, 1; millers, 2; 
machinist, 1 ; laborers, 10; wagonmaker, 1. Accord- 
ing to the mercantile appraiser's list there are five 
merchants, all in the fourteenth class. .. 

The first census taken after Red Bank township 
was reduced to its present area by the organization 
of other townships was that of 1860, which shows 
its population then to have been: White, 1,304; col- 
ored, 1. In. 18*70: native, 1,335; foreign, 6; col- 
ored, 0. The number of taxables, including those 
of the above-mentioned towns, in 18*76, is 3*76, rep- 
resenting a population of 1,729. 

The vote in this township was 122 against and 
35 for granting license to sell intoxicating liquors. 

EDUCATIOlsrAL. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 10; average. 
number months taught, 4; male teachers, 8; female, 
2; average salaries male teachers per month $11; 
female teachers, $11; male scholars, 240; female 
scholars, 200; average number attending school, 
266; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 43 
cents; amount levied for school purposes, $900; 
amount levied for building purposes, — ; received 
from state appropriation, $79.59; from collectors, 
$1,200; cost of instruction, $664; fuel, etc., $90; 
repairing schoolhouses, etc., $40. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 12; average 
number of months taught, 5; male teachers, 12; 
average monthly salaries, $27.50; male scholars, 
241; female scholars, 244; average number attend- 
ing school, 343; cost per month, 70 cents; amount 
tax levied for school and building purposes, 
$1,772.84; received from State appropriation, 
$314.31; from taxes and other sources, $1,973.04; 
cost of schoolhouses, repairs, etc., $88.68; paid 
teachers' wages, $1,625; fuel, etc., $228.30. 

STEtrCTUEE. 

The geological features of this township are gen- 
erally indicated thus : This section was obtained 
above Smith's sawmill on Pine run: Sandstone, 10 
feet; upper Freeport coal, 5 feet 8 inches; Olive 
shale, 10 feet; Freeport sandstone, blue shale, 10 
feet; lower Freeport coal, shale, 5 feet; sandstone 
(Freeport), 73 feet; black slate, four feet; Kittan- 
ning coal, 3 feet; Olive shale, 20 feet; ferriferous 
limestone, 8 feet; 80 feet above the creek (or run) 
by estimation. (Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania.) 

Furthermore, near the forks of the Great and 
Little Mahoning the Freeport (?) limestone appears 
eighty feet above the water. At the crossing of 
the Elderton road, over the Great Mahoning creek, 
the strata begin to dip more steeply and soon the 
ferriferous limestone and its overlying Kittanning 



coal rise from the water. The upper Freeport coal 
is seen northeast of the salt works, a little east of 
the road, 150 or 200 feet above the creek, the Free- 
port limestone occurring a little lower level oppo- 
site. The fourth axis crosses somewhat below 
Glade run, but'so rapidly does it decline, like all the 
others, to the southwest, that on the Cowanshannock 
it does not lift the ferriferous limestone to water- 
level, although where the fourth axis crosses the 
Mahoning that bed is at a considerable hightin 
the hillsides. (Ibid.) 

The rocks here represented above water-level 
belong mainly to the lower productive group, the 
lower barren being scarcely seen at all within the 
limits of this township. The conglomerate and 
sub-conglomerate rocks make the lower portions of 
the slopes along Mahoning ci-eek, as explained in 
the sketch of Wayne township, and the same rocks 
are seen occupying the same positions on past 
Eddyville and so on to the mouth of Little Mud 
Lick. Similar conditions prevail along Red Bank 
creek, but the structure necessitates a much less 
area for their exposure there. Thus the ferriferous 
limestone remains high above the water-level of the 
Mahoning along the southern edge of the township, 
while along the Red Bank it graduall)- approaches 
the creek, which it finally touches below Adam 
Smith's house below Millville. Very little of the 
upper Freeport coal is represented, there being only 
a few isolated knobs high enough to hold it. A 
few such knobs are found southeast of New Salem, 
a few more west of this village, while at the west- 
ern edge of the township the coal is brought down 
from its high level to dip under the western side 
of the valley of Little Mud Lick. Wherever 
found it is a workable coal-bed and is usually accom- 
panied by its limestone. The lower Freeport coal 
is also present but unimportant. The upper Kit- 
tanning coal here assumes its cannel feature over a 
considerable area, and it has been repeatedly 
opened by the farmers. The cannel portions of the 
bed are from ten to twelve feet thick, and here and 
there quite good, though very slaty. The whole 
nature of the deposit makes the bed unreliable in 
point of persistency. The lower Kittanning coal 
is three feet thick. The ferriferous limestone is 
from eight to ten feet thick, and so favorably situ- 
ated on the hills that it can be cheaply worked for 
quarry lime. Little use of it has, however, been 
made. 

This township exhibits two important anticlinal 
axes. The first crosses the Mahoning creek between 
Milton and the mouth of Glade run, as before ex- 
plained. It quickly passes into Jefferson county. 
The other axis crosses the Red Bank creek in the. 



yoo 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



extreme northeastern corner of this township, pass- 
ing thence west of Freedom, and soon toward New 
Salem, where it dies out. It is not felt on the 
Mahoning. (W. G. Piatt, Second Geological Sur- 
vey of Pennsylvania.) 

In this connection the following facts, commu- 
nicated to the writer by Jacob Buffington, are 
given: There is a stratum of block coal on Mud 
Lick and Little Mud Lick runs about three miles 
wide, extending about four miles from east to 
west, as far as discovered, varying from seven to 
fourteen feet in thickness. It burns as freely as a 
pine knot, with but little smoke, leaving a consid- 
erable quantity of clear ashes, which make a tolera- 
bly good lye. The entry, for a distance of about 
two hundred feet from west to east, was straight- 
There a vein of " horse-back " occurs eight feet 
thick, which is very tough and bends like iron, 
but is blasted with difficulty. At a distance of 
three feet east from the "horse-back" is a better 
quality of block coal. Another vein of "horse- 
back" occurs about thirty feet east of the other 
one, wliich the miners did not work through. Be- 
low the coal is a stratum of slate thirty inches 
thick, above which the coal rises perpendicularly 
thirty inches, that is, there is a fault. " Faults are 
produced by the breaking of the beds across the 
planes of their stratification, and thus permitting 
the strata to slide up or down, so that the two 



parts of a given bed are no longer on the same 
level," which "seriously retard mining operations, 
for suddenly the end of the bed of coal, or other 
substance, is reached, and the workmen know not 
wj^ther its counterpart is above or below the level 
upon which they have been operating." 

There is a cave on the Adam Smith farm on 
Pine run in hard, fine sandi-ock, consisting of 
several rooms or apartments. The first one is 
about eight feet high, four wide and fifteen long, 
from which is a narrow opening extending into 
another one; thence into three others of about the 
same size. There are several others, one which 
opens toward the left, another toward the right. 
The entrance to them is from the east, and their 
walls are very smooth. 

A short distance east of Laurel run is a 
stratum of slate and cannel coal, the upper part of 
wliich is about fifteen inches above the surface, 
below which is slate of an excellent quality, which 
can be excavated in blocks of eighteen inches 
wide, from eight to ten inches thick, and from two 
to two and a half feet long, which can be sej^arated 
into slabs one-eighth of an inch thick, well adapted 
to making slates and roofing. The coal and slate are 
traversed by rainbow or peacock colored streaks. 

The elevation above ocean level at Maysville is 
1, 107. 8 feet; at Pine run, 1,100.8 feet; at Millville, 
1,092.8 feet; at Indiantown run, 1,089.8 feet. 








^d^^^. 



CHAPTER VIII, 



PLUM CREEK. 



Derivation of the Name — Organized in 1810 — Very Early Settlement —Blockhouses — An Indian Attack — 
Women Making Bullets — Children Captured by the Savages — Bridging Crooked Creek — First Applica- 
tion to the Court for a Bridge — Absalom AVoodward — David Ralston — A Tavern Tragedy of 1809 — The 
Sharps — Land Tracts Originally Surveyed in the Township — Three Hundred Acres of Land for Five 
Shillings — Centennial Celebration 1876 (Note) — The First Iron Plow — Mills — Churches — Schools — 
Whitesburg — Some Mentionable Events — Items — Borough of Elderton — Its Early Residents — Incorpo- 
rated — First Officers — Religious History — Educational — Temperance ^Soldiers' Aid Society — Geological 
Features. 



THE name is derived from the creek wliicli 
the Indians called Sijni-as-han-ne. Sipuasi?ik 
means the place of plums. Sipti-as-han-ne, then, 
means a stream in the place of plums, or a stream 
flowing through a section of country in which 
plums are abundant. It was also called Alum 
creek. It is so named on the Historical Map. 

No movement was made either to divide or to 
change the boundaries of the six original town- 
ships until 1809. The inhabitants of Kittanning 
township having presented their petition setting 
forth that they labored under numerous disad- 
vantages by reason of the extent of their township, 
and praying that proper persons might be ap- 
pointed to divide it, the court of quarter sessions, 
at December session, 1809, appointed Robert 
Beatty, John Thomas, and James Kirkpatrick for 
that purpose. Their report, signed by Robert 
Beatty and John Thomas, was presented June 
20, 1810, and approved, in which they stated 
that they had run, marked, laid ofE and divided 
said township according to these courses and 
distances : " Beginning at the fording on Mahon- 
ing creek, where the road leading from Kittanning 
to Reed's mill crosses said creek, thence southward 
along said road to the top of the creek hill, 
about one mile thence south 640 perches to a 
hickory ; thence south 3 degrees west 800 perches 
to a post ; thence south 3 degrees east to a W. O. 
450 perches ; thence south 43 degrees east 40 
perches to a W. O. at Peck's house ; thence south 
degrees west 1,293 perches to Cowanshannock, 
about 20 perches below the mouth of Pluskinses' 
run ; thence south 23 degrees west 2,265 perches 
to the west branch of Cherry Run, about SO perches 
above the mouth of Long run ; thence down Cher- 
ry run to where the same puts into Crooked 
Creek." The name of the new township thus 
formed, on the draft accompanying the report, is 



"Plum Creek;" "Surveyed by me, Robert Orr, 
Jr." Its northern boundary was Mahoning creek ; 
its eastern, Indiana county ; and its southern, 
Crooked Creek. 

Such were the boundaries and extent of Plum 
Creek township, until the former were changed 
and the latter was curtailed by the formation of 
the townships of Wayne, Cowanshannock, Burrell 
and South Bend, and the borough of Elderton. 

The Historical Map of Pennsylvania indicates 
that there was an Indian town about a mile and 
thirty rods above Ci'ooked Creek, on or very near 
the Indiana county line, in the southeastern part 
of the township. 

Permanent settlements by the whites were made 
in the eastern and southeastern portions of Plum 
Creek township, as originally formed, before and 
when it was a part of Armstrong township — 
earlier than in any other part of this county. The 
reason why it was first settled is not stated. The 
streams, the water-power, and the considerable 
scope of productive and comparatively level land 
in that section may have been more attractive to 
pioneers than the more broken and rugged land 
in other sections. 

The early settlers there were subject to the at- 
tacks of the Indians. A blockhouse was built on 
the land then owned by William Clark, but which 
is now owned by S. E. Jones. There was another 
house with portholes — not built, perhaps, expressly 
for a blockhouse, but used as a place of refuge and 
defense from those attacks — on the road now lead- 
ing from Elderton to the old Crooked Creek Salt 
Works, on the farm heretofore known as the 
Downs' farm. It was attacked one morning by the 
Indians. George Miller and James Kirkpatrick 
were then in charge of it. The Indians fired upon 
them, killed a child in the cradle and wounded an 
adult person in the building. The women made 



202 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



bullets while the men were defending them and 
their children. One Indian, while putting a charge 
of powder in his gun, was shoj, through the hand 
and body and was killed, -and some of the other 
Indians were wounded. George Miller escaped 
from the rear of the building, mounted a horse and 
started for Clark's blockhouse. In his absence 
the Indians fled, carrying with them the dead and 
wounded. Two children, John Sloan and his sister 
Nancy, were captured about the time of that affair 
on the farm near the present Lutheran and Re- 
formed church, formerly in Plum Creek, but now 
Ain South Bend township, and about sixty rods 
northwest from the present residence of William 
Heintzelman. They were working in the cornfield 
at file time. Having been retained by the Indians 
several years, they were exchanged near Cincinnati 
or Sandusky, Ohio. They returned home the same 
year that Samuel Sloan, still living, was born. 
Their relatives and some other settlers soon after 
their capture followed the trail of the Indians to 
the point where they crossed the Allegheny river 
above Kittanning. The writer's informant, ex- 
sheriff Joseph Clark, also said he had seen bullet- 
holes in the door of the above-mentioned house on 
the DoAvns' farm, and that his aunt, Mrs. Joseph 
Clark, had told him that she used to stand, with 
rifle in hand, and guard her husband while at work 
on the farm now occupied by William T. Clark in 
Plum Creek township. 

From 1816 till 1821 many tomahawks, darts and 
flintheads were found on the farm now owned by 
William Herron, which is about half a mile north- 
west of the junction of Plum creek with Crooked 
creek, and on the west side of the former, which 
then divided the farms of William Clark and David 
Ralston. 

George Miller was the earliest white settler in 
this township. He located where the Kittanning 
and Indiana turnpike crosses Plum creek, in 1766. 
Twenty years later John and Peter Thomas settled 
about a mile and a half north of that point at 
" Elder's Vale," elsewhere mentioned, where the 
latter built a gristmill, afterward owned by Robert 
Woodward. 

Among the earliest emigrants to the southeastern 
part of Plum Creek township, which was then, 1 788, 
in Armstrong township, was the late Absalom 
Woodward, Sr., who, with his wife and two chil- 
dren, came that year from Cumberland county, 
Pennsylvania, and settled near what is now Idaho. 
He was a hardy and energetic pioneer, and an 
enterprising, public-spirited citizen. 

The petition of sundry inhabitants of this county, 
setting forth that a bridge was much wanted across 



Crooked creek, in Allegheny township, at or near 
the place where the road from Absalom Wood- 
ward's to Sloan's ferry crossed that creek, and 
praying the appointment of viewers, was presented 
at December sessions, 1805, the first held in this 
county. Whereupon the court appointed James 
Elgin, Christopher Ourey, James Clark, Robert 
Brown, James Sloan and Michael Mechling, who 
reported at March sessions, 1806, that a bridge 
was much wanted there, and that the probable 
expense, $450, was too much for one or two town- 
ships to bear. Their report was referred to the 
grand jury, who were of opinion that, as there had 
been no settlement between Armstrong and West- 
moreland counties, it would then be improper to 
make any allowance out of the treasury to carry 
into effect the prayer of the petitioners. At Sep- 
tember sessions, 1806, Absalom Woodward pre- 
sented his petition, offering to advance the money 
that might be appropriated for building that bridge. 
The matter was again referred to the grand jury 
March 17, 1807, who reported favorably, and the 
county commissioners, after consulting with the 
grand jury, also rejjorted favorably — both were of 
opinion that the ei-ection of that bridge would be 
too expensive for the townshipi. The application 
had to pass still another ordeal. The law required 
the aj)proval of two grand juries. The second 
grand jury at December sessions, 1807, reported 
that bridge to be necessary, " yet the probable 
expense that might accrue would be too weighty 
a burden for our present situation." A bridge was 
afterward built there, either at private or public 
exjiense. The court records show nothing more 
concerning it, except that the petition of inhabit- 
ants of Plum Creek township was presented Sep- 
tember 24, 1818, setting forth that the bridge at 
that place had been swept away by tbe flood in 
February of that year; that the fording there was 
impassable and that the desired bridge would cost 
more than is reasonable for one township to con- 
tribute; and praying the court to appoint viewers. 
Whereupon David Johnston, Philip Mechling, 
James Elgin, Joseph Clark, Isaac Wagle and 
James Richards were appointed, who reported 
favorably at the next December sessions. Their 
report was approved by the grand jury, and after 
having been held under consideration was finally 
approved by the court and ordered to be laid before 
the county commissioners, and there, except an 
order mentioned below, endeth the record. The 
writer has thus fully noticed the applications for 
that bridge because the original one was the first 
application for a county bridge that was made to 
the first court held in this county, and drew forth 



PLUM CREKK TOWNSHIP. 



203 



from Mr. Woodward an offer that must have been 
quite liberal in those early days. 

An order was issued by the county commission- 
ers September 21, 1814, for $137.33 for repairing 
the bridge across Crooked creek at Mr. Wood- 
ward's house. 

Another of his commendable acts was the build- 
ing of a church near South Bend. The edifice was 
a log one, yet the offering was liberal, considering 
the means which he had, in common with other 
early emigrants. 

Absalom Woodward, Sr., had thirteen children, 
eight of whom survived him. His sons were 
Robert, Sharp, and Absalom. His daughters were 
Mrs. David Reynolds, Mrs. Leonard Shryock, Mrs. 
Richard Graham, Mrs. Anthony Montgomery, 
mother of ex-Sheriff Montgomery, Mrs. William 
D. Barclay, Mrs. James Todd, Mrs. William Clark, 

mother of ex-Sheriff Clark, and Mrs. Johnston. 

His other children died in early life. He died in 
1833. Mrs. Jane Montgomery is the only one of 
his children still living, who is in her eighty-first 
year, having thus far survived her husband seven 
years. 

David Ralston, who married Miss Agnes Sharp, 
the second daughter of Capt. Andrew Sharp before 
mentioned, and the first white child born in this 
region, on this side of Crooked creek, was an early 
settler, having come to Allegheny, afterward Plum 
Creek, township, in 1800. His death was tragical. 
It occurred in 1809, at a log tavern, then kept on 
the farm formerly owned by Robert Woodward, 
and now by John Ralston. Among the persons 
stopping there, at the time, was a man who went 
out of the house, after dark, for the purpose of 
waylaying another against whom he had some 
grudge. Mr. Ralston soon after went out, and, 
having been taken for the one for whom the other 
was lying in wait, was struck with a club. The 
blow, thus inflicted, soon proved to be fatal. He 
had in his life-time purchased, and resided on, the 
several tracts of land now occupied by Mrs. D. 
Ralston, Absalom Montgomery, and James 
McCracken, in the southeastern part of Plum 
Creek township. He left three children — David, 
who died several years since; John, still living at 
Elderton, and Mary, intermarried with William 
McCracken. Mrs. Ralston, some time after her 
husband's tragical death, married James Mitchell, 
father of James, Sharp, Alexander, and William 
Mitchell, Eliza, wife of A. W. Montgomery, 
Sally, wife of Samuel Moorhead, and Rebecca, 
wife of Robert Lytle. 

The other children of Captain Sharp not hereto- 
fore mentioned were Joseph Sharp, who lived for 



many years on Crooked creek, descendants of his 
still residing in that section, and Ann, wife of 
Andrew McCreight, and Margaret, wife of John 
McCullough. 

The ancient map of this county indicates the 
following tracts to have been originally surveyed 
within the present limits of this township, if the 
writer has correctly run its present boundary lines 
thereon: Jane Elliott, 306 acres; William Cowden, 
290 acres, seated by Absalom Woodward; Benja- 
min Lesher, 304 acres; Joseph Dunlap, 233f acres; 
Peter Deshong, 340 acres, seated by Benjamin 
Lowry; John Magot, 3*71^^ acres, seated by Andrew^ 
Dormoyer; William Sausom, 406.8 acres, seated by 
Church Smith; Samuel Dilworth, 408 acres; Hugh 
Wason, 420.9 acres, " on the waters of the east 
branch of Cherry Run, about two miles west of 
the Kittanning Path," seated by William Nolder; 
John Young, 326 acres, seated by Jac. Rowley; 
John Alison, 382.56 acres, seated (140 acres) by 
Absalom Dornmoyer; Wm. Hurton, 301 acres; 
Joseph Burden, 862.4 acres, seated by Peter Alt- 
man; Robert Cooper, 302.1 acres, seated by John 
Willis; A. Woodward, 157.5 acres, seated by 
George Smith; Christopher McMichael and James 
Clark, 487-J acres; George Campbell, 302.122 acres, 
subsequently owned by Absalom Woodward; John 
Findley, 237 acres, seated by widow Ralston; John 
Biddle, collector of taxes in Berks county, Penn- 
sylvania, prior to 1780, 343 acres, seated by James 
Kean; John Smith, 175 acres; John Davidson, 
425.2 acres, seated by Geo. Smith; John Cooper, 
302.1 acres, seated by Michael Rupert; Michael 
Campbell and J. Guthrie, 359.9 acres, seated (100 
acres) by R. Sloan; R. McKinley and R. Sloan, 
100 acres, seated by Hugh Elgin; William Wason, 
310f acres; John Nolder, 188j acres, seated by J. 
Nolder; Isaac Anderson, 363.5 acres, seated by 
James Elgin, who. May 5, 1796, bought a part of 
it from Anderson, for £50 lawful money of this 
state; Sarah Elder, 392-^- acres, seated by R. J. 
Elder; Jas. Blakeney, 129f acres; John Levyzy, 
324 acres, seated by McCain & Jordon; Abigail 
McAllister, 297^ acres, mostly'in Indiana county; 
Bartholomew Mather, 329 acres, seated by Samuel 
McCray; Nicholas Rittenhouse, 306f acres, seated 
by Moses McClean; Thos. Shields, two tracts, 803;^ 
acres, partly in Indiana county; Arthur Chambers, 
228.6 acres; John Eakey, 179-i acres, seated by 
himself; Samuel Dixon, 193,acres, seated by Moses 
McClean; Thomas Taylor, 253.4 acres; Ann Parks, 
321^ acres, partly in Indiana county; Jacob Amos, 
426.6 acres, partly in Cowanshannock township 
and Indiana county; Mary Semple, 438 acres; 
James Semple, 41 If acres; John Semple, 408^- 



204 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



acres. A patent for this tract was granted to 
Walter Finney, of Chester county, Pennsylvania, 
March V, 1815, who and his wife conveyed 100-|- 
acres of it to Walter Templeton, January 1, 1816, 
"for the furtherance of the said Walter Temple- 
ton in his business of life, and also for the consid- 
eration of 50 cents to them in hand paid." Robert 
Semple, Sr., 365|- acres, partly in Cowansliannock 
township, seated by Samuel Sloan; John Cummins 
Jr., 98^ acres, seated by John Willis; John Cum- 
mins, iVlf acres; Thomas Cummins, 169f acres; 
John Paul, y61 acres, seated by Willis & Lowery; 
Charles Leeper, 99^ acres, seated by J. Guthrie; 
Josejjh Mather, 282+ acres; John Fitzer, 364:^ 
acres, partly in Cowanshannock township; Israel 
Morris, 322^ acres; Samuel Morris,* 291f acres; 
Thos. Morris, 329f acres (the last three tracts 
partly in Cowanshannocli township); Larken 
Dorsey, 312.7 acres; Thomas Hutchinson, 300.8 
acres, partly in Kittanning township ; Robert 
Smith, 400j acres, seated by Thos. Beer; George 
Meade, 337f acres, seated by Absalom Her.shberger; 
William Ewing, S19^ acres; Andrew Milligan, 
435.8 acres, seated by Philip Rearigh (300 acres), 
and Alexander Nelson; Abigail Sargeant, 363.8 
acres, seated by Geo. Boyer; Joseph Ogden, 334.9 
acres; Robert Cogley, 435.8 acres; William Smith, 
305.8 acres, seated by A. Craft; Christopher Miller, 
305.8 acres; Thomas Hyde, 305.8 acres; Robert Tow- 
ers, 339-i- acres; Stephen Lowrey, 353.3 acres, seated 
by Robert Sturgeon; WilliamKing,392 acres, seated 
by Robert Sturgeon; Andrew Craft, 2564- acres, 
seated by Roley Coe; Elijah Brown, 330.4 acres, 
seated by Jacob RuflEner; Widow Elizabeth Keal- 
er's improvement, about 240 acres; Tobias Long, 
328 acres, seated by Archibald Mcintosh; Nathan 
Burns, 256.6 acres; Jacob Stine, 319|^ acres, seated 
by Pat. Robb; James Burnsides, 321.6 acres, seated 
by Daniel Ruffner; Geo. Stine, 443 acres; Henry 
Stine, 404-J- acres, seated by John Robb; Jeremiah 
Stine, 401 acres, seated by Wm. Moore; John Gar- 
ret, 462.3 acres, surveyed to him, November 10, 
1'784, "on the path leading from Ligonier to Fort 
Armstrong, about six or seven miles from the fort." 
— War, July 1, 1784. James Elder, 343f acres, 
" on the Kittanning Path," seated by Sturgeon & 
Mclntire; Charles Moore, 306f acres; Thomas 
Moore, 319 acres; Samuel Preston Moore, 305.6 
acres; Henry Hill, 315 acres, seated by Geo. Shick; 
John Carney, 294f acres; Robert Elder, 338-^ acres, 
seated by Robert Woodward; Jacob Evermonde, 
346 acres, partly in South Bend, seated by Samuel 
George and W. Smith. 

*Snmuel Morris, Sr., was ail original member of tlie Hoard of War, 
appointed by the Supreme Executive Couiieil of Peiiiisyhauia, 
March 12, 1777. 



The first assessment list of this township, made 
in 1811, shows that the valuation of the occupied 
lands varied from 25 cents to $1 per acre. One 
small tract of thirty acres was assessed to William 
Dotty at 1 2^ cents an acre. The valuation of the 
unseated lands varied generally from 50 to 75 cents 
per acre, a few tracts at a dollar, and those of 
Timothy Pickering & Co., in what are now Wayne 
and Cowanshannock townships, at $2 an acre. 
There are not any unseated lands returned this 
year. The present valuation of the occupied lands 
ranges, generally, from |5 to $8, $10, |15, $20 and 
$37 an acre. E. K. Bloas' single acre is assessed 
at $150. 

The order for the survey of the Jane Elliott 
tract is dated April 3, 1769, and that for the 
William Cowden tract May 16 next ensuing. 

The dates of a number of the other original 
warrants are as early as 1773. On the 7th and 
24th of January and the 7th of March, 1774, sev- 
eral of those tracts wei'e sold by the warrantees to 
Richard Welles for five shillings per tract, each 
being described as containing 300 acres, viz. : the 
William Smith tract, " adjoining Jean McAllister, 
three or four miles from Tohoga's cabbins " (at 
the junction of Plum and Crooked creeks, on the 
west side of the former), "on the westerly branch 
of a large run that empties into Plumb creek ; " the 
Charles Moore, Thomas Hyde, William Craig, 
Joseph Ogden, Samuel Israel and Thomas Morris 
tracts. Those and other tracts were sold one hun- 
dred and two years ago (qounting from 1876) at 
the rate of five shillings for three hundred acres, as 
expressed in the deeds. 

Names were given to some, if not all, of these . 
tracts. For instance : the Mary Semple tract was 
called " Norway ; " the Nathan Burns tract, " Oran 
More," 156 acres 153 perches, conveyed by Burns 
to John McMullen October 16, 1807, for £156 15s.; 
the George Stine tract, " Wheat-field ; " the Isaac 
Anderson tract, " White-Oak Bottom ; " the Jacob 
Stine tract, " Monmouth ; " the Abigail Sargeant 
tract, " Wolf-harborer ; " the Robert Elder tract, 
" above the trading path from Ligonier to Kittan- 
ning," 191 acres of which became vested in Peter 
Thomas, then in Absalom Woodward, and then in 
Robert Woodward, " Elder's Vale ; " the William 
King tract, "Palace;" the Stephen Lowry tract, 
" Green Park," on a part of which this centennial 
anniversary of our national independence was ob- 
served by a large concourse of people of this sec- 
tion of the country.* Its various transfers are, 

■^ The question whether the Centennial anniversary of American 
independence should be suitably eonimemorated began to be agita- 
ted by the ])atriotic people of riuni Creek township and Eldertou in 
the fore part of March, 1871J. A committee of arrangements was ap- 
pointed at a public meeting held soon after, consisting of J. A. 










F^OBEf^T fvlAF^SHALL 



JVIF^S.F^OBEF^T [VIAF^SHALL, 



ROBERT MARSHALL. 

In the year 1S03, William and Catharine Marshall came to Wayne 
township, Armstrong county, and settled upon Glade run, near the 
present town of Dayton, being the first settlers npon the stream 
named, and having no neighbors nearer than five miles. They had 
a family of six sons and three daughters, of whom Robert, the sub- 
ject of this sketch, was next to the youngest. The names of the 
sons were Joseph, William, John, James, Robert and Samuel ; and 
the daughters were Elizabeth (McClelland), Mary (Ftndley), and 
Margaret (Irwin). 

Robert Marshall was born in what is now Indiana county (in the 
vicinity of Clarksburg), then Westmoreland, upon the 19th of Au- 
gust, 1799, and was consequently about four years of age when his 
parents became pioneers in Armstrong county. The family was 
unable to secure a title to the land on which they first located, and 
in 1S13 moved to the spot where the home of William Marshall now 
is, where they built a house and lived the remainder of their allotted 
years. Robert Marshall passed his youth at this place, workingupon 
the farm and taking advantage of the limited opportunies oifered for 
obtaining an education. Upon the 4th of December, 1821, he was 
rmited in marriage with Miss Mary Huidman, who was born June 6, 
1801, and reared in the same locality in which her husband was born. 
After their marriage this young couple moved on to Glade run, 
about a mile and a half from the site of Dayton, where they lived 
until Mr. Marshall bought the old homestead where his son William 
now lives. Upon this farm, as upon the one on which he formerly 
lived, he successfully carried on farming. In 1850 he took his sons 
into partnership in the management of his largely increased real 
estate, and they also opened a general store in Dayton, which was 
prosperously carried on. He sold his real estate to. his sons in 1868, 
but retained his interest in the store until his death. 

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall were the parents of a large [family of chil- 
dren, of whom the following grew to maturity and survived them, 
viz, : William, Thomas H., Catharine (wife of J. W. Marshall), Caro- 
line (Sloan), Emmeline, Mary (Lawson), and Rebecca K. (Reid). Cath- 
arine has died since the demise of her parents. 



Mr. Marshall's first wife, and the mother of these children, died 
December 29, 1869. Upon the 25th of July, 1871, Mr. Marshall mar- 
ried his second wife, who survives him. Her name was Mary Jane 
Armstrong, and she was born September 14, 1834. After his second 
marriage, Mr. Marshall resided in the village of Dayton until his 
death, which occurred October 1, 1881, at the advanced age of eighty- 
two years. 

Robert Marshall was a strong, active man, well fitted to bear his 
part in the brunt of the great struggle which the first residents of 
this county made against the wilderness. Through his long life he 
was a conscientious and useful citizen, and esteemed by all who 
knew him. He took an active part in organizing the Dayton Union 
Academy, and was one of the originators of the Dayton Soldiers' 
Orphans' School, and its heaviest stockholder. He lent assistance, 
both in influence and money, to almost every local project for the 
public good, and earnestly sought to advance the interests of the 
community in which he dwelt. He was a member of the Associate 
or Seceders' church, and, after its formation, of the United Presbyte- 
rian church. Of the Associate congregation of Glade run he was 
one of the founders, and its house of worship was built and a bury- 
ing-ground for the congregation set apart upon land donated by him 
for those purposes. Politically he was a Whig, and subsequently 
a Republican. 

William Marshall, the oldest son of Robert, who lives upon the 
old homestead farm, was born September 24, 1822. In politics and 
church affiliation, he has followed in his father's footsteps, as also in 
general character and public usefulness. His occupation is farming, 
but he has some other business interests, among which are the store 
in Dayton, and the Enterprise Lumber Company. He is also a 
stockholder in the Dayton Soldiers' Orphans' School, and one of the 
supporters of the Daj'ton Union Academy. Mr. Marshall was mar- 
ried April 19, 1860, to Mary Ann Blair, who was born two miles fi'om 
Dayton, May 7, 1835. Their children are Laura D., C. R., Rebecca, 
Jemima, Caroline, Blair, and Tirzah. 











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PLUM CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



205 



therefore, fully given : Warrant to Stephen Lofrry 
dated July, 1784, who by deed dated December 
11, IVSC, conveyed his interest therein to Isaac 
Franks, to whom the -commonwealth issued a 
patent therefor dated February IT, 1800, who by 
deed dated January 10, 1807, conveyed to Samuel 
D. Franks, of Berks county, Pennsylvania, for 
" six hundred dollars specie in hand paid," who by 
deed dated January 1-, 1814, conveyed the same to 
Robert Sturgeon for |i600, who by deed dated Au- 
gust 23, 1819, conveyed 162 acre^ and 26 perches 
to Thomas Sturgeon for $500, who died intestate 
in October, 1870. Proceedings in partition were 
instituted to No. 26 March term, 1871, in the 
orphans' court of this county. The inquest found 
that this farm of Thos. Sturgeon could not be 
parted and divided to and among all his children 
without prejudice and spoiling the whole, and ap- 
praised the 191 acres and 84 perches which it was 
found to contain at $42 per acre, aggregating 
$8,044.05. Robert Mcintosh, the administrator of 
the estate, was directed by the court to sell it, 
which he did by public outcry at Elderton Febru- 
ary 28, is73, to John A. Blaney for |5,937.27. 
Exceptions to that sale were filed, but overruled. 

The Bartholomew Mather tract was called 
" Matherton ; " the Nicholas Rittenliouse tract, 
" Rittenhousen ; " the Joseph Mather tract, " Jo,- 
sephton ; " the Thomas Moore tract, " West Cor- 
ner ; " the Richard Wells tract, " Hope ; " the An- 
drew Croft tract, " Contentment ; " the John Da- 
vidson tract, " Chester ; " the James Elder tract, 
" Eldridge Farm." 

The warrants for the Joseph Ogden, Thomas 



Blaney, chairman : D. B. Coulter, secretary ; John Ralston, Robert 
Mcintosh, L. C. Gibson, J. M. Hunter, D. S. Fraily, T. A. McKce, N. 
S. McMillen, Wni. Cessna and N. Reifer, Sr., who discharged their 
duties effectively and acceptably. A desire to pHrtake in this cele- 
bration seized many patriotic people of the adjoining townships, so 
that early this morning large numbers started in carriages, wagcjns, 
on horseback and afoot from all directions for this point, this grove 
where a platform lias been erected and other suitable arrangements 
made for the proper celebration of this Fourth of July, 1876. The 
number assembled here is estimated to have been nearly 3,000. Pre- 
cisely at 10 o'clock A.M. Robert Mcintosh, the chairman, announced 
that President Grant's proclamation suggesting and recommending 
the proper observance of this day wouldbe read. 

The order of exercises arranged for tliis occasion was partly 
carried out, thus : 

Reading of the President's proclamation by the chairman. An 
eloquent and patriotic prayer by Rev. Byron Porter. Whittier's 
('entennial Hymn, well rendered by a chorus of a hundred voices, 
accompanied by a part of the Elderton cornet band. Reading the 
Declaration of Independence by James M. Patron. Rendering the 
national hymn' "America" by the chorus, accompanied by the band. 
Offering by the chairman the sentiment, "The Day We Celebrate," 
■which elicited an eloquent and patriotic response from Rev. A. 
Cameron. Recess for dinner, which was bountifully spread from 
numerous baskets on white cloths upon the ground, and keenly 
relished by the multitude who partook of the choice edibles which 
good housewives and fair maidens had neatly and carefully pre- 
'pared. The recalling of the assemblage to the platform by a spirit- 
stirring piece, well rendered by the Kittanning cornet band. And, 
finally, the delivery of a portion of this historical sketch of Arm- 
strong county, when, before the portion intemled for this occasion 
was hair completed, the vast audience was suddenly dispersed by 
the unexpected approach of a violent storm of rain, thunder and 
lightning, and thus the remaining exercises that had been arranged 
tor the remainder of the day were, by a stern necessity, omitted. 
13 



Moore, George Snyder and Richard Wells tracts, 
elsewhere mentioned, are respectively dated June 
20, 1774. They aggregated 1,207 acres, and became 
vested in Thomas Cadwallader, of Philadelphia, 
Pa., who by deed, dated February 18, 1808, conveyed 
them, with several other tracts,* to John Young, 
the then president judge of the courts of this 
county. 

It has occasionally hap])ened that land-owners 
have become permanently divested of their titles 
by treasurers' sales for non-payment of taxes. A 
case of this kind is the John Cooper tract, 302.1 
acres, below Elderton, on the eastern branch 
of the run that empties into Crooked creek, a 
short distance below the mouth of Plum creek. 
It was sold in 1822, by Samuel Matthews, who was 
then county treasurer, to Robert Martin, who con- 
veyed it to David Altman, Michael Rupert and 
George Smith. They having divided the tract, 
Altman's part was conveyed to George Row'ley, 
January 14, 1824, who conveyed it to John Ral- 
ston, November 3, 1835, for $400. 

Within the last half century the changes of 
titles have been very numerous, and the original 
tracts have been divided, respectively, among 
several purchasers. Thus, the Thomas Moore tract, 
northwest of and near to Elderton, became vested 
in Samuel Sturgeon, who by deed, dated May 7, 
1860, conveyed 181 acres of it to James M. Christie 
for $3,000. 

Among the early settlers of this township were 
also Abraham Frantz, Jacob AUshouse, Matthew 
Rankin, Philip Rearigh, now the oldest man in the 
town.ship, being in his eighty-seventh year, Will- 
iam Bleakney, John Downs, William Johnston, 
William Todd Clark, Sr., Daniel, Henry and John 
Frailey, Samuel, John, Robert and James Nolder, 
John Rej^ine, Robert Sturgeon (1807), William 
Graham, Sr., Archibald Mcintosh, Daniel George, 
who several years ago celebrated the semi-centen- 
nial anniversary of his marriage, the Ruperts, too 
numerous to mention, James Elgin, George Smith,' 
George Smith (Irish), Henry Smith, whose widow 
and eight children survive him, Samuel and William 
Sloan, Jacdb Klingensmith, A. Dunmire, George 
Otterman and William Moore. The last-named 
was a scout in Westmoreland county during the 
revolutionary and Indian wars. Among the papers 
which he left, now in the possession of his grand- 
son, John Moore, are a certificate, appraisement 
of damages, and a discharge, of which the follo-sving 
are copies : 



* See sketch of Cowanshannock township. 



206 



HISTORY or ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



I certify that William Moore of AVestmoreland 
county hath voluntarily taken the oath of Allegiance 
and Fidelity as directed by an Act of General Assem- 
bly of Pennsylvania, passed the 13th day of June, anno 
Domini, 1777. 

Witness my hand and seal the 30th day of May, 1778. 

[l. s.] Chakles Foreman. 

A bill of damagfi William Moore sustained by the 
Indians During the time of the late war in Hempfield 
township, Westmoreland county. 

Apraized to £13 by us. A true copy. 

Hugh McKee. 
John Shields. 
Octr ye 11th, 17S4. 

(All of Mr. Moore's horses and stock were 
stolen several times, but lie did not apply for 
an appraisement for damages, except in that in- 
stance, and he did so then because a favorite 
horse had been taken. His bill was not presented 
for payment.) 

I do certify that William Moore did belong to My 
Company and has proved to me that he is forty-five and 
is now honorably discharged. 

Given under my hand this 19th day of May, 1798. 

James Irwine, Capt. 

Mr. Moore settled a mile and a quarter south- 
west of Whitesburgh, about 1816, and died De- 
cember 7, 1827. 

The first metal plow, it is said, was introduced 
into this township, and into this region, about 
1811-12, by James Elgin, who was very chary of it, 
gloried in it, and w^ould not allow others to use it. 
Another man, without his consent, took hold of it 
and started a furrow at a plowing match or frolic. 
The plow having struck a stone or root, " kicked " 
and struck a fence, whereby both of its handles 
were broken. Elgin quickly showed his indigna- 
tion at the liberty thus taken with his plow. The 
trespasser made light of it. An altercation of 
both words and blows ensued, in which the latter 
was knocked down. That mode of redressing 
grievances was not uncommon in those days, and 
yet the court was seldom occupied in disposing of 
indictments for assault and battery. Elgin had a 
chivalric sense of fair play, and in his attempt to 
maintain it on a certain occasion in aji encounter 
between two other men, he broke one of his own 
fingers and left a permanent mark of his blow on 
the lower jaw of one of the combatants. 

The first assessment list of Plum Creek town- 
ship, while of course its territory was intact, indi- 
cates that there were in it then, 1811, two grist- 
mills and sawmills, owned respectively by James 
and William Clark and Peter Thomas ; seven dis- 
tilleries, owned respectively by William George, 
William Johnston (two), William Kirkpatrick, 



James Kirkpatrick, Church Smith, George Smith 
and John Willis ; one hatter, William Fiscus, and 
one innkeeper, Absalom Woodward ; number of 
taxables, 120; population, allowing 4|- persons 
to a taxable, 598. The mills owned by Peter 
Thomas, on the Robert Elder tract, were the only 
ones then within the present limits of the town- 
ship. There are at present four gristmills in this 
township : J. Graham's, on Cherry Run, a little 
north of west from Elderton ; the Peter Thomas 
mill, now^ owned by Prince & McGerry, on Plum 
creek, nearly a mile in an air line northeast from 
Elderton ; the Fleming mill, on the north branch 
of Plum creek, a little more than half a mile 
above its junction ; and James Johnston's on Plum 
creek, a few rods west of the Indiana county line. 
The township map of this year indicates the pres- 
ent number of sawmills to be three : J. Ralston's, 
about 165 rods above Crooked creek, on the first 
run west of Plum creek ; T. A. McKee's, on Cherry 
Run, about three-fourths of a mile below Gra- 
ham's gristmill, and J. A Johnston's, on the 
longest eastern branch of Plum creek, about 1 00 
rods west of the Indiana county line. 

CHURCHES. 

Plum Creek Presbyterian church was organized 
by the "Old Redstone Presbytery" prior to 1830. 
The congregation, about that year, erected a stone 
edifice about two miles northeast of Elderton, be- 
tween Plum creek and one of its western branches. 
The facts of its early history are obscure. Rev. E. 
D. Barrett, a graduate of Williams College, and a 
classmate of William CuUen Bryant, gave one 
half his time to that church for one year, *. e., 
some one year while he was jjastor of Glade Run 
church. He, Bryant, and Charles F. Sedgwick, of 
Sharon, Connecticut, are the only surviving mem- 
bers of their class in this centennial year. That 
church was demitted in 1839 on account of the 
dilapidated condition of the edifice, its remoteness 
from Elderton and the organization of another 
church, so that it seldom afterward had even sup- 
plies. The Blairsville Presbytery disbanded it in 
1845 and attached its members to other churches. 

The Cherry Run Presbyterian church was orga- 
nized by the Blairsville Presbytery in 1844. Its 
edifice is a neat frame, situated about a hundred 
rods southeast of Whitesburgh, on the Kittanning 
and Indiana turnpike. This church was supplied 
by the late Rev. John Stark until 1858, he having 
dissolved his connection with the Associate Re- 
formed and having been ordained as an Evangelist 
in the Presbyterian church. After his labors 
ceased Rev. M. M. Shirley was its pastor until 



PLUM CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



207 



1866; Rev. G. K. Scott from 1867 to 1869; it has 
since been supplied. Members, 92; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 85. 

The Methodist Episcopal church edifice, also a 
neat, frame, is situated near the Presbyterian at 
this point. The church is in the Knox circuit. 

St. Thomas is the name of both the Reformed 
and Lutheran church, at the point of the dis- 
banded Plum Creek Presbyterian church above- 
mentioned. There appears to be no record of the 
time when the Reformed congregation was orga- 
nized. Rev. Wilhelm Weissel, as is still remem- 
bered by certain individuals, preached for some 
time at the house of John Thomas in that vicinity, 
and continued to.be the pastor until about 185]. 
His successors have been Revs. T. A. Boyer and 
Frederick Wise. Members, 44 ; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 35. 

The Lutheran church at this point was organized 
about 1850, and was occasionally supplied until 
1856. For thirteen years thereafter Rev. Michael 
Sweigert was its pastor. His successor, the 
present pastor, is Rev.- J. Wright. Members, 38; 
Sabbath-school scholars, 80. 

The erection of the present St. Thomas church 
edifice was commenced in the summer of 1867 — 
the cornerstone was laid in the fall, Revs. Michael 
Sweigert, F. Wise and J. Wright officiating, and 
the dedication occurred in the following winter. 
The building committee consisted of Geo. Rearich, 
John Sell and Luke Bierer. The building is 
frame, 50X45 feet. The consistory of the Re- 
formed congregation then consisted of Abraham 
Jewell and Jacob Thomas, elders, and Herman 
Rearich and Nicholas Reefer, deacons. 

The Moiuit Union Reformed Congregation was 
organized at the McCullough schoolhouse by Rev. 
Frederick Wise, May 28, 1864. The members of 
the first consistory were Elders Philip Rupert and 
Aaron Smith, and Deacons Obadiah Rupert and 
Adam Smith. The congregation soon after pre- 
pared to build a church edifice, a'nd received assist- 
ance from individual members of other denomi- 
nations. During the progress of the building a 
Lutheran congregation was organized and took a 
half interest therein. Its siteis about two and a 
half miles southwest of Elderton. The corner- 
stone was laid June 28, 1869, on which occasion 
Revs. Frederick Wise, J. J. Pennypacker and J. F. 
Wiant, of the Reformed, Revs. Jonathan Sarver 
and J. R. Melhorn, of the Lutheran, and Rev. 
Byron Porter, of the United Presbyterian church, 
took part in the exercises. This church, dual in 
faith and in the election of officers, but one and 
joint in the ownership of the church property — in 



these respects like the St. Thomas church — was 
dedicated October 23, 1870, and the congregations 
were incorporated by the proper court December 
15, 1871.* The edifice caught fire, in the midst of 
communion services, which prevented their com- 
pletion, on Sabbath, January 9, 1873, and was con- 
sumed. A new brick edifice — the present one — 
50X40 feet, was soon after erected on its site by 
the joint contributions of the two congregations, 
and was dedicated June 7, 1874. 

The number of members of the Mount Union 
Lutheran church is 50; Sabbath-school scholars, 40. 

St. Paul's Reformed, under the charge of Rev. 
A. K. Kline, a little more than two miles northeast 
from Whitesburgh, has over one hundred members, 
and its Sabbath-school nearly as many. The St. 
Thomas church, about six miles and seven-eighths 
north of Elderton, has about fifty members. 

The German Baptist or Dunkard church was 
detached from the Cowanshannock church in or 
about 1863, and then organized into the Plum 
Creek church. The edifice is frame and is situated 
nearly a mile southeast of Elderton, on the John 
Davidson tract, called in the patent " Chester," on 
land now owned by Tobias Kimmell. This church 
has since its organization been under the charge of 
Rev. Lewis Kimmell, who has also devoted much 
of his time to teaching public and normal schools 
in that locality. Church members, 100; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 50. 

One of the five Sabbath-schools in this township 
is a Union school, i.e. consisting of scholars belong- 
ing to different denominations. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first schoolhouse within what are the present 
limits of Plum Creek township was erected in 1792 
on what is now John Sturgeon's farm, in the north- 
eastern part of the township, a half a mile or more 
westerly from an old blockhouse just over the 
Indiana county line. That schoolhouse was such 
a one of the primitive temples of knowledge as are 
elsewhere described in this work. It was built by 
the Hoovers, Johnstons, Repines and Templetons, 
who were early settlers in that region. Robert 
Orr Shannon was the first teacher within its walls. 
Another schoolhouse was built a few years after- 
ward on land then belonging to Absalom Wood- 
ward, Sr., about fifty rods east of what is now called 
Idaho mill, in the southeastern part of the township. 

'^- The charter members of the Lutheran Cnnpresntinn were- Rev. 
J. Wright, the pastor. AVm. Davis, Andrew Dnnniiie S. A. Kiiiippen- 
terger, PaA-irt l.andis. A. Linsenbigler, Adam I ong, Alviih, Andrew, 
Pavid. Edward, James, Philip (of J.) and Samuel Knperi, John 
Sheafer, Samuel and Joseph Young. 

Of the Eoforme<l Congregation— Rev. Frederir-k ^Vise, pastor; 

Samuel , Josiah Buyer, Adam, E. W., F. M., G. W.. Josii h F., 

Joseph, Obadiah, Philip, Ralston and Wilson Kupert, J. F. Shonp 
and A. Smith. 



208 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The first teach ei- there is said to have been a Mr. 
Donahoo. He taught in that house as late as 1802. 
Mrs. Jane Montgomery, widow of Anthony Mont- 
gomery, was then one of his pupils. The barbar- 
ous custom of barring out teachers was then in 
vogue, in case they refused to treat their scholars 
on holidays. Donahoo refused to do so on one of 
these occasions and was barred out. As he per- 
sisted in refusing to treat them, Abraham Wood- 
ward, Sr., as it is related, suggested to the boys that 
they had better let him enter the schoolroom, and 
then bar him in. They did so and succeeded in 
making him comply with their demand. When 
the teacher's compensation depended, to so great 
an extent as it did in former times, on the good 
will of his pupils, it may have been politic for him 
to have treated them on holidays. 

Robert Sturgeon, now one of the oldest inhabit- 
ants in this region, remembers that there was in 
1803 a log schoolhouse about 125 rods west of 
Cherry Run, and nearly a mile southeast of 
Whitesburgh, near the road from Kittanning to 
Elderton, on land now occupied bj' Peter George; 
one in the southwestern part of the township, on 
land now occupied by J. Roley, the teacher in 
which was Cornelius Roley. 

Robert Mcintosh remembers an old schoolhouse 
on the old state road from Indiana to Kittanning, 
about 200 rods southeast from Whitesburgh, on 
land formerly owned by Henry RufEner, but after- 
ward by William S. St. Clair, in which a teacher 
by the name of Cook taught in 1810-12; one nearly 
a mile northeast of Elderton, on the public road 
leading thence to Plumville, in which Rev. John 
Kirkpatrick, of Greenville, Indiana county, Penn- 
sylvania, was the teacher for several terms, from 
1812 until 1815. 

There was a schoolhouse in the northwestern 
part of the township, on a western branch of 
Cherry Run, on land now occupied by J. Boyer, in 
1832, one of the teachers in which was Miss Ann 
Fulton, who, it is said, succeeded admirably as a 
teacher and a disciplinarian. 

Anthony O'Baldain, educated for a Catholic 
priest, was one of the early teachers. John Stur- 
geon taught from 1846 till 1874, i. e., twenty-eight 
consecutive terms. All of these schoolhouses were 
primitive log ones. The free school system was 
readily adopted in 1835, and the requisite number 
of a rather better kind of log houses were erected, 
at suitable distances, throughout the township, 
which have since been replaced by comfortable 
frame ones. In 1860, the number of schools was 
14; average number of months taught, 4 ; male 
teachers, 1 1 ; female teachers, 3 ; average salaries 



of male, per month, |>12 ; average salaries of 
female, $12 ; male scholars, 387 ; female scholars, 
325 ; average number attending school, 396 ; 
amount levied for school purposes, $1,100; for 
building, $300 ; received from state appropriation, 
$176.61 ; from collectors, $1,057.79 ; cost of -teach- 
ing each scholar per month, 31 cents; cost of 
instruction, $672 ; fuel and contingencies, $195 ; 
building, renting, repairing schoolhouses, $310. 
In 1876 the number of schools (exclusive of three 
in that part of South Bend taken from the Plum 
Creek township) was 14 ; average number of 
months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 1 1 ; female 
teachers, 3 ; average salaries, male, per month, 
$30.45 ; average salaries, female, per month, $27 ; 
male scholars, 310 ; female scholars, 248 ; average 
number attending school, 375 ; cost per month, 77 
cents ; amount of tax levied for school and build- 
ing purjjoses, $3,644.57 ; received from state ap- 
propriation, $407.34 ; from taxes, etc., $2,827.71 ; 
cost of schoolhouses, $771.05 ; teachers' salaries, 
$2,080 ; fuel, contingencies, collectors' fees, etc., 
$384. 

The chief occupation of the people of this town- 
ship has been agricultural. The assessment list 
for this year shows the number of clergj^men to be 
4 ; physicians, 2 ; laborers, 52 ; blacksmiths, 3 ; 
millers, 3 ; wagonmakers, 2 ; peddlers, 2 ; mason, 1 ; 
saddler, 1 ; shoemaker, 1 ; gentleman, 1. Mer- 
cantile — Number of stores, 5 ; in 12th class, 1 ; in 
13th class, 1 ; in 14th class, 3. 

POSTAL. 

The mail matter for the people of this township 
is received at the Atwood, Elderton, South Bend, 
and Whitesburgh postoffices. The last-named is 
the only one in this township. It was established 
May 3, 1861, John A. Blaney being the first and 
present postmaster. 

Whitesburgh is a small village, named after the 
late Major James White, who about 1828 surveyed 
and laid out its lots. It contains several dwelling- 
houses, a store, blacksmith-shop, carpenter-shop, 
hotel, and an office or oflices of two physicians, 
Drs. Parke and Kelly. A short distance west of 
this village and elsewhere in its vicinity are 
grand, extensive, and picturesque views of the 
surrounding country. 

SOME MBNTIONABLB EVENTS. 

A military company, bearing the name of Crooked 
Creek RangeVs, was organized many years since. 
lt> consisted of about fifty or sixty men residing 
along Crooked Creek and its vicinity, from across 
the Indiana county line down toward its month. 



PLUM GREEK TOWNSHIP. 



13 01) 



The uniform consisted of a homemade linen hunt- 
ing shirt, dyed in a color like that of tan-bark 
juice, buckskin breeches, and a cap surmounted 
with a coon's, fox's or deer's tail, and each member 
of the company, at least each private, was armed 
with a rifle. When that company was organized 
and disbanded, and who were its officers, the 
writer has not been able to ascertain. 

On Friday, March 28, 1828, occurred a circular 
fox hunt. The circle began at the house of Capt. 
Joseph Sharp; thence to Robert Walker's, on 
Crooked Creek; thence to where the state road 
crossed near Israel Thomas'; thence to James 
Speddy's; thence to Robert Woodward's mill 
(" Elder's Vale ") ; thence to Plum Creek bridge; 
and thence to the place of beginning. It was 
arranged that all the sections should move at the 
blowing of the horns, precisely at 9:30 o'clock 

A. M. 

A few days before July 12, 1837, occurred a 
heavy rain which raised the waters of Plum creek 
several feet higher than they had ever before been 
known to have been by the oldest inhabitants. 
The principal portion of the fences, grain, timothy, 
clover and other crops along the valley were de- 
stroyed. A large number of hogs were drowned. 
One farmer lost more than a dozen in one pen. A 
new bridge on the Kittanning and Indiana turn- 
pike, and a less valuable one higher up the creek, 
were swept away. No lives were lost. 

On Thursday night, December 29, 1838, the 
steam gristmill on Plum creek, formerly owned b}^ 
Peter Thomas, but then by Robert Woodward, was 
destroyed by fire, together with two carding ma- 
chines, belonging to James C. Fleming, and 1,800 
bushels of grain, which the people of the surround- 
ing country had deposited there. Hence, that fire 
was not only a private, but a public calamity. 

The Plum Creek Farmers' Mutual Insurance 
Company was incorporated by the proper court, 
December 7, 1874. Its object is the compensation 
of its members for losses occasioned by fire. 

There have been a goodly number of staunch 
friends of the temi^erance cause in this township, 
notwithstanding the vote for granting license to 
sell liquor was 161, and that against it 86. 

ELDEETOK 

Is on the tract called " Wheatfield," which was 
originally surveyed on a warrant, dated August 18, 
1786, to Sarah Elder, to whom a patent therefor 
was issued, April 14, 1799. By her last will and 
testament she devised that tract to Joshua Elder, 
who by deed of gift, dated June 19, 1818, conveyed 
it to Robert J. Elder, who, November 20, 1822, 



laid out 14| acres thereof into 41 town lots, front- 
ing on Turnpike and Saline streets, which cross 
each other at right angles. Their width is si.xty 
feet, and that of the various alleys is from twelve 
to sixteen feet. These lots were surveyed by James 
White. They are all, except three, 66X165 feet. 
The course of Turnpike street is north 22 degrees 
west; of Saline street, south 78 degrees west; and 
that of the southeasterly line of the town plot is 
north 89 degrees west. The original shape of the 
town was nearly that of a cross. 

Mr. Elder, when he laid it out, named it New 
Middletown, and it is so designated in some of the 
early court records and assessment lists. The first 
house erected in it was a small log one, which was 
kept as a tavern by William Elgin, whose sign 
was about 18X8 inches, nailed to a stick stuck in 
a stump with this inscription on it : " Oats and 
whiskey for sale." Mr. Elder then lived in a 
hoTise afterward occupied by John R. Adams, on 
a farm now owned by Matthew Pettigrew. 

The first assessment list of New Middletown ap- 
pears to have been in 1824, thus: Thomas Arm- 
strong, lot No. 10, valued at $1 ; William D. Bar- 
clay, lots Nos. 17, 20, 21, 2 houses, $8; William 
Coulter, lot No. 3, 1 house, 12.50; Daniel Elgin, lots 
Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 38, 1 house, $5.68 ; Samuel George, 
lot No. 13, f 1 ; John George, lot No. 12, $1 ; Dr. 
Leonce Hoover, lots Nos. 19, 34, 1 house, 1 horse, 1 
head cattle, $3.50 ; John Kees, blacksmith, 1 house, 
2 lots, 125 ; William McLaughlin, 1 house, 3 lots, 
$25 ; Moses Miller, lot No. 31, $1.12 ; Samuel Stur- 
geon, lots Nos. 41, 15, $3.50 ; Robert Woodward, 
lots Nos. 27, 28, 29, $3.50. The respective valua- 
tions of 20 unseated lots varied from 29 cents to $5. 

Among the earliest citizens of this town were 
Thomas Armstrong, tailor, afterward justice of 
the peace; Zack Kerr, chairmaker; Hamlet Totten, 
shoemaker ; Joseph Klingenberger, saddler ; Will- 
iam Lytle and William D. Barclay, merchants ; 
Daniel Elgin and William Coulter, innkeepers, 
the latter of whom was justice of the peace for 
nineteen years ; John and William Elgin, Robert 
Richey, George Shryock, A. W. Clark, George 
Smith, James Clark, now of Indiana, Pennsylvania, 
who established the tannery now owned by Charles 
Rosborough. John Ralston traded a horse with 
the late Robert Woodward for the lot on which he 
still lives, which he grubbed with his own hands. 
He and William Lytle entered into partnership 
in the mercantile business in 1831, which they 
carried on in the room now occupied by Dr. J. M. 
St. Clair. 

Among the later settlers were, as the writer is 
i informed, Andrew Kimmel, Drs. Meeker, Kelly 



210 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and Allison. The last-named was a surgeon in 
the army during the war of the rebellion, and for 
several years past, he and his son, a native of 
Elderton, have practiced in Kittanning. It was 
in Elderton that Dr. David Alter first experi- 
mented in telegraphing, respecting which he says 
in a recent letter to the present writer : 

"In 1836, while engaged in experimenting in 
electro-magnetism, in Elderton, I received the 
idea that the galvanic current could be made 
available for telegraphing by causing the deflec- 
tion of magnetic needles, and in accordance made 
a plan for pointing out the letters of the alphabet 
by deflection, and was successful at the distance of 
120 feet. But having no time nor means to pursue 
the subject then, I neglected it and did not apply 
for a patent." 

There was presented December 8, 1858, to the 
proper court of this county, a petition of citizens 
of the town of Elderton, then in Plum creek town- 
ship, setting forth that they labored under many 
disadvantages and inconveniencies for want of 
corporate privileges, and praying to be incorporated 
under the act of April .3, 1851. That petition was 
referred to the grand jury, who returned to the 
court that it was expedient to grant the prayer of 
the petitioners. On the next day, March 9, the 
court made the requisite decree incorporating that 
town into the borough of Elderton. It is pro- 
vided by that decree that the electors of the 
borough of Elderton and the township of Plum 
creek might join in electing a judge and two in- 
spectors of election, before whom the elections of 
the township and the borough might thereafter be 
held — the ballots to be deposited in separate bal- 
lot boxes, except those cast for judge and' in- 
spectors. 

The boundaries of the borough were : " Begin- 
ning at a post on lands of William Bleakney; 
thence south 7l-|- degrees west 120 perches to a 
post in land of John Ralston; thence north 18^ . 
degrees west 183 perches to a stump on land of 
John R. Adams; thence north 7li degrees, east 120 
perches to a post in land of Robert M. Gibson; 
thence south 18|- degrees east 183 perches to the 
place of beginning," containing 137^ acres. 

The first borough election was directed to be 
held at the house of Henry Smith, on the first 
Friday of April, 1859, of which Robert Martin was 
appointed judge and Robert T. Robinson and 
William S. Cummins, inspectors. Notice of that 
election was to be given by the constable of Plum 
creek township. Subsequerft borough elections 
were to be held at the time of holding elections of 
township ofiicers, which was on Friday next pre- 



ceding the first Monday of March until changed to 
the third Tuesday of February by section three, 
article eight, of the present constitution of this 
state. 

The first borough officers were : Burgess, William 
Lytle; members of town council, Robert Martin, 
William S. Cummins, Robert T. Robinson, Bryson 
Henderson, Joseph Henderson; street commis- 
sionei', John Ralston; assessor, Henry Smith, 
assistant assessors, R. M. Gibson, G. W. Burkett; 
auditox-, D. W. Hawk; constable, Elias Kepple; 
overseers of the poor, William Alexander, Noah 
Keifer; school directors, John H. Morrison, Joseph 
Klingenberger, Anderson Henderson, William 
Haslett, G. W. Burkett, Charles Rosborough. 

By act of March 23, 1865, the burgess and town 
council were empowered to vacate and supply so 
much of the Ebensburgh and Butler pike as lay 
within the borough limits. 

By act of March 9, 1872, the burgess and town 
council were authorized to compel by ordinance the 
owners of property fronting on any of the streets 
to pave the sidewalks ten feet in front of their 
respective lots and keep them in good order and 
repair. In case any owner or owners refuse or 
neglect to pave, the borough authorities can have 
the paving of such sidewalks done and enter up 
liens for the cost of the labor and material within 
sixty days of the completion of the work, having 
first given thirty days' notice. 

OHUECHES. 

The United Presbyterian congregation of Elder- 
ton was organized December 25, 1854, as an Asso- 
ciate Presbyterian congregation, with thirty-two 
members, as follows : Wm. Lytle, Mrs. Mary 
Lytle, Miss Elizabeth Lytle, Mrs. Nancy Hender- 
son, W. S. Cummins, Hugh Elgin, Mrs. Mary 
Elgin, James Elgin, Mrs. Mary Elgin, Jr., Samuel 
George, Mrs. Eliza George, Miss Sarah McCreight, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Rupert, Mrs. Jane Clark, Mrs. 
Eliza Montgomery, Mrs. Martha Martin, John 
Ralston, Mrs. Jane Ralston, Mrs. Nancy Mitchell, 
Miss Nancy Mitchell, David McCullough, Sr., 
Robert McCullough, Mrs. Nancy Cullough, David 
Rankin, Mrs. L. A. Rankin, Mathew Rankin, Mrs. 
Margaret Rankin, Mrs. Mary Rankin, Sr., John 
Rankin, Mrs. Mary Rankin, Jr., Mrs. Jane Hen- 
derson, James McCreight. 

Wm. Lytle and James McCreight were elected 
ruling elders at the time of the organization. 
Rev. Byron Porter, the first pastor, was installed 
in July, 1 856. For three years Mr. Porter preached 
at Elderton one-third of his time, and from that 
until his death, which occurred November 28, 1870, 





THOMAS H. MARSHy^LL, 



JVlF^S-THO'S. H.f^/IARSHALL . 




F^ES. OF THOMAS H. MARSHALL, D/kYTOI^, P/ 



PLUM CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



211, 



one-half time. Mr. Porter's pastorate was quite 
prosperous, the congregation having a membership 
of over one hundred at his death. Until 1862 the 
congregation worshiped in a brick house which 
had been erected in 1849 as a Union church by the 
Presbyterians and Associate Presbyterians of the 
community. In 1862 the United Presbyterian con- 
gregation built the present house of worship, a sin- 
gle-story frame structure, at a cost of about $3,000. 
The house was not completed and occupied until 
1863. Robert Mcintosh and David Rankin were 
ordained elders August 16, 1856. Brioe Henderson, 
W. S. Cummins, Robert MoCullough and William 
Smith were ordained elders November 15, 1861. 
The session was further strengthened by the ad- 
dition of S. B. McNeal, November 5, 1864 ; Alex- 
ander Hunter, October 21, 1865 ; and Thomas Stur- 
geon and John M. Hunter, October 3, 1879. Wm. 
Lytle died August 17, 1873, S. B. McNeal in 187- 
and David Rankin October 6, 1880. William 
Smith and Alexander Hunter were certified in 1872, 
and W. S. Cummins in 1878 ; Messrs. McCreight, 
Mcintosh, Henderson, McCijllough, Sturgeon and 
J. M. Hunter form the session at this time. 

Rev. J. Buff-Jackson was installed pastor of this 
congregation in connection with Shelocta, Indiana 
county, Deceniber 11, 1877, and so continues at 
this time. There are at present one hundred and 
thirty names on the roll of the congregation. 

The following are the names of the present 
members given as nearly as possible in the order of 
their admission: 

Mrs. Mary Lytle, James Elgin, Mrs. Mary Elgin, 
Mrs. Jane Clark, Mrs. Eliza Montgomery, Mrs. 
Martha Martin, Robert McCullough, Mrs. L. A. 
Rankin, John Rankin, Mrs. Mary Rankin, Harvey 
M. Rankin, Mrs. Bell J. Clarke, Miss Clara B. 
Rankin, Mrs. Permelia Sturgeon, R. A. MoCracken, 
Mrs. Bell McCullough, Mrs. Nancy B. McCullough, 
Hugh E. Rankin, Hugh H. Elgin, Mrs. Annie M. 
Rankin, Miss M. Ella Sturgeon, Mrs. Carrie M. 
Jackson, Miss M. N. Henderson, John M. Kepple, 
Cyrus M. Yount, Byron Porter, Joseph Fry, Mrs. 
Jane Fry, Mrs. Mary M. McCullough, Miss Maggie 
J. McCullough, Miss Amanda J. Elgin, Miss Mary 
A. Bleakney, Miss Iris J. Armstrong, Miss Annie 
M. McCreight, Miss Ella Hunter, E. L. Porter, 
John M. Rankin, Mrs. Mary A. Rankin, Mrs. Agnes 
J. McCullough, Miss Bell J. Rankin, Alexander 
Rankin, Mrs. Clara E. Rankin, Mrs. M. E. Har- 
man. Miss Emma J. Painter, Miss Nancy J. Stur- 
geon, Miss Mary E. Lytle, Mrs. H. J. Ralston, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Keener, Miss A. B. Montgomery, 
Mrs. M. J. Ramsey, A. W. Bleakney, R. M. Keener, 
Mrs. E. J. Ralston, Mrs. Emma Smith, Mrs. S. A. 



Henderson, John R. Porter, W. D. McCullough, 
Mrs. Lizzie Lightner, Miss Bell J. Sturgeon, Miss 
Miss N. E. McCullough, T. N. Ralston, James A. 
Smith, John Ramsey, Mrs. Mary Ramsey, William 
Ramsey, L. C. Gibson, Mrs. C. Gibson, W. B. 
Sturgeon, A. B. Ramaley, Mrs. M. Kepple, Mrs. 
Bell Kaylor, Mrs. Callie Yount, Miss Clara I. 
Sturgeon, Miss Mary E. McNeal, James Smith, 
Mrs. Margaret Smith, Mrs. Nancy Schrecengost, 
Miss Delia M. Rankin, Miss Bell H. Elgin, Alex- 
ander Clarke, Thomas A. McCullough, Alexander 
McCullough, Mrs. Jane Moore, James McCreight, 
Robert Mcintosh, John McCullough, Mrs. Eliza- 
beth McCullough, Mrs. Nancy M. Sturgeon, Brice 
Henderson, Thomas Sturgeon, Mrs. M. A. Mcin- 
tosh, Mrs. Lois Armstrong, Mrs. Catherine Clark, 
Mrs. Julia A. Smith, Miss Maggie Mcintosh, Miss 
Ellen Mcintosh, Mrs. Mary Bleakney, Mrs. Jane 
M. McCreight, B. W. Armstrong, Mrs. Mary J. 
Armstrong, William Sturgeon, Mrs. Nancy Stur- 
geon, Mrs. Jane Sturgeon, Miss Nancy Bleakney, 
Mrs. Nancy McConnell, Mrs. Elizabeth Dixon, 
Miss Sarah Smith, William Armstrong, Mrs. Sarah 
Sturgeon, Mrs. Lydia A. Frailey, Mrs. M. J. Hen- 
derson, Mrs. Mary A. Elgin, John M. Hunter, Mrs. 
Emma Hunter, D. A. Ralston, Mrs. Catherine 
Bleakney, Mrs. M. J. Ramaley,Mrs. A. M. Porter, 
M. C. Ramaley, S. W. Smith, Miss E. I. Mont- 
gomery, Mrs. S. J. McCullough, Miss Ella E. Arm- 
strong, Miss Alice B. Graham, W. Hays Elgin, T. 
Porter Sturgeon. 

The Presbyterian church was organized by the 
Blairsville Presbyterj' in 1855. Rev. Wm. F. 
Morgan was its pastor one-third of the time until 
his death. The edifice is frame, 40X50 feet, on 
the northwest corner of Turnpike street and the 
street leading into the Rural Village road. Mem- 
bers, 85; Sabbath-school scholars, 75. 

The Methodist Episcoj)al church is one of the 
churches belonging to the Elderton circuit, at 
present under the charge of the Rev. A. Cameron. 
The edifice is frame, and is situated on the extreme 
lot, as yet laid out and occupied, on the right-hand 
side of Saline street, as the observer faces south- 
west, near the present borough line. Members in 
that circuit, 230; Sabbath-school scholars, 280. 

SCHOOLS. 

As early as, perhaps earlier than, 1826 there was 
an organization called the " New Middletown 
Schoolhouse Stockholders," to whom Robert J. 
Elder conveyed, for the sum of ten dollars, a lot 
containing ninety-two and seven-tenths perches 
adjoining, or nearly so, this town, on which a 
schoolhouse was erected, and the first school 



212 



HISTORY OF AKMSTRONG COUNTY. 



taught in it by Josiah Elder in 1828. That lot has 
been for years included within the borough limits- 
The building is frame. The school board eon- 
template securing the two lots adjoining that one 
and erecting thereon a creditable brick school, 
house. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 1; months 
taught, 7; male teacher, 1; salary per month, $20; 
male scholars, 31 ; female scholars, 34 ; average 
number attending school, 53 ; cost teaching each 
per month, 39 cents; amount levied for school j)ur- 
poses, $175; received from collector, $175; ex- 
pended — cost of instruction, $150; fuel and con- 
tingencies, $25. 

In 1876 there was one school; months taught, 7; 
male teacher, 1 ; salaiy per month, $40 ; male 
scholars, 30 ; female scholars, 35 ; average number 
attending school, 56 ; cost per month, 66 cents ; 
levied for school and building purposes, $281.92; 
received — from state appropriation, $75.33 ; from 
taxes, etc., $315.92; cost of schoolhouse, $14; 
teacher's salary, $280 ; fuel, contingencies, etc., 
$32.94. 

The Elderton Academy was founded in 1865. 
The edifice is frame, one story, eighteen feet high, 
about 60X30 feet, with two rooms, and situated on 
the left-hand side of Turnpike street, the observer 
facing southeast, on the ninth block below Saline 
street. The instructors have been competent, and 
the average attendance of students about forty. 

A brass band, consisting of fifteen pieces, organ- 
ized a few years since, is one of the best in the 
county. 

TEMPEEAITCB. 

There has been for many years a strong temper- 
ance element in this place. The vote against 
granting license was 30, and for it, 8. 

SOLDIBKS' AID SOCIETY. 

On the reception of the news of the first great 
battle in the war of the rebellion, and on the first 
intimation given that various articles were needed 
to make the sick and wounded Union soldiers 
comfortable, the ladies of Elderton and Plum 
Creek immediately, even on the Sabbath day, com- 
menced preparing lint and bandages and collecting 
delicacies to be forwarded to the suffering with all 
possible dispatch, and this was continued for a con- 
siderable time before an association was regularly 
organized. Much — there is no record of how 
much — was thus done, some sending their contri- 
butions to individual soldiers whom they knew. 
Toward the latter part of the war an account was 
kept of the money and articles contributed. The 
aggregate of the former was $169.99, which the 



society expended for material on which they ex- 
pended their labor. Thirteen pages, thirteen by 
eight inches, are filled with entries of shirts, 
drawers, packages of bandages, dried fruits, canned 
fruits, vegetables, etc., received and forwarded 
through the sanitary commission to the army. 
The money value of all the contributions made by 
this society from first to last cannot now be esti- 
mated, but it is fair to state that the grpss amount, 
if accurately known, would appear to be highly 
creditable to the humanity and patriotism of those 
by whom it was contributed. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

An approximate idea of the geological features 
around Elderton and throughout Plum creek town- 
ship is derivable from the following compilation 
from " Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania : " 

On Crooked creek, 2^ miles below Plum creek, 
the upper Freeport coal is seen 12 feet above the 
creek, and 42 inches thick as exposed ; it soon dips 
under the stream. In the bend of Crooked creek 
the red and variegated shales of the Barren meas- 
ures, with nodules of hematitic ore, occur 45 feet 
above the stream and fragments of green fossil- 
iferous limestone 30 feet above it. The Pitts- 
burgh coal occurs ujaon the upland surface three- 
quarters of a mile southeast of this point on 
Crooked creek. 

The black limestone strata are seen rising west 
under the greenish strata, one quarter of a mile 
below the bend, and 20 feet above the creek. Over 
a dark greenish stratum 10 inches thick lies a nod- 
ular limestone 5 inches thick ; this, again, is capped 
by green shales. Half a mile below this the upper 
Freeport coal rises to a hight of 51 feet above the 
water level, and is opened 3^ feet thick ; roof bitu- 
minous shale, 1-| feet thick. 

The ferriferous limestone rises from the creek at 
Heath's ; it is full of small bivalves [terebratula, 
etc.), is flinty, thinly stratified, dark blue, and 5 feet 
thick. A quarry of silicious sandstone, greenish- 
gray and splitting into slabs, has been blasted in 
the strata, 20 feet above the limestone, which slabs 
are used for tombstones in Elderton. Sandstones 
are largely developed in the bed of the creek be- 
low the next sawmill. A coal bed 1^ feet thick 
is there, from 20 to 25 feet above the water ; the 
limestone is nowhere visible. A section made in 
the lofty sides of the valley at that place is as fol- 
lows : Mahoning massive sandstone, 50 feet; upper 
Freeport coal, irregular (estimated to be 200 feet 
above the creek), 3 feet; unknown, 15 feet; Free- 
port limestone, 18 inches ; unknown, 10 feet; sand- 
stone and shale, 40 feet ; Freeport sandstone, 50 




Ji>9^.(W^^ 



E^-y^ 



PLUM CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



213 



feet ; coal, a few inches ; shale, 16 feet ; sandstone, 
4 feet ; unknown, 41 feet. 

Kittanning coal (possibly the ferriferous coal), 
1^ feet; unknown down to the creek and full of 
fossils, 6 feet thick. Depth of salt well is said to 
be 500 feet. A little to the east of this appears to 
run the highest or axis line of the third anticlinal 
flexure. The Freeport limestone, bearing its char- 
acteristic minute fossjls, has fallen so far in its 
level by the time it has reached Cochran's mill, 
300 yards above the next saltworks, that it is but 
24 feet above the dam ; it is seminodular, and 2 
feet thick. The upper Freeport coal overlies it 2|- 
feet, and is itself 3 feet thick. It is a thicker bed 
some hundred yards southwest, and the coal out- 
crop is 10 feet above it. A coalbed is seen at a 
level 100 feet higher in the hillside. Beneath it 
is seen a massive sandstone, but the fossils of the 
limestone seem decisive against that supposition. 
At the lower saltworks is a coalbed 3 feet thick 
and 60 feet above the stream. 

Turning from the southern to somewhat be- 
yond the northern boundary of Plum Creek town- 
ship, at Patterson's mill, on the Cowanshannock 



creek, the Kittanning bed, covered by 40 feet of 
shale, reads thus : Bituminous shale, 3 feet ; coal 
and slate interleaved, vegetable impressions nu- 
merous, I'J inches; coal, 12 inches, 7 feet above 
level of water ; floor, black slate. Lower down it 
reads thus : Black slate, 5 feet ; coal, 5 inches ; 
bituminous pyritous slate, 18 inches; coal, 1.5 
inches ; slaty coal, 14 inches. 

Two miles west of Rural village, on a farm 
formerly known as Smith's tract, the upper Free- 
port coalbed is 150 or more feet above the creek, 
and is 4 feet thick, of good quality, but with a 
little sulphur. Ten feet below it is the ferriferous 
limestone, 5 feet thick. Fifty feet below the lime- 
stone is seen the lower Freeport coal, said to be In- 
fect thick. Upwards of 100 feet lower down, near 
the creek level, is the Kittanning coalbed, thick- 
ness unknown. This locality is on the east side of 
the fourth axis, and distant from it about 2.} miles; 
dip southeast. 

Such are the geological features of the territory 
between Crooked and Cowanshannock creeks, in 
the scope of country comprised within the limits 
of Plum Creek township. 



CHAPTER IX 



WAYNE. 



i^et off from Plum Creek in 1821 — Named in Honor of " Mad Anthony " — The Original Land Tracts — Their Early 
Owners and the Settlers Upon Them — The North American Land Company — Gen. Robert Orr Succeeds the 
Company in Ownership of Their Lands in Armstrong County — Holland Land Company's Tracts — John 
Brodhead's Survey District — William and Josej^h Marshall — James Shields — A Sparsely Settled Region — 
Slow Increase in Population — Religious History — First Sermon — Rev. Robert McGarraugh, the Pioneer 
of Presbyterianism — Educational Interests — Pioneer Schools — Later Advantages — Belknap Independent 
District — Glade Run Academy — -Its Graduates — First Gristmill — Distilleries — Olney Furnace — Iron 
Foundry — The First Professional Men — Postofflces '— B trough of Dayton — Churches — Dayton Academy — 
Soldiers' Orphans' School — Common Schools — Incorporation — Statistics — Appropriateness of the Name 
of Dayton. 



THE petition of sundry inhabitants of Plum 
Creek township, praying for its division, was 
presented to the court of quarter sessions of this 
county at September sessions, 1820. James White 
(surveyor), Abraham Zimmerman, Jacob Beck, 
Noah A. Calhoun, Joseph Marshall and John 
Thorn were appointed the viewers or commission- 
ers. Their report in favor of the division was 
presented at the next December sessions, held over, 
and approved March 19, 1821. The new townshif) 
of Wayne was then ordered and decreed to be 
erected with the following boundaries : Beginning 
on Mahoning creek at the lower end of Anderson's 
cave; thence south five miles to a white oak; thence 
south ten degrees east four miles to the purchase 
line; thence by plot along said line to the line 
between Armstrong and Indiana counties; thence 
by plot along said line to Mahoning creek; and 
thence down the same to the place of beginning. 
It having been at the same time represented to the 
court that the viewers had gone beyond the 
western line of Plum Creek township and included 
a part of Kittanning township, it was further 
ordered, " that the new township of Wayne be 
bounded by that of Kittanning." 

The records do not show who was appointed' to 
hold the first election. In the absence of the 
docket containing the election returns of the various 
election districts in this county prior to 1839, the 
names of the township officers then elected have 
not been ascertained. 

This township was christened, of course, in 
honor of General Anthony Wayne, of fi-agrant 
revolutionary memory. His illustrious career is so 
familiar to the people, and espeeiallj' to Pennsyl- 
vanians, that a minute and extended mention of his 
impetuous valor, unwavering fidelity and patriot- 



ism, military genius and ability would here be 
superfluous. 

The original tracts of land in the eastern section 
of this township, that is, east of an imaginary line 
extending from north to south, crossing Glade 
run about 275 rods above its mouth, were the 
following: 

Two tracts, warrants No. 5146, 5147, each con- 
taining 1,100 acres, surveyed to Thomas W. Hiltz- 
heimer, on those warrants, dated February 6, 1794, 
which Hiltzheimer conveyed to Gen. Daniel Brod- 
head, December 29, 1795. The latter, by his will, 
dated August S, 1809, devised the same to the 
children of his daughter, Anna Heiner, namely, 
John Heiner, of Jefferson county, Virginia ; Cathe- 
rine, wife of John Broadhead, of Wayne county, 
Pennsylvania ; Margaret, wife of John Faulk, of 
the last-mentioned county, and Rebecca J., wife of 
Samuel Johnston, of Sussex county. New Jersey. 
Faulk and wife, December 1, 1814, Heiner and 
wife, August 29, 1815, and Brodhead and wife, 
July 14, 1817, conveyed their respective undivided 
one-fourth parts of those two tracts to Robert 
Brown, of Kittanning. Brodhead and Johnston 
and their wives conveyed 100 acres of tract sur- 
veyed on warrant No. 5147, to Brown, May 30, 
1816, for $20. A considerable portion of the con- 
sideration from that vendee to those vendors 
consisted of lots in the then town, now borough, 
of Kittanning. Johnston and wife conveyed 100 
acres of the southern end of tract surveyed on 
warrant No. 5146, to James Kirkpatrick, and on 
February 4, 1819, the undivided one-half part of 
the residue of this last-mentioned tract for $500, 
all of which, except $47.74, was paid in Johnston's 
lifetime, and the balance to his widow, who, by 
Daniel Stannard, her attorney in fact, executed a 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



215 



second conveyance, January 17, 1828. From a list 
of ta.x:es on Gen. Brodhead's lands in this county, 
for the years 1806-7-8, obtained by the writer from 
Edgar A. Brodhead, it appeai-s that those two 
tracts, then in Kittanning township, were assessed 
with 18.26 road tax and $16.50 county tax in each 
of the years 1806-7, and with $7.50 road and $8.26 
county, in 1808. John Rutherford seated 200 
acres, and Jacob Peelor 300 acres of tract No. 5146, 
and Joseph Marshall, Jr., 114, James Kirkpatrick, 
200, John Calhoun, 144, James McGahey, 50, Abel 
Findley, 100, and James Russell, 130 acres of tract 
ISTo. 5147. 

In the southeastern corner of the township is 
a portion of the Harmon Le Roy & Go's tract 
No. 3095, extending into Cowanshannock township 
and Indiana county, which will be elsewhere more 
particularly mentioned. 

North of the last-mentioned tract were the two 
contiguous tracts surveyed by warrants Nos. 558 
and 553, the former of which contained 400 and 
the latter 474 acres. They were surveyed to 
Ephraim Blaine on those warrants. The latter was 
seated by Robert Marshall. Fifty acres of the 
former were occupied by Thomas Duke, from 1830 
until 1840, and by William Kinnan for several years. 
Blaine was a resident of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 
the earlier years of the revolutionary war. In the 
spring of 1777 the appointment of sub-lieutenant 
of Cumberland county was tendered to him, which 
he declined for these reasons, given in his letter 
of April 7, to President Wharton : "The differ- 
ence of sentiment which prevails in Cumberland 
county about the constitution and the ill-judged 
appointment of part of the sub-lieutenants are my 
principal reasons for not accepting for the present 
the commission your honor and the council were 
pleased to offer me of the lieutenancy. I shall, 
however, study to render the public every service 
in my power." He was afterward appointed 
deputy commissary general for the middle de- 
partment. In February or March, 1780, he was 
appointed commissary general, which position he 
probably filled until the close of the war. His 
name appears in the list of the names of men re- 
siding at Fort Pitt, July 22, 1760. He was the 
great-grandfather of James G. Blaine, the distin- 
guished United States Senator from Maine — a 
native of Pennsylvania. 

Those two Blaine tracts extended from the 
above-mentioned Harmon LeRoy & Co.'s tract, 
along the Indiana county line, 325 rods ; thence 
northwest 200 rods, thence west 200 rods, thence 
south 475 rods, and thence east 325 rods. Glade 
run traverses the territory of which the northern 



or larger of these tracts consisted, in a westerly 
and northwesterly course. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the west 
was the James Hamilton tract, covered by war- 
rant No. 358, containing 400 acres. It was sur- 
veyed to James Hamilton, of Carlisle, Pennsylva- 
nia, on that warrant. The patent was granted to 
his son James, March 3, 1832. It was conveyed 
to James Hamilton, of Jefferson county, Pennsyl- 
vania, August 6, 1834, who conveyed 131A acres 
of it to William Borland, June 18, 1836, for 
$492.37-2-, which then adjoined lands of William 
Kirkpatrick, John Borland, William Cocliran, 
James Marshall, John Calhoun and Noah A. Cal- 
houn. 

Adjoining that tract on the north was the Timo- 
thy Pickering & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 
262, dated May 17, 1785. There being some nota- 
ble points on this tract, some of i^s various trans- 
fers are here presented. It was a part of Geu. 
James Potter's estate, which became vested in his 
son, James Potter, who covenanted, May 9, 1 795, 
to convey it as containing 1,000 acres to Ephraim 
Blaine. ' His heirs, believing that he had made a 
deed therefor which was lost, for the purpose of 
confirming and ratifying their father's agreement, 
executed, March 20, 1837, a deed to John Hays 
and Rev. Adam Gilchrist, whose wives were daugh- 
ters of Robert Blaine and granddaughters of Eph- 
raim Blaine, who were desirous of obtaining a 
patent and perfect title. The tract was found to 
contain 1,099 acres. Ephraim Blaine had paid for 
only 1,000, but these heirs considered that the 
excess of 99 acres would be a fair equivalent for 
obtaining the patent and completing the title. 
They therefore conveyed to Hays and Gilchrist 
the entire tract, which subsequently became vested 
in John Hays, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, partly in his 
own right and partly in that of his children, Marv 
W. Hays, afterward the wife and widow of Capt. 
West, of the United States army, Robert B. Hays, 
and John Hays, Jr., with all of whom the writer 
subsequently became acquainted. The two last 
named were his pupils at the Plainfield Academy, 
near Carlisle. John Hays, Sr., conveyed his right 
in that tract to David Ralston, March 23, 1839, for 
$7,375, and by virtue of an act of assembly, ap- 
proved July 5, 1839, he conveyed as guardian the 
interest of his wards therein, October 5, then next, 
to David Ralston, for $1,000. The latter conveyed 
one-third thereof, respectively, to Thomas White 
and James McKennan, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, 
March 25, 1844, the consideration expressed in each 
conveyance being $1, also, April 7, 1845, his undi- 
vided third part, two tracts, to McKennan, for $850. 



216 



HISTORY OF ABMSTEONG COUNTY. 



John Hays, Sr., was a son of John and Mary 
Hays, both of whom participated in the battle of 
Monmouth, N. J., in the revolutionary war. He 
was a sergeant in a company of artillery, who is 
said to have directed a cannon at least a part of the 
time. When he was carried from the field, his 
wife was approaching with a pitcher of water for 
him and others, took his place by that cannon, 
loaded and fired at least once, insisted on remain- 
ing, and left with much reluctance. Gen. Wash- 
ington either saw or heard of the service, which 
she thus rendered, and commissioned her as ser- 
geant by brevet. The morning after the battle 
she rescued from a pit one of her friends, who had 
been thrown into it, with others, as dead, carried him 
in her arms to the hospital and nursed him until 
he recovered, from whom, many years afterward, 
when he had learned her residence through the 
pension office, slie received a box of presents and 
an invitation to make his home her home. She 
was in the army seven years and nine months, and 
in which she served with her husband after that 
battle. After the war she and her husband removed 
to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he subsequently 
died, and she married Sergeant McAuley, who em- 
bittered her life by his drunkenness and abuse, and 
for years lived on her earnings. She received an 
annual pension of $40 as the widow of John Hays, 
and during the last week of her life, her grand- 
daughter says, one was granted to her in her own 
right. She died in January, 1832, in her ninetieth 
year, and was buried beside her first husband with 
military honors by several companies that followed 
her remains to the grave — " Molly Pitcher's" grave. 
She was called " Molly Pitcher " because of her 
carrying that pitcher of water to the thirsty sol- 
diers on that intensely hot day of the battle of 
Monmouth. 

White, McKennan and Ralston sold portions of 
that tract as follows: To Robert Borland, 14 acres, 
93 perches, strict measure, September 9, 1848, for 
$246.50; to James McQuoun, 90 acres, strict meas- 
ure, January 17, 1844, for $1,150; to Robert and 
John Borland, 41 acres 20 perches, March 13, 1844, 
for $740.25; to Robert Marshall, 25.5 acres 102 
perches, March 25, 1844, for $4,607.78; to William 
Cochran, 84 acres 102 perches, March 25, 1844, for 
$800; to John Marshall, 32 acres 11 perches, March 
25, 1844, for $577; to John Hamilton, 231 acres 20 
perches, January 16, 1845, for $4,696; to John 
Lias, 130 acres, January 31, 1845, for $1,200; 
Thomas White to John W. Marshall, undivided 
third part of 76 acres 107 perches, June 3, 1853, 
for $300; McKennan's executors to same. May 13, 
1853, for undivided two-thirds of 76 acres 107 



perches, for $600; White to Watson S. Marshall, 
undivided one-third of 60 acres 41 perches, for 
$300; McKennan's executors to same, two undi- 
vided third parts of 600 acres 41 j)erches, for $600; 
White to Margaret A., Joseph L., James K., and 
John McK. Marshall, the undivided third of 180 
acres 87 perches, September 30, 1862, for $741.66, 
and McKennan's executors to same two undivided 
thirds of 180 acres 87 perches, September 23, 1862, 
for $483.33. 

The Glade Run Academy and the principal part 
of the borough of Dayton are situated within the 
limits of that tract. 

The map of original tracts indicates that a hun- 
dred acre tract of Joseph Marshall, the warrantee, 
adjoined that of Pickering & Co. tract on the south- 
east, and the Alexander McClelland tract, warrant 
No. 1731, dated January 31, 1786, on the northeast. 
These two tracts were adjoined on the east by Hay- 
mon LeRoy & Co. tract No. 3115, occupied or 
seated by William and Joseph Marshall. Con- 
tiguous thereto on the north was the Harmon Le- 
Roy & Co. tract No. 3102, of which Benjamin 
Irwin purchased from the Holland Land Comj^any, 
by deed dated April 16, 1832, 119 acres and 17 
perches for $135. A portion of it was also occu- 
pied by Robert and Hugh Martin. Next north of 
that was a vacant tract about 200 rods wide along 
its southern boundary, about the same distance 
along the Indiana county line, its eastern boundary, 
and about 450 or 500 rods along the Mahoning 
creek, its noi'theastern boundary, and thence by a 
straight line south to its southern boundary, being 
the northeastern portion of the township. Adjoin- 
ing the northwestern part of the above-mentioned 
Pickering & Co. tract No. 262 — the number of the 
warrant meaning — was another Pickering & Co. 
tract No. 391, containing 4394- acres, with a con- 
siderable portion of which Enoch and Reuben 
Hastings were assessed, the latter for a few years 
and the former from 1825 until after 1839. Ad- 
joining thereto on the east was the Harmon Le- 
Roy tract; covered by warrant No. 3108, contain- 
ing 890 acres, 400 acres of which became vested in 
Robert Beatty April 26, 1814, who also purchased 
a portion of the McClelland tract because it was 
supposed to interfere with this one. Beatty then 
conveyed 400 acres to Thomas Taylor Maich 15, 
1819, for $1,600, who conveyed the same to Jacob 
Pontius February 6, 1824, for $3,200. The Hol- 
land Land Company sold- the upper or northern 
portion of this tract: 100 acres to John Hyskell 
May 24, 1837, for $100; 76 acres and 105 perches 
to Joseph Glenn June 9, 1838, for $212; 146| acres 
to John Henderson June 19, 1838, for $109.70; 204 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



217 



acres and U8 perches to Samuel Coleman May 25, 
1 843, for $204.50. Contiguous thereto on the north 
was the LeRoy & Co. tract, covered hy warrant 
No. 3109, small portions of which were on the 
north side of Mahoning creek, and a large portion 
of which was in a considerable northern bend of 
tliat stream, and which contains the principal part 
of " Lost Hill." 

This hill was called " lost " in consequence of a 
man, on a certain occasion, going out upon it in 
pursuit of a deer, which he killed, and on his return 
homeward became bewildered and lost the points 
of compass, owing to the peculiar formation of the 
surface, and to the dense and extensive forest. 
Other persons were on various occasions lost on it. 
He and they, however, were found by their neigh- 
bors. 

The first assessment of any part of this tract was 
made in 1832 to Thomas Wilson, Jr., for 165 acres, 
which with that on one head of cattle amounted 
to $129.75. In the course of a few years Robert 
and Samuel Black, Joseph and Archibald Glenn, 
James Wilson, Sr., Joseph Marshall, Jr., Samuel 
Irwin, Joseph McSparren, Andrew D. Guthrie, and 
others who have more recently settled thereon. 

Immediately west of the northwestern part of 
the Hiltzimer tract, surveyed on war-rant No. 5147, 
and the southwest part of the Pickering & Co. 
tract, surveyed on warrant No. 262, was a tract sur- 
veyed to Samuel Wallis — sometimes spelled .Wal- 
lace — on warrant No. 4163, which contained 990 
acres, which Wallis conveyed to George Harrison, 
July 28, 1797, who conveyed it to Joseph Thomas, 
October-JS next following, who conveyed it to 
Thomas W. Francis, Edward Tighlman and Thomas 
Ross, August 13, 1798, who conveyed it to Peter 
Thomas, January 13, 1813, for $990, who conveyed 
200 acres thereof to Archibald Marshall, May 19, 
1815, for $200; 218 acres and 15 perches to Peter 
Lias, May 9, 1828. Thomas sold different other 
tracts, containing various quantities, from 1818 until 
1836, to George Scott and others, generally at $1 an 
acre. The 150-acre tract, which he sold to Scott, 
became revested in him and he then conveyed it to 
Wm. Wirt Gitt, March 13, 1836, for $800, or at the 
rate of $5.33^ per acre. 

Gen. Robert Orr purchased two other Wallis 
tracts, covered by warrants Nos. 4126-7, containing, 
respectively, 990 and 1,100 acres, from Henry Pratt, 
who had purchased the same from the trustees of 
Joseph Thomas by deed dated June 1, 1803. 
Pratt's conveyance to Orr is dated March 3, 1835. 
John Butler, Sr. and Jr., and Theodore Wilson 
purchased portions of the former in 1851 and 1858, 
and George Ellenberger, William Pontius, Samuel 



Black, John Gould, and John Bargerstock, portions 
of the latter in 1840-41-5(1. 

The tract covered by warrant to Wallis, No. 
4146, situated between tliose covered by warrants 
Nos. 4163 and 4126, was sold by John Sloan, sherifi 
of Westmoreland county, for taxes to Thomas 
Hamilton, of Greensburgh, for $13, October 2, 1807, 
who, having lost the sheriff's deed, conveyed it by 
another deed dated at Kittanning, April 16, 1811, 
to the assignees of Joseph Thomas for $20. It 
having afterward become vested in Gen. Orr, he 
sold portions of it to J. W. and G. W. Marshall in 
November, 1858. Gen. Orr also purchased several 
other Wallis tracts. He conveyed portions of the 
one covered by warrant No. 4131 to Charles Ellen- 
berger and John Buchanan in September, 1840. 
Buchanan conveyed his to John Steele in October, 
1849. Gen. Orr conveyed a part of the AVallis 
tract — warrant No. 4128 — to John Hettrieh in 
November, 1847; and a portion of the Wallace 
tract — warrant No. 4132 — to Adam Baughman in 
February, 1851. 

The North American Land Company became 
possessed of several large tracts in this township, 
covered by warrants dated December 24, 1793. 
That company was organized in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, February 20, 1795, by written articles 
of agreement. It consisted of Robert Morris, the 
great financier of the revolutionary struggle; John 
Nicholson, who was commissioned comptroller 
general of Pennsylvania, November 8, 1872, and 
escheater general October 2, 1787, and James 
Greenleaf, and those who should become j)urchas- 
ers, owners and holders of shares in the company. 
At the final meeting of the shareholders, Decem- 
ber 31, 1807, Henry Pratt, John Ashley, John 
Vaughan, Robert Porter, John Miller, Jr., and 
James Greenleaf were constitutional! j' elected jwesi- 
dent, managers and secretary of the company. It 
was also constitutionally determined at that meet- 
ing by the holders and legal representatives of 
more than two-thirds of the whole number of shares 
issued that all the business of the company should 
be thenceforth conducted by the above-mentioned 
president, managers and secretary, or a majority 
of them, or their survivors or a majority of them, 
and that they should have full and unlimited 
power to barter, sell or convey all or any part of 
the land and pro23erty of the company on such 
terms and conditions as they might judge to be fit, 
and to act in all possible cases relating to the same 
as they might deem most proper and expedient.* 
They, as surviving managers, conveyed, February 



*Deed book No. 43, p. 227 d sec/., Philndclpliin. 



218 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



S, 18313, to the late Gen. Robert Orr all of that 
company's land in this county excepting and reserv- 
ing such parts as were claimed by the Holland 
Land Company and their assigns, by the adverse 
surveys of Samuel Wallis, Alexander Craig, Thomas 
Hamilton and others. The tracts thus conveyed 
were covered by warrants to John Nicholson, Nos. 
4573-4-5-6-'7-8-9-80, and to Robert Morris, Nos. 
4533-4-5 and 452S, aggregating about 9,500 acres. 
The consideration expressed in the deed is $2,385. 
Patents for those tracts were issued to the pur- 
chaser February 5, 1840, who soon after commenced 
selling that large body of land in tracts of suitable 
size for farms, at reasonable prices and on other 
terms easy to the purchasers, to whom he was 
indulgent, too much so in some instances for his 
own pecuniary interest. The earliest purchasers 
of the tract covered by warrant No. 4578 were 
Andrew Walker, Noah A. Calhoun, May 11, 1840. 
John Calhoun and Samuel Porter, June 24, and the 
same day, for $1, five acres to Jacob Kammedinier 
and Jacob B. Hettrich, trustees for the German 
Reformed Church. Adjoining that tract on the 
south was the one covered by warrant No. 4579, 
containing 1,100 acres. Peter Kammedinier, who 
had settled there in 1825, was the first purchaser 
of a part thereof, namely, 286 acres and 46 perches, 
June 24, 1840. Between that and the next tract 
that formerly belonged to the North American 
Land Company was the Thomas Smullen tract, 
assessed to John Alcorn for the first time in 1830. 
Adjoining that on the south was the tract covered 
by the Nicholson warrant, No. 1123, called " Alex- 
andred," a patent for which was issued to Alexander 
Craig, February 25, 1799, who conveyed 100 acres 
of it to Alexander and James White, November 18, 
1813, for $200, and the same quantity to John and 
Joseph Powers, November 7, 1821, for $425. 
Adjoining " Alexandred " on the northwest was a 
vacant tract surveyed to John Alcorn on a warrant 
dated February 19, 1839, and to whom a patent was 
subsequently granted. West of "Alexandred" 
was the Robert Morris tract, covered by warrant 
No. 4533, containing 440 acres, which was the 
southwestern tract that Gen. Orr purchased from 
the North American Land Company, who conveyed. 
May 29, 1843, 255 acres and 8 perches of it to 
Alexander White for $382.75. 

About 200 rods east of the southeast corner of 
the Morris tract -was the northwest corner of the 
Nicholson tract. No. 4573, which cornered on the 
southeast corner of "Alexandred," and contained 
300 acres. It was included in the Orr purchase, 
and it is probably the one from which Mrs. Eliza- 
beth McClemens, May 4, 1868, and Leopold Drahn, 



April 13, 1874, purchased their respective tracts — 
those being the dates of their deeds. 

Directly north of that tract was the Wallis tract, 
covered by warrant No. 4132, immediately north 
of the western half of which was the Nicholson 
tract, covered by warrant No. 4574, included also 
in the Orr purchase. The deed to Thomas Foster 
for 23 acres and 31 perches thereof is dated No- 
vember 13, 1847, and the deed to Joseph Clever 
for 301 acres, February 16, 1859. 

Next north of that and the Wallace tract, cov- 
ered by warrant No. 4131, was the Nicholson tract, 
covered by warrant No. 4575, a part of the Orr 
purchase, about 60 acres of which were conveyed 
to Eli Schrecengost, June 26, 1843. Next north 
of it was the Nicholson tract, covered by warrant 
No. 4576, included in the same purchase, about 
290 acres of which were conveyed to John Rees- 
man, August 28, 1847; about 182 acres to Joseph 
Schrecengost, December 24, 1860, and about 150 
acres to Joseph Steele, January 4, 1845, both being 
parts of the last-mentioned two Nicholson tracts. 

Another tract, situated in contiguous parts of 
what are now Wayne and Cowan shannock town- 
ships, covered by warrant to Dr. William Smith, 
No. 675, dated October 20, 1785, which having 
become vested in William C. Bryan, he conveyed 
it to Gen. Orr, August 6, 1840, who conveyed about 
121 acres of it to Mark Campbell, August 16, 1850, 
for $§45, and about 108^ acres to Michael Clever, 
the same day, for $280. 

Adjoining that on the north and east was the 
Samuel Wallis tract, No. 4162, containing 1,070 
acres, who conveyed it to George Harrison, who 
conveyed it to Joseph Thomas, through whose 
trustees it became vested in Robert Brown, who 
conveyed it December 23, 1818, to Jacob Beer,' 
who sold portions of it to Jacob Beer, Samuel 
McGoughey, Jacob Rupp and others. ■ 

Adjoining the Smith tract on the northwest was 
one containing 549 acres and 61 perches, called 
"White Oak Bottom," covered by warrant No. 695, 
issued to Isaac Meason, of Fayette county, Pennsyl- 
vania, member of assembly from Westmoreland 
county in 1779, and Robert R. Cross, of Philadel- 
phia. A patent, dated April 21, 1788, was granted 
for one undivided third part to Meason and for two 
undivided thii-d parts of it to Cross' executors. 
Contiguous to that, on the northwest was another 
Meason & Cross tract, covered by warrant No. 
692, containing 549 acres and 68 perches, called 
"Walnut Bottom," which, with another tract, 
called " Salem," on the waters of Toby's creek, 
was included in that patent. These three tracts 
having become vested in Robert O. Cross, of 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



219 



Philadelphia, mariner, he conveyed them July 3, 
1809, to Thomas Hamilton, of Greensburgh, Penn- 
sylvania, for $1,100. The latter devised "White 
Oak Bottom " to the late Thomas McConnell, and 
"Walnnt Bottom" to Isaac Cruse. The former 
convej'ed 200 acres of his tract to Hugh Gallagher, 
September 1, 1831, for $600, and the latter con- 
veyed 200 acres of his to William Mcllhenny, No- 
vember 1, 1832, for $753.43. 

A vacant tract adjoined these two tracts on the 
northeast, on which Frederick Soxman and Jacob 
Rupp settled, and for all, or a portion of which, a 
warrant was obtained. With the exception of a 
vacant tract adjoining " Walnut Bottom," on the 
northwest, occupied by Adam Rupp, the land in 
the remaining or southwestern portion of this 
township belonged to the Holland Land Company, 
a sketch of which is given in Chapter I. Some of 
the lands belonging to that company were con- 
veyed to purchasers by Paul Burti and by 
Benjamin B. Cooper, as well as by Wilhelm 
Willink and others. 

The earliest purchase made frota that company 
in this part of the township appears to have been by 
Geoi'ge Beck for 145 acres and 52 perches for $209, 
by deed dated September 21, 1813, being a part of 
their lands covered by warrant No. 3046, on 
which he erected many years ago a tworstory brick 
house, being the first of the kind in this region. 
Noah A. Calhoun's deed for a portion of their 
land covered by that warrant is dated the next 
day. The quantity mentioned in his deed is 197 
acres and 140 perches, and the consideration therein 
expressed is $247.35. Some of the later, yet com- 
paratively early, purchasers from that part of the 
land covered by that warrant still in this town- 
ship (a part of it was in what are now Pine and 
Valley) were Susan, Eliza and Margaret White, 
December 19, 1827 ; Jacob Beck, March 17, 1830 ; 
and Adam Beck, December 19, 1832, according to 
the dates of their deeds. 

Some of the early purchasers of that company's 
land in this township covexed by warrant No. 
3045 were Jacob Smith, to whom 182|^ aci'es were 
conveyed June 17, 1829, the consideration ex- 
pressed being $92.34; John Mclntire, June 19, 
1832, 95 acres for $47.50 ; George Kline, April 28, 
1834, 97 acres and 96 perches for $165; and Josej)h 
Buffington, June 19, 1845, 417 acres and 61 perches, 
consideration $50. The hamlet, called Echo, is 
located on allotment No. 6, tract No. 367, covered 
by the last-mentioned warrant, and on the same 
tract conveyed to Jas. A. Knox by Henry Clever, 
September 5, 1855, containing 46 acres, consider- 
ation $300. 



The Holland company conveyed, October 7, 1819, 
to George Dill SO acres and 85 perches in this 
township, covered by warrant No. 3141 for $179, 
being a part of allotment No. 3 and tract No. 365, 
and to Moses and George Dill, December 16, 1828, 
119 acres and 51 perches for $59.50. 

Adjoining the land covered by the last-men- 
tioned warrant, on the east, was that covered by 
warrant No. 3139, of which Wilhelm Willink and 
others conveyed, March 22, 1831, to John Kline 
127 acres, consideration #55, being in allotment 
No. 6, in tract No. 336, and April 7, 1837, to James 
White 550 acres, consisting of allotments Nos. 1, 
2, 3, and part of No. 4, consideration $230.90. 

The above-mentioned allotments and tracts are 
those indicated on the map of the Holland com- 
pany's lands. 

The foregoing presentation of the original tracts 
and the naming of some of the early purchasers 
will, the writer thinks, enable all readers ac- 
quainted with the territory of Wayne township to 
understand the topography of those tracts ; and 
the mention of the consideration, expressed in 
some of the deeds of conveyance, seems to him 
sufficient to afford at least a proximate idea of the 
increase in the market value of those lands, as it 
ranged in the second, third, foui'th and fifth decades 
of this century. 

The dates of the deeds of conveyance do not 
generally indicate the times of settling upon the 
lands thus conveyed. Most, if not all, the early 
settlers occupied and improved portions of those 
original tracts for years before they knew or they 
could reach those who could gratit valid titles ; 
so that there was in early times a good deal of 
" squatting" and occasional shifting of locations. 
But when the owners of those lands or their au- 
thorized agents became accessible to the settlers, 
the latter readily entered into contracts for pur- 
chasing on such terms and conditions as were, in 
most cases, easy for them, to fulfil. 

Nearly all the tracts in this and other townships 
purchased from the Holland Company, are de- 
scribed as being " in Brodhead's former district 
No. 6." It was so called because it was the one 
of which John Brodhead, elsewhere mentioned, 
was deputy surveyor-general. He was commis- 
sioned April 28, 1794. His district began at the 
southeast corner of district No. 5, granted to 
William P. Brady, which was at Canoe Place, or 
what is now called Cherry Tree, on the Susque- 
hanna river, and extended thence by the Brady 
district to the northern boundary of Pennsylvania ; 
thence due west until it intersected a line extend- 
ing due north from the mouth of Conewango river ; 



220 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



thence south by that line to the Allegheny river; 
thence down that river, by its courses and dis- 
tances, to the Purchase line of 1768, atKittanuing ; 
and thence along that line to the place of begin- 
ning.* 

The earliest settler in the eastern 'part of Wayne 
township, on Glade Run, was William Marshall, 
who came from Indiana county, settled, made an 
improvement, erected a log cabin and barn on the 
Pickering & Co. tract covered by warrant, No. 262, 
of which he occupied about SO acres, known in 
that region as the "old Glade Run farm," now 
lying south of the borough of Dayton, between it 
and the boarding houses of the Glade Run Acade- 
my. An orchard was planted on it soon after its 
first occupancy by Marshall, which is still thrifty, 
and known as the " old Glade orchard." 

The only other white settler then within what 
is now the territory of this township was James 
Shields, who occupied a part of the above-men- 
tioned vacant tract, the farm since owned- by C. 
Soxaman and James Gallagher, Jr., about four 
miles west of south from Marshall's. The latter's 
next nearest neighbors were the Kirkpatricks, 
nearly south, on the Cowan shan nock, another fami- 
ly about four miles to the east, and others not less 
than ten miles to the north. The nearest grist- 
mill was Peter Thomas', about fifteen miles dis- 
tant on Plum creek, near where the borough of 
Elderton now is. Even fourteen years later, the 
population of this region must have been very 
sparse, for Philip Mechling relates that he then 
found but very few habitations, and they were far 
apart, as he passed from Red Bank township to 
Thomas' in Plum Creek township, when he was 
collecting United States taxes, levied for paying 
the public debt incurred by the war of 1812. 
There were then only bridle-paths from one point 
to another. The streams were not spanned by 
bridges. When he reached the ferry kept by 
Robert Martin, at or near where Milton now is, 
he coxild not find either canoe or fei'ryman on the 
Red Bank side of the Mahoning. A canoe was 
on the other side. With dry chestnut logs, an ax 
and an auger, he constructed a small raft on which 
he ventured across the turbid stream and landed a 
considerable distance below his objective point. 
When he reached the canoe the ferryman had ar- 
rived. They crossed over to the Red Bank side 
and then returned to the Plum Creek side, guiding 
the horse by the rein or hitching as the latter 
swam alongside of the canoe. 



* Official list of deputy surveyors in the land office. Sketch of 
Brady's district among the Brodhead papers, in the possession of 
E. A. Brodhead, Kittanning. 



The pioneer of Glade Run, after making con- 
siderable improvement on the " old Glade farm," 
left it because he Could not obtain what he deemed 
a valid title, and removed thence to the Harman 
Le Roy & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 3115, 
188 acres and 125 perches of which Benjamin B. 
Cooper conveyed to him by deed, dated October 
10, 18l6, whereof William Marshall, Sr., conveyed 
1.36 acres and 110 perches to John Marshall, Sep- 
tember 8, 1824, for the nominal sum of $30. 

Another cotemporaneous settler on Glade Run 
was Josejih Marshall, the eldest son of William 
Marshall, Sr., being twenty-two years of age when 
they settled there nearly three-quarters of a cen- 
tury ago. Their new home in the wilderness was 
then in Toby township. In 1806 Joseph Marshall 
was assessed on the Kittanning township list with 
100 aci-es of land, 1 horse and 1 head of cattle, at 
a total valuation of $86, and his father, on the 
same list, with two tracts of land, aggregating 565 
acres, with 1 horse and 2 head of cattle, at a total 
valuation of $412. Joseph Marshall, in later years, 
when the Marshalls in this part of the county 
became quite numerous, was distinguished from 
others bearing the same name by the appellation 
of " big Joe Marshall." He died in his eightieth 
year in 1859. His father had nine children, of 
whom the only one surviving is Robert Marshall, 
who on the centennial anniversary of American 
Independence was in his seventy-seventh year. 
The descendants of William Marshall, Sr., if all 
were living, would number about 350. The, de- 
scendants of his brothers John and Archibald, who 
were somewhat later settlers in this region, ai"e 
quite numerous. Hence, the frequency of the name 
of Marshall in this and other adjacent townships. 
The Marshalls, like many of their cotemporaries 
bearing different names, have generally been of 
good repute in their public and private relations. 

The eastern portion of this township received 
nearly all the settlers in the first decade of this 
century. Thomas Wilson was assessed with 300 
acres of land, j)art of the James Hamilton tract, 
and with"2 horses and 1 head of cattle in 1806, so 
that he must have settled there as early as 1805 — 
then and until 1809 in Kittanning township. The 
records show that the other settlers in this section 
during that period were Hugh Martin, who settled 
on the Harmon LeRoy tract, covered by warrant 
No. 3102, as he was first assessed on that township 
list in 1807 with 150 acres; Alexander and Thom,as 
McGaughey the same year, each having been 
assessed with 50 acres in 1807, portions of the 
Pickering & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 262; 
James Kirkpatrick, Sr., assessed with 100 acres, a 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



09] 



part of the Hiltzhimer tract, covered by warrant 
No. 5147; and John Calhoun in 1807, he having 
been first assessed with 200 acres in 1808, a part of 
the last-mentioned tract, to whom the county com- 
missioners issued an order November 9, 1808, for 
$8 for catching and killing a full-grown wolf No- 
vember 21, 1807. 

Chistopher Rupp settled in 1805 about four and 
a half miles west of the western line of the last- 
mentioned tract, in the vicinity of what is now 
called Echo, on the tract of the Holland Company, 
covered by warrant No. 3045. He was assessed 
with 400 acres of land and 3 head of cattle, valued 
at $215. He was assessed twenty years later with 
800 acres of the John Nicholson ti-act, covered by 
warrant No. 4575. 

The population of this township increased very 
slowly until about and after 1825. Its total num- 
ber of inhabitants in 1830, before it had been 
shorn of portions of its territory by the erections 
of other townships, was only 878. It was 1,875 in 
1840. In 1850, after the curtailment of its terri- 
tory, it was 1,348. In i860 it was 1,571 white and 
5 colored. In 1870, it was 1,939 native and 89 for- 
eign. Its number of taxables, in 1876, is 395, from 
which its present population is estimated to be 
1,867, exclusive of that of the borough of Dayton. 

The present territory of Wayne was a part of 
Toby township from 1801 until 1806; a part of 
Kittanning township from then until 1809; and 
then a part of Plum Creek township until March 
19, 1821. 

EELIGIOUS. 

The religious interests have been fostered by the 
people of this township from its earliest settle- 
ment. The first clergyman who held religious ser- 
vices within its limits was Rev. Robert McGar- 
raugh, who was also the first Presbyterian minister 
who preached the gospel east of the Allegheny 
river in what are now Armstrong and Clarion 
counties.* According to the most reliable informa- 
tion, the first sermon ever preached within the 
limits of Wayne was preached by him, either in 
the house or in the barn of William Marshall, Sr., 
in 1803, while en route to the then wilderness 
region between the Red Bank creek and Clarion 
river, where he subsequently settled. He preached 
in this settlement twice a year for ten or twelve 
years after 1803, while going to or returning from 
his kindred in Westmoreland county and meetings 
of tlie old Redstone Presbytery, which is said to 
have extended from the ridge of the Allegheny 
mountains to the Scioto river, and from Lake Erie 
to the Kanawha river. The temples of worship 

* Rev. Dr. Eaton's History of the Presbytery of Erie. 
14 



were the primitive log cabins of the widely-sepa- 
rated settlers, some of whom marked the dates of 
his appointments by placing pins at them in their 
almanacs. They loved to have the gospel preached 
to them in their wilderness homes.* 

Glade Run Presbyterian Church was the first 
ecclesiastical body organized within the limits of 
Wayne. It germinated in the four Presbyterian 
families of James and William Kirkpatrick, Will- 
iam Marshall, Sr., and William Shields, who 
resided several miles apart, in 1804. From data 
which Rev. G. W. Mechlin, D. D., has given in his 
historical sketch of this church, it appears to have 
been organized in 1808 by simply electing James 
Kirkpatrick and William Marshall, Sr., ruling 
elders, who were ordained by Rev. Robert McGar- 
raugh. The original members of this church in 
the wilderness, now certainly known, were James 
and Margaret Kirkpatrick, William and Mary 
Marshall, William and Martha Kirkpatrick, and 
William and Mary Shields. 

In this connection, the writer deems a brief per- 
sonal sketch of that pioneer minister, whose mis- 
sion of peace and good will and Christian charity 
so soon followed the savage cruelties and startling 
war-whoops of the aboriginal inhabitants of these 
hills and vales, to be in place. Rev. Robert 
McGarraugh was born January 9, 1771, in Bedford, 
afterward Westmoreland, county, Pennsylvania. 
His parents were Joseph and Jane McGarraugh. 
He probably passed the early part of his life on 
his father's farm. His instructors during his 
academical course were Rev. James Dunlap, subse- 
quently the second president of Jefferson College, 
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, from April 27, 1803, 
until April 25, 1811, and Rev. David Smith, who 
resided in the "Forks of Yough." In 1793 he 
became a student in the Canonsburg Academy, 
where he completed his academical studies. He 
afterward pursued his theological course at Canons- 
burg, under the instruction of Rev. John McMil- 
lan, D. D. His marriage to Miss Levina Stille 
occurred December 10, 1795, which must have been 
while he was yet a student, for he was licensed to 
preach by the Redstone Presbytery, October 19, 
1803. Very soon thereafter he visited the field of 
his future ministerial labors in what was then 
Armstrong, but which is now in Clarion, county. 
After preaching awhile to the families then there, 
he was invited to settle among them. Having 
accepted their invitation, he and his family, with 
their household goods, began, on one of the latter 
days of May, 1804, their journey to their new 
home in the wilderness, which they reached in the 



* Key. Dr. Mechlin's Sketches of Glude Run Presbyterian Church. 



■222 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



course of seven or eight days, on the 1st of June. 
Wagon roads had not then been opened in this 
region, so they performed their journey through 
the forest on horseback, following Indian trails or 
the paths indicated by the settlers' blazes. They 
probably had three horses, one of which Mr. 
McGarraugh rode, another bore Mrs. McGarraugh 
and two of the children. All the kitchen furni- 
ture was packed on the third, on the top of which 
John, the oldest son, was mounted. On their route 
they either forded or swam the Kiskiminetas, 
Crooked creek and Plum creek. They were 
detained a day at the Mahoning, and another at 
the Red Bank, where they were under the neces- 
sity of constructing canoes, in which they were 
conveyed across those streams, the horses swim- 
ming alongside of them. Their habitation, dur- 
ing the first year of their residence, near the pres- 
ent town of Strattanville, was a log cabin twelve 
or sixteen feet square, the door of which was made 
of chestnut-bark. 

Father McGarraugh, as he was in later years 
called, was ordained by the Redstone Presbytery 
November 12, 1807, and installed as the pastor of 
the New Rehoboth and Licking churches, his pas- 
torate in which continued until April 3, 1822, after 
which time he preached at Callensburgh, Concord 
and some other places until his death, July 17, 
1839, iu the sixty-ninth year of his age and the 
thirty-sixth of his ministry. His successor. Rev. 
James Montgomery, says of him: "He was an 
humble, faithful, godly, self-denying and laborious 
minister of the Gospel, who labored long and well 
and laid deep the foundations of Presbyterianism 
in this region of country." Says Rev. Dr. Eaton: 
" He was not afraid of hardships; he did not love 
money; he sought not human applause. And so 
he was adapted to his field of labor. He pleased 
the people and God was with him. He was a 
plain, unassuming man, not of remarkable ability 
or blessed with the gift of eloquence, intent on 
this one thing — to stand in his lot and do his 
duty. And thus he lived, and to-day his memory 
is fragrant, whilst that of more highly gifted men 
is a byword. Today his record is higher than the 
stars, for it is written in God's great book of re- 
membrance." Says the writer of a historical 
sketch of Clarion county: "Rev. Robert McGar- 
raugh is represented to have been a good. God- 
fearing man, well educated, able in prayer, slow of 
speech, often taking two or three hours to deliver 
his sermon. So earnest was he at times that great 
tears would roll from his eyes to the floor. It was 
said that his tears were more eloquent than his 
voice." Says Rev. Di-. Mechlin: "I well remem- 



ber, though but a boy, of seeing him once at a 
meeting of the Presbyteiy of Allegheny at Con- 
cord church, now in the Presbytery of Butler, the 
church of my childhood, and it will require many 
years yet to erase the impression his revered coun- 
tenance, his gray hairs, and his athletic — almost 
gigantic — form made on my youthful mind." He 
had three sons and four daughters. Mrs. Henry 
Black, one of the latter, and John McGarraugh, 
one of the former, are still living. Robert W. 
McGarraugh, a son of the latter, served in the 
Union army in the war of 1861 three and a half 
years, having been confined eleven months at 
Andersonville, where he died. 

The early records of this, like many other 
churches, were not kept in a book. All that are 
now known to be extant were kept on loose pieces 
of paper, which were preserved by the late George 
McCombs. They contain the minutes of the ses- 
sion from September 15, 1821, until October 24, 
1836. It is not known how many, if any, members 
were admitted between 1804 and 1821. The ad- 
missions, September 15, in the last-mentioned 
year, were twenty-one on examination and seven 
on letters. It is not apparent whether any Pres- 
byterian clergyman preached here even occasion- 
ally between the time when Father McGarraugh 
ceased to travel this route and the advent of Rev. 
James Galbreath, who preached here a few times 
prior to 1820, when Rev. David Barclay com- 
menced preaching as a stated supply and continued 
about five years, during which period a considera- 
ble number were admitted. Joseph Diven and 
George McComb were ordained elders by Mr. Bar- 
clay in 1820,* and John Marshall, Benjamin Irwin 
and William Kirkpatrick, July 24, 1825.f 

The pastorate of Rev. Elisha D. Barrett, M. D., 
commenced December 9, 1828, and continued until 
November 29, 1840, during which period John 
Calhoun, James Wilson, William Gaghagan, Rob- 
ert Caldwell and Robert Wilson were ordained 
and installed ruling elders, and fifty-nine mem- 
bers were admitted on examination. Dr. Barrett 
was among the first advocates of the temperance ij 
cause and of Sabbath-schools and other great "! 
moral and temporal interests of society in this 
region. 

The pastorate of Rev. James D. Mason began 
June 16, 1843, and ended March 19, 1848, during 
which thirty-two members were admitted on exam- 
ination, and Wm. M. Findlay, John Henderson 
and Thomas Travis were elected, ordained and 
installed ruling elders. An elder remarked many 



* Letter of Joseph Diven to Rev. G. W. Mechlin, 
t Sessional records. 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



223 



years after Mr. Mason's departure : " It was a 
weeping time when he left." 

The pastorate of Rev. Cochran Forbes com- 
menced about July 1, 1849, and continued until 
May, 1856, during which sixty-eight members were 
admitted on examination, and Benjamin Irwin, 
John C. McComb and John Wadding were elected, 
ordained and installed ruling elders. 

The present pastorate of Rev. G. W. Mechlin, 
D.D., commenced February 20, ISSY, during which 
there have been 281 members admitted on exami- 
nation and 131 on certificate, and James R. Mar- 
shall, Joseph M. McGuaghey, Harkley K. Mar- 
shall, Wm. C. Guthrie, Samuel S. Caldwell and 
Archibald Findlay were chosen ruling elders. 

The numbers of members admitted on certifi- 
cates during the pastorates prior to the present 
one are not given, because, as Dr. Mechlin says, 
the roll of such is confused. 

All the church edifices were erected on the same 
site, near the northern- angle of the triangle formed 
by three public roads, on the Pickering & Co. 
tract, covered by warrant No. 262. The first one 
was 30 X 30 feet, with walls of hewn logs, shingle 
roof and board floor. It was probably erected in 
1821, as the subscription paper recently found 
among the papers of the late Benjamin Irwin 
shows that the " implements," as the materials are 
styled, were to be delivered to the building com- 
mittee by the first day of May of that year. One 
subscriber agreed to furnish five logs, another the 
same, another five pairs of rafters, two others 
"one summer," and so on until ample provision 
was made for the walls, roof and floor. Another 
paper contains the names of more than forty sub- 
scribers, who promised to pay, respectively, sums 
of money varying from $1 to less than twenty-five 
cents "for purchasing glass and nails and fixing 
the windows of the meeting-house." That edifice 
was followed by another in 1831, frame, 44 X 54 
feet, which gave place in 1857 to another, 48 X 60 
feet, which in 1871 was enlarged to its present di- 
mensions of 48 X 76 feet, all of which were from 
time to time required by the healthy increase of 
the congregation. 

Many of the members of this church were some- 
what agitated by the proposal, made in 1825, to 
change the psalmody from Rouse's version to 
Watts' hymns. The latter were gradually intro- 
duced after close scrutiny, without which the scru- 
ples which some entertained respecting the heter- 
odoxy which they feared might lurk in those 
hymns were not removed. In at least one family 
Watts' hymnbook was for some time kept in a 
place of concealment, from which it was brought 



out for examination after the children were put to 
bed and were supposed to be too sound asleep to 
hear the comments and discussions of their scrupu- 
lous parents concerning its merits or demerits. 
After a satisfactory examination they " could see 
nothing wrong in them," that is, in these hymns. 
So in due time that much-abused book was placed 
in broad daylight beside the Psalm-book. It is re- 
lated that Rev. Mr. Barclay gave great offense to 
some of his congregation when with his strong, 
ringing voice he read the first hymn given out in 
this church, containing these lines : 

"Let them refuse to sing 
Who never knew their God." 

In the course of time all fears of and prejudices 
against hymns vanished, for the present Presby- 
terian hymnal, having been adopted soon after its 
publication, "gives general satisfaction." The 
choir was organized in 1863, of which Archibald 
Findlay was appointed the leader, and it has ever 
since been composed of a goodly number of ladies 
and gentlemen of musical talent and culture. 

The Sabbath-school connected with this church 
was established probably in August or September, 
1826, and was organized at a schoolhouse near 
Abel Findlay's residence, which was then on the 
Hiltzimer tract, covered by warrant No. 5147. The 
ofiicers on the first day were Joseph Reed, presi- 
dent, and John Calhoun and Abel Findlay, assist- 
ants. A list of questions in the handwriting of 
the last-named, on the 10th and 11th chapters of 
Matthew, closely written in double columns, filling 
a large sheet of cap paper, is still extant. In dis- 
crimination and point of adaptation to bring out the 
meaning of the tejt they are not excelled by those 
sanctioned by some of the publishing houses of the 
church. This, like other schools in the township, 
was soon thereafter merged in the one at the 
church. It has ever since been a beneficent and 
flourishing school. Among its devoted superin- 
tendents and teachers the name of William Kirk- 
patrick most frequently occurs. 

In this centennial year the number of church 
members is 240, and of Sabbath-school scholars, 
202. 

This is not only the first church organized east 
of the Allegheny river, within the limits of this 
county, but it has been a parent church, from 
which emanated large portions of the original 
members of the Concord, Millville, Rural Village 
and Sinicksburgh churches, and a nucleus of the 
United Presbyterian church at Dayton. Its char- 
ter of incorporation was granted by the court of 
common pleas of this county September 7, 1857. 
Dr. J. R. Crouch, Jacob B. Guyer and John Mar- 



224 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



shall were appointed its trustees to serve until the 
first election.* 

St. Michael's Protestant Episcopal church ap- 
pears to have the next one established in this 
township. It was organized by Rev. B. B. Killi- 
kelly January 7, 1836, who was its rector for sev- 
eral years. His report to the convention of that 
year shows that the congregation or parish then 
consisted of sixteen families, containing ninety-one 
persons; that six children had been baptized, eight 
persons confirmed and ten communicants added. 
The services were held in a private house, small 
and inconvenient. A portion of the members had 
previously belonged to St. Paul's at Kittanning. 
The next year the number of families was twenty- 
three; containing one hundred and thirty-four per- 
sons; fifteen communicants were added; there 
were eight baptisms; and $12.50 were collected 
for missionary purposes. A church edifice being 
much needed, the rector visited New York and 
the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for the 
purpose of soliciting aid for erecting one in this 
and another parish. 

For this one he obtained $243.1-3, which he paid 
over to James McElhinny and George Stockdill, 
the wardens. A frame edifice of adequate dimen- 
sions was soon erected and was occupied before its 
completion. It is located on one of the above- 
mentioned Meason & Cross tracts in the southern 
part of the township, or it may be on both of them, 
for on April 2, 1861, Anthony Gallagher conveyed 
eighty-three and a half perches of the one called 
"White Oak Bottom," and A. Brice and William 
McElhinny the same quantity of the one called 
"Walnut Bottom," to William Borland, William 
Cook, William Gallagher, Andrew Stewart and 
James Stewart, and others, vestrymen. The rec- 
tors who succeeded Rev. B. B. Killikelly, D. D., 
were Rev. William Hilton and Rev. D. C. James. 
It is incorporated. Its charter was granted by the 
proper court June 6, 1866. The report to the con- 
ventionfor 1876 presents these facts: Rev. William 
Hilton, rector; James Stewart and Michael Camp- 
bell, wardens; families, 25; persons not thus in- 
cluded, 8; communicants admitted, 5; died, 1; 
present number, 54; baptized, infants, 8; confirmed, 
7; public services, Sundays, 23; sittings in church, 
free; value of church and lot, $2,000; parsonage, 
$700; rector's salary, $355; parochial offerings, 
$405; diocesan offerings, $35.25. The rector further- 
more remarks that, although the parish is not so 
flourishing as he would like to see it, is neverthe- 
less in a very encouraging condition, the attend- 

*For a imre detailed history of this pioneer church the reader is 
referred to Dr. Mechlin's historical sketch of it. 



ance being good. A Sunday-school has again been 
established with very encouraging prospects. 

The late Rev. Joseph Painter, D. D., commenced 
preaching in this township late in the fall of 1840, 
or early in the winter of 1841. By order of pres- 
bytery he and John Calhoun, who had previously 
emigrated from the eastern to the northwestern 
part of the township, organized the Concord Pres- 
byterian church at the house of Joseph Clever. Of 
that house Dr. Painter remarked : " It was a log 
cabin with one room. In it was a family of chil- 
dren and all the people that assembled at that time, 
and yet there was room for more, but the people 
were united and had a mind to work." One of the 
elders wrote to Rev. T. D. Ewing : " Doctor Painter 
usually rode out," (from Kittanning) " on Saturday, 
and returned on Monday, stopping with the people 
by turns, and although cooking, eating and sleep- 
ing were all done in the same apartment by most 
of them, yet his coming was hailed with pleasure 
by both old and young." He statedly supplied this 
church, which had thus arisen in that then newly 
settled region, until March 31, 1853, during which 
period eighty-six communicants were admitted. 
He then left it because more time and labor were 
required than he could give. It then became a 
part of the charge of Rev. Cochran Forbes until 
the fore part of May, 1856. From .1857 to 1866 it 
belonged to the charge of Rev. G. W. Mechlin, 
D. D. From 1867 until 1872 it was under the pas- 
torate, for half time, of Rev. H. Magill, and since 
then it has been under that of Rev. F. E. Thomp- 
son. Its present number of members is 173, and 
of Sabbath-school scholars, 130. 

The first edifice of Concord church was erected 
in 1842 on land purchased from Robert Clever, 
being a part of the John Nicholson tract, covered 
by warrant No. 4574. It was a frame structure of 
adequate capacity for the accommodation of the 
congregation at the time of its erection. Archi- 
bald Glenn was the builder, and the committee 
which made the contract with him consisted of 
John Steele, David Buchanan, Joseph Clever and 
Noah A. Calhoun, Jr. 

The Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran church was 
organized in 1832 by Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert. 
Peter Kamardinier was the first elder, and Christo- 
pher Rupp and Abraham Zimmerman were the first 
trustees. After Mr. Reichert left, its pulpit was 
filled by several diflierent pastors. For some years 
past this church has been under the charge of Rev. 
Michael Swigert. It adheres to the General Coun- 
cil. The present number of members is 72; Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 50. The first church edifice 
was a log one about 30X25 feet. The present is 





PROF. HUGH McCANDLESS. 

The subject of this sketch, well known in his later years and at 
the time of his death as the principal of the Dayton Soldiers' Or- 
phans' SchoU, was born in Apollo, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, 
February 16, 1835. He was the son of Jared and Elizabeth (Ford) 
McCaudless, the former from Washington county and the latter from 
the vicinity of Gettysburg. When their son, of whnm we write, was 
quite small, his parents moved into the country, a distance of five or 
six miles from Apollo, where they remained until he was about fif- 
teen years of age. They then removed to South Bend township, 
wliere they passed the remainder of theiu days, both dying at a good 
old age in the year 1882. The subject of our sketch spent most of his 
youth at home, working upon his father's farm and gaining the rudi- 
ments of an education in the schools of the neighborhood. He was 
absent for a short time, attending school at Saltsburg. and he taught 
for a brief period at the early age of eighteen. When about twenty, 
upon January 4, 1855, he married Miss Mary A. France, who was 
born in South Bend township February 17, 1831. Her parents were 
John and Mary (Klingensmith) France, both natives of Westmoreland 
county and the children of pioneers. Hugh McCandless and wife, 
immediately after their marriage, moved to Apollo. Mr. McCandless 
had contemplated running a boat upon the Pennsylvania canal, but 
finding that the usefulness of that old-time artery of commerce was 
very quickly to be superseded by the railroad, he abandoned his 
intention, and after a few months the young couple returned to 
South Bend township, where Mr. McCandless followed farming dur- 
ing the summer and taught school in the winter. After making a 
number of changes in location and occupation, he went to Missouri, 
in December, 18-'9, whither his wife subsequently made preparations 
to follow. But while she was getting ready for the removal her chil- 
dren were taken sick and one of them died. This unhappy event 
b^o^^ght the husband and father home. He subsequently went to 
niinois and spent the summeron a farm near Galesburg, but returned 
home in 1860, and taught school during the winter following. The 
next summer he attended the Elder's Ridge Academy, for he was 
possessed of a strong desire to make educational progress. In 1863 
he moved to his father's farm. In September, 1864, he quit school- 
teaching, in which he had again engaged, and enlisted as a corporal 
in Co. I,. Gth Pa. Heavy Artillery, from which he was honorably dis- 
charged at Fort Ethan Allen. Virginia, in June, 1865. After the close 
of the war he went to Pithole and Tidioute, where he was engaged 
in oil nperations, and in the following year he interested himself in 



the cattle business, but he soon returned to his favorite vocation , 
school-teaching, locating at Manorville. where his family moved the 
next spring. After teaching there three years he removed to Free- 
port, where he was elected principal of the graded schools. During 
the summer he carried on a very successful select school. Upon the 
1st of April, 1871, he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of 
Mr. Samuel Murphy as county superintendent. This would have 
occupied his attention until June. 1S72, but in January of that year 
he was called to take charge, hs principal, of the Dayton Soldiers' 
Orphans' School, and, accepting the position, vacated the county 
oflBce, Mr. A. D. Glenn filling out his term. He took charge of the 
Orphans' School at a time when hard work was most emphatically 
demanded, and devoted himself assiduously to the task of bringing 
about perfect order and elevating the tone and condition of the 
institution. In this he was signally successful, but it was at a very 
dear cost. He was greatly interested in his work, and most con- 
scientiously and energetically labored to advance the school, with 
the result of obtaining for it a rank second to none in the state. 
Under the pressure of work, responsibility and anxiety, his strength 
gave way, and in 1876 lie found himself the victim of a disease which 
slowly bore him down to the grave. He died January 16, 1882, 
lamented and respected by all who knew him. He was a man 
of true worth and of the most unswerving devotion to duty 
His chief ambition in his early life was to obtain an education, and 
this laudable desire was gratified through his patient and persistent 
application, and in spite of many obstacles and disadvantages. In 
his later years he sought to supply to his children the opportunities 
for education which had been missing in his own youth. Prof. 
McCandless was a consistent member of the Baptist church (as was 
also his wife), and he was a member in good standing of the Masonic 
fraternity. 

During the years when Prof McCandless was, to a greater or less 
degree, a sufferer from the malady which finally proved fatal, his 
eldest daughter, Miss Elizabeth (now Mrs. A. T. Ambrose), was his 
faithful assistant, and greatly lightened his labors. Upon his death 
she was appointed principal — a position which she still holds, and 
ably and satisfactorily fills, while Mrs. JlcCandless remahis at the 
institution as matron. The other children of Prof, and Sirs. JlcCand- 
less are Ada, Susannah, Bertha and Augusta. The two first named 
are teachers and the two last uamed are pupils in the school. Mr. 
Ambrose has charge of the boys' department of the school, and 
superintends the farming and gardening. 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



225 



frame, 40X35 feet. It was erected in 1874, on an 
acre lot, conveyed to the trustees by Jacob Kamer- 
dinier, August 7, 1870, being a part of the Nichol- 
son tract No. 4579. 

SCHOOLS. 

The educational interests were cherished by the 
early settlers of this townshij). About 1815 — it 
may have been somewhat later or earlier — accord- 
ing to information which has been orally trans- 
mitted to these later times, the first school within 
its present limits was opened in a building, per- 
haps not at first designed for a schoolhouse, on 
land of Benjamin Irwin, near the Indiana county 
line, which was taught by the William Marshall, 
distinguished from others of that name by the 
sobriquet of of " Crooked," not, it is presumed, 
that he was so morally. Perhaps, whatever crook- 
edness there was in his physique may have been 
induced by the virtue of extraordinary industry. 
Some of his pupils traveled three and others four 
miles daily to acquire the rudiments of education 
within the walls of that log temple of knowledge 
in the forest. Robert Marshall, of Dayton, is 
the only pupil known to be now living. Another 
school was taught in a primitive schoolhouse, built 
somewhat later, near the present site of the Glade 
Run Presbyterian church, one of the teachers of 
which was Bezai Irwin. -Later and before the 
passage of the common school law, there must 
have been at least one organization for the mainte- 
nance of a public school, for John Lias conveyed 
for $1, March 14, 1829, one-fourth of an acre on 
the west side of the Red Bank road, to Benjamin 
Irwin, Robert Martin, George MoCombs and Jacob 
Pontius, trustees of the Glade run school district. 

In 1830 there were seven children whose parents 
were too poor to pay for their schooling ; in 1831, 
ten, and in 1832, eight. 

In 1832, David Lewis and David Scott were 
assessed as schoolmasters. 

Whether there were any other secular schools 
before the common school law of 1834-5 went into 
operation, is not apparent. The first schoolhouses 
built under that law aj)peai- to have been distrib- 
uted in accordance with the wants of the then 
most thickly settled portions of the township. 
One was located in the Calhoun settlement, in the 
northwestern part ; another in the Beck settle- 
ment, in the southwestern part ; another nearly 
two miles north of Dayton ; and another about 
the same distance southwest of that borough, on 
the Wallace tract, No. 4163. 

The common school system was adopted, though 
not unanimously, by the voters of this township, 
as is manifest from tliese incidents : One morn- 



ing, while the people of each township had the 
right to accept or reject it by their votes, John 
Buchanon, who then lived on the farm now 
owned by John Steele, was firmly resolved to go 
to the election ground that day and vote for its re- 
jection. But his grandson, Joseph Steele, about 
six years old, approached him as he was starting 
from the barn on horseback, with this earnest ap- 
peal, "Grandpa, don't vote to take the school away 
from me 1 " The old gentleman proceeded to the 
election with those touching words ringing in his 
ears, which had the effect of changing his purpose, 
for he voted for accepting the school system, of 
which he continued to be a firm friend until his 
death. That was an instance of families beins: 
divided on this question. He that morning de- 
termined to ride to the polling place to vote for 
rejecting, while his son-in-law, John Steele, was as 
fully determined to walk thither to vote for ac- 
cepting that system. At another occasion, while 
this township extended southward to the purchase 
line of 1768, when a considerable number of the 
citizens were assembled, it was determined to test 
their sense on the school question, by those in 
favor of retaining the school system ranging 
themselves on one side of a small run in Alexander 
Campbell's meadow, and those opposed on the other 
side. After the school men and the anti-school 
men had thus ranged themselves, Martin Schre- 
cengost, then one of the latter, having surveyed the 
two opposing lines, declared there was not a decent 
looking man in his line, and immediately passed 
over to the other side. A certain anti-school man, 
who had several children that needed to be edu- 
cated, was bitterly opposed to the school law, 
because he deemed the tax required to sustain the 
school oppressive. It may have been so on him, 
for he paid of that tax the vast sum of eleven 
cents. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 10 ; average 
months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 7 ; female teach- 
ers, 3 ; average salaries 'of male, per month, $20 ; 
of female, per month, $18.47 ; male scholars, 221 ; 
female scholars, 178 ; average number attending 
school, 278 ; cost of teaching each scholar per 
months, 48 cents ; aniount levied for school jjur- 
poses, $1,058.18 ; received from state appropria- 
tion, $94.25 ; from collectors, $800 ; cost of in- 
struction, $704 ; fuel and contingencies, $74.80 ; 
cost of schoolhouses, $25.30. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 10 ; average 
number of months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 6 ; 
female teachers, 4 ; average salaries of male, per 
month, $32 ; average salaries of female, per month, 
$32 ; male scholars, 190 ; female scholars, 151 ; 



226 



HISTORY OF ABMSTBONG COUNTY. 



average number attending school, 251 ; cost per 
month, $1.20; tax levied for school and building 
purposes, $1,970.84; received from state appro- 
priation, $309.69 ; received from taxes and other 
sources, $1,991.12 ; cost of ^choolhouses, repairing, 
etc., $223.50 ; paid for teachers' wages, $1,600 ; 
collectors' fees, fuel, etc., $234.23. 

The Belknap independent district resulted from 
a conflict between certain portions of the people 
of this township respecting the location of a 
schoolhouse, which began in 1848-9. One portion 
insisted that it should be in one, and the other in 
another, place. The school directors could not 
satisfy both parties, locate it where they would. 
The aggrieved party applied to the court for re- 
dress, and a rule was granted on the directors, 
December 13, 1850, to appear on the 21st and show 
cause why their seats should not be vacated. The 
complaint against ihem was dismissed by the 
court March 6, 1851. Nevertheless, the conflict 
grew more determined and serious. A bill of in- 
dictment for misdemeanor in oflice was found 
against them at June sessions, 1852. William 
Marshall was the ostensible prosecutor, and Will- 
iam Mcllhinney, John Lias, Jr., Joshua Foster, 
James R. Calhoun, Joseph T. Irwin and William 
W. Marshall were the defendants. The case was 
tried at the next September sessions. The verdict 
was guilty, and they were sentenced to pay a fine 
of $1 each, and the costs. The case was taken up 
to the supreme court, where the judgment was 
reversed and they were discharged without day. 
Another indictment for a similar offense was pre- 
ferred against them at December sessions, 1853, 
which was quashed by the court. On the petition 
of divers citizens of the township, a rule was 
granted on them to appear at the June sessions 
and show cause why they should not be removed, 
which was finally withdrawn. Still the efl;orts of 
those opposed to the location of that schoolhouse 
in Fox Hollow, though foiled in court, did not 
cease. After the passage of the school law of 1854, 
they applied to the proper court for the formation 
of an independent district. Their application 
was resisted. Its opponents alleged that there 
was not enough property within the proposed 
limits of the district to enable the directors to 
raise an adequate amount of tax for maintaining 
a school. But when those applicants showed the 
amount of their freehold property and offered to 
become individually liable for the expense of keep- 
ing open the school four months in the year, the 
remonstrants changed their base of opposition, 
alleging that there was too much property in the 
proposed district, and that an undue amount of 



the tax then raised for defraying the expenses of 
all the schools in the township would be devoted 
to that one school. The court, however, at De- 
cember sessions, 1855, appointed Robert Mcintosh, 
John Hotham and William McCutchin, now 
residents of Wayne, as commissioners, to ex- 
amine the grounds of that application and to 
report as to whether it should be granted. Their 
report in favor of granting it was read by the 
court December 12, 1855, and confirmed April 15, 
1856. William Lytle, Chambers Orr and Robert 
Martin, non-residents of this township, having been 
appointed commissioners by the court, reported, 
June 7, that they had examined and proportioned 
the schoolhouses in Wayne township and Belknap 
district, and awarded to the latter $152, to be paid 
in three semi-annual installments. A compliance 
with the terms of that report was enforced under 
a rule granted by the court. The Belknap direct- 
ors used $100 of that sum, the balance left after 
paying for legal services rendered, in building a 
frame schoolhouse of suitable size. Although 
Judge Bufiington was very adverse to the forma- 
tion of independent districts, he deemed it best 
that this one should be established for the purpose 
of ending that protracted conflict. Thus ceased 
to be tossed to and fro an apple of discord, which 
for nearly a decade had caused intense bitterness 
of feeling among the people and a heavy drain 
upon the school fund of the township. The school 
board thereafter purchased of David Olinger two 
lots in the village of Belknap on which to erect a 
schoolhouse, namely, Nos. 3 and 4, the former 
60X80 and the latter 60X751- feet, both fronting 
on the Kittanning road, for $19.25. They are part 
of the Wallace tract, No. 4127, and part of the 
quantitj^ which Gen. Orr sold to Geo. Ellenberger. 
In 1876 the report of this school was : Months 
taught, 5 ; male teacher, 1 ; salary per month, 
$35 ; male scholars, 36 ; female scholars, 19 ; aver- 
age number attending school, 41 ; cost per month, 
68 cents ; tax levied for school and building pur- 
poses, $151.27 ; received from state appropriation, 
$37.20 ; from taxes, etc., $184.98 ; paid for teachers' 
wages, $175.08 ; for fuel, etc., $69.37. 

GLADE EUN ACADEMY. 

This institution emanated from the Glade Run 
Presbyterian church, and was established for the 
purpose of affording facilities for the more exten- 
sive education of the youth of this region than 
those enjoyed in the common schools. After dis- 
cussing the expediency of establishing a school of 
a higher grade by members of the congregation, 
the session of that church, May 27, 1851, resolved 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



227 



"that measures be adopted for opening a parochial 
school as soon as possible." On the 20th of Sep- 
tember next thereafter " the subject of a select paro- 
chial school was further discussed, but no plan 
adopted." The school, however, was opened in 
the latter part of the next month, with Rev. John 
M. Jones as principal, the members of the sessicm 
having assumed the responsibility of paying his 
first year's salarj^. His services as principal con- 
tinued to be acceptablj' rendered, and continu- 
ously, except for a few months, from that time 
until 1854. He was succeeded by Rev. G. W. 
Mechlin, D. D., from Aj)ril, 1855, until December, 
1861, when the former resumed the position and 
continued to fill it for nearly seven years, when he 
resigned and was succeeded by the present incum- 
bent, his former successor. Both of those princi- 
pals have been aided during the last quarter of a 
century in their educational work by various com- 
petent and efficient male and female assistants, 
most of the former of whom are now Presbyterian 
clergymen in this and several other states. Nearly 
1,100 students, of both sexes, have received in- 
struction in this institution, to which the people 
have deservedly given the name of academy. Be- 
tween forty and fifty of those students are min- 
isters of the Gospel. One of them is a professor 
in one of the oldest theological seminaries in our 
country. Some are foreign missionaries. One is 
a president judge. Some are prominent lawyers, 
some are successful physicians, and a goodly 
number are laboring efliciently in the useful and 
honorable vocation of teaching. The buildings 
appurtenant to this institution are the academy 
edifice, frame, and of adequate size; a boarding- 
house for the female students, which was recently 
given to the trustees by the Glade Run congrega- 
tion — the grant to continue as long as it shall be 
used for academy purposes ; and two boarding- 
, houses for the male students, one of which being 
the gift of George W. Goheen, and the other being 
the product of contributions made chiefly by the 
people of Kittanning and members of the congre- 
gation of Concord Presbyterian church in this 
township and of those from other sources. A 
liberal and perpetual charter was granted to this 
academy by the proper court of this county June 
6, 1866. 

MISCELLAN^EOUS ITEMS. 

The occupation of the jjeople within the present 
limits of this township appears to have been en- 
tirely agricultural until about 1820. From that 
year on occupations became somewhat more diver- 
sified. In that year Peter Thomas was first assessed 
with a sa^vmill, which must have been on the 



Wallis tract, covered by warrant No. 4163. The 
next one was assessed to Jacob Beck in 1822, which 
must have been on the Holland Company tract, 
covered by warrant No. 3046. Other sawmills 
were first assessed : To Abel Findley, on 
the Hiltzimer tract, covered by warrant No. 5147, 
in 18:i6; to Alvah Payne, probably on the Planiil- 
ton tract, in 1829, which was afterward transferred 
to Samuel Brink. The present number of sawmills 
is three — one on Glade Run, about 300 rods in an 
air line above its mouth, one at the mouth of 
Camp Run, and the other about 160 rods southeast 
of Echo, on Pine creek. 

The first gristmill in this township was built by 
Joseph Marshall, Sr., in 1822, on Glade Run, about 
half a mile above its mouth, on the Wallace tract, 
covered by warrant No. 4127, which was succes- 
sively owned by James Kirkpatrick, John Hender- 
son, Archibald Glenn, John Segar and Andrew J. 
Lowman. The next gristmill was built, in 1830, 
by George Beck, Sr., on Pine creek, in the south- 
western part of the township, at or near which 
there was afterward a carding machine. The third 
one was built by Enoch Hastings, in 1835, about 
150 rods above the first-mentioned one on Glade 
Run, on the Pickering & Co. tract, covered by war- 
rant No. 391, which was subsequently owned by 
Daniel Schrecongost, John Segar, Alexander Getty 
and Andrew J. Lowman, and Alex. Haines. The 
fourth one was built probably by Andrew J. Low- 
man, in 1863, on a branch of Pine creek and on 
the old Anderson Creek road, in the southern part 
of the township, now owned by Jacob Segar. The 
Ellenberger & Coleman, formerly Guthrie's, saw 
and grist mill, on the south side of Mahoning 
creek, in the northeastern part of the township, just 
below the deep bend in that stream, was built in 
1827 by Alvah Paine and Thomas Travis. All of 
these gristmills are now in operation, and are the 
only ones in the township. 

The first fulling-mill in this township was started 
by David Lewis near the first of the above-men- 
tioned gristmills, in 1828, which was subsequently 
operated by Archibald McSperran, Archibald Glenn 
and James G. Morrison. The last-named was also 
assessed with a carding machine for the first time, 
in 1839. 

Distilleries were assessed: To Robert Marshall 
for the years 1823-4-5-6-7-8; to Alexander White 
from 1828 until 1831; to Adam Beck from 1831 
until 1833; to Henry Clever from 1837 until 1839. 

Mechanics were assessed for the first time in this 
township thus: John Marshall, hatter, in 1829; 
William Marshall, tanner, in 1831, and William 
B. Marlin and Joseph Stewart, in 1832; George 



228 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



McCombs and James McQuowii, with tanyards, in 
1836; Enocli Hastings, John Lias, Peter Lias, 
James Russell and John Rutherford, blacksmiths, 
in 1832; and, in that year, Abel Findlay, William 
Kinnan, carpenters; Hugh Rutherford, tailor; Jesse 
Cable, shoemaker, John Gould, stone and brick 
mason, and in 1833, Robert Borland, Jr., chair- 
maker. 

Merchants assessed for the first time: John Bor- 
land, in 1832; Jacob Brown, in 1838. There was, 
it is said, a store, eight or ten years later, at the 
mill, built by Joseph Marshall, on Glade Run. In 
1876, there are three assessed — one in thirteenth, 
and two in fourteenth, class. 

Olney furnace was built by John McCrea and 
James Galbraith in 1846, and went into blast the 
next year. It was situated on the southerly side 
of the Mahoning creek, a little over two miles 
in an air line from the mouth of Glade Run, and 
was a hot and cold blast charcoal furnace, which 
for a few years made about 23 tons of pig-metal 
a week; and then after the enlargement of its bosh 
to 9 feet across by 32 feet high, 568 tons in 23 
weeks, from the ferrif m-ous and hard limestone ore, 
taken from the beds in the coal measures three 
miles around it. The number of employes varied 
from about sixty to eighty. Galbraith retired from 
it in 1850, and McCrea continued to operate it 
until 1855. The iron was transported via the 
Mahoning creek and Allegheny river to Pittsburgh. 

An iron foundry was established by John Hen- 
derson and Archibald Glenn, probably in 1847 — 
they were first assessed with it in 1848 — which was 
attached to the new gristmill on the site of the old 
one, called the lower Glade mills. It appears to 
have been operated by the latter until 1851, when 
it was transferred to John Segar, to whom it 
ceased to be assessed after 1852. 

The first resident clergymen were Rev. Elisha 
D. Barrett, who was first assessed with portions of 
the Hiltzimer tracts in 1829, and Rev. John Hind- 
man, who was first assessed with a portion of the 
Blaine tract, covered by warrant No. 558, in 1834. 

The first resident physician was Dr. William N. 
Simms, who was first assessed with a portion of 
the Pickering & Co. tract, covered by Warrant No. 
262, in 1834. 

The temperance element in this township has 
been quite strong for many years. The vote on 
the question of granting licenses to sell liquor, 
February 28, 1873, was 194 against and 56 for. 

The Glade Run postoftice was established De- 
cember 17, 1828, at Joseph Marshall's on the then 
new post-route from Kittanning to the mouth of 
Anderson's creek. Reuben Lewis was its first 



postmaster, whose successors were Rev. E. D. Bar 
rett from 1831 till 1835; John Borland until 1853; 
William Findley until 1855, when the office re- 
moved to the village of Dayton. 

The postoffice at Belknap was established Sep- 
tember 21, 1855, and its first postmaster was 
Charles W. Ellenberger, whose successors have 
been John Steele, Porter Marshall, Joseph McCor- 
kle, Jacob Maurer and Daniel Knappenberger. 

The name of this office was suggested by John 
McCrea and was readily adoptedby those interested 
in its establishment, as well as by the postmaster- 
general. Hence, the name of the hamlet at that 
point, and of the independent school district. 
That locality is on the Wallace tract covered by 
w..rrant No. 4127. 

The Echo postoffice was established July 14, 
1857, and its first postmaster was Joseph Knox, 
merchant; the present one is Moses McElwain. 
The name of this ofiice and of the point where it is 
located was suggested by the re-percussion of sound 
caused by the hills in its vicinity. 

The first lodge of Grangers, or Patrons of Hus- 
bandry, in this county was organized in this town- 
ship, its first president being John Steele. 

In the Centennial year the great mass of the 
people of this township were still engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits, the assessment list showing those 
in other occupations to be : Ministers, 2 ; teacher, 

1 ; surveyor, 1 ; physician, 1 ; merchants, 3 ; black- 
smiths, 2 ; carpenters, 3 ; gunsmiths, 1 ; laborers, 
23 ; millers, 3 ; miners, 4 ; shoemaker, 1 ; team- 
ster, 1 ; tanner, 1 ; and 48 single men, valued at 
|50 each. 

BOEOUGH OF DATTOlSr. 

The town or village of Dayton was laid out in 
1850 on a part of the Pickering & Co. tract, cov- 
ered by warrant No. 262, then owned by Robert 
Marshall, and on a part of the Alexander McClel- 
land tract, then owned by John Lias. The lots 
vary considerably in their areas. Marshall sold at 
least one of his in 1850, one in 1853, one in 1854, 
but most of the others from 1860 until 1871, at 
prices varying according to their respective areas 
and location. For instance, he conveyed 1 acre 
and 16 perches, in 1850, to Michael Guyer for 
$52.50 ; 44 perches, the next year, to J. B. Guyer 
for $15 ; the same quantity, the next year, to 
Samuel Rearioh, Sr., for $20; 1 lot to Thomas 
Ormond, June 8, 1861, for $136.67 ; lot No. 10, 
the same day, to Jacob R. McAfoos for $30 ; and 
lots Nos. 4 and 5 to Joseph T. Hosack for $950 ; 

2 acres, February 2, 1863, to Sam'l McCartney for 
$120 ; 1 lot, April 1, 1864, to Dan'l W. Wamples 
for $425 ; 1 lot to John Campbell, August 9, 1867, 



,,-^^«T'''S„«5>, 




JOHN CALHOUlxf, 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



259 



for $100 ; and 1 lot, April 5, 1811, to Joseph W. 
Sharp for $40. John Lias' heirs conveyed, Febru- 
ary 5, 1853, 25 perches to James Coleman for 
$40.66 ; 54tV perches to Robert N. McComb for 
$27.35 ; and lOSnr perches to Eliza A. Goodhart 
for $33. 

The growth of this town in business and popu- 
lation has been gradual and healthful. It was, of 
course, a part of Wayne township until its incor- 
poration into a borough. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
here, it is said, as early as 1821, probably by Rev. 
Thomas Hudson during his itinerant labors in this 
region, there being then about 12 members. Its 
number of communicants in 1876 is 90 ; Sabbath- 
school scholars about 100. There are two other 
churches in the Dayton circuit, whose aggregate 
number of members is 200, and of Sabbath-school 
scholars about 240. The first church edifice of the 
Dayton congregation was erected in 1S37. 

The Associate Presbyterian congregation of 
Glade Run was organized in the vicinity of Day- 
ton by Rev. John Hindman in 1831, with eight 
members. 

John H. Marshall and William Kinnan were its 
first ruling elders. The pastorate of Rev. John 
Hindman continued until April 28, 1852. Rev. 
David K. Duff, the present pastor, first preached 
to this congregation in February, 1854, and was 
ordained and installed October 18, 1856. Although 
he was absent three years rendering military ser- 
vice as captain of Company K in the 14th regt. 
Pa. Cav., in the War of the Rebellion, his pas- 
toral relation, at the request of his congrega- 
tion, was not dissolved during any portion of his 
absence. The Sabbath-school was organized April 
18, 1859. The membership of the church in 1876 
is 110, and the number of Sabbath-school scholars 
59. When the union between the Associate and 
Associate Reformed churches was effected in 1858, 
the name was changed to that of the United Pres- 
byterian congregation of Glade Run, and in 1850 
to the Dayton United Presbyterian congregation. 
Its contributions to the various boards during the 
last twenty years amount to $9,980, and during the 
year ending in 1876 $1,170.08. Its first church 
edifice was frame, 30 X 35 feet, situated nearly 
two miles in an air line between south and south- 
east from Dayton, on a small branch of Glade Run, 
adjoining the cemetery noted on the township 
map, in the Borland neighborhood. It was en- 
larged in 1841. Its location was changed to Day- 
ton in 1860. The present edifice, frame, about 
40 X 60 feet, between the Methodist Episcopal 
church and the academy, on the north side of 



Church street, was completed in 1863. The lot on 
which it is located was conveyed by Robert 
Marshall to Smith Neal, Robert L. Marshall and 
Wm. J. Stuchell, trustees, and their successors, 
March 27, 1869, for $10. 

The Dayton Union Academy was established in 
1852, and it has ever since been under the control 
of a board of trustees chosen by the contributors 
to its support, irrespective of their sectarian tenets. 
It sprung from the united efforts of at least two 
(the United Presbyterian and Methodist Episco- 
pal) denominations. Hence it is called a union 
academy. Its first principal was Rev. John A. 
Campbell, whose successors have been Rev. David 
K. Duff and David Love, A. M., who have from 
time to time had the co-operation of zealous and 
competent assistants. 

The first county superintendent of the common 
schools of this county was Rev. Jno. A. Campbell 
in 1854, then principal of this academy. 

One of the noble monuments of the gratitude of 
the people of Pennsylvania to the dead soldiers of 
the republic and their tender regard for the wel- 
fare of the children bereft of fathers by the war 
for our cherished Union adorns this municipality. 
It having been suggested in the summer of 1866 
that there was need of a soldiers' orphans' school 
either in this or one of the adjoining counties, 
Dayton was readily admitted to be an eligible loca- 
tion for it. Meetings of some of its citizens were 
held; the subject was generally discussed, and it 
was finally determined to establish the needed 
school here. Rev. David K. Duff was authorized 
to confer with Thomas H. Burrowes, who was then 
the state superintendent of the Soldiers' Orphans' 
Schools, who, after having been informed of this 
benign movement, came hither, made a parol 
agreement with some of the citizens, who had 
become enlisted in the project, for consummating 
it, and selected the present site for the buildings. 
A joint stock company was soon organized with a 
capital of $15,000. Its original members were 
Rev. David K. Duff, Rev. T. M. Elder, Dr. William 
Hosack, Dr. J. R. Crouch, Robert Marshall, 
Wesley Pontius, William R. Hamilton, William 
Marshal], Thomas P. Ormond, Thomas H. Mar- 
shall, Samuel Good, Smith Neal, John H. Rupp, 
William Morrow, William J. Burns, J. W. Mar- 
shall, William Hindman, tTohn Beck, Jacob Beck, 
John Craig, David Lawson and David Byers. The 
school opened in rented buildings on the 1st of 
November in that yeai", with fifty-one pupils. This 
comj)any was incorporated December 1, 1873. Its 
charter name is the "Dayton Soldiers' Orphans' 
School Association." It purchased in the fall of 



230 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1867 thirty-five acres of land, on which have been 
erected three substantial two-story frame buildings, 
one of which, 72X24 feet, was occupied in the 
early part of the next spring; another, 72X36 feet, 
was erected during the following summer, and the 
third one, 86X40 feet, was ready to be occupied 
by the 1st of September then next ensuing. The 
ones first and last erected were burned in Decem- 
ber, 1873, and within six months thereafter new 
ones were erected on their sites. The three build- 
ings have a capacity for the accommodation of 225 
pupils. 

Rev. T. M. Elder, Rev. J. E. Dodds and ex- 
County Superintendent Hugh McCandless, the 
present one, have successively been the principals 
of this school; the principal assistants, J. P. Bar- 
ber, G. W. Innes, W. McKiershan, Alex. T. Or- 
mond and M. L. Thounhurst; the aggregate of 
different assistant teachers of all grades, 27; super- 
intendents of boys, 8 ; employes, 29. 

The average number of pupils, girls and boys, 
during the first five years, was about 150, and from 
1872 until 1876, 206. Only three deaths of pupils 
have occurred in nearly ten years, and there has 
been, since the opening of the school, but very 
little sickness among them. Twenty-four have 
been transferred to other schools, 220 have been 
discharged by reason of their having attained the 
age of sixteen years, and 38 by order of the super- 
intendent. 

The moral, intellectual and physical culture in 
this school is such as is w^ell calculated to make its 
pupils good, useful and healthful men and women, 
and to properly prepare them for their various 
vocations in after life. It is gratifying to know 
that so many of them, as do, find eligible situa- 
tions after they pass out from the portals of this 
temple of knowledge to participate in the earnest, 
continuous struggle on the world's broad battle- 
field. 

The common schoolhouse, frame, two stories, is 
situated on the southeast corner of South and 
School streets. The school is a graded one of two 
departments. 

The school statistics for 1876 are as follows: 
schools, 2; average number months taught, 5; male 
teacher, 1; female teacher, 1; salary of male per 
month, $33; salary of female per month, 33; male 
scholars, 50; female scholars, 49; average number 
attending school, 74; received from state appro- 
priation, $91.14; from taxes, etc., $626,22; paid for 
schoolhouse, $244; for teachers' wages, $297; for 
fuel, $108.12. 

The petition of divers citizens of the town of 
Dayton for its incorporation into a borough, under 



the general borough acts, was filed in the proper 
court on the 3d, approved by the grand jury on 
the 5th of March, and finally approved by the 
court on June 5, 1873, when the usual decree was 
made, and the town duly declared to be incorpo- 
rated into the borough of Dayton, with these boun- 
daries: 

" Beginning at a post at the line of lands of 
Ezra Pontius, thence passing the lands of Thomas 
and William Marshall south S^ degrees east 141 
perches to a post, thence passing through in part 
the same land and land of said Thomas H. Mar- 
shall, with other lands of widow Knox south 86^ 
degrees west 280 perches to a stump, thence pass- 
ing through lands of said Knox in part and in part 
through lands of Sloan Cochran noi'th 6 de- 
grees east 1741^,1 perches to a post, thence passing 
through lands of George Kline and others south 
86^ degrees east 2533^ perches to the post and 
place of beginning." 

It was declared to be a separate election and 
school district. The first election was directed to 
be held at the schoolhouse, July 1, 1873. Wesley 
Pontius was appointed judge, and Ralph Kells and 
Theodore Wilson inspectors, and Abraham Good 
was directed to give notice of that election. The 
highest number of votes cast for any of the candi- 
dates was thirty -three, and the lowest fifteen. All the 
ofiicers were unanimously elected: Justice of the 
peace, John Campbell; burgess, G. W. Lias; town 
council, H. L. Spencer, Goorge Kline; school 
directors, W. W. Caldwell, Wesley Pontius; over- 
seers of the poor, Thomas P. Ormond, J. R. Cor- 
nick; assessor, J. T. Smith; judge of election, R. 
L. Marshall; inspectors cf election, John Beck, S. 
W. Marshall; auditor, A. J. Thompson; constable, 
G. B. Roof. 

The assessment list for 1876: Ministers, 4; teach- 
ers, 5; principal orphan school, 1; physicians, 2; 
students, 4; postmaster, 1; law student, 1; agents, 
2; clerks, 2; farmers, 17; press farmer, 1; laborers, 
10; merchants, 4; hotelkeepers, 2; blacksmiths, 2; 
carpenters, 9; harnessmakers, 2; furniture dealer, 
1; plasterer, 1; painters, 2; tailors, 2; tinner, 1; 
teamster, 1; shoemakers, 2; wagonmakers, 2; wheel- 
wright, 1. 

The number of taxables the same year, 122, from 
which the population is estimated to be 561. The 
vote of the inhabitants of this place is included 
in that of Wayne township. 

POSTAi. 



The postoffice was established here July 13, 
1855. James McQuown was its first postmaster. 





v/eSLEV POKTlLiS. 



Jvlf^S.V/ESLEY POHTlLfS, 



WESLEY PONTIOUS. 

The grandparents of Wesley Pontious, on both sides, 
were from Germany. His father and mother, Jacob and 
Elizabeth Pontious, who were born respectively Novem- 
ber 3, 1783, and September 15, 1789, came from east of 
the mountains to Wayne Township, Armstrong county, 
in 1816, Mr. Pontious having been out the year previous 
and purchased 400 acres of land, over a portion of which 
Dayton borough has since extended. i\Ir. and Mrs. 
Pontious were the parents of nine children, whom they 
lived to see raised to industrious and moral habits, and 
respectably settled in life. Their names, with dates of 
birth, were as follows : Elias, born December 25, 1811 ; 
Wesley, July 31, 1813 ; Ezra, December 15, 181-4 ; Mary 
Ann, April 20, 1817 ; Eliza Jane, July 12, 1819 ; Catha- 
rine, July 16, 1821 ; Maria, March 20, 1823 ; Margaret, 
November 15, 1826; and John, January 30, 1828. Of 
these Mary Ann, Eliza Jane, Maria and John are 
now deceased. Jacob Pontious, the father, died in 1845, 
and Elizabeth, his wife, in 1842. 

At the time when the elder Pontious made his settle- 
ment in Armstrong county the region around his loca- 
tion was very sparsely peopled, and but little improve- 
ment had been made. Many of the settlers gave more 
attention to hunting than to clearing their lands. Jacob 
Pontious did not, however, belong to that class — he was 
an industrious and enterprising man, and his children 
inherited those characteristics. He started a tanyard 
upion his farm, taking into partnership a young man 
who knew the trade. When Wesley Pontious was about 
sixteen years of age he went to work under this man, 
and worked with him for iive years ; he then carried on 
the business for five years more for his father. Then, at 
his father's request, he went on the farm, which he 



managed to his father's satisfaction. When his father 
died in 1845 he left no will, but his son Wesley admin- 
istered on the estate, and settled it up satisfactorily. He 
bought the old homestead, and by diligent labor paid 
for it and laid the foundation for his present independ- 
ent condition in life. He was judicious in his farming, 
as he has been in the conduct of his other business, and 
slowly but surely (though he met \^dth some losses, 
chiefly through the fault of others) accumulated con- 
siderable property. He still retains about fifty acres of 
his original farm, and lives in comparative retirement in 
Dayton, adjoining which village his land lies. He was 
one of the original stockholders of the Dayton Soldiers' 
Orphans' school, and is one of the board of managers of 
that institution. During the war of the rebellion he 
took the enrollment in AVayne township, on which the 
draft was based, and he has before and since held vari- 
ous offices in the gift of his townspeople. He is held 
in high esteem by all who have been associated with 
him as a conservative citizen and conscientious man in 
all the relations of life. At present, and since 1880, he 
has had, besides other investments, an interest in the 
general store conducted by the firm of C. S. Marshall & 
Co. Mr. Pontious is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church. 

Upon the 26th of May, 1846, Wesley Pontious was 
united in marriage with Hannah Jane, second daughter 
of Thomas Travis, an old citizen of this county, in the 
neighborhood of Dayton. There were three children by 
this marriage, of whom two are living, as follows : Mary 
Ann (wife of Rev. James B. Gray) and Rebecca C. (wife 
of Charles H. Gray). 

His first wife dying March 18, 1870, Mr. Pontious 
married, October 24, 1872, Miss Louisa A. Funk. 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



281 



ORIGIN OF NAME. 

The origin of the name of this municipality is 
this: On a certain evening, probably in 1849, when 
there were only about three buildings on the terri- 
tory which it now covers, there was a small assem- 
blage of persons then residing here and in this 
vicinity, at the store of Guyer & Laughlin. One 
topic of conversation on that occasion was the 
name which should be given to this point, then a 
mere hamlet, which, it was expected, would in time 
become a town. The main object was to select a 
name which had not been given to any other place, 
or at least to any postoffice, in this state. Some 
one present, it is not remembered who, suggested 
Dayton, which name, it is thought by the writer's 
informant, occurred to the suggestor by reason of 
some mental association of his with Dayton, Ohio. 



If such is its derivation, it is, like the name 
of the township from which it was organ- 
ized, mediately connected with the achievements 
of Gen. Wayne, for his victories over, and his 
treaty with, the Indians immediately led to the 
foundation of Dayton in Ohio, which was named 
after Jonathan Daj^ton, who was one of the agents 
who effected a purchase for John Clave Symmes of 
248,000 acres from the United States, on a part of 
which is the site of that place, which is a part of 
the land for the purchase of which Dayton, St. 
Clair, Wilkinson and Ludlow contracted with 
Symmes in seventeen days after Wayne's treaty 
with the Indians was made. Jonathan Dayton was a 
citizen of New Jersey, and was speaker of the house 
of ref)resentatives in the Congress of the United 
States from December 7, 1795, until March 3, 1799. 



CHAPTER X. 



KISKIMINETAS. 



Indian Origin of the Name — Organization — Early Visits of the Whites — Christopher Gist — Persons to Whom 
the Lands were Originally Surveyed — Old Time Attempts to Divide the Township — Churches — Schools — 
Temperance Element — Improving Navigation in the Kiskiminetas — Mechanical Industries — Statistics of 
Employments and Population — Postoffices — An Ancient Landmark — Geological Description — " Dunmire's 
Rock" — Borough of Apollo, Formerly Warren — Assessments at Various Dates — Ferries and Bridges — 
Religious Matters — Military — Soldiers' Aid Society — Lodges — Trades and Occupations — Manufacturing 
and Blercantile History — Statistics — Fires. 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 

THIS township was named from the river 
which skirts its southern border. Kiskimin- 
etas, says Hecke^cld^i, is corrupted from Giesch- 
gumanito, signifying, 7nake daylight. Its etymol- 
ogv 'J : Gisch-gu — day; gisch-gue — today; giescha- 
pen — it is daybreak; nianitoon — to make. It was 
probably the word of command, given by a war- 
rior to his comrades, at night, to break up camp 
and resume the journey, or war-path. It is said 
in McCuUough's Narrative, that the Indians called 
this river ICee-ak-kshonan-nit-toos, signifying cut 
spirit. Heckewelder's etymology and definition 
are more satisfactory to the writer. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The petition of sundry inhabitants of Allegheny 
township was presented December 22, 1831, to the 
court of quarter sessions of this county, asking 
that a new township be formed out of the upper 
end of Allegheny township, to be called Kiski- 
minetas. Philip Klingensmith, John Lafferty and 
John McKissen were appointed viewers, who, after 
one continuance of their order, presented their 
report recommending the organization of the new 
township, which was approved by the court June 
19,1832. The boundaries were : "By a line com- 
mencing at a great bend of the Kiskiminetas 
river, at the mouth of a small run ; thence by a 
direct line 6 miles and 200 perches to the mouth 
of Cherry run, where it empties into Crooked 
creek ; thence up Crooked creek to the line of 
Indiana county ; thence along said line to the 
Kiskiminetas river ; thence down said river to the 
place of beginning." 

Some -parts of the territory of this township 
were formerly inhabited by Indians. One of their 
towns, " Toquhesp, I. T." is indicated, in the his- 
torical map of Pennsylvania, as having been sit- 
uated about half-way between the present site 



and the Indiana county line — probably at or near 
the Northwest Coal Company's works. The writer 
has not been- able to ascertain the etymology and 
meaning of the name, unless it is derived from 
Tach-quock — meaning land turtle. 

Some young Indians, probably Senecas, informed 
Gen. Thomas L. Kane, while hunting on his broad 
domain, in McKean county, that Toquhesp "must 
be a word of another language. A place near there 
is, in one language, Da-gaisse-gehney, which means, 
' carry me across (the water) on your back.' " 

About a mile below Apollo, near the outlet locks, 
an Indian chief, bearing the name of Warren, was 
buried, and the tract containing his grave is des- 
ignated on the ancient county map, or map of 
original tracts of land, as " Warren's Sleeping- 
j)lace." 

About a mile and a quarter, in an air line, north- 
east from "Toquhesp," is an "Indian spring," near 
which is a rock, on the eastern face of which, front- 
ing the run, is a rudely engraved figur-e, probably 
intended to represent . an Indian medicine man. 
The parts representing the head and upper portion 
of the body are cut about an inch deep. The cut- 
ting of the other portions is more shallow^ The 
arms appear to be extended in curved lines from 
the body, at the extremity of each of which is 
what is intended to represent a hand with three 
fingers extended, the legs bent or curved, each 
foot having two toes extended. Below the right 
hand is the representation of an arrow-head, while 
above the right arm, diagonally from the elbow, 
four characters are engraved somewhat like these, 
I O O R. 

The visits of whites to the territory included in 
this township, prior to 1748, were probably about 
the same as those mentioned in the sketch of the 
present township of Allegheny. 

The Ohio Company, consisting of Lawrence and 
Augustine Washington and others, an association 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



233 



organized for tlie purpose of affecting settlements 
on the wild lands west of the Allegheny moun- 
tains, sent out Chi-istopher Gist, in 1750, to explore 
the country. In the course of that tour of explora- 
tion he passed from the south branch of the Poto- 
mac to the head of the Juniata, crossed the Alle- 
gheny mountains " and reached the Allegheny 
river by the valley of the Kiskiminetas.'''' * That 
tour began October 31, 1750, from Col. Cresap's, at 
the old town on the Potomac river in Maryland, 
and continued thence, as above indicated, to the 
Allegheny and down the Ohio river to the falls, 
and thence to Roanoke river in North Carolina, 
where he arrived May 19, 1751. His journal of 
that tour, found in the appendix of Pownall's 
"Topographical Description of North America," 
published in London in 1776, shows that on Mon- 
day, November 17, 1750, he " crossed a great laurel 
mountain," i.e. Laurel Hill. The next day he en- 
countered rain and snow. His' journal continues: 
" Wednesday, 14, set out north 45° west 6' to Loyal 
Sannon, an old Indian town on a creek of the 
Ohio, called Kiskeminetas, then north 1' northwest 
1' to an Indian camp on said creek. 

" Thursday, 15. The weather being bad, and I 
unwell, stayed hei-e all day. The Indian to whom 
this camp belonged spoke good English and 
directed me the way to his town, which he called 
Shanoppin; he said it was about sixty miles and a 
pretty good way. 

"Friday, 16. Set out south 70° west 10'. 

"Saturday, 17. The same course (south 70° 
west) fifteen miles to an old Indian camp. 

"Sunday, 18. I was very sick and sweated my- 
self, according to the Indian custom, in a sweat- 
house, which gave me ease and my fever abated. 

" Monday, 19. Set out early in the morning, the 
same course (south 70° west); traveled very hard 
about twenty miles to a small Indian town of the 
Delawares, called Shanojspin, on the southeast side' 
of the river Ohio, where we rested and got corn 
for our horses." Shanoppin was a short distance 
below the present site of Sharpsburgh, the river 
then being called both Ohio and Allegheny. 

The ancient map of this county indicates that 
seventy-five tracts of land were originally surveyed 
to various persons as follows: John Montgomery, 
500^ acres, including " Warren's Sleeping-place," 
and the site of Apollo; John Montgomery, 70f acres; 
James Watson, 160 acres, 148 perches; Joseph 
Campbell, 437 acres, seated by Watsons and John 
Criswell; John Clark, 52-^ acres, seated by Peter 
Yarnall and Hugh Bigham; ChistOpher Hays and 
John Henderson, 402i acres, seated by James Bid- 

* Rnpp. 



die; William Jackson, 111.7 acres, seated by Jacob 
McCartney; John Jackson, 367.8 acres, seated by 
John Miller, Sr., 50 acres, John Miller, Jr., 100 
acres, and Jacob Miller, 100 acres; Robert Clark, 
248 acres, seated by James Jackson ; Robert Watson, 
47 acres, 110 perches; Robert Ralston, 436 acres, 
seated by William Kerr; James Armstrong, 318f 
acres, seated by Joseph Irwin; J. Jackson, 46 acres; 
Samuel Huoheson, 280 acres, seated by John and 
William Watson and John Martin; John Huche- 
son, 297.7 acres, seated by Robert Watson; John 
Wells and John Reighley, 408^ acres, seated by 
Isaac Warner and Alexander Black; John Pirn, 
335 acres, seated by T. Shoemaker; James Alexan- 
der, 342 acres, seated by John Larner; Michael 
Campbell, 148 acres, seated by Joseph Eakman ; 
John Burghy, 315 acres, seated by Robert Kilgore; 
Jonathan Nesbitt, 346 acres, seated by John Wil- 
son; Reese Meredith, 299 acres, partly in Alle- 
gheny township; John Ewing (pedlar), 335.8 acres, 
seated by Daniel O'Brian, partly in Allegheny 
townshif); Jacob Burghy, 391 acres, seated by 
Philip Schellhamer; Mary Paine, 31 If acres, 
partly in Burrell township; Peter Van Gelder, 395.8 
acres, seated by William Eakman; Michael Camp- 
bell, 153;^ acres, seated by Andrew McKee; Evan 
Evans, 393 acres, seated by John Kerr; Andrew 
Boner, 310 acres, seated by Henry Walker; John 
Steele, 310.8 acres; John Swift, 323.6 acres; Joseph 
Swift, Jr., 324 acres, seated by John Shoemaker, 
Jr.; Rachel Smith, 400^ acres, seated by John 
Kline; Robert Smith, Jr., 365f acres, seated by 
Andrew Scott; Thomas Duncan, 410^- acres, seated 
by George Learner, 80, Barnabas Bloss, 130, and 
James Biddle, 200 aci-es; Eve Hays, 475f acres, 
seated by John Fuller; Jacob Mechlin, 327.39 acres; 
Chr. Hays, member of assembly in 1778, 349 
acres, seated by John Fuller; Thos. Allibone, 101-^ 
acres, seated by Peter Yarnell; Isaac Townsend, 
133 acres, seated by himself; James Wallace, 166.9 
acres, seated by Isaac Townsend; Agnes Simpson, 
277-J acres, seated by John Johnston, Jr., and Adam 
Johnston; Jacob Stilley, 252.4 acres, seated by 
James Guthrie; Jacob Wolf, 248^ acres, seated by 
Michael Anderson; D. Hall, 118.62 acres, seated by 
Samuel Guthrie; Joseph Shoemaker, 194.1 acres, 
seated by himself; William Todd, 125 J acres, 
seated by Samuel Coulter; Joseph Shields, 100 
acres; James Wilson, 136 acres; Henry Horn, 363 
acres, seated by Michael Anderson (river); Michael 
Sowerwalt, 372.3 acres, seated by John Dornmoyer; 
Elizabeth Henderson, 359.9 acres, seated by John 
Fuller; George Clymer, member of assembly in 
1778, 335.3 acres; George Reading, 324.6 acres; 
Jonathan D. Sergeant, 291 acres, seated by Mat- 



234 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



thew Lampton; James Clark, 389^ acres; John 
Scottoii, 319^ acres, seated by William Sansom; 
Moore Furman, 316 acres, seated by .Joseph Shir- 
ley; John Musser, 317.8 acres, seated by Samuel 
Gray; William Todd, 323 acres; John Swift, 323.6 
acres; Frederick Foulk, 313 acres; Mary Swift, 
328.5 acres, partly in Burrell township; Isaac Mor- 
ton, 301 acres, seated by John Barr; Henry Lisle, 
301.8 acres, seated by James Kerns; Benjamin 
Shermer, 301 acres, seated by Nicholas Weitzell; 
Mellicent Wade, 301 acres; Alexander Todd, 319.8 
acres, partly in South Bend township, seated by 

Andrew Cunningham; Henry Beck, ; Geo. 

Morgan, 326 acres, seated by Robert Shirley; Abra- 
ham Shoemaker, 301.9 acres, seated by Christopher 
Eiman; Abraham Hunt, 301.9 acres, partly in 
South Bend township, seated by Samuel Hancock; 
Isaac Allen, 346.3 acres, partly in Indiana county; 
John Leasure, 314f acres, seated by Barnabas 
Steer and Solomon Dornmoyer; Joseph Shoemaker, 
251.8 acres, seated by Benjamin Couch; William 
Ball, 297 acres, partly in Indiana county, seated by 
Samuel McClelland; John Laughlin, 355 acres, 
partly in Indiana county, seated by himself. 

Vacant tracts are indicated on that map as fol- 
lows : Northwest of the James Armstrong and W. 
Jackson, and west of the Juo. Burghy, Jonathan 
Nesbitt, James Alexander and Evan Evans tracts, 
in the western part of the township, on a part of 
which James Neely, from Londonderry, Ireland, 
settled in or about 1787 ; west of the Isaac Allen 
and Ab'm Shoemaker tracts ; and another one cast 
of the Henry Horn and north and west of the John 
Laughlin tract, also in the southeastern part of the 
township. - ' 

Names were given to some, if not all, of 
those tracts. For instance : the Samuel Hucheson 
tract was called " Denmark ; " the Jacob Wolf 
tract, " Okefield ; " the David Hall tract, " Mount 
Hall ; " one of the Joseph Shoemaker tracts, " Mill- 
brook ; " the Thomas Duncan tract, " Oakland ; " 
the Henry Horn tract, " Deedenheim ; " the George 
Reading tract, "Hesse Cassel ; " the Benjamin 
Shirmer tract, " Scara ; " the Mellicent Wade tract, 
" Sciro ; " the Isaac Morton tract, " Fuligno ; " the 
tract adjoining the Michael Campbell tract, war- 
rant dated July 1, 1784, and patent March 9, 1796, 
to Isaac Anderson, " White Oak Bottom ; " the 
Reese Meredith tract, " Harcourt ; " the Joseph 
Swift, John Scatton and John Swift tracts, re- 
spectively, "Digby Nos. 1, 2, 3 ; " the Wm. Todd 
tract, " Newark ; " the John Leasure tract, " White 
Oak Flat;" the Jacob Burgy (or Berger) tract, 
" Burgomaster ; " the John Steel tract, " Round- 
Hole " or " Boiling Spring," which became vested 



in the heirs of Robert Elder, of which John 
Beemer j>urchased six-thirteenths, and released the 
same to John Miller April 8, 1833, who conveyed 
seventy-two acres to Adam Miller for $150 April 
10, 1840. From the boiling spring on this tract 
the names of Spring postoffice and Spring church 
have been derived. 

In 1805 the various tracts in what is now Kiski- 
minetas township were rated or assessed at from 
twenty-five cents to $1 per acre. For instance : 
the Agnes Simpson tract was then rated at fifty 
cents per acre, now at $28 ; the James Wallace 
and Isaac Townsend tracts, then at seventy-five 
cents, now at from $25 to $28 ; the Benjamin 
Shermer tract, then at seventy-five cents, now 
at $25. 

Several petitions of inhabitants of Kiskiminetas 
township were filed in the court of quarter sessions 
of this county December 23, 1840, asking for a 
division of the township, and the organization of 
a new one to be called Washington, by a line to 
commence at James Kiers', on the Indiana county 
line, and thence by Solomon Shoemaker's to the 
Allegheny township line, because, as set foi'th in 
the petitions, the area of the township was sixteen 
by ten miles, the inhabitants were very numerous 
and the country rough, which rendered it exceed- 
ingly burdensome upon the people in transacting 
their township business. Several remonstrances 
were filed at the same time. The remonstrants 
alleged that they had understood that a few de- 
signing individuals contemplated applying to the 
court for a division of the township ; that, if 
granted, it would derange the school system and 
cause the inhabitants to build new schoolhouses ; 
that the average number of voters then in the 
township did not exceed 380 ; that the area of the 
township exceeded eight square miles, and, if 
divided, it would be eight by four miles ; aiid that 
a petition was then before the house of representa- 
tives for the incorporation of the village of War- 
ren into a borough, which would, if done, " consid- 
erably lessen the township." The remonstrants 
prevailed : the prayer of the petitioners was not 
granted. 

In 1850 an attempt was made to organize a new 
township out of parts of Allegheny, Kiskiminetas, 
Kittanning and Plum Creek townships, to be called 
Knox. Jonathan E. Meredith, William Mcintosh 
and James Stewart were appointed viewers, who, 
at December sessions of that year, reported that it 
was inexpedient to erect a township with the 
boundaries specified in the petition and order, but 
suggested that it would be proper to erect a new 
township with somewhat different boundaries. 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



235 



That attempt failed for awhile, but it was after- 
ward coDsummated by the organization of Burrell 
township. 

The people of Kiskiminetas (at least a majority 
of them) contended vigorously, and for awhile suc- 
cessfully, against the further dismemberment of 
their township in the erection of South Bend 
township ; they defeated that project once or twice 
by their ballots, but were finally overcome, perhaps 
by their own supineness. 

Some of the warrants and patents for the tracts 
of land, which have already been mentioned, are 
dated as early as 1773; still they were not rapidly 
or densely settled for many years, not, in fact, until 
after the second decade of this century. Among 
the inducements to settle on them, offered by their 
owners, were the following, which appear in the 
advertisement of Robert Smith, published in the 
first number of the first volume of the Western 
J^agle, which, it will be borne in mind, was the 
first paper printed in this county, dated September 
20, 1810, in which he offered for sale his 400-acre 
tract called " Smithfield," and the adjoining tract 
of Rachel Smith, situate on Roaring run, a mile 
from Rattling run, on which there was said to be 
a fall sufiicient for a mill. He intimated that if 
encouragement should be given, a fulling-mill and 
a chemical laboratory " for refining dyes and col- 
ors would be provided by the proprietor of the 
land." 

CHURCHES. 

For many years after the first settlements, the 
nearest meeting-house was at Polk Run, in West- 
moreland county, and religious services were held 
in barns and private houses. The only Presby- 
terian church was organized in the spring of 1840. 
It is called the Boiling Spring Presbyterian church, 
because of the proximity of its edifice to a spring 
whose water, when the basin ■ or reservoir is open 
and clear of earthy deposits, is forced a consider- 
able distance — boils as it were — above the surface 
of the earth. The sand in the bed of this spring 
is white. The first church edifice, built jointly by 
the Presbyterian and Lutheran congregations, was 
a capacious frame structure, situated near Rattling 
run, about two and two-thirds miles a little east of 
south from the northern corner of the township, 
was erected soon after the organization of the 
church. Its several pastors have been Revs. Levi 
M. Graves, C. C. Bristol, J. E. Caruthers and Per- 
rin Baker, the present one. The first edifice was 
replaced by a new frame one in 1871. The mem- 
bership is 107 ; Sabbath-school scholars, 115. 

The Boiling Spring Lutheran church has a capa- 
cious frame edifice situated a few rods west of the 



Presbyterian church. Its membershiji is 54 ; Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 30. 

The Maysville Lutheran church has an edifice 
which is frame and situated about seventy-five rods 
west of Maysville, near a western branch of Long 
run. Its membership is 38 ; Sabbath-school schol- 
ars, 77. 

Both of these last-mentioned churches belong to 
the General Synod. 

SCHOOLS. 

The earliest schools were kept in rough log cab- 
ins, similar to those described in the general sketch 
of the county. Some of them were not kept com- 
fortably warm in cold weather with ten-plate 
stoves. The teachers were old men who could not 
make a livelihood by manual labor. Their schol- 
arship was very limited. Occasionally one was a 
good penman and arithmetician. The school 
month consisted of twenty-foyj: days. The tuition 
was $1.50 per quarter. Some of the scholars, who 
depended on themselves, attended school as long 
as their money would enable them to pay their 
tuition. Some such could attend only a month in 
a year. The first schoolhouse, built about 1810, 
was situated at or near the present site of Maysville, 
and soon afterward another one, about two miles 
southwest from the first one, near Flat run. There 
was another one, probably somewhat later, in the 
Jackson and Watson settlement, two or three 
miles east or southeast of Apollo, which was 
burned in 1817-18, and was replaced by a better 
one which was built by the conjoint efforts of 
William Watson, James Jackson, Jacob Miller, 
and some others, whose names the writer's inform- 
ant did not remember. Prior to 1822 a log school- 
house was built on the Benjamin Shirmer tract, 
called "Scara," patented by John and Thomas 
Penn to John Mifilin, October 5, 1774, descended 
to Rebecca Archer, who conveyed it to Nicholas 
Weitzell, April 26, 1814, from whom Robert Wray 
purchased it, March 13, 1819. It was one of the 
primitive kind of schoolhouses. Among the earli- 
est teachers, if not the earliest, who taught there, 
were James Craig and Samuel Scott. The num- 
ber of scholars ranged from fifteen to twenty. 
That house was situated about twenty rods from 
the present Shady Plain schoolhouse. The former 
also taught a school at his residence on the John 
Salter or " Ganges " tract, or what has been, since 
November 5, 1850, known as the Remalley farm, 
in Burrell township, distant about three miles 
from Shady Plain, which some of the children of 
Robert Wray and of others in his neighborhood 
attended. Craig also taught at times in an old 
dwelling-house on the " Scara " tract, on which, as 



236 



HISTOEY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



early as 1820, were the remains of a hunter's cabin. 
The free school system- was readily adopted. 
Among its most devoted and jsersistent supporters 
was the late Joseph Shoemaker, who was for many 
years a school director, and a model one, so far as 
a prompt, cheerful and conscientious discharge of 
official duties was concerned. The old log school- 
houses, even of the second series and better class, 
have given jjlace to comfortable frame ones, dis- 
tributed at convenient distances over the township. 

In 1860 the number of schools (including those 
now in South Bend) was 15; average number 
months taught, 4; male teachers, 11; female teach- 
ers, 4; average salaries of male teachers per month, 
$18; average salaries of female teachers per month, 
118; male scholars, 428; female scholars, 335; 
average number attending school, 448; cost of 
teaching each scholar jDer month, 42 cents; amount 
tax levied for schoc^ purposes, $1,315.53; amount 
tax levied for building pui-poses, $886.02; from 
state appropriation, $191.27 ; from collectors, 
$1,630.70; cost of instruction, $1,080; fuel and 
contingencies, $192.75 ; cost of schoolhouses, 
building, purchasing, renting, repairing, etc., 
$498.22. 

In 1876 the number of schools (exclusive of those 
now in South Bend township) was 13; average 
number months taught, 5; male teachers, 9; female 
teachers, 4; average salaries males per mouth, 
$34.55; average salaries females per mouth, $32.50; 
male scholars, 253; female scholars, 223; average 
number attending school, 372; cost per month, $1; 
total amaunt of tax levied for school and building 
purposes, $2,587.15; received from state appropria- 
tion, $400.83; from taxes and other sources, 
$2,474.34; total receipts, $2,875.17; cost of school- 
houses, purchasing, renting, repairing, etc., $62.71; 
paid for teachers' wages, $2,309; paid for fuel, fees 
of collectors, etc., $486.66; total expenditures, 
$2,858.37. 

The temperance element in this township has 
been for many years quite strong. At the election, 
Friday, February 28, 1873, the vote against grant- 
ing license to sell intoxicating liquors was 75, and 
in favor, 45. 

The navigation of the Kiskiminetas was im- 
proved in 1811-12 by removing rocks and other 
obstacles as far up as the Packsaddle. It used to 
be dangerous boating over Big Falls, and several 
persons were drowned there. A dam at the foot 
of these falls makes the slackwater up to dam 
No. 3. 

By act of March 26, 1821, the sum of $5,000 was 
appropriated for improving the navigation of the 
Kiskiminetas and Conemaugh rivers, and George 



Mulholland, Jr., Peter Wallace, Andrew Boggs, 
John Hill and Jacob Drum were appointed com- 
missioners to superintend its expenditure. 

MANUPACTUEES. 

The early assessment lists of Allegheny town- 
ship show that mills of different kinds were estab- 
lished within the present limits of Kiskiminetas 
township, thus: William Hess was assessed for the 
first time with a gristmill in 1810; Michael Ander- 
son, James Findley and Robert Watson with saw- 
mills in 1811; Benjamin Couch with a grist and 
saw mill in 1818; Jacob McCartney with a fulling- 
mill in 1820, a gristmill in 1826 and a factory in 
1843; Isaac Townsenfc'-with a sawmill in 1824; 
James W. Biddle, William Kerr and William Un- 
cajjher each with a sawmill in 1826; John Fuller 
with a grist and saw mill in 1830; Joseph McGeury 
with a sawmill in 1831. Stitt's mill, on Cama- 
han's run, was for years after its erection re- 
sorted to by a large portion of the people of this 
township. Citizens volunteered to make a road 
on which they could go to that mill, the work on 
which was commenced at the mill and progressed 
homeward, and, as they reached their own abodes, 
would respectively drop off, so that those living at 
the greatest distances from the mill did most of 
the work. 

There are now, as the writer is informed, one 
gristmill and two savsTnills in this township, and 
most of tlie sawing is done by portable mills. The 
fulling or woolen mill of Cooker & Moore, near 
the head of the fourth western branch of Rattling 
run, was established in 18 — . 

Raymond Deutzell was first assessed with a tan- 
yard in 1829, and John Keely in 1834. The same 
yard was probably assessed, in different years, to 
both Deutzell and Keely, as both were assessed 
with land granted by the commonwealth to Thos. 
Harper, whose administrators conveyed " twenty- 
five acres, including a tanyard," to Keely, so that 
it appears to have been the only one in this town- 
ship. 

Rock Furnace was established by James W. 
Biddle in 1825, near the Big Falls, on the Kiski- 
minetas river, who announced in his advertisement 
for woodchoppers and other laborers, dated Octo- 
ber 5, that it would "be in blast on Christmas 
day." It was a steam cold blast furnace, eight 
feet across the bosh by thirty feet high. The fuej 
used was charcoal. The number of employes is 
said to have been from fifty to seventy-five. It 
was located on the Christopher Hays and John 
Henderson tract, between the mouth of Roaring 
run and its junction with Rattling run. It did 











«!/>/ 



JOH^' B. CH.AjVlBEF(S. 



I^IPyS. JOHfsl B. CHA.VlBEf^S. 



CAPT. JOHN B. CHAMBEES. 

JamesChambers, grandfather of the subject of our sketch, was a 
native of Ireland, but emigrated to America and settled in Chambers- 
burg, Pennsylvania, at a very early day. He married a Miss Hutch- 
inson, by whom he had two children — William and Jane, the latter 
of whom became the wife of Judge James Bovard, of Butler county. 
Both are now deceased. After his marriage Mr. Chamber's removed 
to Westmoreland county, where he lived until his death, which took 
place in 1S18. He was taken prisoner at Sewickley sometime during 
the period of the Indian war, and taken to an island in Lake Erie, 
near Sandusky Bay, where he was kept until the close of the war 
and the declaration of peace. He then returned to Westmoreland 
county, where he had erected a log cabin upon his 700-acre tract of 
land. He began immediately to improve this land, but the Indians 
again became quite troublesome, and he and his young wife with the 
few other settlers were occasionally compelled to flee for safety to 
the blockhouse near by. Once a skulking band of savages stole Mr_ 
Chambers' horses from the field, and detecting them in the act, the old 
pioneer lifted his voice in a series of stentorian shouts which at- 
tracted the attention of some soldiers in the neighborhood of the 
forts, nearly two miles away, who assisted him in recapturing the 
horses. The Chambers cabin, one of the genuine pioneer style, with 
puncheon floor, bark roof, etc., was the first built in the neighbor- 
hood, there being for two or three years no other within five miles of 
it. Mr. Chambers' land upon his death fell into the possession of his 
children, and is now owned by his grandchildren, the Chambers 
family having lived on and about this old place ever since James 
Chambers' settlement. The tract was improved by Its industrious 
first owner, under many difiiculties and amidst many hardships. He 
was obliged to pack salt and bar -iron, and various other articles which 
he needed, across the mountains upon horses ; to use a wooden plow 
and other primitive tools, and his wife did all of her cooking upon 
an iron crane which was swung in the great fireplace. 

William Chambers, the father of John B., was born in 1777, in West- 
moreland county, and married Fannie Bovard, who was a native of 
the same county, born in 1787, and like himself of Irish descent. He 
died in 1851 and she in 1864. Eight children were the issue of 
their union, four of whom are now living — Mary, James, John B. and 



William. The names of those deceased are— Jane, Margaret, Hutch- 
inson and Nancy. 

John B. Chambers, to whom this sketch is chiefly devoted, was 
born in Westmoreland county, June 13, 1813. He remained at home 
until he was twenty-three years of age, and on May 6, 1837, married 
Martha Guthrie, a native of Westmoreland county, where she was 
born August 27, 1811. Her father, William Guthrie, was of Scotch- 
Irish parentage. He was twice married. By his first wife, a Miss 
Nancy Dixon, he had five children — Samuel, Jane, Esther, Martha 
and Susan, all of whom are deceased. Mrs. Chambers is one of the 
children of the second marriage, and had three sisters— Nancy, Mary 
Jane and Sarah. Her mother's maiden name was Mary Hill. 

The offspring of the union of John B. and Martha (Guthrie) Cham- 
bers was four children, three sons and one daughter, whose names 
with their dates of birth are as follows : James H., born May 21, 1838 ; 
Samuel H., June 14,1840; William G., December 15, 1842; and Mary 
Jane (now the wife of D. A. Heck, of Butler, Pennsylvania), born 
January 20, 1844. 

Mr, Chambers carried on farming for ten years after his marriage, 
and then removed to Apollo, where he engaged in building a freight 
and passenger boat, which he named the " Apollo Packet," and run 
on the Pennsylvania canal, between Apollo and Pittsburgh. After 
following this business for several years, he purchased a stock of 
goods and has since been engaged in merchandizing, in which occu- 
pation he has deservedly been very successful. Diu'ing eighteen 
years of his mercantile life, he was freight and ticket agent at the 
Apollo station, for the West Penn. Branch Railroad Company, and at 
the same time was express agent. He still holds the latter agency. 
Upon the organization of the Apollo Savings Bank, May 29, 1871, he 
was elected president of the institution, a position which he has ever 
since occupied. He is the possessor of about 300 acres of real estate, 
and has a coal bank in successful operation, from which he supplies 
in part the town of Apollo. His varied business interests have been 
well managed, and the people have apparently ever had perfect con- 
fidence in Captain Chambers' judgment and sagacity. Both as the 
successful business man, and the practical, useful and public spirited 
citizen, he enjoys the respect of all with whom he has come in 
contact. 




*rlS%i; 






1 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



2;57 



not prove to be a pecuniary success either to its 
finpt or subsequent owners. It was finally sold by 
the sheriff, and the writer was, for the first time 
after his admission to the bar of this county, ap- 
pointed an auditor to distribute the proceeds of 
sala among the lien creditors. That was the first 
andllast furnace for the manufacture of pig iron 
in this township. 

Eight different saltworks appear to have been 
assessed from 1836 till 1845, respectively, to Robert 
F. Stewart (2), John Laughlin, Bridget Trux, Wm. 
H. Richardson & Co. (2), John Johnston, H. 
Rid^our, J. McQfciuley and McCauley & Gamble. 
Those owned by Gamble & Son, about a hundred 
rods below the mouth of Flat run, are the only ones 
that still continue to be operated. Tjie mode and 
expense of drilling the wells and manufacturing 
the salt need not here be repeated. The barrels 
in which the salt was put up were at first brought 
to the wells on pack horses, and, after being filled 
with salt, were chieBy^transported to Pittsjjurgh 
down the Kiskiminietas and Allegheny rivers in 
canoes and flatboAts. Considerable quantities 
were sent to Clarion and Jefferson counties by 
sled and wagons. Those modes of transportation 
of course ceased after the completion of the Penn- 
sylvania canal, which also increased the activity 
in various other branches of business. 

The general, the almost universal, occupation of 
the people of this township has, from its earliest 
settlement, been agricultural. As to those engaged 
in other occupations the assessment list this year 
shows, exclusive of Maysville : Laborers, 68 ; car- 
penters, 9 ; miners, 15 ; teachers, 6 ; blacksrniths, 
4 ; shoemakers, 2 ; salt-boiler, 1 ; miller, 1 ; cigar 
manufacturer, 1 ; professor, 1. 

Maysville assessment list for 1876 : Laborers, 4; 
merchants, 3 ; farmers, 4 ; carpenters, 2 ; shoe- 
makers, 1 ; blacksmith, 1 ; miner, 1. This little 
town is situated on Long Run, two and a half miles 
in ao air-line northeast from its mouth, containing, 
according to its list of taxables, a population of 
about 12, and the Long Run postoffice. 
'-- Tfcfe po'pulation of the township has been, since 
its organization, including that of Maysville, thus: 
2,287 in 1840 ; 2,215 white, 15 colored, in 1850 ; 
2,080 white, in 1860, after a part of Burrell town- 
ship had been taken from it; 1,716 white, 12 
■ colored, after a part of South Bend township had 
been taken from it. Its present number of taxa- 
bles, including those of Maysville, is 436, making- 
its present population 2,005. ( , . 

TJntil 1824 the nearest postoflices were those at 
Freeport and Kittanning. The Kiskiminetas post- 
office was established February 24, 1824, John 
15 



Royer, first postmaster ; Spring Church postoffice, 
February 16, 1852, Robert M. Beatty, first post- 
master; Long Run postoffice, October 20, 1857, 
Samuel Orr, first postmaster; Shady Plaia post- 
office, March 2, 1868, David D. P. Alexander, first 
postmaster. 

•' AN ANCIENT LANDMARK. 

In 1862-8 Samuel Lack cut down a white-oak 
tree on the farm of widow Coulter, near a small 
run that empties into the Kiskiminetas about 
fifteen rods above the gravel bar, whose diameter 
was three and a half feet. In sawing and splitting 
the trunk for barrel-heads, he discovered a blaze 
which appears to have been made with the bit of 
an ax, when the diameter of the tree was ten 
inches. Between the blaze and the bark were 246 
rings or annual growths. 

Some of the earlv settlers, as the writer is in- 
formed by one* of ijieir descendants, in the vicini- 
ty of the lower parts of Long run and Flat run, 
opposite the Town^end settlement, between 1790 
and 1800, were Micjhael Anderson, George King, 
George Waltenbau^-h and Jacob Wolf. There 
were probably others in that region then, but that 
informant distinctly remembers the names of those 
mentioned, as having been mentioned by his grand- 
father and grandmother, Jacob and Christina 
Wolf, in relating this occurrence : Mrs. Wolf went 
out early one mornijig to hunt her cows. She and 
her dog took position on a large flat rock, where 
she stood watching Jand listening for her cows, un- 
til the dog moved and whined at her feet, which 
caused her to look down, when, with extreme hor- 
ror, she beheld a vast number of black snakes, 
rattlesnakes, copperheads, and almost every other 
kind of serpent, lying in piles along the edge of 
the rock, attracted thither, probably, by her and the 
dog's presence. She took in her situation at a 
glance, and, in a moment, observing where there 
was the least number of her besiegers, she sprang 
over them from the rock, the dog soon following 
suit, hastened home, and, horror-stricken, related to 
her husband what had happened, who, with the 
other men above-mentioned, rejiaired to that rock 
and began to kill the snakes, and continued doing 
so until they were driven away by an unendurable 
odor. Mrs. Wolf said that none of the serpents 
offered to harm either herself or the dog until she 
attempted to escape, which she did unharmed. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

Two and three-fourths miles below Apollo was 
obtained the following section : 

" Shale,' etc. : Shale, 14 feet ; black slate, 2 feet; 

*Noa'f C. Wolf. 



238 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



upper Freeport coal, 2 feet 10 inches (61 feet above 
lower Freeport coal) ; shale, etc., no exposures, 14 
feet ; olive ferriferous shales and sandstone, 20 to 
25 feet ; sandstone, 18 feet ; coal, 1^ inches ; shale, a 
few inches ; sandstone, 5 feet ; lower Freeport coal, 
bituminous slate, 2 feet — 10 feet above slack water." 

It is divided at a short distance from this point 
into two members by 1^ feet shale. The coal is 
highly pyritous, and a little further on, up the 
river, appears thus : " Coal in thin flakes, 1^ inches; 
gray shale, 1^ inches ; pyritous coal, 26 inches ; 
shale, 4 feet." 

Below Apollo the following section was leveled : 

" Greenish and brown sandstone and slate, hill- 
tops, 21 feet ; olive slate, IS feet ; interval, 67 feet ; 
terrace interval, 45 feet. Green sandstone : green 
sandstone, 1^ feet ; olive green slate, 36 feet ; lime- 
stone fragments, grayish blue, non-fossiliferous, 
from 12 to 13 inches in diameter; olive slates, 30 
feet ; blue slate, here and there containing bivalve 
and flat spiral shells, resembling those of the black 
limestone strata, 85 feet below ; yellow slaty sand- 
stone, 6 feet ; bright yellow shale, 8^ feet ; green 
shale, 4 feet ; green fossiliferous argillaceous lime- 
stone, 19 inches; clay and shale, 11 feet; light- 
colored shale, 5 feet; blue shale, 16 feet; blue 
slate, 6 feet ; blue fossiliferous slate, 2 feet ; dark 
blue limestone, nodular, 4 inches ; compact, full 
of encrinites and univalve and bivalve shells, 4 
inches ; blue ferriferous fossil slates, 4 feet ; brown 
sandstone, vegetable impressions, 3 feet ; shales, 
ferriferous above, bituminous below, almost coal 
for 6 inches, 17 feet; sandstone, thin bedded, 7 
feet ; massive, 8 feet ; slaty, 4 feet ; shale, green- 
ish, 12 feet ; olive, 11^ feet; upper Freeport coal, 
2 feet at outcrop, 15 inches where driven in; in- 
terval, 11 feet ; Freeport limestone, nodular, 12 
inches; shale, 12 (?) feet; sandstone, gray, 15^ 
feet ; brown shale, 1 7 feet ; black slate, 2 feet ; 
lower Freeport coal, 4 feet — 1 6^ feet above bed of 
river." 

Fragments of the so-called Freeport limestone 
were burned for lime without success. 

Three-fourths of a mile above Apollo the Free- 
port limestone, 7-J feet exposed, is quarried on the 
north side of the canal, 57 feet above the water 
level, pale in color and highly silicious. The coal 
is not seen. 

Below the four mile slackwater dam are several 
coal openings, one of them upon the Kittanning 
coal bed, 3^ feet thick. The strata rise rapidly 
west. Just below the dam, three miles above 
Apollo, the following section was obtained, in 
which, for the first time in ascending the Kiski- 
jninetas, the Kittanning coal appears : 



"Hill top more than 100 feet above, 8 feet of 
sandstone roofing Upper Freeport coal and Free- 
port limestone. Interval hence downward roughly 
estimated at 230 feet to the ferriferous limestone, 
3^ feet exposed, elsewhere, 7 feet ; brown shale, 30 
feet ; sandstone, 2 feet ; greenish shale, 12 feet ; 
gray, slaty sandstone, 5 feet ; iron ore, 5 inches ; 
shale, silicious, 7 inches ; iron ore, 3 inches ; shale, 
5 feet ; iron ore, 2 inches ; shale, 1 foot ; argil- 
laceous sandstone, 10 inches ; iron ore, nodular, 5 
inches ; black slate, 3 feet ; blue slate, 7 feet ; 
Brookville (?) coal, 12 inches ; blue shale, 4 feet ; 
black slate, 18 inches, exposed at water level." 

The third axis — anti-clinal of the fourth basin — 
crosses, perhaps, one mile higher up above the 
dam. The ferriferous limestone at Johnston's salt 
works is 55 feet above slackwater, 7 feet thick, and 
contains several species of fossil shells, a terebra- 
tula, etc. 

The following section was obtained two miles 
above the dam : 

" From the top of the hill downward, including 
10 feet of shale just above the coal, 138 feet esti- 
mated: Elk Lick (?) coal, 5 feet ; interval, 42 feet ; 
massive (Mahoning ?) sandstone, 20 to 25 feet 
(bottom 115.7 feet above Kittanning coal). (Free- 
port limestone not observed here, but a short dis- 
tance up the river seen under Mahoning sand- 
stone, 3 feet thick.) Sandstone, thickly stratified, 
17^ feet ; slate, etc., 6 feet ; shale, 29 feet ; Kit- 
tanning coal, 3 feet 9 inches ; shale (?), 18 feet ; 
sandstone, 7 feet ; shale, 8^ feet ; ferriferous lime- 
stone, 6^ feet ; sandstone, 12 inches ; iron ore, cal- 
careous, fossiliferous, hard, 6 inches ; blue shale, 10 
feet; Clarion coal, 1 foot ; blue shale, 12 inches; 
light yellow shale, 18 inches; coal, 16 inches, 17 
feet above water." 

It is remarkable that the lower coal bed dips so 
steeply into the hill that it cannot be drained by 
the gangway, while the upj^er coal is not at all 
open to the inconvenience. This excess of dip 
characterizes the lower strata in the hill. 

The ferriferous limestone goes under the river 
bed near the salt company's store, the Kittanning 
coal being at the level of the towpath. The out- 
crop of the upper coal is observed rapidly descending 
east up the river. Below the upper dam the Free- 
port limestone is seen, 7 feet thick ; and again, 
just below the dam and nearly on a level with 
the towpath, where it is thin and nodular; the 
Upper Freeport coal being absent or easily over- 
looked. 

The middle of the third subtrough of the third 
basin crosses this upper slackwater (3 miles long) 
at about the middle of its length, and exhibits a 






'^Wy^^yt^ 



7 



^-/-^^,^ 



no, 



/:> a 



i 



/ 



.-^.^^- 7 



COL. SAMUEL McCARTNEY JACKSON. 

Samuel McCartney Jackson, who lias attained considerable 
prominence, both civil and military, was born upon a farm near 
Apollo, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, September 24, 1833, and 
was the son of John and Elizabeth (McCartney) Jackson, both of 
whom were of Scotch-Irish descent. As boy and youth he shared 
the toils of the farm, and when sixteen years of age was sent to the 
Jacksonville Academy, in Indiana county. It was his intention to 
obtain there a good academic education, but the death of his father 
at the close of his first year in the school compelled him to abandon 
his cherished design. He was naturally studious and had early ex- 
hibited a marked liking for history and biography, and had become 
quite well versed in those branches of literature. That he had some 
inherent taste for martial affairs is shown by the fact that at the age 
of thirteen he joined the local militia organization, and his subse- 
quent promotions show that he was regarded as possessing good 
qualities for an officer. He rose successively to the rank of lieutenant 
and captain. When the war of the rebellion broke out his military 
spirit and patriotism were brought promptly into action. He re- 
cruited for the Union service in the vicinity of his home a company 
of infantry which was mustered in as Co. G of the 11th regt„ Pa. Re- 
serves, and of which he was chosen captain. He commanded his 
company, known as the Apollo Independent Blues, until July, 1861, 
when he was promoted to the rank of major. In October of the same 
year he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and in April, 1863, to 
colonel of the regiment. He served gallantly through his three 
years' term of service, and on two occasions was slightly wounded. 
The principal engagements in which he participated were Gaines' 
Hill, the second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericks- 
burg, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and Bethesda Church. 
He particularly distinguished himself at South Mountain, Freder- 
icksburg, Gettysburg and the Wilderness, where the conflicts were of 
such a nature as to try officers and men to their utmost, and especially 
to test the bravery, decision and skill of the former. At Spottsylva- 
nia he commanded a brigade and was brevetted brigadier-general 
for gallant conduct. At Gettysburg he was thrown forward on the 
bloody ground where the 3d corps had been driven back, and sup- 
ports from several corps which had been sent to the relief of the 3d 
had been terribly broken. The position there taken was held, and 
the entire field was subsequently regained. At the battle of the 
Wilderness, while in command of his own and the 2d regiment, he 



was cut off from the balance of the division by a strong force of the 
en emy.but rallying his men about him, he charged the hostile lines, 
and by a circuitous route reached the Union front, where he had for 
several hours been given up as lost. The appreciative regard of the 
ofticers and men of the 11th regiment for their colonel was indicated 
by their presenting him with a superb gold-encased and jeweled sword, 
together with sash and spurs, the accompanying speecli being made 
on behalf of the regiment by Capt. Timblin. At the close of his 
term of service Col. Jackson was mustered out and returned to his 
home and to private life. He was engaged for a time in the oil busi- 
ness in Venango county, but retiu^ing to Armstrong county was 
elected to the legislature of the state upon the republican ticket 
in 1869. He was re-elected the following yearand during both terms 
maintained the character of a wise and faithful legislator. In 1871 
he was the leading spirit in organizing the the Apollo Savings Bank, 
of which lie was elected cashier. He served satisfactorily in that 
position until 1882. In the meantime he was again called from 
private to public life, being nominated and elected to the state senate 
in 1874. He represented the forty-first district, composed of Arm- 
strong and Butler counties, so acceptably that he was tendered a 
renomination, which, however, he saw fit to decline. He was chair- 
man of the committee on banks, and a member of several othei-s, 
among them the centennial committee. In April, 1882, Col. Jackson 
was appointed by President Arthur collector of internal revenue in 
the twenty-third district, composed of the counties of Beaver, North 
Allegheny, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Jefferson and Clearfield. 
He entered upon his duties in this office July 1, 1882. 

Col. Jackson has taken an active and prominent part in local affairs 
in Apollo, of which town he has been burgess for two terms and 
school director for many years. He was instrumental in securing the 
act authorizing the building of the free bridge at Apollo and has 
been interested in almost every measure of public improvement. 

He is a member of the Presbj-terian church, a trustee and a 
member of the session. 

He has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Martha J. 
Byerly, of Westmoreland county. They were married in lS6Ct, and 
she died in 1864, leaving two children. Mary Gertrude (Townsend) 
and Lizzie Virginia. In December, 1869, Col. Jackson was united 
in marriage with his present wife, who was Miss Mary E. Wilson, 
of Clarion county. Five children were the offspring of this mar- 
riage, namely, Frank Wilson, John Howard, Bessie, Mamie and 
Emily Louise. 



*5 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



239 



very high series of rocks. The following section 
was made 3^ miles below Saltsburgh : 

" Soil, 7 feet ; gray sandstone, slightly mica- 
ceous, 36^ feet; coal, 12 inches; black slate, 2^ 
feet; black slate, 8 feet; olive shale, 10 feet; 
limestone, nodular, 4 inches ; olive slate, etc., under 
cover, 42 feet ; coal, 12 inches ; clay, 5 feet ; lime- 
stone, 14 inches ; shale, 2 feet ; limestone, 16 
inches ; clay, variegated calcareous nodules, 5 feet; 
sandstone, white massive, weathering cellular in 
parts, 33 feet ; blue slate, 10 feet ; gray shale, 7 
feet ; Pittsburgh coal (coal, 30 inches ; black 
shale, 3 inches ; coal, 12 inches ; gray shale, 8 
inches ; coal, 3 feet ; bituminous shale, 3 inches ; 
coal 3 feet), in all 10 feet 2 inches ; clay, 2 feet ; 
sandy slate, 15 feet ; micaceous sandstone, green- 
ish gray, 4 feet ; light-coloi-ed shale, i^assing into 
an impure limestone, 15 inches, floored with cal- 
careous clay — in all 3^ feet interval ; shales, 1 feet ; 
greenish shale, 12^ feet ; nodular clay bed, 2 feet ; 
greenish sandy slate, 4-^ feet ; nodular clay, 2 feet ; 
green slate, 3^ feet ; sandstone, 1 foot ; lim.estone 
nodules in top of olive shales, 22^ feet ; green 
slate, etc., calcareous nodules, 8 feet ; gray slate, 
with bluff cleavage, 1 3^ feet ; gray and purple 
shale, 5 feet ; sandstone, 12 inches ; greenish shale, 
5 feet ; interval down to water level, 153^ feet." 

Below this is the green fossiliferous limestone, 
as seen on the towpath, passing under- water-level, 
at a point one-half a mile below. A small coal- 
bed underlies it there. At least 30 feet must be 
added to the last interval of 153^ feet to bring the 
present section down to the green fossiliferous 
limestone, which will then be about 350 feet below 
the Pittsburgh coalbed. 

The Pittsburgh coalbed of this section ranges 
northward and southward from the Kiskiminetas 
river, and toward Crooked creek is underlaid by 
the same frosted-looking limestone as seen at 
Pittsburgh and elsewhere. The limestone stratum 
seventy-seven feet below the Pittsburgh coal is a 
widely persistent bed ; it is not quite non-fossili- 
ferous, and has a brecciated (pudding-stone) aspect, 
although it is not fragmentary, but concretionary. 

Toward Saltsburgh the strata rise very slowly, 
the green fossiliferous limestone emerging from 
below the first bank at Saltsburgh, where it con- 
sists of four bands, each between one and two feet 
thick, the whole measuring about three feet ; and 
the representatives of the black fossiliferous lime- 
stone strata emerge in the first exposure above 
Saltsburgh. {Vide Rogers' Geology of Pennsyl- 
vania.) 

About three miles above Apollo, on the right 
bank of the Kiskiminetas, is a sandstone rock pro- 



jecting out over the bank about nine feet. The 
space between the ground and side of the rock, 
at the front, is about nine feet. The rock slopes 
back to the ground a distance of about twelve feet. 
It has gained considerable notoriety in that region 
by reason of a strange family by the name of Dun- 
mire, who claimed to be part Indian, having re- 
sided there (that is, under the rock) more or less of 
the time during several years, from whom it is 
called "Dunmire's Rook." There is about it con- 
siderable j)ebble-stone, in which is something re- 
sembling lead, which can be cut with a knife. 

BOROUGH OF APOLLO. 

Apollo is a borough. It was formerly the town 
of Warren, so called after either an Indian chief 
or an English trader who bore that name. The 
town as originally laid out, it is said, was partly 
on the upper part of a tract containing 500:|- acres, 
called " "Warren's Sleeping-Place," and partly on 
the lower part of another tract containing 70^ acres, 
according to the original surveys. The former 
was surveyed to John Montgomery and Alexander 
Stewart on an ajjjslication dated February 9, 1769. 
Thomas and John Penn, the then proprietaries of 
the province of Pennsylvania, conveyed it by their 
patent dated March 5, 1773, to John Montgomery. 
The warrant for the latter is dated December 27, 
1774, and it was surveyed to John Montgomery, 
as mentioned in old deeds January 17, 1775. 

William Smith became the purchaser of both 
those tracts, at sheriff 's sale, December 20, 1805. 
The sheriff's deed therefor is dated June 28, 1806. 
They were sold by the sheriff of Westmoreland 
county. That purchaser, by deed dated February 
1, 1814, conveyed them to William Johnston and 
Thomas Hoge for the sum of |3,708. The execu- 
tors of William Smith, by their deed dated Octo- 
ber 14, 1814, and John Montgomery (son. of that 
patentee) and his wife, by their deed dated Sep- 
tember 28,' 1815, contributed to assure the title of 
those purchasers (namely, John Montgomery and 
wife) to both tracts, and the executors to the 
smaller tract. 

John B. Alexander, of Go-eensburgh, Pennsylva- 
nia, by advertisement in the Western Eagle 
dated December 17, 1810, offered for sale "War- 
ren's Sleeping-Place " as containing about 570 
acres, and the tract on the opposite side of the 
river, called the "Three Bottoms," as containing 
about 360 acres, and represented both tracts to be 
of the best quality and to contain a great propor- 
tion of excellent bottom, and, being separated by 
the Kiskiminetas river, to afford a good seat for 
waterw'orks. 



240 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Thomas Hoge and wife, by their deed dated No- 
vember 3, 1815, conveyed the undivided half part 
of both those tracts to Rev. William Speer for the 
sum of $1,856.56. 

By article of agreement dated October 10, 1822, 
William Johnston's executors agreed to sell to 
John Andree (or Andrews) the undivided half part 
of the tract called "Warren's Sleeping-Place," 
that is, the residue after Speer and Johnston 
sold 206^ acres off the lower end to Isaac McKis- 
seck in 1818. The quantity of land thus agreed 
to be conveyed to Andree was supposed to be 
400 acres, for which the latter agreed to pay 
$8.75 for each acre of that moiety, after deducting 
the number of acres sold to McKisseck, and in 
town lots, streets and alleys, which had been per- 
viously laid out. Those executors did not execute 
their deed to Andree for that moiety, but he 
bought it at sheriff's sale September 29, 1827. 
The sheriff's deed is dated March 20, 1828. 

By deed of partition between Speer and Andree, 
dated March 8, 1829, the former took 208 acres 
and 41 perches of the northeastern part of the 
theretofore undivided and unsold portion of the 
tract, and the latter took the rest. 

The town of Warren was surveyed off into lots, 
streets and alleys by William Watson, in Novem- 
ber, 1816. These lots are fifty in number and are 
respectively 66 )< 165 feet, each containing a quar- 
ter of an acre. Water (now Canal) and Back (now 
Church) streets are parallel to the Kiskiminetas river 
— the former being from 90 to 100 and the latter 
60 feet wide, and are intersected at right angles 
by North, Main, Indiana and Coal Bank streets, 
each 60 feet wide. An alley 30 feet wide inter- 
sects Water street between lots Nos. 20 and 21 and 
Back street between lots Nos. 11 and 30. Four 
other alleys parallel to Water and Back streets are 
respectively 12 feet wide. Two acres adjoining 
Back street and opposite the eastern end of Main 
street and lots Nos. 1 and 1 1 were laid out agree- 
ably to the terms of sale of the town lots, as a 
public lot for a meeting-house, schoolhouse, etc., 
which have been used for cemetery purposes. Rev. 
William Speer, who survived William Johnston, 
duly acknowledged, July 26, 1827, before William 
Watson, a justice of the peace, the plan of the 
town of Warren, as above described, to be the 
same as was laid out by him and William John- 
ston in the lifetime of the latter. That plan was 
recorded in the office for the recording of deeds of 
this county, November 8, 1828. 

Andree, soon after his purchase, conveyed to 
John McElwain an interest in 1 1 acres of that half 
of the tract which he bought at the sheriff's sale. 



which 1 1 acres were called the " new addition to 
Warren," surveyed, probably, by Robert McKissen. 
Andree and McElwain jointly conveyed a number 
of lots in that " addition " to divers i)ersons. 

John Cochran and Abraham Ludwick cleared the 
principal jsart of the land within the limits of the 
town exclusive of the Guthrie and Chambers plots. 

The first settlers before the Pennsylvania canal 
was made were Joseph Alford, John Cochran, 
Abraham Ludwick, Isaac McLaughlin, Michael 
Risher, Robert Stewart and John Wort. 

POSTAL. 

Before the establishment of the postoffice here, 
August 15, 1827, the points nearest to Warren for 
receiving mail matter were Freeport and Kittan- 
ning. Milton Dally was the first postmaster. The 
department gave this office a name different from 
that of the town, because there was another office 
in this state by the name of Warren. 

Whether Postmaster-General McLean or one of 
his subordinates conceived, when he bestowed on 
this office its classical name, some citizen or citi- 
zens of Warren to be endowed with some or all of 
the attributes ascribed by poets and mythologists 
to the illustrious Apollo, the writer is not in- 
formed. 

The first separate assessment list of the town of 
Warren, then in Allegheny township, was made in 
1830 thus: John Alford, lot No. 22, 1 horse, 1 head 
of cattle, total valuation $58; James H. Bell, lot 
No. 16, 1 house, 1 other lot not known, $156; 
Catherine Cochran, lot No. 34, 1 house, 1 head of 
cattle, $31; Robert Cochran, single man, lot No. 9, 
$25; Andrew Cunningham, lot No. 48, 1 head of 
cattle, $31; William Davis, lot No. 17, 1 house, 
blacksmith, $91; Philip Dally, No. lot not known, 
one house, $225; Samuel Gardiner, lot No. 255; 
William Graham, lot No. 48, 1 house, 1 head of 
cattle, |31; John Lewellyn, lot No. 4, 1 house, 1 
horse, $255; Robert McKissen, lot No. 15, 1 house, 
1 head of cattle, $106; Alexander McKinstry, lot 
No. 1, 1 house, $252; William McKinstry, 1 lot 
and house, $225.25; John McElwain, lot No. 3, 1 
house, 2 horses, 1 head of cattle, $601; Isaac Mc- 
Laughlin, lot No. 38, 1 house, transferred to John 

McElwain, ■ ; William Mehaffey, half-lot No. 

24, ; Peter Risher, lot No. 18, 1 house, 1 

horse, $225; John Wort, lots Nos. 5, 6, 1 house, 1 
tanyard, 1 horse, 2 cattle, lot No. 12 unseated, $247. 

The valuation of unseated lots varied from five 
to ten, twenty, thirty and forty dollars each. 

Eight years before, the county treasurer adver- 
tised twenty-five of Warren inlots for sale for 
taxes, county and road, each of which varied from 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



241 



five to seven, ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty, twenty- 
five and thirty-seven cents assessed upon each lot. 
The heaviest burden of those taxes was borne by 
lots Nos. 1 and 28, and the lightest by lots Nos. 9, 
10, 12, 42, 43, 46 and 47. 

The first assessment list for the " new addition " 
was made in 1832, thus : Smith Agnew, 2 lots 
and houses, 1 head of cattle, $808; James Barr, 
carpenter, lot No. 41, 1 house, $150; Andrew 
Brown, lots Nos. 4, 5, 1 house, $50; James Cham- 
ber, lots Nos. 22, 23, 1 house, 1 head of cattlCj $lo8; 
Nicholas Day, 1 head of cattle, $8 ; Abraham Find- 
ley, lot No. 16, 1 house, 1 head of cattle, $258; 
Jacob Ford, 2 houses and lots, 1 head of cattle, 
1366; Francis Graham, lot No. 17, 1 house, $100; 
William McKinstry, carpenter, lot No. 40, $100; 
Alexander Sharp, lot No. 21, 1 house, $100; Fran- 
cis M. Thompson, lot No. 39, 1 house, $150. 

The first of the line of packets from Warren to 
Pittsburgh was called the Apollo, of which John 

B. Chambers was the captain. 

BOROUGH. 

By act of assembly March 15, 1848, the town of 
Warren, then in the township of Kiskiminetas, was 
incorporated into the borough of Apollo, with all 
and singular the powers and franchises in said act 
specified. One reason for changing the name from 
Warren to Apollo was, because goods shipped to 
that point from the East were often carried past 
it to Warren, in Warren county, Pennsylvania. 

By act of March 31, 1859, the boundaries of the 
borough were extended as follows: Beginning at 
the northwest corner of the borough at a post, 
thence down the Kiskiminetas river, making that 
river a line for the distance of 155 perches, to a 
water-ash a few rods above the mouth of a run; 
thence from said river south 63 degrees east 74 
perches to a locust; thence south 15^^ degrees west 
98 perches to the northeast corner of the borough; 
thence to the northern line of the borough south 81 
degrees west 98 perches to the place of beginning. 

The first borough election was held May 8, 1848, 
when Robert McKissen was elected burgess, and 
William Nichols, William Miller, George C. 
Bovard, John T. Smith, John Elwood and David 
Risher town councilmen. 

The first board of school directors was elected at 
the spring election in 1850, and consisted of Wm. 

C. Bovard, John B. Chambers, John T. Smith, 
Thomas Cochran, Samuel Owens and H. M. G. 
Skiles. 

By act of March 26, 1868, forty-three feet square 
of North street, immediately in front of the Pres- 
byterian church edifice, was vacated and declared 



to be no longer a street or highway, and the title 
thereto was vested in John B. Chambers, D. C. 
Blair, William A. Fulton and Alexander McCul- 
loch, trustees of the Presbyterian church, and their 
successors, for the use of the church. 

By the act of March 8^ 1869, the lines of the 
borough were so extended as to include the lands 
of Michael Cochran, which thereby became sub- 
ject to the laws and regulations of the borough. 

A considerable portion of the territory annexed 
to the borough by the act, March 31, 1859, became 
vested in John B. Chambers, who caused forty-five 
building, or in-lots, and twenty-one out-lots, to be 
surveyed and laid out, December 4, 1865. The 
portion of Canal street in this plot is thirty-three 
feet wide, and those portions of Church, Locust, 
Wood, State, and Union streets within it, are, 
respectively, forty feet wide. Adjoining and above 
this plot, extending to the alley between and par- 
allel to Mill and Maple streets, and between Church 
and Canal streets, is a smaller plot, laid out about 
the same time by James Guthrie, and below and 
adjoining it, i. e., the Chambers plot, is another 
plot more recently laid out by Simon Truby, 
through which extend, nearly east and west, First 
and Second streets. The land between the canal 
and the Kiskiminetas river from North street, 
down to or near the rolling-mill, was formerly 
owned by David McLane, for several years editor 
of the Pittsburgh Gazette, who long ago laid out lots 
thereon, called the McLane plot, but very few of 
them were sold. The J. Morgan lot is one of them. 

By the act of March 12, 1870, the burgess and 
town council were authorized to levy a street tax 
not exceeding ten instead of five mills, as provided 
by the act of March 15, 1848, as a street tax, and 
required f)roperty-owners to pave their sidewalks 
fronting on all streets with brick or stone; and in 
case they neglect or refuse to do so, the burgess 
and town council are authorized and directed to 
have such paving done, accepting, if they see fit, a 
plank or board sidewalk in such instances as the 
owners are unable to pave with brick or stone. 
That act also provides that liens may be entered 
on the mechanics' lien docket, to secure the costs 
incurred for any pavements made by the town 
council, and that the same be collected by due 
process of law, and furthermore that all improve- 
ments then made or to be thereafter made, should 
be kept in good repair by the owners and their 
successors. 

FEKEIES \WD BRIDGES. 

The first ferry was kept by Owen Jones where 
the bridge across the Kiskiminetas now is. In- 
creased facilities for crossing that river were 



242 



HISTORY OP ABMSTEONG COUNTY. 



afforded by the bridge across it, which was erected 
by a comjjany incorporated by the act of March 
15, 1844, called the Wairen Bridge Company, and 
its supplement of April 3, 1846. In the course of 
six or seven years after the bridge was erected, 
indebtedness had so accumulated against the com- 
pany that additional legislation was resorted to to 
enable it to discharge its liabilities, in the act of 
May 1, 1852, which authorized the trustees to sell 
the bridge and appropriate the proceeds of the sale 
to the payment of the costs thereof and the claims 
of the creditors in full, if a sufficient amount were 
realized, or pro rata, if not, provided, if the com- 
pany could liquidate and satisfy the claims of the 
creditors, before the first of July of that year, the 
bridge should not be sold. It was not sold by vir- 
tue of that last-mentioned act. By act of April 
20, 1858, any judgment creditor was authorized to 
sue out execution against the company, and cause 
their bridge and tollhouse to be levied on and sold 
in the same way provided for the collection of 
debts on judgments which are liens on real estate 
upon which executions are issued. That act re- 
quired the sheriff either of Armstrong or West- 
moreland county, as the case might be, to execute 
and deliver to the purchaser such a deed as would 
vest in him all the interest, rights and privileges 
of the company; and the act provided that all the 
corporate powers, authorities and privileges of the 
company should also be vested in the jjurchasing; 
and further, that tlie proceeds of the sale, except 
the costs, should be paid into court, and distributed 
so as to satisfy all claims, if sufficient, but if not, 
pro rata. All bonds of the company, whether 
judgment had been obtained on them or not, were 
entitled alike in the distribution, under which act 
a sale was made to the present company. The 
bridge consists of two stone abutments and three 
stone piers, and a covered wooden arch superstruc- 
ture, the original cost of which was about ten 
thousand dollars. 

EBLIGIOTJS. 

The Presbyterian church, if ever formally organ- 
ized, was pi'obably organized by the old Redstone 
Presbytery, in or about 1825. The first pastor was 
Rev. Mr. Lee ; the second, Rev. Watson Hughes, 
whom Rev. Alexander Donaldson, D.D., assisted 
in his farewell communion services, in May, 1838. 
Dr. Donaldson preached here occasionally in July 
and September, and supplied statedly during the 
following winter one-third of the time ; the third 
pastor was Rev. Levi M. Graves, half time, until 
1848 : the fourth, from 1846 until 1856, was Rev. 
Cyrus C. Bristol ; the fifth, Rev. Robert McMillan, 
grandson of the first president of Jefferson Col- 



lege, Cannonsburgh, Pennsylvania, and apostle of 
Presbyterianism in Western Pennsylvania, from 
1858 until he became too enfeebled to continue his 
pastorate, in 1865 ; the sixth. Rev. John Orr, from 
the last-named year, until compelled by neuralgic 
affection of his eyes, he was compelled to resign 
his charge in 1871 ; the seventh and present pastor 
is Rev. H. McGill. Members, 285 ; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 200. Before the first church edifice, one- 
story stone, was erected in 1825-6, services were 
held in the shade of trees. The pulpit consisted 
of a platform made of logs, which were raised 
about five feet above the ground, over which was a 
board roof. There were no services in the winter 
until the meeting-house was erected ; communion 
services were held sometimes in barns in the 
country. The present edifice was erected on the 
site of the first one, opposite the head of North 
street, in 1872-3, with a lecture-room in the base- 
ment. 

The first Methodist Episcopal church edifice, 
frame, 20X25 feet, was erected in 1838 ; the present 
one, brick, about 40X60 feet, with lecture-room 
in the basement, situate on the southerly side of 
Mill street, on the second lot below Church street, 
was erected in 1851. Members, 232 ; Sabbath- 
school seholars,-150. 

By act of April 4, 1844, the trustees of this 
church were authorized to sell the lot of ground in 
"the new addition," No. 15, and the house of 
worship thereon erected and convey the interest of 
the church therein to the purchaser, provided that 
before the sale the trustees should execute a bond 
to the commonwealth with such penalty as should 
be approved by the judges of the court of common 
pleas of this county, and that the proceeds of the 
sale should, so far as necessary, be applied to the 
payment of the debts of the church, and the bal- 
ance in such manner as should be directed by the 
quarterly conference with which the church was 
connected. 

This church was incorporated by the court of 
common pleas of this county June 2, 1856. D. G. 
Kinnard was named in the charter as presiding 
elder, Samuel Jones, preacher in charge, and Jacob 
Treetley, Daniel Risher, D. L. Byres, Hugh Jones 
and Samuel Jack, trustees. 

The Union Evangelical Lutheran church edifice, 
frame, 38X50 feet, situate on the second lot below 
Church street, on the southerly side of North street, 
was erected in 1 8 6 1 . Members, 105; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 80. Pastors : Revs. John A. Delo, James 
Wefley and M. Colver, the present one. 

This church was incorporated by the court of 
common j)leas of this county. The charter is 




JVlt^S. ELlZABtTH JACKSOH- 



JOHN JACKSON. 

Probably no one family bave been more prominently identified 
with the early settlement and material prosperity of Kiskiminetas 
township than the Jackson family. The family is of Irish extraction^ 
and we learn that James Jackson came from Ireland with his parents 
when a lad about seven or eight years of age. The family first set- 
tled in Westchester, Chester county, Pennsylvania, but soon moved 
to Hannahstown, in Westmoreland county, and were among the first 
settlers of that locality, of which they were residents when the em- 
bryo village was destroyed by the Indians. From this place they 
soon removed to what is now Kiskiminetas township, and were among 
the first, if not first, to make improvements north of the river. Here 
James Jackson attained manhood, married, and died at the advanced 
age of eighty-four years. The death of his wife, Jane, occurred at a 
ripe old age some ten years prior to her husband's. They were blessed 
with five children, four boys and one girl, who attained manhood 
and womanhood. Their eldest son, John, was born October 12, 1797, 
in Kiskiminetas township, and it continued to be his home until his 
death, which occurred January S, 18-53. Reared, as he was, in a 
pioneer's home, sharing the toOs and privations incident to a resi- 
dence in the wilderness, he was specially prepared to cope with 
nature in its wildest aspect of unleveled forest and uncultivated fields, 
and well did he fulfill his arduous portion in life and assist in laying 
the foundations for the manifold blessings we now enjoy. Starting 
without assistance in life, the farm owned by his father ha\'ing 
passed from their possession, he first purchased seventy-five acres of 
uncultivated land, now possessed by his sons, S. M. and J. Y. Jackson, 



and boldly began the arduous task of carrying out for himself a home 
in the wilderness under the many discouraging surroundings of the 
pioneer, but being possessed of indomitable pluck and energy, he 
became one of the most successful farmers of this section, and his 
small farm of seventy-five acres was gradually increased, until he 
became the possessor, at one time, of between 600 and 800 acres. Mr. 
Jackson took an active part in educational affairs and was for many 
years a member of the district school board. Politically he aSiliated 
with the whig partj', then in a minority in the county. Although 
wedded to his chosen avocation, he took a deep interest in public 
affairs and was one of a company that built the first bridge across 
the Kiskiminetas, at Apollo. 

Mr. Jackson was very highly esteemed by his associates and was 
selected near and far to act as arbitrator in disputes between neigh- 
bors, and he was alwaysjust and equitable in the decisions. Although 
not a member of any church, he attended the United Presbyterian 
church, of which he was a liberal supporter. 

October 5, 18'26, he was married to Elizabeth McCartney, of Scotch 
parentage, who was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1805, 
and died August 9, 1880. She was a most estimable christian lady, 
being a member of the United Presbj'teriau church, and well fulfilled 
her mission in life both as a companion for her husband and a 
mother to her children, to whom she was devotedly attached, and 
her affection for them was warmly reciprocated. 

They became the parents of ten children, viz: Nancy Jane (Cole- 
man), Sarah T. (Martin), James Y., Samuel M., John T., William T. 
(deceased), Mary E. (Owens), Martha M. (Cochran), Joseph B, and 
Winfleld S. (deceased). 



.i4&' 




■m 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



243 



dated June 2, 1862, and its charter officers were 
John A. Delo, pastor ; Philip Long and Isaac 
Townsend, Jr., elders and trustees ; James Fair and 
C. Kepple, deacons and trustees ; and its charter 
members were John H. Townsend, S. Truby, George 
Gumbert, J. F. Cline and Isaac Townsend, Jr. 

The United Presbyterian church edifice, frame, 
25X30 feet, is situated on a lot on the southerly 
side of Mill street and westerly side of an alley, 
between it and the lot on which the public school- 
house is located. Members, 70 ; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 45. This church has not, as yet, had a 
regular pastor, but has been statedly supplied. 

The First Baptist church edifice, brick, one- 
story, about 30X40 feet, situate near the left bank 
of the old canal, nearly opposite the mouth of 
Maple street, was erected in ISYS. 

This church was incorporated by the proper 
coui-t, December 21, 1874, and William Reese, Sr., 
Thomas Reese, Hugh Evans, A. M. Hill, W. B. 
Ansley and John Morgan were the trustees named 
in the charter. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Prior to the incorporation of the borough, 
schools were taught, first in two different log 
schoolhouses a short distance east of the town, 
and then in another schoolhouse in the hollow, 
the former in Allegheny township until 1832, and 
both thereafter in Kiskiminetas township. Soon 
after the organization of the borough, a frame 
schoolhouse, one story, about 25 X 30 feet, was 
erected on the northerly part of lot No. 30, cor- 
nering on Church street and an alley thirty feet 
wide. The first teacher was Samuel Owens. In 
1863 a new frame two-story house, 48 X 45 feet, 
painted white, with rooms adapted to a graded 
school of two departments, the ceiling of one ten 
and that of the other twelve feet, and furnished 
with neat and comfortable pine desks and seats, 
was erected on an acre lot now on the southerly 
side of the upper end of Mill street, near the in- 
tersection of Wood street, which has since been so 
enlarged as to contain six schoolrooms, which are 
furnished with convenient patent seats and desks 
capable of accommodating, respectively, from forty 
to fifty pupils. The directors have generally been 
careful in selecting competent and skillful teachers. 
Subscription schools have generally been main- 
tained during the intervals between the closing and 
opening of the public schools. 

In 1860 the numbers of schools was 2 ; months 
taught, 4; male teacher, 1; female teacher, 1; aver- 
age salary of male teacher per month, |25; average 
salary of female teacher per month, $14; male 



scholars, 61; female scholars, 58; average number 
attending school, 76; cost of teaching each per 
month, 47 cents; amount levied for school purposes, 
$254.86; received from state appropriation, $48.71; 
from collector, $264.61; cost of instruction, $200; 
fuel and contingencies, $28.60; rejiairing school- 
house, etc., $39.91. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 5; average 
number months taught, 4J; male teacher, 1 ; female 
teachers, 4; average salary of male teacher per 
month, $60; average salary of female teachers per 
month, $42.50; male scholars, 129; female scholars, 
134; average number attending school, 211; cost 
per month for each scholar, 86 cents; total amount 
tax levied for school and building purposes, 
$3,299.40 ; received from state appropriation, 
$292.95; from taxes and other sources, $2,526.18; 
cost of schoolhouse, $646.19; paid for teachers' 
wages, $820; paid for fuel, collector's fees, con- 
tingencies, and other expenses, $1,335.42. 

Milton Dally is said to have been the captain of 
the first boat that made a trip on the Pennsylvania 
canal west of the Allegheny mountains. John B. 
Chambers was the captain of the first packet-boat 
that plied between Apollo and Pittsburgh. 

James H. McElwain is the oldest native of and 
now living in Apollo. 



MILITAET. 



The Independent Blues of Apollo were organ- 
ized as a volunteer company in 1848. Its first 
captain was Thomas C. McCulloch, now, a jsractic- 
ing physician at Kittanning. After his removal 
from Apollo he was succeeded by Samuel Owens 
in 1855, A. J. Marshall in 1856, J. C. Crawford in 
1858 and Samuel M. Jackson immediately after 
the firing on Sumter in April, 1861. Its services 
were promptly tendered on President Lincoln's 
first call for 75,000 troops, but not in time to be 
then accepted. It was directed by Gov. Curtin to 
be held in readiness for future service, and June 5, 
1861, it left Apollo for Camp Wright, and was 
assigned as Company G to the 11th regt. of Penn- 
sylvania Reserves, in which it served valiantly 
during the war. Cajstain Jackson having been 
promoted to the rank of colonel December 13, 
1863, First-Lieut. James P. Speer succeeded him 
as captain, who, on his subsequent jjromotion to 
the rank of major, was succeeded by First-Sergt. 
James H. Mills, who continued to be its captain 
until that regiment was honorably mustered out of 
the service after the close of the war. The ranks 
of that company were filled by gallant and patri- 
otic men, not only from Apollo but from the sur- 
rounding country. Among its heroic deeds was 



244 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



its participation in the notable charge upon the 
rebel breastworks at Spottsylvania. When the 
writer mentions the names of the officers of that 
or any other company he does so as tliough they 
represent or personify tlie rank and fiile of the 
heroic " boys in bhie " wlio served under them. 
All of their names and those of their compatriots 
in the military service from Armstrong county 
would, the wi'iter is. informed by one of them, fill 
at least one hundred pages. 

There appears to have been an earlier military 
company bearing the name of Charlestown Guards, 
which was probably organized in or prior to 1840, 
the particulars of whose history the writer has not 
bad the pleasure of ascertaining. 

soldiers' aid society. 

An organization of the ladies of Apollo and 
vicinity was efEected at an early stage of the war 
of the rebellion, which, like those in other places 
in this county, was effective in collecting such 
material and making up such articles as were 
needed for contributing to the health and comfort 
of the sick and wounded soldiers. 

A post of the Grand Army of the Republic was 
in existence for a number of years. 

TEMPERANCE. 

Nothing has come to the writer's knowledge re- 
specting temperance organizations, except that a 
lodge of Good Templars was organized in 1868. 

The petition of the people of this borough was 
effective in causing the sale of intoxicating liquors 
within its limits to be prohibited by the act of 
March 27, 1866, which is still in force. The vote 
February 28, 187-3, was — against license, 109; for 
it, 4. 

THE APOLLO CEMETERY 

was incorporated by the proper court September 
7, 1868. The charter members were Thomas A. 
Cochran, Samuel M. Jackson and John B. Cham- 
bers. 

LODGES. 

Masonic. No. 4-37 was constituted March 4, 
1869. Its hall is in the second story of the new 
bank building, in the second square above the 
canal, on parts of lots Nos. 3 and 4, on the south- 
erly side of North street. Its membership is 42. 

Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mineral 
Point Lodge, No. 615, was instituted December 14, 
1867 ; members, 75. The Kiskiminetas Encamp- 
ment, No. 192, was instituted December 13, 1869 ; 
members, 30. 

Tlie Improved Order of Red Men. Caughnewago 



Tribe, No. 228, was instituted in December, 1875 ; 
members, 20. 

Order of United American Mechanics. Kiski- 
minetas Valley Council, No. 325, was instituted in 
the spring of 1875 ; members, 53. 

The hall, or place of meeting, of the last named 
four lodges is in the Odd Fellows' building, on lot 
No. 2, as numbered in the original plat of the 
town of Warren. 

TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS. 

The number of merchants and such mechanics 
as are usual in every town has, from the first set- 
tlement of this place, been adequate to its wants. 
The first resident physician was Robert McKissen, 
whose successors at different periods have been 
William Brown ; William P. McCulloch, who was 
surgeon, or assistant surgeon, in the 78th regt. 
Pa. Vols. ; Thos. C. McCulloch, Thos. H. Allison, 
William McBriar, O. P. Bolinger, J. S. McNutt, 
W. B. Ansley, J. W. Bell and Robert E. McCauley. 
A dentist was first assessed in 1851. The first 
resident lawyer, since 1855, is Jacob Treetley, and 
later, John B. Guthrie and Horace N. Mclntyre. 

The first tannery appears to have been estab- 
lished in 1823-4 by John Wort, on lot No. 41, old 
plot, whence he removed it to a lot in the " new 
addition." He purchased lots Nos. 3, 5 and 6 on 
the southerly side of North street in 1817, for each 
of the first two of which he paid $45, and for the 
other $38.50. The deeds from Johnston & Speer 
for Nos. 3 and 6 are each dated January 8, 1817, and 
for No. 5 June 8, 1824. In 1839-40 James Guthrie 
established his tannery on an acre lot on the south- 
west corner of the present Maple and Canal streets. 
In 1850-1 Simon S. Whitlinger started his tannery 
on the northwest part of the square, which corners 
on Mill and Church streets, which he sold to John 
F. Whilinger, who removed it, several years 
since, to the lower part of the borough on Risher's 
run, near the present northern borough line. All 
of those tanneries were operated in the old slow 
mode until the removal of the Whitlinger one to 
its present location, since which it has been opera- 
ted by steam, that is, its process of tanning is by 
the use of steam, and is of course more rapid than 
was that of its predecessors. The various kinds of 
shoe and harness leather were manufactured at all 
of them, and they still are in large quantities at 
the last-named one. 

The first hotel, or tavern, was opened in 1824. 

The manufacture of pottery was introduced in 
1832-3; of saddles and harnesses in 1837; of cabi- 
net-ware in 1836; of wagons in 1840; coverlet weav- 
ing in 1841; stonecutting in 1842; chairmaking in 






t^p-^z^ -^^ 






v^ %^^/^ a^^ 



KISKIMINETAS TOWNSHIP. 



245 



1843; coopering in 1844; making tinware in 1848; 
carding in 1848; dentistiy, cigar-making, making 
mill-wheels, etc., making copperware, in 1851; gro- 
cery business, as a separate branch, in 1855; teach- 
ing music, confectionery as a separate business, 
and butchering in 1858; coal merchant and drug- 
gist in 1860; coal hauler and miller in 1861; coal 
digger in 1863; brickmaking in 1865; auctioneer 
in 1867; planing-mill, foundry and salt merchant 
in 1868; stove and tin merchant, book agent and 
painter in 1870 ; barber, oil merchant and broom- 
maker in 1871 ; Apollo Savings Bank — assessed 
with one-fourth part of lot No. 3 (old plot) at 
$500 — livery and speculator in 1872; undertaker 
and silversmith in 1873 ; oil dealer and photogra- 
pher in 1874 ; lumberman, furniture dealer and 
brickpresser in 1875. Some of those branches of 
business may have been introduced or commenced 
a year or two earlier than their first assessments 
indicate. The capital stock of the Savings Bank 
is $50,000. 

The Apollo gristmill was erected by John H. and 
Eden Townsend in 1849. For the last ten years it 
has been owned by George Brenner. It is 62X44 
feet, three stories, frame, with three runs of burr- 
stones, smutmill, corn-cracker and sheller, and 
other modern improvements. It is situated on 
the southerly side and at the lower end of Mill 
street. 

A barrel factory was established by Samuel Lack, 
at the foot of Indiana street, in, 1854-5, and was 
continued in operation until 1864-5. The annual 
product was about 10,000 barrels, and the number, 
of employes varied from eight to twelve. 

With the erection and starting of the iron works 
came a considerable number of persons following 
the various avocations incident thereto, such as 
manager, engineers, rollers, heaters, shinglers, 
shearers, etc. 

Kiskimine'as Iron Company. — The certificate of 
organization of this company is dated September 
20, 1855, accompanied with the declaration of the 
stockholders or partners that they wished to become 
a body politic, under the act of assembly " to en- 
courage manufacturing operations," approved April 
7, 1849. The original number of shares of capital 
stock was 500. The rolling-mill was erected in 
1856. The prime object at first was the manufac- 
ture of nails. That company conveys its property 
to George W. Cass and Washington McClintock 
for $40,000 by deed dated December 8, 1859. Its 
interests and that of Washington McClintock in 
the property of the company were sold by the sher- 
iff. May 1 and 5, 1860, to Cass and McClintock for 
$4,100, to whom James P. Speer conveyed his 



interest therein, by deed, dated December 29, 1866, 
for $5,564.58. 

The mill was operated by Geo. W. Cass &, Co. 
for eighteen months. In 1863, Washington 
McClintock, William Rogers, Sr., and W. E. Foale 
leased these works, and abandoned the manufacture 
of nails and commenced that of sheet iron. Until 
the destruction of dam No. 2, in February, 1866, 
these ironworks were operated by water-power, the 
supply of water having been obtained from the 
Pennsylvania canal. In August of that year, Mc- 
Clintock and Foale retired from, and Thomas J. 
Burchfield came into, the firm as active partners, 
and Thomas J. Hoskinson as a special partner, and 
the name of the firm was changed to that of Rogers 
& Burchfield. A large engine was procured and 
an additional waid of rolls laid. Then was com- 
menced the manufacture of the cold rolled iron 
for which these works became noted. Their 
capacity was fifty tons per week. The number of 
employes, including the coal diggers, was 140. 
The different kinds of manufacture were common, 
Juniata, Nos. 1, 2, 3 cold rolled, and showcard sheet 
iron. These were operated almost continuously 
from 1866 until 1875, when the firm went into 
bankrujDtcy. It is claimed that William Rogers, 
Sr., acquired, in 1872, while in Russia, a knowledge * 
of the mode of making Russian sheet iron, and, 
while thus acquiring that knowledge, was for that 
cause obliged to make a sudden exit from the czar's 
dominions. The property belonging to these works 
consists of two sheet-mills, seven puddling fur- 
naces, one heating furnace, two sheet furnaces, two 
annealing furnaces, one new steam hammer, two 
gas-wells, sunk for the purpose of obtaining a 
sufiicient supply of gas for fuel, one of which pro- 
duces a moderate quantity, one large, seven-feet- 
stroke engine, two small ones, twenty tenant 
houses, one other dwelling and store-house, a bakery, 
other necessary buildings, and a wire suspension 
bridge across the Kiskiminetas to the railroad sid- 
ing and coalbank. 

The number of merchants assessed by the mer- 
cantile appraiser this year is twenty-one in the 
fourteenth and one in the twelfth class, in which 
are included the druggists, grocers and confec- 
tioners. 

POPULATIOlSr. 

In 1850 the number of white inhabitants was 
829; colored inhabitants, 2. In 1860, white, 449. 
In 1870, white, 762; colored, 2. The number of 
taxables in 1876 is 315. At 4f persons for each 
taxable, the population is, in this centennial year, 
1,449. 

The last assessment list, that is, for 1876, indi- 



246 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



cates the numbers engaged in various avocations 
to be : Clergymen, 4 ; lawyer, 1 ; physicians, 3 ; 
teachers, 2; dentist, 1; laborers, 90; carpenters, 10; 
blacksmiths, 6; shoemakers, 3; saddlers, 2; paint- 
ers, 3; tailors, 2; clerks, 12; cashier, 1; wagon- 
makers, 2; tanners, 2; tinners, 2; weaver, 1; watch- 
maker, 1; cigarmakers, 3; miller, 1; plasterer, 1; 
barber, 1; toll-keeper, 1; printer, 1; roll-turner, 1; 
rollers, 2 ; puddler, 1 ; miners, 6 ; engineers, 3 ; 
heaters, 4; manager, 1; agent, 1; haulers, 2; stone- 
masons, 3; butchers, 3; bookkeeper, 1; farmer, 1; 
planing-mill, 1; planer, 1; foundry, 1; foundryman, 
1; old gentlemen, 4. 



Considering the age and size of this municipal- 
ity, its inhabitants have been rather fortunate in 
regard to fires. For a period of sixty years after 
the laying out of the town, only three buildings 
had been burned. An extensive conflagration oc- 
curred Wednesday night, January 19, 1876, which, 
it is supposed, originated from overturning a kero- 
sene oil lamp in H. A. Rudolph's shoe-store. 
Twenty-nine buildings in all were destroyed, caus- 
ing a loss of $32,000, on which there was insurance 



to the amount of only 112,000. The high wind at 
the time caused the flames to extend rapidly 
along the southerly side of !North street, from its 
"lower end to the third public alley above the canal, 
beyond which were the vacant lots of John B. 
Chambers, where they were stayed. About twenty- 
four buildings on the three squares or blocks 
above the canal, on the southerly side of North 
street, and about five on the northerly side of 
Main street, were destroyed, among which were 
several business houses, the postofiice and savings 
bank buildings on the former street. The people 
had no means of extinguishing the fire, except 
their own vigorous efforts in the use of common 
household buckets. It was very fortunate, under 
the circumstances, a high wind raging at least a 
part of the time, that the destruction was not more 
extensive than it was. Since then there has been 
but one building — Samuel Stull's — destroyed by 
fire. The burned buildings are being replaced, as 
is generally the case after fires, by more tasteful 
and substantial structures. The need of a fire de- 
partment and more effective means of promptly 
extinguishing fires than common buckets, is very 
apparent. 



CHAPTER XI. 



PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS). 



Name — Erected from Territory in Kittanning Townsliip — Decreased in Size by the Establishment of Boggs in 
1878 —(Note)— Mahoning Creek and its Indian Name — The Old Path to LeBoeuf— The Indian Town of 
Mahoning — Orrsville — History of the Original Land Tracts — Ore Hill Furnace — AVilliam Trumbull — His 
Mill on Pine Creek, Built Prior to 1790 — Peart's Mills — Ineffective Search for Oil — Associate Reformed 
Church — Th^ Wallis Lands — An Ancient Earthwork Near "Slabtown" — Stewardson Furnace — North 
American Land Company's Tracts — Goheenville and Other Hamlets — Population, Mercantile Appraisement 
and Assessment of the Township — Educational Statistics — Geology. 

shorn, nineteen years after its organization, of 
about half its territory by the erection of Valley 
township. The present sketch of it is limited to 
that part of its original territory between Pine and 
Mahoning creeks.* 

At the northwestern corner of this township is 
the junction of the Mahoning creek with the Alle- 
gheny river. The original name of this stream 
was Mo-hul-huc-tee-tam, or Mo-litd-huc-ti-ton, or more 
properly Mackol paMton. When and why the 
change occurred is not known. The etymology of 
the original name is, A-moo-chool, a canoe, and pa- 
Mton, to throw away, the entire word meaning, 
lohere we abandon our canoes — at the head of navi- 
gation — where the stream will no more admit of 
navigating it.\ James White, of this township, 
in his eighty-fifth year related to the writer that 
Samuel Calhoun and Jeremiah Lochery were out 
hunting along this stream in early times, when the 
latter was shot in the shoulder by some Indian, 
who, with others, was also hunting there. 

A glance at the historical map of Pennsylvania 
shows that the Indian path from Le Boeuf — now 
Waterford — through what is now the southern 
part of Erie county, across and down French creek, 
and down the left bank of the Allegheny, ter- 
minated here, on the northern side of the creek. 
Hence it may be reasonably, at least not violently, 
presumed that this was one of the points where the 
Indians left their canoes, pei'haps moored them to 
the second bank which has been washed away, 
and proceeded on hunting expeditions up this 



PINE township derived its name from Pine 
creek, which flows westwardly through the ter- 
ritory which it formerly embraced. Pine creek in 
the Delaware language is Guwen-hanne, i. e., pine- 
stream — a stream flowing through pine-lands. 

A petition of divers inhabitants of Kittanning 
township was presented to the court of quarter 
sessions of this county, December 25, 1835, set- 
ting forth that their township was entirely too 
large for their convenience, as some of them w^ere 
compelled to travel from ten to fourteen miles to 
transact township business, and praying for a new 
township to be called " Pine Creek," to consist of 
the upper part of Kittanning township. Thomas 
Barr, Joseph Lowry and John Calhoun were ap- 
pointed viewers, whose report, favoring the prayer 
of the petitioners was read March 22, and con- 
firmed June 20, 1836, and "Pine Creek township " 
was organized with the following boundaries : 
"By a line commencing at the place where the 
purchase line crosses the line of the township of 
Kittanning at the corner of Wayne township ; " — 
now the southeast corner of Valley township — 
"thence by said township to Mahoning creek; 
thence down said creek and the Allegheny river 
to the borough of Kittanning ; thence by the 
same to the said purchase line," i. e., along the 
northwestern and southeastern boundaries of the 
borough ; " and thence by said purchase line to 
the beginning, about equally dividing Kittanning 
township." Although "Pine Creek" is the legal 
name of this township, as prayed for by the pe- 
titioners and specified in the report of the viewers, 
which was confirmed by the court, the latter part 
of the name appears to have been early dropped. 
On the title-page of the Kittanning township 
duplicate for 1887 is its full name, "Pine Creek 
Township," but in the next and the subsequent 
separate duplicates it is simply " Pine Township," 
and such it has ever since been called. It was 



* It was further shorn of the greater part of its remaining terri- 
tory bv the organization of Boggs townsliip, June 10, 1878, liy a line 
extending from a point on the Allegheny river, about 125 rods in an 
airline below the mouth of Whisky run— south of the telegraph 
office— to the upper southwest corner of Mahoning township, at the 
bend of the Mahoning creek, in the eastern part of the Wallace tract, 
No. 4143, leaving only about one-sixth of the territory in Pnie town- 
ship. Samuel Mateer was appointed judge, and George W. Goohen 
and Sharon Quiglev inspectors of the tirst election of township 
officers, and that election was ordered to be held at the house of 
Samuel Mateer, July 6. The vote on the question of the division of 
Pine township was 160 for and 159 against. 

t Heckewelder. 



248 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



stream. Here, too, the English and French traders 
may have bartered beads, trinkets and other com- 
modities to the Indians for their more valuable 
pelts, furs and other articles. This may possibly 
have anciently been a busy mart for that kind of 
commerce. 

In this corner of this township is the minor por- 
tion of an original tract called " Springfield," cov- 
ered by a warrant to John Elliott, No. 3619, dated 
January 5, 1793. Elliott conveyed it to Archibald 
McCall February 24, 1795, to whom the patent was 
granted March 4. McCall conveyed it to Robert 
Orr March 3, 1835. This point was formerly 
called the mouth of Mahoning. The Orrsville 
postoffice was established here in May, 1838, and 
Anson Pinney was appointed postmaster. Among 
his successors were Joseph A. Knox and Thomas 
Meredith. This place was thereafter called Orrs- 
ville, so named after the owner of the land on 
which the town is built. Charles B. Schotte was 
employed by the owner of " Springfield " to build 
a hotel — the first frame structure erected here — 
in 1836, which he completed the next year, and 
which was successively kept by him, Pinney, 
William Templeton, Chambers Orr, John Wallace 
and others. Schotte remembers that before its 
erection there was not a vestige' of another build- 
ing within the limits of Orrsville. About an acre 
of ground, on which is the site of that hotel, had 
the appearance of having been cleared years before. 
He also built for the proprietor the warehouse at 
the south side of the mouth of the creek, which 
was extended out somewhat over the bank of the 
river for the purpose of conveniently receiving such 
freight as might be landed here from the steam- 
boats. James McCullough, Sr., of Kittanning, 
remembers having seen a log cabin here when he 
first descended the Allegheny in 1820, and Jonathan 
E. Meredith also remembers having seen several of 
the same kind, possibly fishermen's hvits, when he 
passed here in 1827. The only other building 
alo'ng the river for nearly a mile below the mouth 
of Mahoning was a log one in which Hetty Brice 
sold whisky — some of its imbibers say it was very 
good whisky— without suffering the penalty for 
selling it without license, to some of the residents 
in this section and to travelers along the road from 
Kittanning to Olean, after it was laid out in pur- 
suance of the act of assembly March 23, 1819. 

Although Orrsville is at the junction of two im- 
portant streams, it was more tardily settled than 
some other parts of this township. It ought natu- 
rally to have been a stopping-place for rafts in the 
early times of the lumber trade, which it was not 
until suitable accommodations for the raftsmen 



were provided on both sides of the Mahoning. It 
became a prominent point for landing and storing 
freight for the upper parts of Armstrong and por- 
tions of Clarion and Jefferson counties, and con- 
tinued to be until the completion of the low grade 
division of the Allegheny Valley railroad. 

Next south of " Springfield " was a vacant tract, 
the upper end of which extended from the river 
back on to the hill, containing 350 acres, accord- 
ing to the ancient map of original tracts, to which 
Peter Brice, a colored man, acquired title by im- 
provement, and for which a patent was granted to 
him July 3, 1848. He conveyed-'the portion of it 
at Templeton Station and the mouth of Whisky 
run to John Brice August 1, 1852, who conveyed 
ten acres of it to Robert Thompson September 9, 
1853, for $65. 

Abraham Parkinson settled where Templeton 
Station now is in 1803, and was assessed with 400 
acres, which he abandoned. 

Peter Brice settled on the hill part of this tract 
in the spring of 1804. There were then but very 
few white settlers within a circuit of several 
miles. His was the only colored family here for 
years. The present number of colored people 
here and hereabouts is sixty-five. 

A half century or more ago Peter Brice's chil- 
dren found a pair of pothooks, having a hinge, 
about four feet below the surface, near Parkin- 
son's, which for some years has been called Whisky 
run, where the Templeton Station now is. This 
run was known as Parkinson's until after Ore Hill 
Furnace went into oj)eration, when its employes 
and others residing in the valley of this run used 
whisky so freely that it was suggested the name 
should be changed to Whisky run and Whisky 
Hollow. 

Next south and west of the Brice tract, between 
the principal portion of it and the river, was the 
William Elliott tract. No. 21, May 17, 1785, sur- 
veyed June 18, called "Mahoning Old Town Bot- 
tom," 211 acres, according to the original survey. It, 
however, like nearly every original tract, contained 
a surplus. " The surveying fees paid November 8, 
1787, per Wm. Elliott £2, carried to the credit of 
J. B. McLean," as one-half of this tract was then in 
his district. This entire tract passed under the 
hammer of the sheriff of Northumberland county, 
Pennsylvania, to Charles Smith, November 26, 
1789. He conveyed it, September 1, 1790, to Will- 
iam West, and he, July 8, 1793, to Robert Elliott, 
who died intestate, leaving ten children, three of 
whom died intestate and without issue, and one 
intestate, leaving a widow and two sons. And 
yet William Elliott conveyed it to Richard Chil- 



i 





■>^, Jj. 




JOSEPH SHOEMAKER. 

The parents of the subject of this sketch, Solo- 
mon and Elizabeth (Uncafer) Shoemaker, came to 
this county from Loudoun county, Virginia, at the 
beginning of the present century, and settled in 
Kiskiminetas township, where Spring church now 
is. Mr. Shoemaker, having entered 335 acres of 
land, built upon it a comfortable stone house, the 
first in the township, in which he and his wife 
resided Until their deaths. They were the parents 
of six children — John, Joseph, Catharine, George, 
Margaret and Elizabeth, of whom George, Marga- 
ret and Elizabeth are still living. The first named 
and Elizabeth, wife of William Townseud, are in 
Kiskiminetas township, and Margaret, widow of 
R. Dentzell, lives in Apollo. 

Joseph Shoemaker was born in Loudoun county, 
Virginia, April 16, 1799, and came to this county 
an infant. He remained at home until after his 
marriage, which took place May 18, 1825. His 
wife was Miss Salome Weinel, daughter of Rev. 
William and Catharine (Frye) Weinel, born July 
10, 1806. Seven children were the oflrspring of 
this marriage — William L., Josiah J., Theodore T., 
Sarah Jane, Alexander D., Maria C. and Anna 
Mary, of whom Sarah Jane and Maria C. are 
deceased. William L. went to Iowa in 1853, where 
he located a farm. He returned home, where he 
was married. On his return to Iowa he was taken 
sick, and died when within a few miles of his 
home. Josiah and Alexander live in Kiskimine- 
tas township, Theodore T. is in Montana, and 



Mary (wife of Rev. P. Baker) in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Shoemaker and his wife lived with his 
parents until he could build a hewed-log house on 
a farm of 315 acres, which he purchased for a 
home. He afterward built a hewed-log barn. This 
land, for which he gave $'700.3'7, was thickly cov- 
ered with forest, and he began and successfully 
carried on the work of clearing it. In 1840 his 
farm had been brought into such good condition 
that he needed a new barn, and he built one, a 
frame structure, 75X50 feet. In 1845 he built the 
brick house in which his widow and son, Josiah J., 
now live, and which is probably the best farm 
dwelling in the township. Mr. Shoemaker began 
his career under difiiculties, having to use the old- 
fashioned plow with a wooden moldboard, and 
similar primitive farm implements, but being an 
industrious man and a good manager, he developed 
his heavily-timbered land into a fine farm, and, 
with the aid of his excellent wife, secured for 
himself and family a pleasant home. Mr. Shoe- 
maker died April 15, 1874, and this home passed 
into the possession of his son, Josiah J., and his 
sister, Mrs. Baker. 

Mr. Shoemaker's memory is cherished in the 
neighborhood in which, during life, he was an 
honored and useful citizen, and his humble but 
admirable character is regarded as worthy the 
emulation of all those who have to start in life, 
as he did, with no capital but sterling honesty and 
industry. 



' ■ntftTiv''^ f<l=a-Krtr '-- Pj 




PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS) TOWNSHIP. 



249 



derston December 16, 1V97, who conveyed it to 
Right Elliott, and he, January 8, 1810, to David 
Lauson for $800. Robert Orr, Jr., of Sugar Creek 
township, this county, April 16, 1818, purchased 
from William Elliott, one of Robert Elliott's sons, 
of the town of Sandwich, in the province of Upper 
Canada, his undivided shai'e of this tract for 
$23.3^, and at other times from other heirs their 
interests, amounting in all to six-sevenths of the 
tract. The other seventh was purchased by James 
E. Brown, who conveyed it to Chambers Orr June 
2, 1848, for $840. Robert and Chambers Orr con- 
veyed it, as containing 299 acres, to Philip Tem- 
pleton February 24, 1852, for $7,500. He conveyed 
10,920 square feet of it to Robert Thompson Oc- 
tober 25, 1865, for $500, and 106 acres and 72 
perches to William Phillips, then president of the 
Allegheny Valley Railroad Company, December 1, 
1869, for $25,548, subject to the right of way of 
that road, which passed by sheriff's deed, dated Sep- 
tember 6, 1876, to James Mosgrove for $11,171.57. 
"Mahoning T." on Reading Howell's map of 1792 
and "I. T." for Indian Town on the Historical Map 
of Pennsylvania, were on this Elliott tract. It was 
a Seneca or Cornplanter town. It is not known 
when it was founded — probably before 1790. 
When Peter Brice came here in 1804 it consisted 
of about thirty huts and one hundred and fifty 
people. The Indians engaged in hunting and 
fishing and the squaws raised the corn, which 
they kept in a hole about four feet deep in the 
ground, shaped like an earthen dish. They were 
friendly to Brice and his family. The friendship 
was mutual, not only between those who lived 
there, but others from the upper Allegheny who 
sometimes stopped here. A party of the latter 
reached here on an autumn day, between 1804 and 
1810. After drawing their canoes out on dry land 
and partaking of Brice's hospitality they pro- 
ceeded to the hills back from the river, where they 
spent several days in hunting, and returned laden 
with game. The river having risen in the mean- 
time their canoes would have been swept down 
stream if Brice had not secured them. When 
those Indians became cognizant of the facts, and 
especially the kindness of Brice, they expressed 
their gratification by dancing, singing and shouts 
ing. In those times bears, deer, wolves, panthers 
and wild turkeys were abundant along and back 
from the river. When Brice was farming a por- 
tion of the river bottom below Whisky run, fifty 
odd years ago, he found many large blue, red and 
white beads, flint darts six inches long, little toma- 
hawks with round poles, and pieces of wire five or 
six inches long filled with scalps of wild ducks. 



William Templeton was assessed with and of 
course occupied this tract from 1824 until 1841, 
with the exception that Jacob Starr was assessed 
with seventy acres of it from 1827 until 1830, and 
John Toy with the same from then until 1841. 
During Templeton's occupancy he was assessed 
with a distillery from 1826 until 1830, which was 
located where the water-tank of the A. W. railroad 
now is. The house in which he lived was in the 
lower part of the tract, where it is widest, between 
the river and the curve in the railroad, in front of 
which swung for several years the sign of the 
Green Tree, painted by James McCullough, Sr., on 
the 7th of April, 1828, which indicates that he kept 
there a public house, though not assessed as an inn- 
keeper. Chambers and Robert Orr resided several 
years on this part of the tract after Templeton re- 
moved to the mouth of Mahoning. Starr and 
Toy, who successively lived on the upper portion, 
appear to have been the only other occupants of 
this tract for many years. 

Another William Elliott tract, warrant No. 633, 
127J acres, its shape a rectangular parallelogram, 
extended lengthwise from northeast to southwest. 
Its northeastern end apparently interfered with the 
Samuel Wallace tract No. 4149, or the latter with 
it. The rest of it was adjoined by the Brice 
.tract, or vacancy, and the James Calhoun improve- 
ment. It was first noted on the assessment list of 
Kittanning township as seated in 1810. Peter 
Brice was first assessed with it in 1811, that being 
the first year in which name appears on the dupli- 
cate, and with which he continued to be assessed 
until 1846, and thereafter with a larger quantity 
than it contained. James Brice's present residence 
is on the upper or northeastern portion of it. 

Adjoining that tract on the southwest and south- 
east was James Calhoun's improvement, 400 acres, 
as seen on the map of original tracts. His name 
appears on the Toby township duplicate for ] 806 — 
assessed as a weaver, and with 197 acres, rated at 
$1 per acre, one horse, and one head of cattle, $227. 
His name does not thereafter appear on the dupli- 
cate for either Toby or Kittanning township. 

A patent was granted to James Cochran for that 
Calhoun tract as containing 480 acres and 162 
perches, October 9, 1833. Wm. Lowry was 
assessed with a tanyard on it in 1837-8. Cochran 
conveyed fifty acres of it. May 9, 1845, to James 
Cochran, Eathen Chilcott, A. P. Moderwell and 
Francis Dobbs, for $500. They, by article of 
agreement, July 26, entered into a copartnership, 
under the name and style of " Cochran, Dobbs & 
Co.," for the purpose of erecting a blast furnace 
and manufacturing pig metal on that fifty-acre 



250 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



tract, whicli Cochran put in as his share of the 
capital stock. That copartnership was brief, for 
its members conveyed these fifty acres to William 
and Robert McCutcheon, of Pittsburgh, November 
21, 1845, for $1,200. Ore Hill Furnace was erected 
thereon that year. It was a steam hot-blast char- 
coal furnace. It was eight and a half feet across 
the bosh, and its stack was thirty-four feet high. 
It made 1,525 tons of mottle iron in forty-one 
weeks, in 1856, out of limestone carbonate ore 
obtained from two miles above it along both sides 
of the river and from both sides of Whisky Hol- 
low. The McCutcheons were its proprietors while 
it was in blast, and Jesse Bell was, the greater part 
of the time, its manager. It went out of blast in 
the spring of 1857 for the want of wood. William, 
who survived Robert McCutcheon, conveyed 48 
acres and 157 perches of this furnace tract, and 66 
acres and 138 perches of the tract which they had 
purchased from Peter P. Brice, aggregating 115 
acres and 135 perches, to John B. Finlay, May 1, 
1865, for $2,000, and which the latter conveyed to 
James E. Brown, November 15, 1866, for $10,000. 

The lower portion of the land embraced in the 
patent to Cochran became vested in Samuel Hutchi- 
son in his lifetime, on which is " Barton Bend 
House," now owned by William Hutchinson. Other 
portions, on the hill, belong to Cochran's heirs. 

Adjoining that Calhoun improvement or Coch- 
ran tract, on the west and south, was a regularly- 
shaped one whose western line extended from a 
point a few rods above the sharp bend in the river 
to a point about thirty rods below the mouth of Pine 
creek, covered by warrant No. 160 to Lieut.-Col. 
Stephen Bayard. It became vested in William 
Turnbull, of Philadelphia, who was one of the 
liberal patriots who gave their bonds,* payable in 
gold and silver, for procuring provisions for the 
American army at a critical period in our revolu- 
tionary struggle. Some time before the Indian 
war of 1790, as related to the writer by James 
White, then in his eighty-fifth year, Turnbull 
built a sawmill near the mouth of Pine creek, from 
which some spies took all the irons and hid them 
in the woods along the little runs. 

It is related that a man by the name of Mawmy 
was associated with Turnbull — perhaps as mill- 
wright — in building that mill. 

About the 1st of June, 1794, a party of Indians 
with hostile intent were here, for Gen. William 
Jack, in his letter of the 6th, to Gov. Mifflin, wrote 
that he had just received a letter from Col. 
Charles Campbell, informing him that the spies 



' See sketch of Allegheny township. 



had discovered a large trail of Indians " on Pine 
creek above the Kittanning," who appeared by 
their tracks to be advancing toward the settlement. 
It was on the face of the hill on this tract that a 
scouting party from the blockhouse near Fort Run 
discovered and killed two of the Indians, who, as 
they believed, had decoyed and shot the three 
scouts mentioned in the sketch of the Manor. 
James White related to the writer that John Har- 
birm, about 1811, shot an Indian, offensive at least 
to him, as he was mending his moccasin on a beam 
in the mill, a short distance above the mouth of 
Pine creek. 

Turnbull, September 7, 1806, conveyed this tract, 
548f acres, called "Pine Grove," "situate on the 
Allegheny river, at the mouth of Pine run, includ- 
ing the forks of said run," and another tract in 
what is now Valley township, about 307 acres, to 
William Peart, Sr., of Oxford township, Philadel- 
phia county, Pennsylvania, for $4,000. 

Peart built a sawmill near the mouth of Pine 
creek in 1807, with which he was first assessed the 
next year, and subsequently a gristmill, with one 
run of stone, on the south side of the creek in 
what is now Valley township, with which he was 
first assessed in 1810. This tract was on the un- 
seated list for the last time in that year. Two or 
three years (laterhe erected another gristmill still 
higher up and on the south side of that stream, 
which was swept away by a heavy flood before it 
was quite completed. Some of the stones of con- 
siderable size in the masonry of that mill were 
carried several hundred yards below by the force 
of that flood, where they were visible on a small 
flat many years afterward. William Peart, Sr., 
conveyed 300 acres and 80 perches of the northern 
part of " Pine Grove " to William Peart, Jr., No- 
vember 16, 1821, for $1, and agreed, July 30, 1828, 
to convey another parcel thereof, containing 248 
acres, to William L. Peart, which agreement was 
consummated after his death by his widow, Susan 
Peart, executing a proper deed, October 3, 1832. 
Walter Sloan, who was first lieutenant of Capt. 
James Alexander's company in the war of 1812,* 
and William L. Peart entered into an article of 
agreement April 2, 1830, for the sale and pur- 
chase of the latter's grist and saw mill, with which 
Benjamin Peart was first assessed in 1825, a cabin 
house, barn, and 200 acres in the southeastern 
part of " Pine Grove," five acres of which were 
then cleared, for $800, of which Sloan was to pay 
$100 in hand, and the residue in seven equal annual 
installments. Peart having died without execut- 



*See sketch of Kittanning borough, 



PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS) TOWNSHIP. 



251 



ing a deed therefor, and Sloan having complied 
with his part of the contract, proceedings were 
instituted for the specific performance of that con- 
tract on the pai't of Peart's administrator, the 
result of which was a decree by the orphans' court 
of this county, directing its specific performance, 
and that the administrator, Robert E. Brown, 
"make, execute, acknowledge and deliver a suffi- 
cient deed" to Sloan. These mills, assessed to 
Sloan in and after 1830, and since known as 
" Sloan's Mills," are situated a short distance below 
the jxmctionof the north fork with Pine creek. 

Peart's eddy is in the northwestern part of 
" Pine Grove," where the Peart's Eddy postoffice 
was established July 13, 1868, Levi G. Peart, post- 
master, and changed to Brattonville, December 8, 
1870. In the northeastern part of "Pine Grove," 
and adjoining the 200 acres purchased by Sloan on 
the northwest, are the farms of John and Mont- 
gomery Patton, 201 acres and 39 perches, being 
purpart C, in the partition of William L. Peart's 
real estate, which his administrator, Robert E. 
Brown, conveyed to them, June 24, 1850, for 
$1,207.46:^. Bordering on the river below the eddy 
IS a considerable body of land belonging to Samuel 
M. Peart. William L. Peart's executor conveyed 
55 acres to Sharon M. Quigley, April 1, 1851, for 
SoOO. The latter conveyed three, acres and fifty- 
two perches of the lower part of his land to George 
W. Wilkins, of Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, August 1, 1871, for $2,162.50, one-third of 
which the latter conveyed to Columbus Bell, De- 
cember 23, for $1,666.66, to whicE has been given 
the name of " Bellview," on which Wilkins & Bell 
erected their sawmill in August, 1871, which was 
ready to be run in April, 1872, and was worked 
that year almost exclusively for the Allegheny 
Valley Railroad company, affording employment 
to seven or eight men. The planing-mill, store- 
house, and six tenant-houses were erected in the 
next winter. The barge-yard was finished the next 
spring. About two-thirds of the next summer 
were occupied in sawing for the Allegheny Valley 
Railroad company, and in building, besides, eight 
barges, employing twenty men. The number of 
boats and barges built and of men employed 
gradually increased till 1876, when thirty-two 
boats and barges were built, 1,000,000 feet of other 
lumber cut, and thirty men employed. These works 
now consist of saw, lath, shingle and planing mills, 
and a box-factory. 

Between Bellevue and the mouth of Pine creek is 
a small tract of about five acres, which Quigley con- 
veyed to Hugh R. Rutherford, of Indiana county, 
Pennsylvania, July 2, 1860, for $400, which he con- 



veyed to James B. Walker four days thereafter for 
$500. The latter leased this small tract December 
8, 1875, to the Midland Oil Mining Association, 
who were to have the e.Yclusive right " for fifty 
years to bore, explore, dig for, gather, collect, 
manufacture, own, remove, transport in any man- 
ner, oil, gas and water," and certain other privi- 
leges necessary for prosecuting the object of the 
lease, and for which they were to pay the lessor 
one-tenth part of the proceeds of all sales at the 
prices realized on the premises of all the oil which 
might be obtained, or to deliver to him one-tenth 
of the oil obtained. There are various other stipula- 
tions in the lease which it is not necessary here to 
mention. The association, under the superintend- 
ence of J. B. Brundred, one of its managers, com- 
menced drilling a well in March, 1876, and prose- 
cuted the work to the depth of 1,700 feet without 
obtaining oil, at an expenditure of $8,000, and then 
abandoned this territory. A considerable vein of 
gas was struck at the depth of 1 ,060 feet. Much 
delay and expense were occasioned by the sticking 
of tools and other accidents incident to drilling 
such wells. The association consisted of a number 
of capitalists who seemed determined to thoroughly 
test the territory of the regions or districts in 
which they obtained their leases. They took thirty 
other similar leases of varying quantities of land 
in this township, forty in Mahoning and Red Bank 
townships, in a northeasterly direction from this 
well, and eleven in Perry township and in or near 
Parker City, and others in other counties. Another 
subdivision of " Pine Grove " is a tract contain- 
ing 62 acres and 152 perches and allowance, 
being allotment D in the partition of the real 
estate of William L. Peach, which his adminis- 
trator, Robert E. Brown, conveyed to James E. 
Brown March 22, 1851, for $661.70. This purpart 
is traversed by Pine creek, the major portion being 
on its north side. It is now assessed to Brown & 
Mosgrove. James A. Lowery opened a store near 
the mouth of Pine creek in 1852. The first Bratton- ' 
ville postoffice, James A. Lowrey, postmaster, was 
established here in the autumn of 1852, so named 
after Miss Jane Bratton Brown, daughter of the 
vendee of this purpart. It was removed to the 
" Barton Bend House," on the Hutchinson land, in 
1855, and was discontinued in 1857. 

The Pine Creek Station on the Allegheny Valley 
railroad, which was extended to this point in the 
winter of 1866, and the junction of Brown & Mos- 
grove's narrow guage railroad are in the north- 
western part of this purpart. The Peart's Eddy 
postoffice was removed hither and the second 
Brattonville one was established December 8, 



252 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1870, James Hull being the first and present post- 
master. 

Adjoining the southeastern portion of "Pine 
Grove " was an eighty-acre tract on Lawson & Orr's 
map of original tracts, in the shape of a rectangular 
parallelogram; and another adjoining the latter on 
the east, in the shape of a trapezoid, containing 220 
acres, both designated as Samuel Calhoun's. The 
latter was called " Amherst," the warrant for 
which, No. 3831, was granted to Charles Campbell 
April 22, 1793, and the patent July 15, 1795. 
Campbell conveyed it to Calhoun March 28, 1816, 
for $1,000. The minor portion of it was in what 
is now Valley township. Calhoun was assessed 
with it in 1806 on the Toby township list, and with 
one horse, at a total valuation of S>165. His name 
appears on the assessment list of Kittanning town- 
ship for the last time in 1827. He left a widow, 
who was assessed with it in 1828, and three 
children, James T. Calhoun, who was first assessed 
with it in 1829, Eleanor M. Calhoun and Mary 
Calhoun, intermarried with Tate Allison. Mrs. 
Allison and her husband conveyed their interest 
therein to James T. Calhoun July 11, 1839, for 
$1 19.66f . James McCauley was first assessed with 
102 acres of it in 1857, which he still occupies. 
James T. Calhoun, Eleanor M. Walker, Tate and 
Mary Allison conveyed 40 acres and 113 perches 
to Alexander McAllister February 23, 1864, for 
$60, which the latter conveyed to Brown & Mos- 
grove April 14, for $1,000. Other portions of those 
Calhoun tracts became vested in Robert Orr by 
patent dated August 9, 1842. 

Next east of " Amherst " was a tract covered 
by a warrant to John Nicholson, No. 1152, dated 
April 20, 1792, containing 1,100 acres, called 
" Mexico," which Nicholson conveyed to Gen. 
Alexander Craig February 11, 1794. Craig con- 
veyed it to Robert Walker, February 19, 1812, for 
$800. About one-fifth of " Mexico " was in what 
is now Valley township. It appears in the Law- 
son & Orr map as the Walker & White tract. 
Walker settled on it in 1800 ; his brothers Abra- 
ham and James, then or soon after ; and David 
White in 1803. They came to this "Mexico" in 
the wilderness from that part of Westmoreland 
near where Shelocta now stands, in Indiana county, 
Pennsylvania. Robert Walker was first assessed 
with a distillery in 1808, which he had started the 
year before. It was situated on a small run about 
midway between the present roads from Kittan- 
ning and Pine Creek Furnace, and about seventy- 
five rods north of the present Valley township 
line. James Walker was assessed with it in 1820 
and a few years afterward. 



The first schoolhouse erected within the present 
limits of Pine township was built of round logs, 
and was situated about ten rods below the head 
branches of White's run, at or near the center of 
"Mexico" or "the Walker settlement," in which 
Wright or Right Elliott was the first teacher, hav- 
ing taught reading, writing and a little of arithmetic 
to ten or twelve scholars there between 1805 and 
1811. The second schoolhouse within the limits 
of this township was on the Samuel Wallis tract. 
No. 4148, about two miles a little north of east 
from the mouth of Pine creek, on land now owned 
by John Leinweber, in which the first teacher was 
David White, Sr. His scholars numbered about 
twenty-five, some of whom came from the west 
side of the Allegheny river. His immediate suc- 
cessors were William White and David Hull. 
One of the first schoolhouses under the common 
school law was a log one on or near the site of the 
first one, which continued to be used until the 
present one was erected, about 275 rods northeast 
of it. 

Religious services were held for some years in 
private houses, barns, and, in pleasant weather, in 
the woods. The Associate Reformed church (com- 
monly called Seceder) was organized probably 
about 1826, by Rev. John Dickey. It was depend- 
ent for many years on supplies. Its first pastor 
was Rev. John. Hindman, whose pastorate con- 
tinued from Ajsril 29, 1840, until May 19, 1853. 
Its second pastor was Rev. David K. Duff, whose 
pastorate continued from some time in June, 1856, 
until the summer of 1870. Since then the congre- 
gation has depended on supplies. Each of those 
pastors gave this church half his time. David 
White, Sr., and Francis Dill were among its early 
elders. The present number of members is sixty. 

The first church edifice, log, 20 X 20 feet, was 
erected in 1827, a short distance below the site of 
the first schoolhouse, on the east side of White's 
run. The present frame edifice was erected on 
that site in 1855.* The ground on which it stands 
was given to the congregation by William White, 
who conveyed one acre and thirty-eight perches, 
October 9, 1832, to Noah Calhoun, Moses Dill, 
William Lowry, Alexander Oliver, William Tem- 
pleton and James White, trustees of Lower Piney 
congregation, in trust for the use of "Pine creek 
congregation," for the nominal sum of $1. 

The first wagon owned by any occupant of 
" Mexico " was purchased by William Moorhead, 
after Pine Creek Furnace went into operation. 

Robert Walker — he was commonlj' called Col. 



* The third, a neat frame edifice, was erected in 1878, in the grove 
on David Devers' farm on the Wallis tract. No. 4147. 






* ' i\tf 



ISAAC V/AF^NEf^' 



MHS, ISAAC v/AF^lsfEI^, 



ISAAC WAENER. • 

Isaac Warner was born in Loudoun county, Vir- 
ginia, May 16, 1800, and came to this country with 
his parents, who settled in Kiskimiuetas township, 
where his widow now lives, in August, 1808. He 
married in 1828, Elizabeth Scott, who was born 
January 10, 1806, in County Tyrone, Ireland. 
Her parents, Andrew and Jane (Hall) Scott, were 
natives of Ireland and born respectively in 1777 
and 1779. The former died here in 1851 and the 
latter in 1861. Andrew Scott emigrated to America 
with his son Hugh in 1820, and very soon located 
in this township of Armstrong county. In 1825 
he sent his son back to Ireland to bring over his 
wife and other children. They had altogether ten 
children, some of whom were born in this country. 
Their names, in the order of their ages, are as fol- 
lows: Hugh, Elizabeth, Isabella, Margaret, Mary 
Jane, Andrew, Sarah, Samuel, Stewart, and an infant 
who died unnamed. Of these, Elizabeth, Margaret, 
Sarah, Samuel and Stewart are now living. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Warner five children 



were born, as follows: Isabella (wife of Samuel F. 
Cooper), a resident of Kiskiminetas ; Abram, who 
lives upon the old home farm ; Mary Jane (wife of 
Robert Hunter), a resident of Indiana county ; 
Andrew S., who lives in Freeport, and Isaac W. 
Warner, who resides in the West. The father of 
these children had purchased soon after arriving 
at manhood about 160 acres of heavily timbered- 
land, on which at the time there was not more than 
two acres cleared. He labored very industriously 
to clear this land, and by the time of his death had 
seventy acres in excellent tillable condition. In 
1871 he was thrown from a wagon by the running 
away of a team of horses at Spring church, and 
the injury received resulted in his death June 7, 
1871. His widow and son Abram live upon the 
farm which he left them. The latter, born Decem- 
ber 11, 1832, was united in marriage, May 13, 1875, 
with Miss Maria E. Crosby, who was born July 7, 
1838. They have two children — Jennie, born 
March 18, 1876, and Ralph Irwin, born February 
24,1879. 



PINE (INCLUDING BOGGSj TOWNSHIP. 



•253 



Walker, either on account of his military seryices 
as a spy on the upper Allegheny during the Indian 
wars, or his rank in the militia afterward — par- 
celed and conveyed the major portion of " Mexico " 
thus : To his brothers, Abraham Walker, 302 acres 
and 131 perches, April 1, 1820, for $319.98 ; James 
Walker, M-2 acres, June 20, 18-24, for $266; to 
David White, Sr., his brother-in-law, 78 acres and 
80 perches, September 20, 1824, for |312, to whom 
James Walker conveyed 1*74 acres and 95 perches, 
December 6, 1827, for $600. The house erected by 
White in 1813, on his first-mentioned jjortion, is 
still standing, and which has been for many yeai's 
occupied by his son James, commonly called Major 
White, and latterly by his grandson, David White. 
David While, Sr., conveyed 94 acres and 50 perches 
to Wm. White, December 11, 1827, which the lat- 
ter, for " one dollar and natural love and affection," 
conveyed to Wm. W. Moorehead, December 20, 
1842, 28 acres and 59 perches of which Moorehead 
conveyed to David Rowland, March 27, 1874, for 
$1,248. Other occupants of that portion of " Mex- 
ico" in this township are James Moorhead, Jacob 
Peters, Jacob XJpperman and Abraham Walker. 

The Wallis lands in this township consisted of 
nine tracts, contiguous to one another, and eight 
of which are rectangular parallelogi-ams and the 
other a trapezoid in shape, aggregating 8,089-|^ acres, 
an allowance of six per cent for roads, according 
to original snrvej^s, but in each of which, as in 
nearly all others, there was probably found to be 
a considerable surplus by later and more accurate 
surveys. On Lawson & Orr's map of original 
tracts and on their list of warrantees, the name of 
the warrantee of these tracts is Samuel Wallace. 
He, however, sj^elled his surname TFcdlis in his 
letters from his home to Timothy Matlack, secre- 
tary of the Supreme Executive Council of Penn- 
sylvania, in one of which, dated "Muncy Farm, 
Aug't 8th, 1778 " — then in Northumberland county, 
in which these lands then were — he wrote : 

I find that from the attention paid to this county of 
late, particularly with the Continental Troops, that the 
spirit of the people seems to be returning to them ; 
great numbers have returned, & I hope the majority of 
them will shortly get back to their homes. Col. Brod- 
head's Reg't did great service, & the spirited manner in 
which Col. Hartley is now acting will, I doubt not, ren- 
der assential service to the Country. I observe that the 
Council has been pleased to order a Considerable num- 
ber of militia into this County, amongst whicli 300 is 
ordered out into Immediate service of the militia of 
this County. I am at a loss to know what kind of Intel- 
ligence the Council hear. Sure I am that if they had 
been well informed of the Distressed, Distracted & Con- 
fused situation which the people have not yet recovered 
frum, they would have Judged it Impossible to call 300 
16 



Troops of our nulitia Immediately into actual service. 
Experience will prove to you that what I say is right. 

5 o'clock, afternoon. — Since wrighting the foregoing 
part of this letter M'e have been alarm'd with Intelli- 
gence of a reaping party of about 14 being attack'd in 
the field early tliis morning by a party of about twenty 
Indians— two kill'd & scap'd, one (the son of Cap'n Brady) 
mortally wound'd & scalped, & one taken prisoner— the 
other ten made their escape. Lurking partys of Indians 
are constantly seen about us. Several attempts have 
been lately made to take off our Centenals in the night. 
I shall be much obliged to you for a line by the return of 
the Express with a Newspaper inclosed. 

I am sincerely your friend, &c., 

Saml. Wallis. 

Fort TMuncy, erected by Col. Thomas Hartley, in 
1778, at the mouth of Muncy, or Wolf, creek, was 
sometimes called Fort Wallis. 

These nine were a part of the fifty tracts covered 
by warrants granted to him October 2, 1793, and 
were covered by warrants Nos. 4140-1-2-3-4-5-7- 
8-9, all of which Wallis, February 2, 1797, con- 
veyed to Thomas Duncan, of Carlisle, Pennsyl- 
vania, afterward one of the associate justices of 
the supreme court of this state, who conveyed the 
same to Thomas Stewardson, Sr., of Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, December 30, for $6,067.12^, who, 
by his will, dated the 20th day of the eighth 
month, 1840, devised all of these tracts to his wife 
Anna Stewardson. He also directed in his ■will 
that his " backlands " should remain in the care 
and management of his executors, George Stew- 
ardson, Thomas Stewardson, Jr., and William E. 
Vaux, and their survivors, seven years from the 
day next after his death, and gave them power to 
sell and convey them. His widow, "for divers 
good causes and considerations, and especially for 
and in consideration of $5," conveyed all these 
nine tracts to George Stewardson the "4th day of 
fourth month," 1845. 

Tract No. 4147 adjoined "Mexico" on the east. 
The public schoolhouse, heretofore mentioned, is in 
the northwest corner of it, situated on a part of the 
230 acres conveyed by George Stewardson to 
Samuel Mateer, February 12, 1855, for $1,150, on 
which the latter settled in 1843, for several years 
kept a hotel, and on which he now resides. Other 
portions of this tract were in the occupancy of 
James and William Oliver from and after 1882, 
and .John Oliver later. Stewardson's executors 
conveyed 127 acres and 60 perches to William 
Oliver, June 29, 1848, for $700.50. George Stew- 
ardson conveyed a part of this and parts of Nos. 
4140-1 to James E. and John P. Brown and James 
Mosgrove, aggregating 683 acres and 148 perches, 
March 8, 1850, for $2,735.50. To David Dever, 
122 acres. May 13, 1852, for $226.37. He conveyed 



254 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Ill acres and 74 perches to John Kneas, February 
12, 1855, for $778, described as situate in "Pine 
Creek township." Some of its later occupants, 
that is before and since 1850, have been Robert 
Martin, William Stewart and Hugh Williamson. 

The Pine township postoffice, Wm. Gallagher, 
postmaster, was established July 16, 1855, and re- 
moved to or merged in the Pine Creek Furnace 
one, May 21, 1872. 

George Stewardson conveyed to William and 
Robert McCutcheon, proprietors of Qre Hill Fur- 
nace, 4,219 acres of those Wallis lands, September 
7, 1849, for $13,804.82, which embrace the whole of 
tract No. 4142 and the residue of Nos. 4143-4-5 
remaining after the sale of 119 acres and 13 perches 
to James Nolder, Sr. and Jr., for $297.70, and exclu- 
sive of interferences by older surveys, and jiarts of 
Nos. 4141 and 4149. John Cochran was first 
assessed with 163^ acres of No. 4141 in 1841, of 
which Stewardson conveyed to him 109 acres and 
74 perches, March 8, 1850, for $463, on which is 
the public schoolhouse at which the elections are 
held. He conveyed 114 acres and 95 perches to 
Barnabas Reedy, March 8, 1850, for $571.80. The 
tract covered by warrant No. 4148 corners the 
last-mentioned on the southwest, with a portion of 
which James McGinniss was first assessed in 1849, 
and to whom Stewardson conveyed 131 acres and 
22 perches, July 27, 1859, for $1,049. 

As late as 1808 there was an Indian camp west 
of Bull Lick, run on the north fork of Pine creek, 
on this tract. Some of the Indians were addicted 
to stealing. One or more of them stole some deer- 
skins and other articles from Col. Robert Walker. 
Taking his gun he went to their camp the next 
day and told them that if they failed to return the 
stolen jsroperty on the following day he would 
attack their camp and chastise them all. They 
soon returned the stolen property. 

Higher up the North fork, about 100 rods below 
the little hamlet called " Slabtown," are vestiges of 
an ancient earthwork — a circular basin about sixty 
feet in diameter, which ajjpears to have been origin- 
ally excavated to the depth of about three -feet, 
which has been gradually filled up with a soft 
marshy soil, formed of decayed vegetable matter, 
until it is now witliin a foot below the surrounding 
surface. This formed soil is very soft, and when 
the writer's informant, Alexander T. Ormond, vis- 
ited it several years since, he easily sunk a pole 
into it to the depth of thirty inches, where it 
struck against a hard substance which he con- 
cluded must be the original bottom of the basin. 
It ajsproaches at the nearest point to within about 
four feet of the stream, and is connected with it 



by a trench about a yard wide, probably designed 
for an outlet for the water that would naturally 
collect in it. The old inhabitants of this region 
suppose that this curious basin was made by the 
Indians, but for what purpose is merely conjectural. 
Whether it is the work of Indians or of a prehis- 
toric people is a question for the antiquaries. 

These tracts were sparsely settled before they 
were sold in small parcels. They are still com- 
paratively so. After they ceased to be required 
for Ore Hill Furnace, its proprietors conveyed por- 
tions of them, after the allotments had been made, 
to William McCutcheon and the heirs of Robert 
McCutcheon, respectively, in the partition in the 
court of common pleas of this county: 1860, June 
18, to Robert Patrick, 98 acres and 120 perches, 
for $473.75; to Samuel Anderson, 54 acres and 96 
perches, for $327; 19th, to Adam Reilstein, 58 
acres and 108 perches, for $340.50; to Frederick 
Thran, 60 acres and 3 perches, for $290; Novem- 
ber 5, to John Houser, 60 acres and 38 perches; 
1863, February 21, to John Adams, 98 acres, for 
$500; 1864, July 14, to Martin McCoy, 46 acres 
and 132 perches, for $234; December 2, to William 
C. Gibson, 48 acres and 16 perches, for $288; 1865, 
January 24, to William Anthony, 66 acres and 80 
perches, for $465.50; to James Nolder, 40 acres 
and 157 perches, for $286; 26th, to S. M. Peart, 41 
acres, for $346.10; 30th, to Leonard Brice, 91 acres 
and 140 perches, for $735; February 9, to George 
and John Kneas, 108 acres, for $540; May 1, to 
John B. Finlay, two parcels (subject to mineral 
rights), 135 acres and 135 perches, for $2,000; 23d, 
to James S. Cochran, 59 acres and 76 perches, for 
$250; June 3, to Robert Thompson, 190 acres, for 
$1,075, which he conveyed to I. H. McGee, Febru- 
ary 6, for $4,000. Other small parcels may have 
been conveyed, the deeds for which have not yet 
been recorded. 

Christian Shunk, who had made the manufac- 
ture of iron a specialty and the subject of thorough 
and extensive study, and had thus, and by his close 
and varied observation, become a good judge of 
suitable locations for furnaces, in 1851 selected 
the site of Stewardson Furnace and the adjacent 
lands containing the requisite material for that 
manufacture. He, Alexander Laughlin and Will- 
iam Phillips erected this furnace and purchased 
various tracts of land. William and Robert 
McCutcheon conveyed to them 2,601 acres and 123 
perches of the Wallis-Dunoan-Stewardson lands, 
December 24, for $12,358.40. This furnace is situ- 
ated on or near the northern boundary of the tract 
covered by the Wallis warrant No. 4144, about 375 
rods sliglitly north of east in an air line from the 



il 



PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS) TOWNSHIP. 



255 



moutli of Mahoning, in a deep northern bend of 
this stream. It was built for coke in 1851, but was 
not then as such successful, and was changed to a 
charcoal hot-blast until the spring of 1855, when 
coke was successf ullj' substituted. Its first product 
of pig-iron was in 1852. Shunk conveyed all his 
interest in this furnace, personal and real, to 
Laughlin & Phillips, December 2, for $5,000. 
Phillips conveyed all his undivided one-fourth 
interest therein to John Bert February 1, 1856, for 
$10,000, and Bert, the same day, conveyed his in- 
terest therein to Laughlin for $20,430.21, the 
respective contracts having been made prior to the 
dates of the conveyances. The furnace was burned 
down in September, 1858. It was soon rebuilt and 
went into blast in January, 1859. Its stack is 
forty feet high, the distance across the bosh being 
eleven and a half feet. This furnace produced in 
thirty-two weeks, in 1856, 1,147 tons of pig-metal — 
120 tons of which were by coke — out of limestone 
carbonate ore from the coal measures two miles 
around. The number of dwelling-houses for pro- 
prietors and employes is forty, nearly all frame, 
one and a half story. The proprietors' residence 
is a two-story brick, .38X52 feet, built in 1861, at a 
cost of $6,000 ; six of the employes' buildings are 
brick, one-story. A store is connected with the 
furnace, in which a general assortment of merchan- 
dize is kept, varying in value from |i4,000 to $5,000. 
The quantity of land belonging to its proprietors 
in Pine and Madison townships is about 3,100 acres. 
The sawmill on Scrub Grass run on the Wallis 
tract, No. 4143, was erected in 1866-7. After the 
death of Alexander Laughlin, Sr., this furnace and 
property became vested in his sons Franklin B. 
and Alexander Laughlin, by whom as partners the 
former has since been operated.* 

Major portions of three of the Harmon, LeRoy 
& Co. or Holland Land Company's tracts were in 
the southeastern jjortion of this township, namely, 
of No. 3047, south of the Wallis tract No. 4147, 
between it and Pine creek; of tract No. 3141, east 
of the Wallis tract last mentioned; and of No. 
3046, south of the last-named Holland one. Alex- 
ander Oliver was first assessed as a single man in 
1808, and with 120 acres of the western j)art of 
No. 3141 and one horse, in 1809, at $140. The 
Holland Company conveyed to him 113 acres of 
allotment No. 7, tract No. 365, July 10, 1822, for 
$153.33. Noah A. Calhoun was first assessed with 
150 acres of the Holland land, covered by warrant 
No. 3046, two horses and two cattle, in 1808, at 



* Alexauder Laughlin, Jr., died in .Tune, 187S. He provided in 
his will that the turnace might continue to be operated by his 
brother and copartner, without dissolution, for ten years. 



$202. Paul Burti, by his attorney in fact, con- 
veyed to him 197 acres and 144 perches of allot- 
ment 4 of tract 368, September 22, 1813, for 
$247.35. It has been retained by him and his 
lineal heirs for more than sixty years. It is now 
owned and occuiiied by his grandson, James Cal- 
houn. The latter has related to the writer that, 
between 1820 and 1830, it was not uncommon to 
see squads of farmers transporting potatoes on 
pack-horses, each farmer having two horses, along 
the road from where Belknap in Wayne township 
now is, to Kittanning, which was then their best 
market, where the price of those esculents was 
then twelve and a half cents a bushel. So many 
of them were carried over that road that Thos. 
Donaldson named it the " Potato road," by which 
it was known for some years. 

Burti conveyed to Peter Seegrist 480 acres ad- 
joining Oliver on the east, consisting of allotments 
2 and 6, tract 365, warrant No. 3141, September 21, 
1814, for $600, with which the latter was first as- 
sessed the next year, and of which he conveyed 119 
acres and 1 7 perches to Solomon Seegrist, February 
10, 1823, for $299. After his death in 1853 his land 
was divided into two purparts by proceedings in par- 
tition in the orphans' court of this county, which 
were valued by the inquest at $1,621.71^. His eldest 
son, Peter Seegrist, during the pendency of those 
proceedings, conveyed to Samuel Mateer his undi- 
vided one-eighth part of 131 acres and 90 perches, 
of which those purparts consisted, for $125. Peter 
Seegrist, Sr., conveyed 121 acres and 58 perches of 
the quantity he purchased from Burti to Susannah 
Zimmerman November 1, 1837, which she and her 
husband conveyed to John Zimmerman, April 8, 
1850, for $50. The latter was first assessed with a 
portion of No. 3141 in 1839. Other portions were 
conveyed: by B. B. Cooper to Ellen, Samuel and 
William Dill, 150 acres and 65 perches, October 7, 
1819, for $300.80; to George Dill, same day, 89 
acres and 85 perches, for $179; by Wilhelm Wil- 
link and others to George and Moses Dill 119 acres 
and 15 perches December 16, 1828, for $59.50; to 
Margaret Campbell 50 acres March 20, 1832, which 
she conveyed to Moses Dill, Jime 11, 1844, for $125. 

Willink & Co. conveyed 84 acres of allotment 
5 to Simon Robinson, April 14, 1837, for $40. 

Southwest of that tract and south of the Wallis 
No. 4147, was the tract of the Holland Company's 
land covered by warrant No. 3027, traversed in a 
northwesterly course and nearly equally divided by 
Pine creek, 991^ acres, somewhat more than half 
of which was on the north side of this stream. 
The patent therefor was granted to Benjamin B. 
Cooper October 18, 1826, who conveyed 180 acres. 



256 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



being all of allotment No. 6 and part of No. 3 of 
tract 369, lying on both sides of the creek, to 
Alexander White, November 1, for |90;* to Alex- 
ander McCain allotment No. 2, 126 acres and 74 
perches, June 19, 1827, for $63.25, who conveyed 
the same to Francis Powers, December 31, 1834, for 
$253, and 110^ acres of allotment 3 to McCain, 
June 17, 1828, for $50. Cooper conveyed allotment 
No. 5, 157 acres and 62 perches, to Major James 
White, of Wayne township, December 19, for $82.f 

The Holland Company conveyed allotment No. 
1 of tract 369, covered by the last-mentioned war- 
rant, 126 acres and 74 perches, to John Yorkey, 
June 17, 1831, for $63.25, which Yorkey conveyed 
to Henry Bossinger, October 30, 1839, for $175, 
with which the latter was first assessed in 1840, 
and on which he erected a sawmill in 1846, with 
which he was last assessed in 1867, James Hanne- 
gan having inadvertently cleared several acres 
north of the line of his purchase, bought 50 acres 
in what is now the southeastern part of this town- 
ship, which he subsequently conveyed to John 
Ludwick, with which and a distillery the latter 
was first assessed in 1851, and with a mill in 1852. 
Here were the Hannegan mills, grist and saw, with 
which Thomas Plannegan was first assessed in 
1841; William Hannegan with the gristmill in 
1842, with which James Hannegan, Jr., was as- 
sessed in 1843, and William with the sawmill. 
Ludwick conveyed this parcel of land to Robert E. 
Brown in 1849-50, whose administrator, by virtue 
of a decree of the proper court for the specific per- 
formance of contract, conveyed it to John Jordan, 
July 24, 1867, for $854.77. Within this section of 
this township is the parcel of land purchased by 
Peter Beck from the Holland Land Company, now 
owned and occupied by his son Jacob Beck, and 
on which the former erected a gristmill many 
years ago, but which has not for a long time been 
used. 

North of the LeRoy & Co. tract, No. 3141, lay 
the major portion of four contiguous tracts which 
formerly belonged to the North American Land 
Company, and which were included in the Orr 
purchase,J aggregating 3,800 acres, according [to 
the original surveys. A narrow strip of the east- 
ern end of each was in what is now Wayne town- 
ship. Three of them were covered by warrants to 
Robert Morris,§ Nos. 4528, 4533, 4534, and one to 



*See sketch of VaUey township. 

tSee sketch of Valley township. 

JNo. 4.134 was the southernmost. The other three lay north of it 
in the following order : Nos. 4.133. 4580, 4528. 

g Robert Morris, mentioned in this chapter and the one on Wayne 
township, as the warrantee of several large tracts of laud, was Ijoru 
in Liverpool, England, January .31, 1734. His lather, prior to 1740, emi- 
grated to this country and settled in Maryland. Soon afterward he 
sent for his son, whom he placed in a school in Philadelphia. He 
was Washington's secretary of the treasury during the revolution, 



John Nicholson, No. 4580. The earliest settler 
on either of them appears to have been William 
Charlton, who was assessed with 999 acres of the 
Nicholson tract in 1810, at $256, and the next year 
with 750 acres, $350, 1 horse and 1 cow, $26. 
Abraham Zimmerman was assessed with 250 acres 
of one, or perhaps parts of two of the Morris tracts, 
at $125, 1 horse and 1 cow at $] 6. He was assessed 
with 1,200 acres of the Morris tracts, Nos. 4533-4, 
$1,200, > horse and 1 cow, $22. James White was 
first assessed with 100 acres of one of the Morris 
tracts in 1825, and with 350 acres in 1828 ; David 
Dormire, with 1 cow in 1827, at $6, and with 300 
acres of the Morris tract. No. 4528,. at $300, and 1 
cow, $6, in 1828 ; Barnabas Reedy with 1,000 acres 
of the. same in 1825, $500, and 1 cow, $6 ; Daniel 
Reedy with 100 acres in 1831, $100, and 2 cattle, 
$16. That tract was in what is now the northeast- 
ern part of this township. John Edwards was 
first assessed with 60 acres of the Nicholson tract, 
No. 4580, 1 horse and 1 cow, $80, in 1830, and 
James Stockville with 550 acres and 1 cow $420.50, 
in 1834. 

Such appear to have been the first, and perhaps 
the only, settlements on these ti'acts before they 
became vested in Gen. Orr. So far as the records 
show, he conveyed as follows : June 24, 1840, to 
Abraham Zimmerman, 300 acres, partly of No. 
4533, and partly of No. 4580, for $150; April 12, 
1843, 158 acres and 43 perches of No. 4534, to 
David Baum, for $395.62, who probably settled on 
during that or the next year; May 9, 1843, to 
James White, 110 acres and 80 perches of No. 
4580, for $700 ; October 9, 57 acres and 143 
perches of No. 4534, to Hugh R. Rutherford, for 
$300 ; September 18, 1845, 116 acres and 82 perches 
of No. 4533, to Jonathan C. Titus, for $582.50 ; 
August 28, 1847, 235 acres and 80 perches of No. 
4528, to George Reedy, for $824; November 13, 
1847, 346 acres and 54 perches of No. 4580, to 
Jonathan C. Titus, for $582.50 ; November 13, 
1847, 9 acres of No. 4580, and 837 acres and 54 
jserches of No. 4528, to David Dormire, for 
$1,019.81. The. 1st December, 1849, was a com- 
paratively brisk day in the conveyances of these 
lands, for on that day Gen. Orr conveyed 50 acres 
and 12 perches of No. 4580 to Elizabeth Reedy, 
for the nominal sum of $1, the rest of the pur- 
chase money having been paid by her husband 



and his skillful tiuanciering undoubtedly did as much toward es- 
tablishing American independence as did Washington's military 
achievements or Franklin's diplomacy. His large private fortmie 
was used to sustain the credit of the young nation, >(otwithstand- 
ing the splendid and priceless services of this true patriot, his 
closing years were permitted to be darkened aud his life shortened 
by the operation of that inhuman law whicli punished debt by im- 
prisonment. After three years and six months' incarceratioufor a 
debt he was unable to pay, he was released in ISOl, under the pro- 
visions of the bankruj)! la\v passed that year. He died May 7, ISOG. 






JAi^^ES y: jacksoH- 



|vlF(S. JA)VIE5 y. JACKSOIsI. 








-("v -. ■'^V>'"„^^^*<qvJ ^:y-r^ ^J^ 



f^ES. OF JAMES V. JACKS OM. 



PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS) TOWNSHIP. 



257 



in his lifetime ; 96 acres and 74 perches of the 
same tract to Robert Reedy, for $289 ; '71 acres 
and 118 perches ditto to Geo. Rupp for $233 ; 142 
acres and 92 perches ditto to John Edwards, for 
$997; and 171 acres and 74 perches ditto to George 
W. Goheen, for $229, with wliich, and one liorse, 
he was iirst assessed, in' 1850, at $230. During 
that year he erected his grist and saw mills, which 
were assessed the next year (1851) at $500, with a 
new house in 1852, and as a merchant in 1857. 

Such is the origin of Goheenville, as yet but a 
hamlet, in the forks of the head branches of Scrub 
Grass, containing a j^ublic schoolhouse, a store, 
physician's office, three mills, blacksmith shop and 
a few dwelling-houses. Scrub Grass postoffice was 
established aboiit a mile and a quarter northeast of 
this point in the summer of 1844, Wm. J. Calhoun, 
postmaster. It was removed hither in ,1850-1. 
Its name was changed to Goheenville June 20, 1866, 
George W. Goheen being the second and present 
postmaster. 

Gen. Orr also conveyed 249 acres and 137 perches 
of No. 4534 to William Heffelfinger, July 1, 1851, 
with which he was first assessed in 1833 for $898, 
and on which the latter erected a sawmill in 1855; 
57 acres and 143 perches ditto to John Mortimore, 
September 26, 1855, for" $725; 200 acres and 68 
perches of No. 4528 to Thomas Richey, November 
24, 1856, for $1,600 ; 15 acres and 11 perches ditto 
to John Gould, October 8, 1867, for $470; 117 acres 
and 110 perches of No. 4533-4 to Anthony. Hoover, 
May 3, 1868, for $2,589.12 ; 41 acres and 194 
perches of No. 4533 to William H. Barrett, No- 
vember 2, 1870, for $921.80. 



STATISTICS. 



The population of this township, by the census 
of 1860, the first after Valley township was taken 
from it, was, white, 1,406; colored, 115. In 1870 
it was, native, 1,562; foreign, 80; white, 1,549; 
colored, 93. The present number of taxables, 413, 
and the present population about 1,900. 

The mercantile appraiser's list shows the num- 
ber of merchants to be (in 1876) 9, of which there 
is one, respectively, in the tenth, eleventh and 
thirteenth classes, and six in the fourteenth 
class. 

The assessment list for 1876 shows : Miners, 
71; laborers, 67; teamsters, 8; blacksmiths, 4; 
carpenters, 4; physicians, 4; preachers, 3; railroad 
bosses, 3; stonemasons, 3; clerks, 3; peddlers, 3; 
fillers, 3; agents, 2; keepers, 2; engineers, 2; mill- 
ers, 2; gentlemen, 2; apprentice, 1; barkeeper, 1; 
cokedrawer, 1 ; innkeeper, 1 ; coke boss, 1 ; mana- 
ger, 1; quarryman, 1; painter, 1; undertaker, 1; 



wagonmaker, 1 ; stable boss, 1 ; superintendent, 1 ; 
telegraph operator, 1. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 7; average 
number of months taught, 4; male teachers, 4; 
female teachers, 3; average monthly salaries of 
male $16.50, female $16; male scholars, 190; female 
scholars, 168; average number attending school, 
168; cost teaching each per month, 38 cents; tax 
levied for school purposes, $639.74; received from 
state api^ropriation, $125.95; from collectors, 
$334.75; cost of instruction, $464; fuel and con- 
tingencies, $86.95; repairing schoolhouses, $10.87. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 12; average 
number months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female, 
7; average monthly salaries of male, $28, female, 
$25; male scholars, 244; female scholars, 231; 
average number attending school, 247; cost teach- 
ing each per month, 74 cents; tax levied for school 
and building purposes, $2,284.10; received from 
state appropriation, $335.73; from taxes and other 
sources, $2,499.28; cost building schoolhouses, etc., 
$771.05; teachers' wages, $2,080; fuel, collector's 
fees, etc., $384. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

The following section, the lower portions of 
which were taken from the exposures on the north 
side of the Mahoning creek near its mouth, and 
the upper portions on the south side of that creek, 
behind the tavern-house occupied by William Tem- 
pleton, where the section was made in the course 
of the first geological survey of this state, under 
the superintendence of Prof. Henry D. Rogers : 
Ferriferous limestone, 15 feet; shale (ore), 35 feet; 
Clarion coal, 2-J- feet; shale, etc., 20 feet; Burkville 
coal, 1 foot; Tionesta sandstone, massive, 60 feet; 
shale, silicious, 25 feet; olive bituminous shale, 15 
feet; Tionesta coal, 1^- feet; Serel conglomerate, 
massive, also shaly, 100 feet; shale, sandy, partly 
carbonaceous, with seams of calcareous sandstone, 
from 1 inch to — inches thick, 20 feet; bitumin- 
ous shale,'3 inches; Sharon coal, 2j^ inches; shale, 
sandy above, bituminous below, 3-^ feet; coal, 6 
inches; thin bituminous slate, with stone silicious 
layers, 11 feet; coal, 1-^ inches; blue sandy clay, 2 
feet; slaty sandstone, 25 to 80 feet, to the level of 
Mahoning creek. These soon disappear beneath 
the waters, with a dip of 5° S., 120° E. 

None of the hills around are high enough to have 
the Lower Freeport coalbed, but both the Free- 
port limestone and Upper Freeport coalbed are 
seen on Scrub Grass creek, which enters the Mahon- 
ing two miles above its mouth. The coal is often 
so thinned away as to disappear and let the Mahon- 
ing sandstone rest upon the Freeeport limestone. 
This is the case at the exposure on the north 



258 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



brancli of Pine creek, where the Mahoning sand- 
stone is exposed, sixty feet thick, cropping the 
hill. Here the lower shales of the interval between 
the two Freeport coalbeds are mostly dark brown 
and black, and contain layers of argillaceous iron 
ore. There seems to be just here a local dip to 
the west. 

Says W. G. Piatt, of the second geological sur- 
vey of this state, who had this county in charge : 
The same rocks make the surface of Pine town- 
ship as in Waiyne, such of the lower barrens as 
are represented, being found in the ridges which 
form the watersheds between the north and south 
forks of Pine creek, and the north fork of Pine 
creek and the Mahoning, are of no commercial 
value. The lower productive measures outcrop in 
all the slopes overlooking the principal streams. 
The entire group is represented. The Upper 
Freeport and Lower Kittanning coals are in work- 
able condition, and they have been developed, 
each unaccompanied by its limestone. The Upper 
Freeport coal has with it here a bed of fireclay of 
rather good quality, but somewhat unreliable in 
its outspread. It has been worked near Temple- 
ton. Stewardson furnace uses coke from the Upper 
Freeport coal. The ore smelted is the buhrstone, 
from six to eight inches thick. The limestone 
used for the flux is obtained from the ferriferous. 
The metal produced is the cold-sheet. The coal 
beneath the ferriferous limestone, viz., the Clarion 
and Brookville, are valueless, by reason of their 
small size, though above water-level. The Potts- 



ville conglomerate is magnificently exposed in the 
neighborhood of Templeton, forming clifEs forty 
feet high. It runs along the slopes northwardly 
from Templeton to and up the valley of the Ma- 
honing, past Stewardson's furnace, beyond which it 
sinks to water-level. The shales immediately un- 
derlying it are supposed to represent the Mauch 
Chunck red shales, or their equivalent, although 
the carboniferous limestone is not here seen. The 
sandstones which make the base of the slopes 
would, in this case, be the equivalent of the Po- 
cono. 

Structure — The rocks lie mainly in the synclinal 
of which the Barton House or Peart's eddy is the cen- 
ter. Here the ferriferous limestone is at its lowest 
level along the river front in this township; being- 
close to the water's edge north and south from 
this point, the rise is short and rapid up and down 
the stream. 

The levels above tide, along the Allegheny Val- 
ley railroad in this township, are : Opposite Pine 
creek station, 812.1 feet; northwest outside corner 
Pine creek bridge abutment, one-tenth of a mile 
higher up the track, 812.1 feet; southwest corner 
of water-station platform, two and a half miles 
higher up the track, 822.4 feet ; southwest corner 
of bridge abutment, one mile and two-tenths higher 
up the track, 821.6 feet; opposite Templeton Sta- 
tion, five-tenths of a mile higher up the track, 823.8 
feet ; opposite Mahoning Station, nine-tenths of a 
mile higher up the track, 824.3 feet. (Pennsyl- 
vania Second Geological Survey, N, p. 183). 



CHAPTER XII, 



MADISON. 



Named after the Fourth President — Territory of the Township Carved from Toby and Red Bank — One of Cap- 
tain Brady's Notable Indian Fights — An Official Account by Col. Brodhead — The Services of a Young 
Delaware Chief — Col. Brodhead's Expedition Against the Seneca and Muncy Towns on the Upper Alle- 
gheny — The Land Tracts and Settlers upon Them — Mahoning Coal Company — A French Trader's 
Grave — History of the Holland Land Company — The American Furnace — Settlement Law of 1792 — 
Contested Titles — Titles from the Holland Land Company — Vain Searches for Indian Lead Mines — 
Petroleum — Red Bank Furnace — Kellersburg — Middle Creek Presbyterian Church — Duncansville — First 
School in the Township — Description of the Building — Educational and other Statistics. 



MADISON township was, of course, named 
after James Madison, the fourth president 
of the United States, whose public career is 
familiar to the people of this township and county. 

The petition of inhabitants of Toby and Red 
Bank townships was presented to the court of 
quarter sessions of this county December 23, 1836, 
setting forth that the boundaries of these town- 
ships were so large and the increase of population 
and business was such as to render it extremely 
inconvenient for and burdensome on the township 
officers to properly discharge their respective du- 
ties, and praying for the appointment of viewers 
to lay out a new township, to be called Madison. 
The court appointed J. E. Meredith, William 
Templeton and John Sloan viewers, whose report 
in favor of erecting the proposed new township 
was confirmed by the court September 22, 1837. 
The original boundaries of this tow^nship were : 
Beginning at the mouth of Mahoning creek on the 
Allegheny river ; thence up the river to Joseph 
Robinson's saltworks, a short distance above what 
is now Sarah Furnace Station, in Clarion county ; 
thence 7 miles and 220 perches to the Toby 
and Red Bank township lines ; thence south 4*7° 
east three miles to Red Bank creek, at the mouth 
of Middle run, where the Olean road crosses ; 
thence up Red Bank creek to the southern extremi- 
ty of Big Bend; thence south 1 mile and 273 
perches to the Mahoning creek, at the mouth of a 
run opposite Philip Anthony's ; and thence down 
this creek to its mouth. All that part of it north 
of the Red Bank creek is now in Clarion county, 
and a section of the eastern ' part of it is now in 
Mahoning township, in this county. 

At the mouth of the Mahoning in the south- 
western corner of this township was the terminus 
of the Indian path heretofore mentioned. Here, 
too, Captain Samuel Brady had one of his notable 



and successful fights with the Indians, near the 
middle of June, 1779. About the 10th of that 
month, three men whom Col. Brodhead had sent 
from Fort Pitt to reconnoiter the Seneca country 
returned, having been closely chased some distance 
below Kittanning, and nearly captured, by several 
Indian warriors who were descending the Alle- 
gheny in canoes. In a few days thereafter 
Captain Samuel Brady obtained with difficulty, 
on account of the envy excited in some of his fel- 
low-officers by his previous brilliant successes, per- 
mission from the commandant of that fort to pro- 
ceed with twenty men and a young Delaware chief 
toward the Seneca country, to catch the Indians. 
While he and his command were moving these 
Indian warriors advanced to the settlements. They 
killed a soldier between Forts Hand and Crawford, 
that is, between the mouths of the Loyal Hannon 
and Poketas creek, and at the Sewickley settle- 
ment they killed one woman and her four children 
and took two other children prisoners, their father 
being absent. Brady and his party — they were all 
well painted — crossed the Allegheny and advanced 
up its west side, carefully examining the mouths of 
all its principal, especially its eastern, tributaries, 
supposing that the Indians would descend it in 
their canoes. On reaching a point opposite the 
mouth of Mahoning, they discovered the Indians' 
canoes moored at the southwestern bank of the 
creek. Brady and his force then went some dis- 
tance down the river, halted iintil dark, made a 
raft, crossed over to the east side, advanced along 
it to the creek, found the canoes had been removed 
to the opposite side of the creek, vainly attempted 
to wade it, then moved up along its left bank and 
shore a considerable distance. Richard B. McCabe, 
who obtained his information from one of Brady's 
brothers in 1832, says three or four miles, tradition 
says to the point where the Olean road crosses the 



260 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



creek, which is less than a mile from its mouth. 
After crossing the creek, wherever they did cross it, 
a fire was made, their clothes dried, and arms in- 
spected. They then moved down toward the Indian 
camp, which was pitched on what was then a second 
bank of the Allegheny, a short distance east of 
where the Allegheny Valley railroad track now is. 
Brady posted his men on the first bank, which has 
since been worn away. A stallion, which had been 
stolen from the whites at Sewickley, was fettered on 
the last-mentioned bank and seemed to enjoj- the 
company of the whites, to which one of the In- 
dians, probably his captor and quasi-owner, occa- 
sionally went, so that the former were obliged to 
be very cautious and watchful lest their presence 
should become known to their foes. To avoid this 
the utmost silence was necessary. Brady was in- 
clined to tomahawk that Indian, but discreetly 
forbore. He, however, ventured near the fires after 
all was again quiet. The Delaware chief, not even 
dai-ing to whisper, having endeavored in vain to 
restrain him by plucking his hair, crawled away. 
While Brady was thus examining the number and 
position of the Indians, one of them threw off his 
blanket and arose. As Brady could not make the 
slightest movement without being discovered, he 
remained as quiet as possible, but drew his head 
under the brow of the bank, placing his forehead 
to the earth to avoid discovery. " His next sensa- 
tion was that of warm water poured into the hollow 
of his neck, as from the spout of a teapot, which, 
trickling down his back over the chilled skin, pro- 
duced a feeling that even his iron nerves could 
scarce master. He felt quietly for his tomahawk, 
and had it been about him he would probably have 
used it, but he had divested himself even of that 
when preparing to approach the fires, lest by strik- 
ing against the stones or gravel it might give 
alarm."* So he was compelled to submit to that 
great humiliation until his humiliator again slept. 
He then quietly posted his men. At the dawn of 
day the Indians arose. While standing around 
their fires, seven rifles at a given signal were dis- 
charged and five of those Indians fell dead. The 
other two fled. One of them was traced by the 
blood from his wound, which he stanched. The 
Delaware chief, who was Brady's pet, imitated the 
cry of a young wolf, which being answered, he 
was again pursued, and on another answer of the 
wolf-cry the pursuit was continued into a windfall, 
where, probably having observed his pursuers, he 
ceased to ansvrer and they ceased to pursue. Tra- 
dition says he concealed himself in a dense thicket 
on the hill, where he died. McCabe says that 

* McCabe. 



Brady, three weeks afterward, discovered his re- 
mains, being led to the place by ravens that were 
preying upon his carcass. 

Col. Brodhead, in his letter to President Reed, 
June 24, and to Gen. Washington, June 25, 1779, 
gave this account of that fight: Capt. Brady fell 
in with seven Indians of this j)arty — that had com- 
mitted the depredations at Sewickley — about fifteen 
miles above Kittanning, i. e., from where Fort 
Armstrong was situated, where the Indians had 
chosen an advantageous situation for their camp. 
He, however, surrounded them, and attacked at 
break of day. Thus in his letter to Reed, but in 
that to Washington he states: He surrounded them 
as well as the situation would admit, and finding 
he was discovered by break of day, he attacked 
them. To Reed: The Indian captain, a notorious 
warrior of the Muncy nation, was killed on the 
spot, and several more mortally wounded, but the 
woods were remarkably thick, and the party could 
not pursue the villains' tracks after they had stop- 
ped their woixnds, which they always do as soon 
as possible after receiving them. To Washington: 
And killed the captain, who was a notorious war- 
rior of the Muncy nation, and mortally wounded 
most of them ; but they being encamped near a 
remarkable thicket, and having, as customary with 
them, stopped their wounds just after they received 
them, they could not be found. To Reed : Capt. 
Brady, however, retook six horses, the two prisoners, 
the scalps, all their plunder, and took all the Indians' 
guns, tomahawks, match-coats, moccasins — in fine, 
everything they had, except their breech-clouts. 
To Washington: Capt. Brady retook six horses, 
the two prisoners and all the plunder, which was 
considerable, and took six guns and everything else 
except, etc. To Reed : Capt. Brady has great 
merit, but none has more distinguished merit in 
this enterprise than the young Delaware chief, 
whose name is Nanowland, or George Wilson. To 
Washington: Capt. Brady and most of his men 
acted with great spirit and intrepidity, but it is 
confessed that the young Delaware chief Nanow- 
land, or George Wilson, distinguished himself in 
this enterprise. 

That camp-ground was in the northwestern cor- 
ner of the tract subsequently called " Springfield,"* 
several rods east of what was still more recently 
the old steamboat wharf. The thicket into which 
the wounded escaped was on the hill still higher 
up the creek than the camp. 

The two prisoners that were here recaptured 
were Peter and Margaret Henry, children of Fred- 
erick Henry, referred to in a footnote, page 505, 

* See Pine township. 





GEOF^GE SHDEMAKEf^. 



|vlF?S.GEOf?GE SHOEMAKER. 




F^ES.OF GEOF^GE S H O E (^/1A KEf^. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



261 



Vol. VII, Pennsylvania Archives, where it is 
stated that Lyman C Draper had obtained state- 
ments from them. He intended to do so, but, as 
he informed the writer, did not. They had been 
captives about two weeks before they were recap- 
tured. Peter settled in Butler county, Pennsyl- 
vania, and was a member of Capt. Brinker's com- 
pany in the war of 1812. He was a farmer, raised 
a large family, and was highly respected. He died 
in his ninety-fourth year in 1858. Peter Henry, 
Jr., of Brady's Bend, father-in-law of Andrew W. 
Bell, is one of his sons. Margaret married and 
lived in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. An 
erroneous idea prevails among some of these cap- 
tives' descendants that they were recaptured at 
Brady's Bend. 

Col. Brodhead left Fort Pitt on his expedition 
against the Seneca and Muncy nations on the 
upper Allegheny, August 11, 1779. His report of 
it to Gen. Washington is dated at Pittsburgh, Sep- 
tember 16, two days after his return, in which he 
says he left that point with 605 rank and file, in- 
cluding militia and volunteers, and one month's 
provisions, which, except the live cattle, was trans- 
ported by water under the escort of 100 men to a 
place called Mahoning, about fifteen miles above 
Fort Armstrong, where, after four days' detention 
and the straying of some cattle, the stores were 
loaded on packhorses, and the troops proceeded on 
the march for Conawago on the path leading to 
Cushcushing, that is, the place of that name on 
the upper Allegheny. Respecting the route of the 
main force to the mouth of Mahoning, William 
M. Darlington, in a letter to the writer of this 
sketch, says: "In the absence of positive evidence, 
I think there can be little doubt that the route 
taken by Gen. Brodhead's forces was by the Kit- 
tanning path from near Fort Pitt to the shore of 
the river opposite Kittanning. There was no path 
or road on the east side of the Allegheny then, nor 
is there one now, except the Valley railway." From 
Kittanning to this point it was, he thinks, along 
the left bank of the river. That was a very im- 
portant and successful expedition, although Brod- 
head's force did not, as contemplated, form a junc- 
tion with the larger forces under Gens. Sullivan 
and Clinton from the east. In his above-men- 
tioned report, and in his letter to Sullivan, October 
10, he states what was done, the substance of which 
is: He marched to the upper town on the river 
called Yahrungwago, meeting no opposition, after 
killing six or seven and wounding a number of 
forty warriors that were advancing against the set- 
tlements, which occupied the advanced guard but 
a few minutes, without any loss on his side, except 



that three men were slightly wounded; destroyed 
165 cabins, most of which were new and each one 
large enough for the accommodation of three or 
four Indian families, and about 500 acres of corn 
and vegetables, the plunder taken amounting to 
$30,000, which he directed to be sold for the bene- 
fit of the troops. To Washington: " On my return 
I preferred the Venango road, the old towns of 
Conawago, Buchloons and Mahusqueechikoken, 
about twenty miles above Venango, on French 
creek, consisting of thirty-five large houses, were 
burnt " — meaning, the writer thinks, that Venango 
was on French creek, and these towns twenty miles 
above it, not on French creek, but on the Allegheny 
river, where they were situated according to ancient 
maps. The "Venango road" on the historical map 
of Pennsylvania extends from Venango, or Frank- 
lin, southeasterly to the Kittanning path, which it 
intersects in the northern part of what is now 
Indiana county. This is the only " Venango road " 
on that map, or any other which the writer has 
examined. It therefore seems that he preferred 
to return by this route instead of the one via 
Meadville and Slippery Rock, or any other west of 
the Allegheny river, at least to Kittanning, where 
he, perhaps, recrossed the Allegheny and thence 
followed the Kittanning path to Fort Pitt. The 
fact is, Buchloons, Conawago, Mahusqueechikoken 
and Venango are the only places which he men- 
tions as being in his route on his return. To 
Washington: "Too much praise cannot be given 
to both officers and soldiers of every corps during 
the whole expedition. Their persevei-ance and 
zeal during the whole march through a country 
too inaccessible to be described can scarcely be 
equaled in history. Notwithstanding many of 
them returned barefooted and naked, they disdained 
to complain, and to my great mortification I have 
neither shoes, shirts, blankets, hats, stockings, nor 
leggings to relieve their necessities. * * * It is 
remarkable that neither man nor beast has fallen 
into the enemies' hands on this expedition, and I 
have a happy presage that the counties of West- 
moreland, Bedford and Northumberland, if not the 
whole western territories, will experience the good 
effect of it." To Sullivan: "I congratulate you on 
your success against the Indians and the more sav- 
age tories, and am quite happy in the reflection 
that our efforts promise a lasting tranquillity to the 
frontiers we have covered." To Rev. John Heck- 
ewelder, April 14, 1780: "The stroke up the Alle- 
gheny last fall has answered my expectations, and 
I believe the confederate nations are brought to 
their senses, they having already solicited peace 
with congress." 



262 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



An early, perhaps the earliest, white settler on 
that portion of " Springfield," in this township, 
was Samuel Adams, who was first assessed with 
twenty acres of it and as a blacksmith, in 1824, in 
Red Bank township, in which the northeastern 
portion of it then was ; in 1828 with 394 acres; in 
1831 with 300 acres and one cow at $42.50, with 
which he continued to be assessed until he re- 
moved, in 1834, to near the Great Bend in the Red 
Bank creek.* The northwestern part of " Spring- 
field," where Brady's fight with the Indians oc- 
curred, was occupied for a store and warehouse 
and steamboat wharf in 1848. A hotel was built 
in 1849, which, with the warehouse, was burned in 
1852, on the site of which the present large two- 
story frame structure was soon after erected. It 
was for several years a dining place for stage- 
passengers from Kittanning to Brookville and 
Clarion. The large quantity of freight landed 
here before the railroad was completed and the 
large number of lumbermen stopping here in the 
rafting seasons made this old battlefield for years a 
busy mart. 

Contiguous to "Springfield" on the northwest 
and extending up the Allegheny between its left 
bank and the line of the Holland Company's lands 
was a tract containing about 400 acres, on which 
appears to have been an improvement made by 
David Hull prior to 1825. His nanie is upon 
it on the map of original tracts. The assessment 
list of Toby township, made in 1824, shows that 
200 acres of this " improvement " were seated by 
Oliver Gray, in 1819, and by John and Daniel 
Guld, in 1824, and purchased as unseated by the 
county commissioners in 1825. John Guld proba- 
bly settled on this tract in 1821, when he was first 
assessed in Toby township with '200 acres and one 
cow at $206. Henry Hamilton ajjpears to have 
been assessed with another hundred acres, in 1819, 
at $50, and with which Aaron Gray was assessed, 
in 1824, at $50.62^. Isaac Hull appears to have 
been assessed with the whole 400 acres, one horse 
and one cow, at $130, in 1817, and thereafter with 
the land until 1820. David Lawson also appears, 
not, however, from the records, to have subsequentlj^ 
had some title to or interest in this tract, for he 
conveyed those 400 acres, except Aaron Gray's im- 
provement, 100 acres, and 100 acres on both sides 
of the line between old Toby and old Red Bank 
townships, as surveyed by Lawson, to Robert Orr, 
November 5, 1835, for $200, and the excepted 100 
acres, the same day, for $200. Orr obtained a war- 
rant for this tract July 21, 1840, and a patent 
March 29, 1848. He conveyed 108 acres and 99 

^' Sec Mahoning township. 



perches of the westei-n part to Oliver Gray March 
3, 1849, for $50, who had been first assessed with 
206 acres and one horse in Toby township at $111, 
in 1818, 5 acres and 122 perches of which the 
latter conveyed to Robert Thompson, January 5, 
1855, for $1,400. This point has for many years 
been known by the name of Gray's Eddy, where 
Gray built the first house abovit 1840, and where 
Thompson kept a store, hotel and warehouse for 
several years, and where considerable freight was 
delivered until after the completion of the railroad. 
Since then this has been a less brisk mart. In the 
lower part is the portion included in the sale to 
Jeremiah Bonner, and by the latter to Charles P. 
Badger, and by him to Wesley Wilson in trust for 
the Mahoning Coal Company.* That company 
erected their works about 125 rods above the mouth 
of Mahoning on this tract, in 1872, and com- 
menced operations in October, a month or more 
before the date of the conveyance to them. The 
president is Wm. D. Mullin. The first superin- 
tendent was James Van Horn — the present one I. 
B. Stevenson. The number of employes is eighty- 
five. The average daily production is 125 tons of 
coal from the Lower Freeport vein, one-fourth of a 
mile from the scaffold which is on the Allegheny 
Valley Railroad. This coal is shipped to Buffalo, 
New York, and is the fuel used by the New York 
Central and Hudson River railroads. The com- 
pany's store is at Orrsville, and does an extensive 
business.! 

Contiguous to the last-mentioned tract was the 
John Nicholson one, covered by warrant No. 5161, 
dated February 15, 1794, 459^ acres, chiefly depre- 
ciated land, which is numbered 5161 in the un- 
seated assessment lists of Toby township from 1808 
to 1816, and thereafter 1161 until 1819, when it 
is not numbered; continues so until 1822, and 
from then until 1834 the tract itself was dropped 
from the list. It then reappeared unnumbered on 
the assessment list as containing 400 acres until 
1836, and thereafter permanently disappeared. 
The list shows that it was seated by John Mock in 
1835. Nicholson conveyed his interest in it to 
James Buchanan June 28, 1797; Buchanan to 
Thomas Hamilton June 28, 1806; and Adam Elli- 
ott, treasurer of this county, to Hamilton June 20, 
1811. Nicholson had also conveyed to some one 
else besides Buchanan, whose interest became 
vested in Robert Orr. Thus from Nicholson 
down there were two titles. This tract was in- 
cluded in Hamilton's devise to Thomas McCon- 
nell, Sr., and in the latter's devise to Thomas 



* See Orrsville. 

t The operations of this company ceased. 



i 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



263 



McConnell, Jr. Under the act of assembly of 
April 16, 1840, which was passed to facilitate the 
settlement of the estates of John Nicholson and 
Peter Boynton, a boai-d of commissioners was ap- 
pointed with full authority to make compromises 
with and to release the claims of the common- 
wealth to such persons as were entitled thereto. 
The lien or claim which the commonwealth had 
upon or against Nicholson's interest in this tract 
was released to the present Thomas McConnell 
and Isaac H. Pritner by the deed of Anson V. Par- 
sons, secretary of the commonwealth, January 21, 
1843, for $75, and thus ended the conflict between 
those two titles. McConnell and Pritner conveyed 
126 acres and 51 j)erches to Robert Hooks April 3, 
1843, for $453.75. Hooks settled on this parcel in 
1837-8. He was first assessed in the latter year 
with 127 acres and two cattle on the Madison 
township list at |405. 

While sinking one of the postholes for a board 
fence which he was building, in or about 1843, 
near the left bank of the Allegheny, about thirty 
rods above his house, he discovered a grave, in 
which were the remains of a man, probably a 
French trader. The root of a chestnut-tree, says 
William, a brother of Robert Hooks, who was 
present when the grave was opened, had extended 
or grown over the middle of the body. These 
articles were found in the grave : A French cut- 
las, two feet and two inches long and one and one- 
fourth inches wide, on which was an impression of a 
light horse ; a butcher-knife, on the blade of which 
was impressed the name of " Wilson ; " a copper 
kettle, considerably dented, in which was a quan- 
tity of large beads with square ends, and a number 
of what appeared to be gold finger rings ; and a 
manuscript in French, enveloped in a piece of thin 
oiled silk, which Robert took to some scholar who 
understood the French language to be translated, 
but what it contained William never learned. 
James Stewart has informed the writer that when 
he was surveying on this parcel Robert told him 
about finding that skeleton while building a fence 
where the Allegheny Valley Railroad now is on his 
farm, and with it a copper kettle about half full 
of beads and rings imitating gold, and a ball of 
wax containing a piece of parchment on which 
there was some small handwriting in French, 
which he took or sent to Athens, Ohio, to be trans- 
lated, which gave the man's history, and that after 
leaving Fort Pitt he was wounded on the road 
and was taken care of by a squaw. John Jamison, 
afterward proprietor of the American Furnace, 
where he resided, in a letter to the writer, says : 
" In regard to Robert Hook, as I was informed. 



that in digging postholes for a fence he discov- 
ered a grave, supposed to be an Indian's, in which 
he found a lot of brass rings (I got one of them), 
a brass kettle, and a tin case enclosing a paper on 
which was written in French, describing a place 
where some treasure was buried. Hooks got it 
translated by the Catholic priest in Freeport. The 
neighbors thought it — the treasure — was on the 
old trail between Kittanning and Franklin. At any 
rate, Robert, as it were, disappeared shortly after 
and was absent for a considerable time. When he 
returned he gave no account of himself, but had 
plenty of money — so the story goes." Robert ad- 
mitted to the writer that he had found the skel- 
eton, kettle and trinkets, but denied having found 
the French manuscript. His brother William, on 
the other hand, told the writer that there was no 
use of Robert's denying that, for he did find that 
manuscript. Robert told John Rimer that he 
found it, as the latter informed the writer. 

McConnell & Pritner conveyed 291 acres of this 
tract (No. 5161) to Samuel T. Crow, May 19, 1843, 
for 1875.30. The latter conveyed 101 acres there- 
of to William Crow, July 14, 1855, for $300. John 
Crow conveyed about 47 acres to David Guld, June 
16, 1857, which was a part of the parcel of 118 
acres which Guld agreed to sell to John H. 
and William G. Himer, July 15, 1873, for $3,200. 
The other part of this parcel consisted of about 62 
acres, being a part of the 150 acres lying north 
of No. 5161, for which John Guld obtained a 
warrant, dated January 16, and a patent Jan- 
uary 28, 1851, for 150 acres, which had long ago 
been claimed by David Lawson. Between the 
tract covered by the Guld warrant and patent and 
the above-mentioned parcel conveyed to Oliver 
Gray was a tract containing 168 acres and 80 
perches, improved by Elijah French in April, 1821, 
in whose uninterrupted possession it had contin- 
ued until it was surveyed by J. E. Meredith, June 
24, 1839, and thereafter. The warrant to French 
is dated May 1, 1852, and resurveyed by Meredith 
on the 18th. French was first assessed with 500 
acres and 1 house in Toby township in 1817. 
Fifty-four acres and 150 perches in the southern 
part of his tract had been included in the Hewlett 
Smith survey. Adjoining this tract and the Oliver 
Gray parcel on the south, and skirting the northern 
bend in the Allegheny river, is another parcel con- 
taining about 110 acres, on which Benedict Haas 
settled in 1842, and which he purchased from Gen. 
Orr. He was impressed with the belief that some- 
where on this parcel was a large quantity of gold, 
and was fully persuaded that on a certain occasion 
he almost had it in his grasp, but alas ! his 



264 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



wife spoke wlieii she ought not to have spoken, 
and that valuable treasure became intangible. 

Adjoining the northern part of the Guld tract on 
on the west was one which in 1837 was claimed or 
occupied by Isaac Cousins, who had been assessed 
with it and other land as early as 1830, and with 
which, 160 acres, one horse and two cattle, George 
O. Young was first assessed in this to^vnshij) at 
$250 in 1840, and which was afterward known as 
the Young tract, but for which a warrant was 
granted to Robert Orr December 11, 1851, and 
which he conveyed to John Wills, August 31, 1858, 
for $576. It was occupied by Young and Wills, 
each one-half, until 1868, then by I. Lawrence and 
B. Miller. 

Adjoining the southern part of the Guld tract 
on the west and the northwestern part of the 
Nicholson tract (No. 5161) was the tract, 175 acres 
and 128 perches, survej'ed to Christopher Byerly 
December 11, 1837, on warrant to him November 
14, which Byerly conveyed to Henry Reigle August 
10, 1838, for $1, his " decent and Christian-like 
maintenance during his natural life," and the pay- 
ment of all the just debts which he then owed. 
These conditions must have been performed by 
Reigle, for he conveyed this tract to John Rimer 
March 9, 1847, for $800. 

Adjoining the Cousins-Young-Wills tract on the 
west was the main part of the one, containing 239 
acres and 120 perches, to which Samuel T. Crow 
acquired title by " settler's right," with 200 acres 
of which, a gristmill, one horse and one cow, he 
was first assessed at $126 in 1834. That mill was 
built in 1832 by Thos. Ramsey, a colored man, who 
sold it to Crow. George Craig (big) aided in 
building that mill, which was a log one with tvt^o 
runs of stone. It is related that he carried the sum- 
mer beam, which was from twenty to twenty-five 
feet long and sixteen or eighteen inches square, on 
his shoulder up the side of the building, it being 
steadied with pike-poles held by others, and put it 
in its place. This tract was conveyed by Crow to 
David Cowan March 26, 1840, for $1,000, who in 
1842 was also assessed with a sawmill. Cowan ex- 
changed this property with Samuel Duff July 3, 
1848, for 145 acres of land in Red Bank township, 
Clarion county. Duff conveyed this property to 
Aaron Whittaker's administrator February 2, 1849, 
for $1500, who had conveyed the same and other 
lands in this township to George Ledlie. Thus it 
became a part of the American Furnace property. 

Adjoining the last two mentioned tracts on the 
south and the Nicholson one — No. 5161 — on the 
west, and skirted by the Allegheny river on the 
northwest, was the tract, containing about 270 



acres, to which Robert Orr acquired an inchoate 
title, which he conveyed in two parcels November 
18, 1851, and August 19, 1853, to John Jamison for 
$808, the latter to obtain the title from the Com- 
monwealth at the former's expense. 

The project of erecting the American Furnace 
near the mouth of the run on the former of these 
parcels was inaugurated by Aaron Whittaker of 
Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1846, when he 
was first assessed with 494 acres in this township. 
He, John Jamison and George Ledlie April 24, 

1847, associated themselves under the firm name of 
Whittaker, Jamison & Co. in the art and business 
of making pig-iron at that furnace. Whittaker 
transferred to them the undivided two-thirds of the 
furnace and its appurtenances, and of about' 800 
acres of land in this township at two-thirds of the 
cost thereof, leaving the other undivided third as 
his share, and $1,000 as his compensation for his 
personal services thus far in the erection of the 
works. Whittaker's administrator conveyed all of 
Whittaker's interest in the furnace and lands and 
other things appurtenant to Ledlie December 23, 

1 848, for $4,000, and the amount of liens of purchase- 
money then due to divers persons. Ledlie con- 
veyed all his interest in furnace and lands and 
other property belonging to it to Jamison July 12, 
1854, for $8,000. This was originally a hot-blast 
charcoal furnace, 8 feet across the bosh and 28 feet 
high,andmadel,600 tons of forge metal in 41 weeks 
in 1856, averaged 33 tons per week until 1858, 
when it was changed to a coke furnace and there- 
after averaged 50 tons a week, when in blast, out of 
fossiliferous limestone ore, outcroj>ping horizon- 
tally among the coal measures in all directions 
within a circuit of three miles around the furnace, 
until 1860, when it ceased to be operated. Jami- 
son leased it and all jsroperty connected with it, 
July 11, to R. C. Loomis, to whom the title subse- 
quently passed. He conveyed 788 acres, including 
the furnace, to John Rimer November 10, 1864, for 
$2,500. This point has since been called Rimer- 
ton, an important railroad station; sixteeji town 
lots, with areas varying from one-fourth to three- 
fourtlis aci'e on both sides Mill run, have been laid 
out. The Rimer postoffice, John Rimer, postmas- 
ter, was established here December 9j 1868. The 
first separate assessment list of Rimerton was in 
1867, according to which there were then in it 19 
taxables, 1 innkeeper, 1 merchant and 1 laborer. 
The real estate was valued at $2,229; personal, 
$44; and occupations, $150. 

That in 1876 shows: 19 taxables, 2 storekeepers, 
1 innkeeper, 7 laborers and 1 shoemaker. The 
telegraph ofiice was established here in . 



I 





johH KeelV. 



Vlf^S.JOHH KeelY. 




FfES. OF' JOHN KEELY. 



> 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



265 



Rev. B. B. Killikelly preached here monthly in 

1853. 

ISText above the American Furnace tract along 
the Allegheny river was the "Andrew Early Im- 
provement," as it is designated on the map of 
original tracts. Andrew Early was first assessed 
with 200 acres '' imp." and one cow at $158 in 
Toby township in 1819. Among drafts in J. E. 
Meredith's possession is one in the handwriting of 
Thomas Barr, one of the deputy surveyors of this 
county: Beginning at a linuwood on the Alle- 
gheny river; thence north 1 degree east 120 
perches to a post; thence north 25 degrees west 
220 perches to a post; thence south 31 degrees 
west 170 perches to a black oak on the river; 
thence down the river by five different courses 
and distances 280 perches to the place of be- 
ginning, containing 207 acres and 35 perches; 
surveyed July 14, to Early, in pursuance of a war- 
rant dated April 5, 1820. Meredith surveyed 168 
acres and 30 jjerches of this tract to Christopher 
Ruffner February 22; 1841, with 100 acres of which 
the latter was first assessed in 1843, and a few 
years afterward with the entire parcel, which now 
belongs to his heirs. Another parcel of 75 acres 
and 80 perches was conveyed by Earley to Aaron 
Jeffries July 17, 1846, for §200, which passed by 
sheriff's sale to William Hindman March 17, 1857, 
who, through his attorney-in-fact, conveyed it to 
John Jamison June 28, when it was included in 
the American Furnace property. 

Next above the last-mentioned tract, along the 
river up to the line of Holland land, was the one 
to which Samuel Earley, the father of Andrew, ac- 
quired title by settler's right, which at first in- 
cluded 340 acres. He was first assessed with 200 
acres of it, 2 horses and 2 cows, at $220, in 1806, 
and the next year with 1 horse, 1 cow, and 120 
acres, "the rest taken by Holland company" at 
$120. He was subsequently assessed with 200 
acres until 1828, and thereafter his widow until 
1831, and thereafter his son, John Earley, Sr., to 
whom the patent was granted. May 11, 1854. He 
conveyed 25 acres of it to John Paxton, April 1, 
1863, for $400, and the latter, 20 acres to Ernest 
H. Cramer and Isaac Fair, April 1, 1867, for $600, 
on which the former and W. J. Kromer commenced 
the manufacture of wagons and wagon-spokes in 
the spring of 1868, which the former still con- 
tinues. Paxton conveyed 2 acres to Benjamin 
Blanchard, January 19, 1867, for $800, and the 
latter the same to Isaac Mast, December 15, 1870, 
for $900. 

Passing, for the present, the contiguous Holland 
tract bordering on the river, another Nicholson 



tract, No. 1151, is reached. The warrant to Nich- 
olson is dated April 20, 1792, and covers 1,000 
acres. Nicholson having become indebted to the 
Commonwealth, the act of March 31, 1806, for the 
more speedy and effectual collection of her debts, 
and its supplement of March 19, 1807, were passed. 
Cadwallader Evans, Jr., and John Lyon, two of the 
commissioners appointed by virtue of the former 
of these acts, certified that at a public sale of the 
lands belonging to the estate of Nicholson, subject 
to the lien of the Commonwealth upon them, held 
at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1807, this 
tract, supposed to contain 1,000 acres, at the mouth 
and on both sides of the Red Bank creek, was 
purchased by Thomas Hamilton, then of Greens- 
burgh, Pennsylvania. The patent for it was 
granted to him November 1,1811. It was one of 
the tracts which he directed his executors to sell 
for the payment of certain legacies.* They ac- 
cordingly conveyed it to Richard Reynolds Janu- 
ary 21, 1837, for $1,000, who settled the same year 
on that part of it on the Allegheny river below 
the mouth of Red Bank, whose executor conveyed 
538 acres to Andrew Schall, May 11, 1859, for 
$6,000, which proved to be a fortunate purchase, 
for he conveyed 14io-'o acres to the Allegheny Valley 
Railroad Company, January 2, 1871, for $6,645 ; 
to Robert Hays 15 acres and 20 perches, Decem- 
ber 7, 1872, for $1,000 ; 1 acre to Emanuel Wiser, 
November 13, 1873, for $1,200; and 200 acres to 
Allen Anchors, March 13, 1876, for $11,000, or 
about 231 acres for $19,845, leaving a residue of 
over 300 acres unsold. 

East of the mouth of Red Bank 2 |i miles in 
an airline was the western boundary of another 
Nicholson tract. No. 1150, 1,000 acres, which, like 
the last-mentioned one, does not appear on the as- 
sessment list until 1813. The northwestern por- 
tion of it is traversed by the Red Bank, whose 
course here is southern, at a point on which, nearly 
west from what is now called the Hawk school- 
house, the Indians had a smelting furnace. A pris- 
oner who had been with them seven years told the 
late James Watterson that he had carried to it 
lead ore from where the Indians dug it out of the 
ground, between it and Dogwood flat, which must 
have been one of the places in which they con- 
cealed the ore, transported thither from some othei- 
region where it abounds. The geological features 
do not indicate — no one has yet found — the pres- 
ence of a vein of such ore anywhere along this 
stream. It has been mentioned to the writer that 
a prisoner among the Indians by the name of 
Guthrie stated that their mode of concealing lead 



' See borough of Kittanuiug, 



266 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and silvei' ore was in an excavation made in the 
earth in which the ore was placed, and then so 
skillfully covered that persons not cognizant of 
the deposit would not notice that the surface of 
the ground had been broken. The depositors 
could describe it to others only by certain trees, 
streams, or other natural indexes at or near the 
place of deposit, from which the 'ore was some- 
times carried in blankets to the smelting furnaces. 

This tract, like the last preceding one, was con- 
veyed to Thomas Hamilton by the Commonwealth. 
The earliest settler on it was probably Philip 
Essex,^who was first assessed in Toby township 
with 2 cows, at $10, in 1806 ; with 200 acres 
"imp.," and'l cow, at $30, in 1807 ; with 100 acres 
in 1812, and 200 acres in 1813. The tract must 
have been divided into six parcels, with various 
areas. Essex occupied the eastern end of the 
northwestern one, which was traversed by an old 
Indian trail from the mouth of Mahoning across 
the Red Bank at Lawsonham, and thence north- 
westerly, along which Jerry Lochery, it is said, 
was wounded while on one of his scouting expe- 
ditions in the olden time. Benjamin Leasure was' 
first assessed with lOT acres between Essex and 
the Red Bank, at $107, in 1816. The map of origi- 
nal tracts indicates that Fleming Davidson occu- 
pied that portion of this parcel on the west, or 
Clarion side, of the Red Bank. Hamilton agreed, 
September 7, 1813, to sell 156 acres of this parcel 
to Leasure and Essex. They not having paid any 
of the purchase m.oney, and not having been able 
to do so, renounced, released and quitclaimed those 
1 50 acres " on the road leading from Kittanning to 
David Lawson's," September 16, 1820, which Ham- 
ilton's executor conveyed to Leasure September 1, 
1832, for $82. Hamilton devised this tract to 
Thomas McConnell, who devised it to " the chil- 
dren, male and female, of Richard Reynolds." 
They conveyed 882 acres of it to their father 
February 19, 1846, for $3,000, and he conveyed 
769 acres to Reynolds and Richey, March 23, 1846, 
for $3,845. 

Another early occupant of this tract was Charles 
Edwards, who was first assessed with 100 acres of 
it and 1 cow, at $106, in 1821. He was succeeded 
by George Plowk, who was first assessed as a single 
man, and with 125 acres, including the last-men- 
tioned 100 in Toby township, in 1823, at $125, 
to whom Reynolds and Richey conveyed 183 acres 
and 135 perches, June 19, 1854, for $1,500, on 
which parcel is situated the last-mentioned school- 
house, on the road to Lawsonham. Hawk in his 
lifetime, June 11, 1864, conveyed 46 acres and 92 
perches to Samuel Hawk for $460. Reynolds and 



Richey conveyed another parcel, 169 acres and 130 
perches, to Joseph Earley, April 29, for $1,190, of 
which the latter conveyed 61 acres and 27 perches 
to John W. Paine (who was captured by the rebels 
at the battle of Gettysburg, and confined as a 
prisoner for several months at Belle Isle), April 7, 
1869, for $1,000. 

In a deep bend in the Jtlahoning, in the south- 
eastern part of this township, was a tract, 330 
acres, warranted to Joseph Cook, the patent for 
which was granted to John Davis March 12, 1798. 
The southern part of it having become vested in 
Andrew W. and Robert W. Porter, of Indiana 
county, they assigned it to Richard B. McCabe in 
June, 1839, who conveyed it to Alexander Colwell 
September 28, 1841, for $90, and Colwell to Owen 
Sullivan, 131 acres, December 5, 1857, for $1,000. 
Davis conveyed the upper or northern part to 
Christopher Repine, November 1, 1801 ; Repine to 
James Hannegan, May 24, 1833 ; Hannegan to 
Colwell, September 14, 1839; and Colwell to 
George Martin, 104 acres and 60 perches, Novem- 
ber 9, 1841, for $500. 

There was a strip of vacant land, extending from 
the western line of the Herman LeRoy & Co. 
tract. No. 3001, skirting "Springfield" on the east 
and north, along the Allegheny river and the 
southern boundary of Holland lauds to where the 
latter strikes the river, about eighty rods above 
the second run below the mouth of Red Bank, the 
width of which was varied by the bends and 
courses of the river. The eastern portion of that 
vacant land was occupied by Jacob Moyers as 
early, probably, as 1801-2. His name does not 
appear at all on the Toby township assessment 
list, and not on that of Red Bank township until 
1816, when he was assessed as John Moyers, with 
400 acres, two horses and two cows, at $194. The 
mistake in his Christian name was corrected on the 
next year's list, *. e., changed from John to Jacob, 
by erasing the former and substituting the latter. 
He must have escaped the notice of the assessor 
for fourteen or fifteen years, for Philip Mechling 
remembers having seen him at Kittanning soon 
after his father and family removed thither in 
1805. Moyers obtained a warrant for 440 acres, 
dated December 2, 1837, which was surveyed to 
him by J. E. Meredith, deputy surveyor, February 
12, 1839, to the acceptance of whose return of sur- 
vey Aaron Gray and Robert Orr filed their caveat, 
alleging that Moyers had lately purchased a part of 
the vacant land from the Holland Company with- 
out the knowledge of their agent, thereby defraud- 
ing the commonwealth of the purchase nioney for 
about one huiulred and fifty acres, and throwing 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



267 



out at another place a vacancy where it did not 
adjoin the remaining vacancy on the west, which 
would likely be a loss to the commonwealth and 
every other person except Meyer; and that he had 
surveyed on his warrant 440 instead of 400 acres, 
thus encroaching still further west upon and de- 
priving them of their right to a full tract of 400 
acres. They were, however, willing for him to 
have 400 acres surveyed on his warrant west of 
the Holland land, i. e., the above-mentioned tract 
covered by warrant No. 3001, but not to throw out 
and take in of the vacancy where he pleased for 
the purpose of encroaching upon them further to 
the west. The result was an action of ejectment 
by Orr against Moyer, to No. 34 September term, 
1840, in the court of common pleas of this county. 
The ease was tried at December term, 1841, and 
the verdict of the jury, on the 21st, was for 
the plaintiff, by establishing the line running 
north from the Black Oak corner on the line of 
John EUiott (" Springfield") as his eastern bound- 
ary, as marked on the general diagram, and found 
for him all the land west of that line, with nominal 
amounts for damages and costs, on which judgment 
was entei-ed. John Smith, of Kiskiminetas town- 
ship, this county, and David Peeler, of Indiana 
county, were the surveyors under the rule of 
court. Moyer obtained his patent for 400 acres 
east of that line, March 17, 1846, the tract having 
been resurveyed on the 2d by order of the board of 
property. 

THE HOLLAND LAND COMPANY. 

The rest or major part of the territory within 
the present limits of this township was covered by 
warrants to The Holland Land Company, and be- 
cause so much of the area of this township was 
thus covered (as well as portions of other town- 
ships), a sketch of that company is here given. 

It was organized at the city of Amsterdam, in 
the Kingdom of Holland, in the latter part of the 
eighteenth century. Its original members were 
Wilhelm Willink, Nicholas Van Staphorst, Pieter 
Stadnitski, Christian Van Eghen, Hendrick Vol- 
leuhoven and Rutgert Jan Schimmelpenninek, of 
that city ; at least those are the names mentioned 
in a prevention patent for a tract called "Nor- 
mandy," dated October 7, 1799. They were joint 
tenants, subject to the right of survivorship, except, 
perhaps, for about sixteen years. The act of 
assembly of Pennsylvania, March 24, 1828, pro- 
vided that the act of March 31, 1812, abolishing 
survivorship in joint tenancy, should not apply to 
the lands held by that company in this state and 
sold under either the former act or the act of 
March 31, 1823, which were acts enabling them 



and their vendees, though aliens, to seH and pur- 
chase their lands, as. though they were not aliens. 
Stadnitski, Van Eghen and Van Staphorst died 
prior to April, 1805, and 'subsequently Willink, 
VoUenhoven, Van Henkelom and Schimmelpen- 
ninek. 

The original members, it is said, had loaned 
large amounts of money, either directly to the 
United States, or, indirectly, to Robert Morris, to 
aid in achieving American independence. As they 
preferred to invest the amount which they received, 
after the close of the revolutionary war, in this 
country, they purchased from Morris, in 1792, an 
immense quantity of land west of the Genesee 
river, in the State of New York, on which" they, as 
one of their agents stated, lost $3,000,000. They 
acquired, about the same time, inchoate titles to 
numerous tracts of land in Pennsylvania, on both 
sides of the Allegheny river, in the territory in- 
cluded in the purchases from the Six Nations, at 
Fort Stanwix, October 23, 1784, and from the Dela- 
wares and Wyandots at Fort Mcintosh in Janu- 
ary, 1785. The boundaries of these purchases 
began "at the south side of the Ohio river, where 
the western boundary of the State of Pennsylvania 
crosses the said river, near Shingho's old town, at the 
mouth of Beaver creek, and thence by a due north 
line to the end of the forty-second and the begin- 
ning of the forty-third degrees of north latitude, 
thence by a due east line, separating the forty- 
second and forty-third degrees of north latitude, 
to the east side of the east branch of the river Sus- 
quehanna, and thence by the bounds of the pur- 
chase line of 1768 to the place of beginning," 
which included all the northwestern part of this 
state, except the triangle bordering on Lake Erie, 
which, having been purchased from the Indians by 
the United States, January 9, 1789, by the treaty 
at. Fort Hai-mon, for £1,200, was conveyed by the 
latter to Pennsylvania, March 3, 1792, for $150,- 
640.25. " The Holland Company," said Judge 
Yeates, at Mai-ch term, 1800, in the Commonwealth 
vs. Tench Coxe, "have paid to the state the consid- 
eration money of 1,162 warrants, and the survey- 
ing fees on 1,048 tracts of land, besides making- 
very considerable expenditures by their exertions, 
honorable to themselves and useful to the com- 
munity, in order to effect settlements. Computing 
the sums advan-ced, the lost tracts, by prior im- 
provements and interferences, and the quantity of 
100 acres granted to each individual for making a 
settlement on their lands," i. e., west of the Alle- 
gheny river, "it is said, that, averaging the whole, 
betAveen |!230 and $240 have been expended by the 
company on each tract of land they now claim." 



268 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Forty of those tracts, within the original limits 
«)f Armstrong county, that is, between Toby's 
creek, now Clarion river, and the purchase line, 
were covered by warrants to Herman Le Roy and 
John Linklain, of the State of New York. Will- 
iam Bayard, of the same state, appears to have 
succeeded to Linklain's interest in these tracts 
prior to April, 1805, for he and Le Roy were then 
two of the complainants in the bill of interpleader 
in the circuit court of the United States for the 
district of Pennsylvania, in which Jesse Wain, 
Isaac Wharton, in his lifetime, David Lewis, Sam- 
uel M. Fox, in his lifetime, and John Adlum,* citi- 
zens of the United States, were defendants. That 
proceeding was instituted for the purpose of ascer- 
taining to whom and in what proportion belonged 
the title, estate and interest to 145 tracts of land 
and unsatisfied warrants in this state, which had 
been sold for taxes due the United States, and con- 
veyed by John Smith, United States marshal for 
the district of Pennsylvania, by his deed dated 
May 23, 1805, to Paul Burti, who purchased for the 
company. These tracts were, of course, claimed by 
both comj^lainants and defendants. After hearing 
the bill and answer, October 31, ISOT, it was ordered 
and decreed by the court that a conveyance be 
made to the defendants Wain, Wharton's heirs 
and Lewis, in proportion to their claims, and in 
favor of Fox's heirs and Adlum for the residue. 
In obedience to that decree Burti, in whom, as 
agent of the complainants, was the legal title, con- 
veyed to the defendants their respective portions 
of these tracts, February 25, 1812, of which pai-- 
tition was made among such of the defendants as 
were living and the heirs of such as were dead, 
by virtue of the act of March 28, 1814, and its 
supplement of February 6, 1815. 

Twenty-five of the tracts covei'ed by warrants to 
H. LeRoy & Co. contained, respectively, 990 acres, 
and some of the other fifteen of them contained more 
and others less than that number. They aggre- 
gated 38,S'72 acres. Twenty-eight tracts were cov- 
ered by warrants to Wilhelm Willink & Co., of 
which one contained 880, and each of the rest 990 
acres, aggregating 2*7,610 acres. Those tracts ap- 
peal to have been taken up both by Le Roy & Co. 
and Willink & Co. under the act of April 8, 1785, 
according to which the secretary of the land office 
was to receive applications for lands in the above- 
mentioned late purchases, except north and west of 
the Ohio and Allegheny rivers and the Conewango 
creek, not exceeding 1,000 acres in one application, 
after the price had been reduced by the first section 
of the act of April 3, 1792, to £o per 100 acres of 

* See Cowanshannock township. 



the land embraced in those purchases east of the 
Allegheny river and Conewango creek, which were 
not subject to the rigid conditions of settlement of 
those on the other side of these streams. 

The Holland Company soon after its organiza- 
tion appointed Paul Burti, an Italian gentleman, 
of Bloekley's Retreat, Philadelphia — whose house, 
now on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Hospital 
for the Insane, is occupied by Dr. Thomas S. Kirk- 
bride* — and Harm Jan Huidekoper, a Holland 
gentleman, of Meadville, their agents and attorneys- 
in-fact, the latter being designated in one of the 
former's letters of attorney to David Lawson, 
" the general superintending agent." They not 
only sold lands belonging to the company, but in 
some instances acquired and held in themselves 
the legal title to some of the latter's tracts, 
and as grantors conveyed tracts and parcels of 
tracts to purchasers. Patents for various tracts 
were granted to them in trust for the company. 
For instance, John Smith, United States Marshal 
for Pennsylvania, conveyed to them October 16, 
1804, the interest of James Wilson, who was a 
prominent member of the convention of this state 
for the ratification of the Federal Constitution, in 
thirty tracts, partly in Brodhead's former district 
No. 6. Huidekoper released his part to Burti 
March 16, 1811, more or less of which the latter 
conveyed to the company's vendees. The records 
of this county show incidentally that Robert Beatty 
was their sub-agent for the sale of Holland lands 
east of the Allegheny and south of Toby's creek 
prior to 1811. Burti executed two letters of attor- 
ney to David Lawson August 19, 1811, one author- 
izing him to sell lands warranted to Willink & 
Co. and to Le Roy & Co., to receive moneys on 
contracts of sale, and such as were due on con- 
tracts made by Beatty, and to be subject to the 
instructions that he might from time to time 
receive from either Burti or Huidekoper. He 
continued to act as such until 1817-18. 

Some of the company's extensive sales in the 
fifth and sixth, or Brady's and Brodhead's, districts 
were : By Burti, as attorney-in-fact, by article of 
agreement. May 2, 1816, to sell to Benjamin B. Coop- 
er, of Coopersport, New Jersey, 253 tracts, some 
of which were in this county, or to such person or 
persons as the latter should appoint, provided that 
title should not be made to any of them until all 
the purchase money should be paid. Proceeding 
not in chronological order, Burti conveyed to 
Cooper the legal title in him to 47 tracts, covered 
by warrants to Le Roy & Co., dated December 13, 
1792, some of the patents for which were granted 

*To"\vnsend Ward's Walk to l-)arby. 



A 








JOH^^ T. J/GKSON. 



^IP^5.J0H^/ T. JACKSOI^. 




FvES. OF JOHH T. JACKSOK. 



'^-/Sss. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



269 



to him, p,nd others to him and Huidekoper, in 1812 
and^'lSlS ; and the same day Burti, as attorney-in- 
facj, for the company, conveyed 25 other tracts, 
covered by warrants to Willink et al., dated De- 
cember 13, 1792, for which patents were granted 
to them August 26, September 6, October 14, No- 
vember 4, 5, 6, 1802. The consideration expressed 
in each of tliese conveyances was $1, whence it is 
inferrible that the full consideration was paid at 
some other time, and perhaps in some other way 
than by cash. Cooper executed his letter of attor- 
ney to David Lawson November 18, 1816. Cooper 
and Charles C. Gaskill entered into an agreement 
April 1, 1818, authorizing the latter to sell the 
lands which the former had agreed to purchase 
from the company. May 3, 1816, in farms of not 
less than 50 or more than 500 acres each. Under 
that agreement it was made optional with Gaskill 
to take about 100,000 acres of those 253 tracts, at 
any time in three years after the date of the agree- 
ment, at $2 per acre, with interest from January 1, 
1819, in ten annual payments, or at an annual 
ground-rent of 14 cents per acre, redeemable at 
^ny time before January 1, 1^30, at $2 per acre 
and arrearages of ground-rent ; or to take 5 per 
cent on all sales of those lands that he might 
make. He must have accepted the last-mentioned 
condition, as Mrs. Cooper, February 8, 1819, exe- 
cuted a release of her dower to every person that 
had purchased, and that might thereafter purchase, 
any of those lands from Gaskill by virtue of the 
above-mentioned agreement between him and her 
husband. Gaskill, as Cooper's executor, conveyed 
some parcels after Cooper's death. 

The company, by their attorney-in-fact, con- 
veyed 65 tracts, partly in this county, July 27, 
1816, to Sommers Baldwin, then of Troy, Jefferson 
county, Pennsylvania, but formerly of Fairfield 
county, Connecticut, for $75,284.06, for which he 
gave his obligations, for securing which he gave his 
mortgage on those tracts. May 28, 1819, to Burti 
and Vanderkemp. The latter became the sole 
mortgagee on the death of the former, which oc- 
curred some time after March 19, 1823. Baldwin 
sold or agreed to sell 38 parcels of these tracts, 
varying in quantity from four acres to a thousand, 
to Hewlett Smith, of New Haven county, Conn., 
and thirty-five others. Baldwin died intestate, with- 
out having satisfied that mortgage. Henry Jack, 
of Jefferson county, was appointed administrator 
of his estate, against whom judgment was obtained 
for the above-mentioned amount, on which writs 
of levari facias were issued to the sheriffs of Arm- 
strong and Indiana counties, on which Jacob 
Mechling, sheriff of the former county, sold 13 
17 



tracts covered by warrants to LeRoy & Co., and 
the same number, covered by warrants to Willink 
<fe Co., to Vanderkemp, for $500 ; and Clemence 
McGarra, sheriff of Indiana county, sold 33 LeRoy 
& Co. tracts and 13 Willink & Co. tracts to Van- 
derkemp for $1,000. Both of these sales were in 
December, 1826. The name of Vanderkemp was 
used in those proceedings in trust for the company. 
He executed a letter of attorney to Gaskill, June 
16, 1825, authorizing him to sell those lands, and 
he continued in charge of those Holland lands in 
this, Indiana and Jefferson counties until the 
spring of 1849. 

On August 14, 1816, Burti, as holder of the legal 
title, conveyed 21 LeRoy & Co. tracts, partly in 
this county, for $15,120, and, as attorney-in-fact, 27 
Willink & Co. tracts, for $19,000, August 14, 1816, 
to Oliver W. Ogden, of New Gei-mantown, New 
Jersey, for the aggregate amount of which he gave 
his mortgage thereon to Burti and Vanderkemp, 
and appointed David Lawson his attorney-in-fact 
to sell those tracts, which, however, he re-conveyed 
to Burti aixd Vanderkemp May 3, 1819, for $34>,682, 
and they executed their letter of attorney August 
9 to Eben S. Kelly, authorizing him to satisfy that 
mortgage, which he did September 15. 

Several of the company's tracts in this county 
were sold for taxes. Thomas Hamilton, county 
treasurer, sold one of them to the county commis- 
sioners, October 10, 1818; Samuel Matthews, county 
treasurer, one, October 25, 1820, and eleven others, 
October 1, 1822, which the commissioners conveyed 
to Vanderkemp, March 24, and he to Willink & 
Co., November 7, 1826. 

The act of March 31, 1823, authorized the 
company to sell their lands and their vendees to 
purchase them, though they or any of them were 
aliens, notwithstanding any previous law to the 
contrary. 

In 1849 the surviving members of the company 
were Walrave Van Henkelom, Wilhelm Willink, 
Jr., and Gerret Schimmelpenninck, Rutgert Jan's 
son. On April 26 they, by their attorney-in-fact, 
John Jacob Vanderkemp, whom the company had 
appointed as such and as the successor to Paul 
Burti, deceased, September 5, 1824, conveyed all 
their lands, tracts, pieces and parcels of land, tene- 
ments and hereditaments that had not been pre- 
viously conveyed, including all outstanding con- 
tracts for the sale and purchase of their lands in 
Armstrong, Indiana and Jefferson counties, to 
Alexander Colwell, Dr. John Gilpin, Horatio N. 
Lee, of the borough of Kittanning, Alexander Rey- 
nolds and David Richey, then of Madison town- 
ship, in this county, embracing 23,083 acres and 45 



370 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



perches of unsold land, and about 55,000 acres sub- 
ject to executory contracts, for $50,000 — the ven- 
dors not to be liable for the payment of money due 
or to become due on these contracts, or for any 
judgments, mortgages or other evidences of debt 
arising from any of these contracts. Reynolds 
entered into a conditional agreement with his co- 
purchasers, August 11, 1835, to purchase their sev- 
eral interests in about 21,000 acres of these lands 
for $26,130. By divers transfers that agreement 
was consummated, and these interests became 
vested in him and P. Jenks Smith, of Philadelphia. 
All the lands which were included in the purchase 
from the Holland Company, except about 1,000 
acres, have been sold at such an advance that the 
last purchasers have realized handsomely from their 
ventures, besides a considerable amount still due 
them on executory contracts. Some of those lands 
have since become so valuable that they cannot 
now be purchased for less than twenty-six times 
the price for which Reynolds and his co-purchasers 
sold them. 

The sketch of the Holland Company has thus far 
been confined to its operations east of the Alle- 
gheny river and Conewango creek. It remains to 
be stated what obstacles they had to meet and 
overcome in their purchases on the other side of 
those streams, in the presentation of which it is 
necessary to keep in mind the provisions of the act 
of assembly of April 8,1792, entitled " An act for the 
sale of vacant lands within this Commonwealth." 
The first section relates to the price and sale of lands 
within the purchase of 1*768, east of the Allegheny 
river and the Conewango creek. The other sections 
relate chiefly to the sale and purchase of the lands 
north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers, 
and west of the Conewango creek, and, among 
other things, fixed the price of those lands at £"7 
10s. per 100 acres to such persons as would settle, 
cultivate and improve them or cause them to be 
settled, cultivated and improved; required each 
tract not to contain more than 400 acres, its shape 
to be oblong, the full quantity of each warrant to 
be surveyed in one entire tract, and not to contain 
in front on any navigable river or lake more than 
one-half its length or depth, and ten per cent sur- 
plus to be allowed and paid for when the patent 
should be granted. The phraseology of the ninth 
section, and especially of its proviso, occasioned 
much difference of opinion as to the intent of the 
legislature, and, consequently, a great deal of liti- 
gation. 

That section required that a warrant should not 
be issued or a survey made in that part of the state 
to vest any title in the lands there unless the 



grantee had, before the date of his warrant, made 
or caused to be made an actual settlement thereon 
by clearing, fencing and cultivating at least two 
acres for every 100 acres contained in one survey, 
erecting tJiereon a messuage for the habitation of 
man, and residing or causing a family to reside 
thereon for the space of five years next following 
his or her first settling of the same, if he or she 
should so long live; and in default of such settle- 
ment it should be lawful for the Commonwealth to 
issue new warrants, reciting the original ones, and 
that actual settlements and residence had not been 
made in pursuance thereof, and so often as default 
in those respects should be made, and that new 
grants should be made subject to all the regula- 
tions in the act. " Provided always, nevertheless, 
that if any such actual settler, or any grantee in 
any such original or succeeding warrant shall, by 
force of arms of the enemies of the United States, 
be prevented from making such actual settlement, or 
be driven therefrom, and shall persist in his en- 
deavors to malce such actual settlement as aforesaid, 
then, in either case, he and his heirs shall be en- 
titled to have and to hold the said lands in the 
same manner as if the actual settlement had been 
made and continued." 

Along with the requirements of that act should 
also be kept in mind the specially perilous con- 
dition of that part of the state, resulting from the 
then pending Indian war. The perils to settlers, 
or those who attempted to settle there, were fear- 
fully enhanced by the disastrous defeat of Gen. 
Harmar in October, 1*790, and that of Gen. St. Clair, 
in November, 1791. It is a well established fact 
that settlements by the whites in that region were 
unsafe vmtil 1796. There was, nevertheless, a 
great contrariety of opinion on the bench, at the 
bar, and among the people as to the requirements 
of that section and its proviso respecting the set- 
tlement to be made, and the persistent endeavors 
required to effect a settlement under these peril- 
ous circumstances, on those lands. 

One portion insisted that the conditions of actual 
settlement and residence, required by the act, were 
dispensed with, on account of the prevention for 
two years after the date of a warrant by Indian 
hostilities, and that the warrant-holder was not 
bound to do anything further, but was entitled 
to a patent. Another portion insisted that the 
right under the warrant was forfeited at the ex- 
piration of two years, without a settlement, and 
that actual settlers might then enter on such tracts 
and hold them by making a settlement. 

A great deal of litigation resulted from the con- 
trariety of construction of that act, which, for nearly 




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v/ J. JACKSOJsf, 



|Vlf^o. \a/. J. J>\CK60i/, 




F^ES. OF VV'VI. J. JACKSOH. 



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MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



271 



a quarter of a ceutury, was suffered to dishearten 
many people from settling that particular region, 
even after the perils from the Indian hostilities 
had ceased. It seems strange that the legislature, 
when it became apparent how great a difference 
there was in the construction of that act, did not 
so amend or supplement it as to relieve it from 
that difference and check the resultant evils. Chief 
Justice Tighlman intimated in Hazard's lessee vs. 
Lowrey,* that the ninth section was " expressed 
with such obscurity as to have occasioned great 
diversity of opinion among men of the first abili- 
ties." And Justice Yeates in the hereinafter-men- 
tioned motion for a mandamus on the secretary of 
the land office said in reference to that act, he had 
hoped " that the difficulties attendant on the pres- 
ent motion would have been brought before the 
justice and equity of the legislature for solution, 
and not come before the judicial authority, who 
are compelled to deliver the law as they find it 
written, for decision." And further on in the same 
case, he continued : " Though such great disagree- 
ment has obtained as to the true meaning of this 
ninth section, both sides agree in this, that it is 
worded very inaccurately, inartificially and ob- 
scurely." It is passing strange that the legisla- 
ture did not, after those severe judicial criticisms, 
correct the faulty phraseology of that section and 
its proviso. Because legislative wisdom and acu- 
men were not thus exercised, the Holland Company, 
as well as numerous individuals, were involved in 
expensive litigation. 

It was under that act that the Holland Company 
took out many of their warrants. They, like 
others, could not make the settlements required by 
the strict letter of that act, within two years from 
the dates of their warrants, on account of the In- 
dian hostilities. The board of property during 
Gov. Mifflin's administration construed that act as 
meaning that the warrantees were entitled to pat- 
ents after two years' prevention, and, with the 
advice of Attorney-General Ingersoll, framed a 
prevention certificate, setting forth that the war- 
rantee or settler, as the case might be, had been 
prevented from making a settlement on a de- 
scribed tract of land containing 400 acres or less, 
conformable to that ninth section and proviso, 
by force of arms of the enemies of the United 
States, and that he had persisted in his endeavors 
to make such settlement, up)on which, when signed 
by two justices of the peace, a prevention patent, 
as it was called, was issued. This practice con- 
tinued until 1800, and under it the Holland Com- 
pany obtained numerous prevention patents. Gov. 

* 1 Binney , 106. 



McKean was elected in October, 1799. The new 
board of property construed that proviso differ- 
ently from their predecessors, and their practice 
in granting such patents as not binding. Tench 
Coxe, who was then secretary of the land office, re- 
fused to issue any more of them. The company 
then moved the supreme court for a rule to show 
cause why a mandamus should not be awarded com- 
manding him to i^repare and deliver divers patents 
on prevention certificates. The case* was fully 
argued at March term, 1800. The court differed 
in opinion. Chief Justice Shippen held that " the 
legislature meant to sell the remaining lands of 
the state, particularly those lying on the north and 
west of the rivers Ohio and Allegheny. The con- 
sideration was to be paid on issuing the warrants. 
They had likewise another object, namely, that, if 
possible, the land should be settled by improvers. 
The latter terms, however, were not to be exacted 
from the grantees at all events," i. e., in all exigen- 
cies that might arise. " The act passed at a time 
when hostilities existed on the part of the Indian 
tribes. It was uncertain when they would cease. 
The legislature, therefore, contemplated that war- 
rants might be taken out during the existence of 
these hostilities, which might continue so long as 
to make it impossible for the wai-rantees to make 
the settlements required, for a length of time, not 
perhaps, until after these hostilities should entirely 
cease. Yet they made no provision that the settle- 
ments should be made within a reasonable time 
after the peace, but expressly within two years 
after the date of the warrants. As, however, they 
wished to sell the lands and were to receive the 
consideration money immediately, it would have 
been unreasonable, and probably have defeated 
their views in selling, to require settlements to be 
made on each tract of 400 acres, houses to be built, 
and lands to be cleared, in case such acts should be 
rendered impossible by the continuance of the 
Indian war. They, therefore, make the proviso 
which is the subject of the present dispiute." He 
then asks : " When were such actual settlements 
to be made ? " His reply is : " The same section 
of the act which contains the above proviso gives 
a direct and unequivocal answer to this question, 
' within the space of two years next after the date 
of warrant.' " He then argues : " If the settle- 
ments were not made within that time, owing 
to the force or reasonable dread of the enemies 
of the United States, and it was evident that 
the parties had used their best endeavors to 
effect the settlement, then, by the express words 
of the law, the residence of the improvers for 
»The Commonwealth vs. Tench Coxe, i DaUas, 170. 



272 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



five years afterward was expressly dispensed 
with, and their titles to the land were complete, 
and patents might issue accordingly. It is con- 
tended that the words 'persist in their endeav- 
ors' in the proviso should be extended to mean 
that, if within two years, they should be prevented 
by the Indian hostilities from making the settle- 
ment, yet when they should no longer be prevented 
by these hostilities, as by a treaty of peace, it was 
incumbent on them then to persist to make such 
settlement. The legislature might, if they had so 
pleased, have exacted these terms, and they would 
not, perhaps, have been unreasonable, but they 
have not done so ; they have expressly confined the 
time of making such settlements to two years from 
the date of the warrant. * * * If the contrary 
had been their meaning they would not have made 
use of the word ' endeavors,' which supposes a pos- 
sibility at least, if not a probability, as things then 
stood, of those endeavors failing on account of the 
hostilities, and would, therefore, have expressly 
exacted actual settlements to be made when the 
purchasers should no longer run any risk in making 
them. 

"The state having received the consideration 
money and required a settlement within two years, 
if not prevented by the enemies, and in that case 
dispensing with the condition of settlement and 
residence, and declaring that the title shall be then 
good and as effectual as if the settlement had been 
made and continued, I cannot conceive they could 
mean to exact that settlement at any future indefi- 
nite time. * * * It is urged that the main 
view of the legislature was to get the country set- 
tled and a barrier formed. This was undoubtedly 
one of their views, and for that purpose they have 
given extraordinary encouragement to individual 
settlers. But they had likewise, evidently, another 
view, that of increasing the revenue of the state 
by the sale of the lands. The very title of the 
act is, " For the sale of vacant lands within this 
commonwealth." This latter object they have 
really affected, but not by the means of the vol- 
untary settlers. It could alone be effected by the 
purses of rich men or large companies of men, 
who would not have been prevailed upon to lay 
out such sums of money as they have done, if they 
had thought their purchases were clogged with 
such impracticable conditions." Thus he argued, 
that the words " persist in their endeavors " related 
to the grantees, or warrantees, as well as to the 
settlers, and, after showing why he did so, pro- 
ceeded : " The act says, in either case, that is, if 
the grantees are prevented from making their set- 
tlements, or if the settlei's are driven away, and 



persist in their endeavors to complete their settle- 
ments, they shall be entitled to the land." On 
the other hand. Judge Yeates, after paying a high 
tribute to the enterprise and liberality of the 
Holland Company, and presenting a summary of 
the jKovisions of the first eight sections of that 
act and of the three constructions placed upon its 
ninth section and the proviso, held that the words 
" actual settlement " were used in an extensive 
sense, " as inclusive of residence for five years, 
because its constituent parts are enumerated and 
described to be by clearing, fencing and culti- 
vating at least two acres for every 100 acres con- 
tained in one survey," and so on, as contained in 
the act. After commenting on the grammatical 
construction of a portion of the ninth section and 
the proviso, he proceeded : " The words ' actual 
settlement aforesaid' evidently relate to the 
enumeration of the qualities of such settlement. 
Again, the confining of the settlement to be within 
the space of two years next after the date of the 
warrant seems to be a strange provision. A war 
with the Indian nations subsisted when the law 
passed, and its continuance was uncertain," and 
surveys might thus be prevented, "and until the 
lands were appropriated by surveys the precise 
places where they lay could not be ascertained 
generally." He adhered to this construction of 
the ninth section, which was, " That in all events, 
except the death of the party, the settlement and 
residence shall precede the vesting of the com- 
plete and absolute estate." He continued : " ' Per- 
sist' is the correlative of. attempt, endeavor, and 
signifies to ' hold on,' ' persevere.' The beginning 
words of the section restrict the settlement to be 
within two years next after the date of the warrant 
by clearing, etc., and by residing for the space of five 
years next following his first settling of the same, ' if 
he or she shall so long live,' and in default thereof 
annexes a penalty of forfeiture in a mode jirescribed. 
But the j)roviso relieves against this penalty if the 
grantee is prevented from making such settlement 
by force, etc., and shall persist in his etideavors to 
make such actual settlement as aforesaid. The 
relief, then, as I read the words, goes merely as to 
the times of the two years next after the date of 
the warrant, and five years next after the party's first 
settling of the same, and the proviso declares that ^ 
persisting, etc., shall be equivalent to a continua- 
tion of the settlement. * * * The proviso sup- 
plies the chasm of successive years of residence; , 
for every day and week he resides on the soil he is 
entitled to a credit in his account with the com- 
monwealth, but upon a return of peace, when the 
state of the country will admit of it, after making 



i 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



273 



all reasonable allowances, lie must resume the occu- 
pation of the land and complete his actual settle- 
ment. * * * It is admitted, on all sides, that 
the actual settlement and residence are, in the first 
place, precedent conditions to the vesting of abso- 
lute estates in these lands, and I cannot bring my- 
self to believe that they are dispensed with by 
unsuccessful efforts either in the case of warrant- 
holders or actual settlers. In the latter instance 
our uniform decisions have been, that a firm adher- 
ence to the soil, unless controlled by imperious cir- 
cumstances, was the great criterion which marked 
the preference in such cases. * * * It is obvi- 
ous from the preamble and section 2, that the set- 
tlement of the country, as well as the sale of the 
■ lands, was meditated by the law. The latter, how- 
ever, appears to be a secondary object with the 
legislature. The peopling of the country by a 
hardy race of men to the most extreme frontier 
was certainly the most powerful barrier against a 
savage enemy. * * * If the lands are forfeited 
in the eye of the law, though they have been fully 
paid for, the breach of the condition can only be 
taken advantage of by the commgnwealth in a 
method prescribed by law." It had been decided 
in the cases of Morris' lessees vs. Neighman and 
Sheiner, that individuals could not, the common- 
wealth alone could, take advantage of the laches 
of either a settler or a warrant-holder to perfect 
his title to any chosen tract or tracts of land. 
That had become the established doctrine before 
the inception of this case. Judge Smith con- 
curred with Judge Yeates, and Judge Brackenridge, 
having been concerned for the Holland Company, 
while at the bar, declined to give an opinion. The 
rule was discharged. The mandamus was not 
granted. The divided opinion of the court did not 
allay the controversy between the warrant-holders 
— in this instance, the Holland Comj)any — and the 
settlers. The latter sent up numerous petitions to 
the legislature, asking for needed legislation. The 
writer has an unsigned copy of one found among 
the papers of the late David Reynolds. It was 
probably one of those prepared, but needed for 
signing in this county. It is headed: "The peti- 
tion of the inhabitants northwest of the Allegheny, 
etc." It represented that prevention certificates 
had been obtained in some unaccountable manner, 
on which patents had been issued for numerous 
tracts of land on which no settlements or attempts 
at settlement had ever been made, which had been 
substituted in the courts for sufficient titles, regard- 
less of all the requisitions of the law of 1792, 
whereby numerous families of the most useful 
class of citizens were threatened with immediate 



ruin and the country with depopulation, with being 
reduced to its primitive state of an uncultivated 
wilderness; that "all the humane and economical 
uses of your predecessors of 1792 are, with one 
brush of the besom of destruction, swept into 
everlasting oblivion, and as an aggravation of our 
calamities, while we are yet a maiden character, 
we are calumniated as lawless and unruly violators 
of the laws, unworthy of notice, and absorbed in 
total ignorance." That petition further repre- 
sented and prayed : " We have submitted to 
oppression and injustice beyond all former exam- 
ple. Hoping that our conduct would have excited 
your clemency, we now pray your honors to take 
our present circumstances into your consideration 
by examining these prevention certificates, as being 
in our opinion merely dead, comprehending no 
facts, and as for Indian war or prevention, in vain 
do search the secretary of war's office for docu- 
ments proving hostilities. So extremely enigmated 
(enigmatic) are these certificates, that we are 
unable to unriddle how men could prevent (be pre- 
vented) from making improvements they never 
attempted, of being driven from land they never 
saw. We tlierefore pray that by your interference 
you remove our embarrassments by destroying the 
idea of a prevention, of giving the due weight 
and operation to the law, of fulfilling the inten- 
tion of the former legislature, of restoring peace 
and harmony to our country, and delivering 
thousands of useful families from the fangs of 
voracious speculators. And your petitioners as in 
duty bound will ever pray." 

It is without date, but it was probably prepared 
in or about the year 1800, and it is, perhaps, a fair 
specimen of the petitions presented to the legisla- 
ture about that time from inhabitants occupying 
tracts and parcels of tracts west of the Allegheny 
river, whose inchoate titles were affected by those 
prevention certificates and patents. Though the 
Holland Company had no tracts within the limits 
of that part of this county, the principle involved 
in those certificates and patents for the tracts thus 
granted to them elsewhere west of the Allegheny 
river would operate within those limits, and thus 
affect the titles claimed there by settlers. That 
and other companies, whose titles rested upon such 
certificates, presented counter memorials to the 
legislature setting forth their side of the question. 
The controversy still continued to rage.- The leg- 
islature, therefore, passed the act of April 2, 1802, 
entitled " An act to settle the controversies arising 
from contending claims to land within that part of 
the territory of this Commonwealth north and 
west of the rivers Ohio and Allegheny and Cone- 



274 



HISTOEY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



wango creek, which, among other thiugs, directed 
the judges of the supreme court to meet within 
three months from the then 1st of April, and de- 
vise a form of action for trying and determining 
certain proposed quest Ions relative to those disputed 
titles, and transmit the same to the governor, 
whose duty it was made, with the assistance of 
the attorney-general, to carry the same into effect 
without delay. The proposed questions related, 
1. To the validity of warrants theretofore issued 
under the act of April 3, 1792, in cases where the 
warrantees had not fully and fairly complied with 
the conditions of settlement, improvement and re- 
sidence required by that act, at any time before 
the respective dates of those warrants, or within 
. two years after ; 2. To the validity of titles against 
the Commonwealth or any person claiming under 
that act, founded upon those prevention certificates, 
without any other evidence being given of the na- 
ture and circumstances of prevention, whereby, as 
it was alleged, the conditions of settlement, im- 
provement and residence required by that act could 
not be complied with. The Holland Company, in 
declining to submit their claims to the control of 
that special jurisdiction, assigned as reasons to the 
judges that they could not approve of the terms of 
the preamble of the act by which the legislature 
had undertaken to declare the meaning and con- 
struction of the original contract, which was the 
very point in controversy, nor could they admit 
the right and propriety of dictating a new and, 
perhaps, unconstitutional mode of settling a judi- 
cial question without the assent of all parties in- 
terested. They also intimated that the merits of 
the case involved several other considerations re- 
specting the effect and operation of the ninth sec- 
tion of that act and its proviso, but the questions 
proposed by the legislature excluded an investiga- 
tion and decision upon any other point than those 
embraced in their two proposed questions as above 
stated. Hence, they declined becoming a party to 
the proposed suit, because a decision on those two 
abstract questions would still leave untouched and 
undecided the great and essential part of the con- 
troversy. 

The judges devised and published the form of a 
feigned issue on a wager to try those two proposed 
questions,* and gave public notice that all parties 
interested in the issue would be heard at the trial. 
The other necessary proceedings having been pre- 
scribed, the court met at Sunbury November 25, 
1802, when a jury was empaneled and sworn. 
The chief justice was not present. No counsel 



237. 



* See the case of the attorney-general vs. the grantees, i Dallas, 



appeared for the grantees. Judge Yeates presided, 
and the next day delivered an extended and elabo- 
rate charge to the jury reflecting the views of the 
other members of the court, except chief-justice 
Shippen, which were substantially those expressed 
in their opinion in the Commonwealth vs. Tench 
Coxe. The jury found a general verdict in favor 
of the plaintiff {i.e., the attorney-general) on that 
feigned issue upon which judgment for the plain- 
tiff was entered, subject to the above-mentioned 
proviso. The result of that trial did not stop the 
controversy, did not prevent law suits, no particu- 
lar title was settled, and the act authorizing that 
trial was not favorably regarded. 

The Holland Company, being foreigners, re- 
sorted to the courts of the United States. While 
their cases were there pending, the legislature 
passed the act of April -3, 1804, for ascertaining 
the right of this state to certain lands north and 
west of the above-mentioned streams, which pro- 
vided that applications of actual settlers under the 
act of April 3, 1792, describing particularly the 
lands applied for, and filed with the secretary of 
the land oflice, vouching such other requisites as 
were provided for by the act of September 22, 
1794, should for two years after its passage entitle 
the applicant to all the privileges of an original 
or vacating warrant, and in all land suits brought 
and to be brought between warrantees and actual 
settlers, the actual settler should be permitted to 
plead and make proof of his improvement and resi- 
dence, as fully as if he had obtained a vacating 
warrant, without impairing any contract, altering 
the legal and equitable claims of any persons to 
the lands in dispute, or releasing such lands from 
the conditions of settlement, residence, improve- 
ment, purchase money and interest required by the 
act of April 3, 1792, and it empowered the governor 
to employ counsel to attend to the interests of the 
state in these eases in the United States courts. 

A test case was that of Huidekoper's lessee vs. 
Douglass, reported in 4 Dallas, 392 et seq. It was 
an ejectment for a tract of land lying north and 
west, etc. The plaintiff' claimed under the Hol- 
land Company, to whom a patent had been issued 
upon a warrant and survey. The defendant 
claimed as an actual settler under the act of April 
3, 1792. It was tried in the circuit court of the 
United States, Pennsylvania district, April term, 
1805. Numerous other ejectments were depend- 
ing on the same facts and principles. At the trial I 
of another ejectment, at a former term. Judge] 
Washington delivered the charge to the jury, con- 
curring generally with the construction given by a 
majority of the supreme court of this state to the 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



276 



last-mentioned act, from which Judge Peters dis- 
sented. It was, therefore, determined to submit 
the questions, upon which the opinions of the 
judges were opposed, to the supreme court of the 
United States, under the provision made in case 
of such disagreement, by the act of congress, April 
29, 1802. Three questions, involving the various 
matters in controversy, had been formally settled 
at the preceding October term. After argument 
in the supreme court, its opinion was delivered by 
Chief Justice Marshall, in the course of which he 
said : " Two classes of purchasers are contem- 
plated. The one has already performed every con- 
dition of the sale, and is about to pay the consid- 
eration money ; the other pays the considera- 
tion money in the first instance, and is after- 
ward to perform the conditions. They are both 
described in the same sentence, and from each an 
actual settlement is required as indispensable to 
the completion of the title. In describing this 
actual settlement, it is declared that it shall be 
made, in the case of a warrant previously granted, 
within two years next after the date of such war- 
rant, 'by clearing,' etc. * * * The manifest 
impossibility of completing a residence of five 
years within the space of two years would lead to 
an opinion that the part of the descriptions relative 
to residence applied to those only who had per- 
formed the condition before the payment of the 
purchase money, and not to those who were to 
perform it afterward. But there are subsequent 
parts of the act which will not admit of this con- 
struction, and, consequently, residence is a condi- 
tion required from the person who settles under a 
warrant, as well as from one who entitles himself 
to a warrant by his settlement. 

" The law, requiring two repugnant and incom- 
patable things, is incapable of receiving a literal 
construction, and must sustain some change of lan- 
guage to be rendered intelligible. The change, 
however, ought to be as small as possible, and with 
a view to the sense of the legislature, as manifested 
by themselves. The reading suggested by the 
counsel for the plaintiff appears to be most rea- 
sonable, to comport best with the general lan- 
guage of the section and with the nature of the 
subject. It is by changing the participle into the 
future tense of the verb, and instead of 'and resid- 
ing, or causing a family to reside thereon,' reading 
and shallreside, etc. The effect of this correction of 
language will be to destroy the repugnancy which 
exists in the act as it stands, and to reconcile this 
part of the sentence to that which immediately 
follows, and which absolutely demonstrates that, in 
the view of the legislature, the settlement and the 



residence consequent thereon were distinct parts of 
the condition ; the settlement to be made within 
two years from the date of the warrant, and the 
residence of five years from the commencement of 
the settlement. This construction is the more 
necessary, because the very words ' such actual set- 
tlement and residence,' which prove that the resi- 
lience is required from the warrantee, prove also 
that settlement and residence are in contemplation 
of the law distinct oj^erations. From the nature 
of things and the import of words they are also 
distinct. To make a settlement no more requires 
a residence of five than a residence of five hundred 
years ; and, of consequence, it is much more 
reasonable to understand the legislature as requir- 
ing the residence for that term, in addition to a 
settlement, than as declaring it to be a component 
part of a settlement." After thus defining the 
terms settlement and residence he proceeds to con- 
sider the proviso. 

" That part of the act treats of an actual settler, 
under which term is intended as well the person 
who makes his settlement the foundation of his 
claim to a warrant as a warrantee who had made 
an actual settlement in performance of the condi- 
tions annexed to his purchase, and if 'any grantee 
in any such original warrant or succeeding Avar- 
rant,' who must be considered as contradistin- 
guished from one who had made an actual settle- 
ment. Persons thus distinctly circumstanced are 
brought together in the same sentence, and terms 
are used appropriate to the situation of each, but 
not ai^plicable to both. Thus the idea of 'an 
actual settler' 'prevented from making an actual 
settlement,' and, after 'being driven therefrom,' 
'persisting in his endeavors' to make it, would be 
absurd. To apply to each class of purchasers all 
parts of the proviso would involve a contradiction 
in terms. Under such circumstances the plain and 
natural mode of construing the act is to apply 
the provisions, distributively, to the description of 
persons to whom they are adapted, reddendo sin- 
gida singulis. The proviso, then, would read thus: 
^Provided, that if any such actual settler shall be 
driven from his settlement by force of arms of the 
enemies of the United States, or any grantee in any 
such original or succeeding warrant shall, by force 
of arms of the enemies of the United States, be 
prevented from making such actual settlement, 
and shall persist in his endeavors to make such ac- 
tual settlement as aforesaid, then, in either case, 
he and his heirs shall be entitled to have and to 
hold the said lands in the same manner as if the 
actual settlement had been made and continued.' 
The two cases are the actual settler who has been 



276 



HISTORY OP ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



driven from liis settlement, and the warrantee who 
has been prevented from making a settlement, but 
has persisted in his endeavors to make one. It is 
perfectly clear that the proviso, in each case, sub- 
stitutes something for the settlement to be made 
within two years from the date of the warrant, 
and for the residence to continue five years from 
the commencement of the settlement, both of 
which were required in the enacting clause. What 
is that something? The proviso answers, that in 
case of 'an actual settler,' it is his being driven 
from his settlement by force of arms of the ene- 
mies of the United States, and in case of his being 
a grantee of a warrant, not having settled, it is his 
'persisting in his endeavors to make such settle- 
ment.' In neither case is residence, or persisting 
in his endeavors at residence, required. Yet the 
legislature had not forgotten that by the enacting 
clause residence was to be added to settlement, for 
in the same sentence they say that the person who 
comes within the proviso shall hold the land ' as if 
the actual settlement had been made and con- 
tinued.' 

" It is contended, on the part of the defendant, 
that as the time- during which persistence shall 
continue is not prescribed, the person claiming the 
land must persist until he shall have effected both 
his settlement and residence, as required by the 
enacting clause of the act, that is, that the proviso 
dispenses with the time during which the condi- 
tion is to be performed. But the words are not 
only inapt for the expression of such an intent; 
they absolutely contradict it. If the proviso be 
read so as to be intelligible, it requires nothing 
from the actual settler who has been driven from 
his settlement. He is not to persist in his en- 
deavors at residence, or, in other words, to continue 
his settlement, but is to hold the land. From the 
warrantee who has been prevented from making a 
settlement no endeavors at a residence are re- 
quired. He is to 'persist in his endeavors,' not to 
make and continue such actual settlement, but ' to 
make such actual settlement as aforesaid.' And if 
he does persist in those endeavors he is to hold the 
land 'as if the actual settlement had been made 
and continued.' " * * * " By persisting he has 
become an actual settler, and the part of the pro- 
viso which applies to actual settlers protects him. 
If after two years he should be driven off he is still 
protected. The application of external violence 
dispenses with residence. The court feels itself 
bound to say so, because the proviso contains a 
substitute, which, in such a state of things, shall 
be received instead of a performance of the condi- 
tions required by the enacting clause, and of that 



substitute residence forms no part. * * * That 
the exclusive object of an act to give lands to set- 
tlers would be the settlement of the country will 
be admitted. But that an act to sell lands to 
settlers must have for its exclusive object the set- 
tlement of the country cannot be so readily con- 
ceded. In attempting to procure settlements the 
treasury was certainly not forgotten. How far the 
two objects might be consulted, or how far the one 
yielded to the other, is only to be inferred from 
the words in which the legislative intention has 
been expressed. * * * This is a contract, and, 
although a state is a party, it ought to be construed 
according to those well established principles 
which regulate contracts generally. The state is 
in the situation of a person who holds forth to the 
world the conditions on which he is willing to sell 
his property. If he should couch his propositions 
in such ambiguous terms that they might be un- 
derstood differently, in consequence of which sales 
were to be made and the purchase money paid, he 
would come with an ill grace into court to insist 
on a latent and obscure meaning which should 
give him back his property and permit him to 
retain this purchase money. All those principles 
of equity and fair dealing which constitute the 
basis of judicial proceedings require that courts 
should lean against such a construction." 

It was thereupon directed that an opinion in 
accordance with the foregoing utterances be certi- 
fied to the circuit court, in which the case was 
again tried, and Judge Washington charged the 
jury in accordance with that opinion. Verdict for 
plaintiff. Thus the vexed question of the validity 
of the Holland Company's prevention certificates 
and of the titles founded on them was settled by 
the highest judicial tribunal in the United States. 
Still there was considerable controversy thereafter 
as to what constituted a settlement under the law. 
Much light was shed upon this point, which was 
at issue in the trial, in the opinion of Judge 
Washington, in the case of Balfour's Lessee vs. 
Meade, in the circuit court of the United States. 

One of the earliest occupants of Holland lands 
in this township was Philip Essex, who was first 
assessed in Toby township, with one cow, at $10, 
in 1806; the next year with 200 acres "imp.," and 
one cow, at $36, and thereafter with 100 acres 
"imp.," and one cow for several years, and then 
purchased the land. Benjamin B. Cooper con- 
veyed to him ninety-seven acres of allotment 6, 
tract 287, warrant 2872, called "Burton Hall," 
May 20, 1817, for $97. It was that part of " Bur- 
ton Hall" adjoining the Nicholson tract, No. 1150, 
on the north, south of Red Bank creek, and about 





WILLIAM McKINSTEY. 

The subject of this sketch is a namesake of his 
grandfather, who was a native of Mifflin county, 
Pennsylvania ; emigrated at an early day to West- 
moreland county, where he lived for a short time 
and then removed to Armstrong county, and settled 
two miles east of Apollo. After a three years' stay 
he went on a business trip to his original home and 
died while there. At the time of his settlement 
here he entered 136 acres of land, built a cabin and 
made quite a clearing. He married Elizabeth Ross, 
who was born in Mifflin county, but died here 
in 1847. She was twice married, her second hus- 
band being James Harel. Her children by her first 
marriage were James, Margaret, Alexander, Sarah 
and William, who are all deceased. By her second 
husband she had four children — Jane, John W., 
Mary and David. 

James McKinstry, father of the subject of this 
sketch, was born in Mifflin county. May 1*7, 1794. 
He married Sarah Jackson, January 16, 1819. She 
was born January 16, 1800. The offspring of 
this union were ten children : William, Sarah, 
Elizabeth, Jackson, Polly, James, Thompson, Jane, 
Catharine and Alexander, all of whom are now 
living. The father and mother of this family lived 
in the neighborhood of Apollo all of their married 
lives, except five years when they were upon a farm 
in Jefferson county. They experienced the hard- 
ships and privations incidental to the lives of the 
early settlers. During her early married life Mrs. 



McKinstry had no stove, but did all of the cooking 
for the family over the old-fashioned fireplace. 
She used the spinning-wheel expertly, and spun and 
wove the flax and wool from which the clothing for 
all of the members of the family was made. She 
is still living and makes her home with her son 
William. 

This son was born October 20, 1819, and mar- 
ried February 5, 1844, Miss Lydia Andre, who 
was born in this state, July 16, 1823. They have 
had eleven children : Sarah E., John B., James 
B., Samuel T., Matilda A., William C, Mary E., 
Eunice T., Emily E., Zilla S., and an infaiit who 
died unnamed. \" 

After their marriage this couple lived for a num- 
ber of years upon Mr. McKinstry's grandfather's 
farm, but in 1856 he purchased his present home 
of 100 acres. Mr. McKinstry has followed farming 
and also occupied himself with the manufacture of 
grain cradles, and from these industries combined 
he has made a livelihood and paid for a valuable 
farm, which he has well improved. 

Mrs. McKinstry's parents were John and Eliza- 
beth (Iseman) Andre, the former born in Northamp- 
ton county and the latter in Westmoreland, this 
state. They had ten children, as follows : Mary 
(now dead), William, Eliza, Lydia, Catharine, 
Samuel, Andrew, Sarah, Daniel and Hannah. John 
Andre died in 1849, at the age of fifty-six, and 
Elizabeth, his wife, October 7, 1881, at the age of 
eighty-eight years and eight months. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



2V7 



tliree miles from its moiitli. It was noted on the 
assessment for the next year as transferred to Soni- 
mers Baldwin, who probably did consummate his 
contract with Essex by paying the purchase money 
before his death, for Essex, April 17, 1827, then of 
Morgan county, Ohio, conveyed it to Robert Brown, 
who conveyed it, June 20, for $200, to Fred'k 
Crisman, to some of whose heirs it now belongs. 
It was adjoined by allotment 3 on the north, which 
was first occupied, if not owned, by Francis Stan- 
ford, who was first assessed with twenty acres of 
it, two horses and two cows, at |55, in 1807; with 
130 acres in and for several years after 1810, and 
then with 200 acres until 1820, and then his widow 
with that number until 1823, when it appears to 
have been transferred to Alexander Duncan, who 
was then first assessed with the same and fifty 
acres additional, two horses and two cows, at $316. 
Cooper conveyed 224 acres, parts of " Burton 
Hall," and tracts 284 and 285, covered by warrants 
2876 and 2875, to Duncan, January 23, 1834, for 
$280, portions or all of which still belong to his 
heirs. When he first settled here there were not 
more than six or eight other permanent settlers 
within the present limits of' this township. Allot- 
ment No. 1 is a parallelogram in the northwestern 
part of the tract, now in Clarion county, and was 
one of the tracts purchased by Philander Ray- 
mond for the Great Western Iron Works, at 
Brady's Bend. Allotment 2, 170 acres, adjoined 
No. 1 on the east, and it appears from the map of 
original tracts, though not from- the tax-list of 
Toby township, to have been occupied by Harman 
Farber. So, also, allotment No. 4, 140 acres, chiefly 
in the northwestern bend of the Red Bank, which 
adjoined No. 1 on the south, and both 1 and 4, ad- 
joining the Nicholson-Hamilton-Reynolds tract. No. 
1151, on the west, appear to have been occupied 
by John Davis. It was, however, conveyed by 
Willink & Co. to Jacob Christman, as containing 
157 acres and 41 perches, November 22, 1834, for 
1251. Christman having died intestate, it became 
vested in Jacob H. Christman, whose guardian, by 
virtue of an order of the orphans' court of this 
county, conveyed it to John M. Christman, October 
3, 1874, for $2,500, who, with Ann Craig, late the 
widow of Jacob Christman, conveyed it to Alex- 
ander Reynolds, October 5, for $5,000, and it is 
now a part of the present Red Bank Furnace 
property. Allotment 5, 200 acres, in the broad, 
deep bend of the Red Bank, now in Clarion county, 
was settled by Fleming Davidson about 1806. He 
was first assessed the next year with it and two 
horses, at $266. Not having perfected his title to 
it, Willink & Co. conveyed it, as containing 201 



acres and 35 perches, to John Reed, November 17, 
1837, for $301.87. The heretofore-mentioned Indian 
path from the mouth of Mahoning via the Dog- 
wood corner in " Springfield," and along the ridge, 
traversed the central portion of allotment 6 and 
the western portion of allotment 3 of " Burton 
Hall," a short distance east of the present public 
road from Duncanville to Lawsonham. Willink 
& Co. conveyed 111 acres and 96 perches to Hugh 
C. Jackson, March 29, 1849, for $111.50. Wil- 
link & Co. conveyed 146 acres and 44 perches 
partly of "Burton Hall" and of tract No. 288, 
warrant No. 2871, to Alexander Duncan, Novem- 
ber 24, 1837, for $109.87, and 254 acres of the lat- 
ter tract, March 10, 1840, for $392.25. Duncan's 
executors conveyed 190 acres of the latter tract to 
George Duncan, June 5, 1851, which was, after 
his death, awarded to A. McNickle, who conveyed 
it as containing 201 acres and 154 perches to D. C. 
Collingwood, May 7, 1870, for $5,600, to whom 196 
acres are assessed in 1876 at $2,352. Colwell & 
Co. conveyed 50 acres and 95 perches of this tract 
to Samuel Balsiger, June 22, 1849, for $20.50. 

Adjoining " Burton Hall " on the north were the 
Holland tracts 284 and 285, covered by warrants 
Nos. 2876 and 2875, with 300 acres partly of each, 
two horses and three cattle. David Lawson was 
first assessed in 1812 at $300, to whom Cooper con- 
veyed 454 acres, June 23, 1824, for $500. Lawson 
resided on the westernmost of those tracts when 
he was a member of the house of representatives 
of this state, from Armstrong county, in 1824-5 
and in 1828-9. He subsequently conveyed por- 
tions of the land embraced in that purchase to his 
sons, Robert D. and John Lawson. The i^resent 
town of Lawsonham is situated, probably on tract 
No. 284, on the north or Clarion side of the Red 
Bank. There was a small j)ortion of this parcel 
on the south side of the Red Bank, containing 
about five acres, which was sold as unseated for 
taxes assessed on it to Lawson's heirs, and which 
Thomas McMasters, treasurer of this county, con- 
veyed to Robert Lawson Brown, June 19, 1854 ; 
the latter to Hunter Orr, January 17, 1861, for 
$100; and he to George W. Bain, November 9, 1868, 
for $300. This little parcel now belongs to the 
Brookville Oil company, on which they drilled an 
unproductive oil well. The first conveyance of 
any part of this tract was of 151 acres of allot- 
ment 1, in the northeastern part, by Willink & Co. 
to Jacob Bowser, of Washington county, Mary- 
land, December 27, 1829, for $110. It does not 
appear from the assessment list that he ever resid- 
ed on this parcel. It has nevertheless been known 
for many years as the " Bowser Flat." He having 



278 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



died intestate, without issue, liis father aud next of 
kin conveyed it to John A. Colwell & Co., March 
26 and October H, 1855, and they to Peter Shoe- 
maker, September 1, 1859, for 81,200, and he to 
tlie present owner of the main portion of it, Jo- 
seph B. Shoemaker, June 10, 1869, for $1,800. 

In the southern part of this township, between 
the heretofore-mentioned tracts covered by a war- 
rant to Joseph Coosh and the tract of vacant land 
covered by the patent to Jacob Moyers, was a 
Holland tract No. 318, warrant to Le Roy & Co., 
No. 3001, which was not placed on the unseated list 
of Red Bank township until 1816. Its first white 
settler appears to have been Philip Anthony, who 
was first assessed in 1814 with two horses and two 
cows, at $12, and the next year with 100 acres as 
an improvement, one horse and one cow, at $41. 
Proceedings to dispossess him were instituted soon 
after the comjjany's agent ascertained that he had 
settled on it, in 1817-18, while Philip Mechling 
was sheriff, during the pendency of which Anthony 
died. Portions of it may have been occupied by 
settlers during the next quarter of a century. 
Willink tfcCo. conveyed 148 acres and 147 perches 
of allotment 3 to Jeremiah Bonner, June 28, 1843, 
for $149; 113 acres of allotment 6, in the south- 
western part, to Jacob Moyers, December 9, for 
$71 ; to James Anthony 183 acres and 80 perches 
of allotment 2, in the southeastern part, August 12, 
1846, for $202 ; to Reynolds & Richey, 122 acres 
and 22 perches of allotment 4 in the southern part, 
June 5, 1846, for $115, which had previously been 
occupied by I. M. Sparr, and 72 acres and 136 
perches, November 24, 1848, for $36.50, the former 
of which parcels, being partly in Madison and 
partly in Pine township, they conveyed to George 
Reedy April 2, 1861, for $1,000, on which, near the 
mouth of a run emptying into the Mahoning from 
the northwest, a gristmill was erected in 1874, 
which was first assessed in 1875. A considerable 
portion of this tract (318) is now included in the 
Stewardson Furnace property. 

Contiguous to that tract on the north was the 
main portion of tract No. 316, covered by warrant 
No. 2865. Willink & Co. conveyed 103 acres and 
13 perches oflE the east end of allotments 4 and 6, 
to Joseph Moorhead, November 30, 1836, for 
$103.50; to George Nulf, 108 acres and 41 perches, 
June 5, 1837, for $108.35, which the latter con- 
veyed to David Yuant (who had settled on it in 
1839), May 17, 1841, for $550, and he to Samuel 
Myers, 180 acres and 34 perches, May 14, 1864, for 
$1,700. Isaac E. Shoemaker opened a store on this 
parcel, with which he was first assessed in 1868. 
Here, too, has sprung up the little town of Center- 



ville, containing a dozen or more buildings, among 
which is one of the public schoolhouses of this 
township. It is said that this town was named 
Centerville because its position is about central on 
one of the routes between Kellersburgh in this 
and Oakland in Mahoning township. Mail matter 
from several postofiices was brought for awhile by 
private conveyances to Shoemaker's store for per- 
sons living at Centerville and its vicinity, for 
which reason it is noted on the township map of 
1876 as "Private P. O."* Willink & Co. con- 
veyed 193 acres of allotment 2 to Jeremiah 
Bonner, August 5, 1 840, for $463, which he con- 
veyed to Thomas Black twelve days afterward, for 
$1,300. Willink & Co. conveyed to George W. 
Truitt 138 acres and 148 perches off the east end 
of allotments 3 and 5, March 7, 1859, for $163.47, 
on which is his present homestead. The north- 
eastern part of this tract was formerly occupied 
by George Painter, who came here from one of the 
Wistar tracts, north of the Red Bank, in 1833, 
with a portion of which and of the Joseph Cook 
tract he was assessed for several years, but the rec- 
ords do not show that he perfected his title to 
either of these parcels. A glance at the township 
map shows that variaus parts of this tract are 
comparatively well populated. 

Next north of the foregoing was tract No. 309, 
covered by warrant No. 2864, of which Willink & 
Co. conveyed 170 acres and 131 perches, parts of 
allotments 4 and 6, to Daniel Reedy, Novem- 
ber 20, 1837, for $178.75; to James Delp 180 acres 
and 18 perches of the same allotments, February 
17, 1840, for $177, and he to Peter George, 
May 1, for $810.47; to Reynolds & Richey 95-J. 
acres off another part of this tract, November 
4, 1848, for $95.50 ; to Thomas McKee, 207 
acres and 120 perches of allotment 1, February 
28, 1846, for $208; to Jacob Williams 190 acres of 
allotment 5, March 10, 1849, for $199; to Samuel 
Rhodes 175 acres and 140 perches of allotment 2, 
May 25, 1840, for $175.80, and he to George Nulf 
50 acres and 80 perches, September 20, 1841, for 
$50.80; Willink & Co. to Samuel Balsiger 178 
acres and 131 perches of allotments 4 and 6, June 
17, 1840, for $178.75. 

Next north of the foregoing was tract No. 290, 
warrant No. 2852. Willink & Co., conveyed 135 
acres and 96 perches of allotment 1 to Reynolds & 
Richey, March 8, 1844, for $300; 121 acres and 100 
perches to William Paine, June 18, 1845, for 
$74.11, with 60 acres of which he was first assessed 



* Deanville postoffice was established here August 3, 1877, Isaac E. 
Shoemaker, postmaster, so called after Eev. J. F. Dean, a Baptist 
clergyninn, who necasionally prcaoliedto the people here. 



MADISOlSr TOWNSHIP. 



279 



in 1840; aud lie to John and Jacob Pence, present 
owners, the same, December 29, 1859, for $1,100; 
62 acres and 40 perches, the same day, to Peter G. 
Reed, for $37.98; 101-^ acres of allotment 1 of this 
tract, and allotment 3 of the contiguous tract No. 
382 to Robert Drain, September 14, 1846, with 
which he was first assessed, at f 160, in 1840; B. B. 
Cooper's executor conveyed 150 acres and 40 perches 
to George C. Nulf, February 15, 1853, for $300.50, 
and he conveyed 75 acres and 20 perches to John 
Bish, September 17, for $751, with which the latter 
had been first assessed in 1839, at $75. Cooper's 
executor conveyed 253^ acres of allotment 2 to 
Anderson, David J. and James A. Truitt, Novem- 
ber 17, 1855, for $800, with which Anderson had 
been first assessed in 1837 at $370.50, and his father, 
Thomas Truitt, with one cow at $8. A part of 
this parcel now belongs to Anderson Truitt's heirs. 

Next north was tract No. 282, warrant No. 2848, 
the northeastern portion of which was in what is 
now Clarion county. It was skirted on the north 
by the eastern half of " J. Maxwell's, 400 acres. 
Improvement." The latter, as represented on the 
map of original tracts, was a notably long and 
narrow parallelogram, which extended from the 
original line between Toby and Red Bank town- 
ships to the western line of the " W. & R. White " 
tract, thirty or forty rods east of the Leatherwood, 
by which it and allotment 2 of tract 282 were trav- 
ersed. 

Digressing somewhat some distance north from 
the mouth of Leatherwood, David Shields settled in 
1810 on vacant land, with 200 acres of which he 
was then assessed, and some years afterward with 
a less quantity, until 1834, after which his name 
does not appear on the tax-list of Red Bank town- 
ship. Tradition, which appears to be well authen- 
ticated, says that one of his sons, wlien five years 
of age, was captured or kidnapped by the Indians 
who took him to some point within what are now 
the limits of Jefferson county aud elsewhere. 
Nineteen years afterward his father, having ascer- 
tained where he was, and some others who aided 
him, succeeded in effecting the rescue and return 
home of the captive. The latter remained there 
but a week or ten days. He said there was a lead- 
mine near the mouth of Leatherwood, and promised 
to point it out to his brothers, but did not. Sub- 
sequent diligent but vain searches were made for it. 
Having married a squaw and having become fond 
of Indian life, the home of his parents became irk- 
some to him, so he escaped one night with a party 
of Indians who were whooping around his father's 
house, and never returned. 

One of the earliest settlers on tract No. 282 was 



John Switzer, who was first assessed with 100 
acres of allotment 3, 1 horse and cow, at $338, in 
1837. He does not appear to have perfected his 
title, for Willink &, Co. conveyed the 156 acres 
and 110 perches with which he was last assessed 
in 1841 to Owen Meredith, August 12, 1845, for 
$314, which is now owned by Thomas Meredith, 
which is assessed this year (1876) at $1,248. 

The earliest permanent white settler on tract 
282 appears to have been Philip Bish, who was 
first assessed with 70 acres of it and 1 horse, in 
1817, at $72, which quantity of land and 17 acres 
more Willink & Co. conveyed to him August 23, 

1847, for $87. 

George Kogh was first assessed with 50 acres in 
that part of allotment 1 in the deep northwesterly 
bend of the Red Bank, 1 sawmill, 1 yoke of oxen, 
and 1 cow, in 1830, at $146.25, to whom Willink & 
Co. conveyed 68 acres and 60 perches, July 12, 

1848, for $51. This point is called " Broken Rock." 
There is a small parcel of this allotment in the 
deep bend of the creek belonging to the Broken 
Rock Oil Company, who several years ago drilled 
a well, striking a moderate vein of gas, but not a 
paying quantity of oil. Kogh conveyed 14 acres 
of his parcel to Mary Bleakney July 4, 1862, for 
$50, which she conveyed to the present owner, 
James Courson, March 20, 1871, for $305. John 
Payne was first assessed with 120 acres, 1 yoke 
of oxen and 1 cow, in 1838, at $154, the land 
being then valued at 75 cents an acre. Willink & 
Co. conveyed 198 acres of allotments 1 and 3, Sep- 
tember 9, 1847, for $250. He died intestate. His 
son, Alexander B. Paine, conveyed 120 acres of 
this parcel to Mary Thompson, Augvist 13, 1860, 
for $1,240, who conveyed 20 acres and 73 jserches 
thereof to James Courson, May 5, 1873, for $200. 

Passing down the left bank of the creek, tract 
No. 289, covered by warrant No. 2859, is reached. 
Willink & Co. conveyed 175 acres and 24 perches 
of allotment 6, the southeastern one, to George 
Arnold, October 3, 1835, for $109.46. Willink & 
Co. conveyed 250 acres of allotments 2 and 4 
to Jacob F. Keller, April 8, 1841, for $156.73, in 
pursuance of a previous agreement to sell and 
purchase. Keller having agreed to sell 200 acres 
of his parcel to Joseph Sowash, January 18, 1838, 
and Sowash having agreed, June 15, 1841, to sell 
the same to Christian Shunk, and the latter and 
Alexander Reynolds having entered into an agree- 
ment of copartnership, July 3, for purchasing the 
same and to erect thereon a furnace for the manu- 
facture of pig-iron from the ore under the name 
and style of Reynolds & Shunk, Keller conveyed 
to them, July 3, the 250 acres and 123 perches 



280 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



which he had purchased from Williiik & Co., for 
1752, which thus became the parcel on which Rey- 
nolds & Shunk erected the Old Red Bank Furnace 
in 1841. Shunk retired soon after the furnace 
went into blast, and was succeeded by David 
Richey. The firm name was then Reynolds & 
Richey until the furnace ceased to be operated in 
1853. It was a steam, cold-blast, charcoal furnace, 
9 feet in the bosh by 32 feet high, and made, on 
an average, 50 tons of pig metal a week, giving 
employment, on an average, to 150 persons, and 
was in the end a source of profit to its proprietors, 
who purchased a large quantity of land in the cir- 
cumjacent region, considerable portions of which 
they have sold at a reasonable advance. 

Contiguous to that tract were other Holland 
Company tracts, Nos. 283 and 288, covered by war- 
rants Nos. 2847 and 2876, partly in what is now 
Clarion county. Williuk & Co. conveyed 1509 
acres and 31 perches, parts of them, and No. 289, 
to the late Judge Buffington, October 15, 1845, for 
$1,131, 776 acres and 135 perches of which in this 
county he conveyed to Reynolds & Richey, fifteen 
days later, for $3,395.68, which of course became a 
part of the furnace property, 'the greatly enhanced 
value of which was attributable to the successful 
operation of the old Red Bank Furnace. The 
present Red Bank Furnace — which is, so to speak, 
a descendant of the old one — was erected by 
Alexander Reynolds and the late Thomas McCul- 
lough, in 1858, on the tract originally owned by 
James Watterson, about 300 yards above the mouth 
of Red Bank, in Clarion covmty, just below the 
neck of Brady's Bend, a large portion of its sup- 
plies being obtained from this county. It is the 
first coke-furnace near the Allegheny river. The 
proprietors met with some difliculty in finding a 
ready market on this side of the mountains for 
their coke-made iron. Its present owners are Rey- 
nolds & Moorhead. Its product has been from 90 
to 105 tons a week of gray mill metal, wasting less 
than 6 per cent in puddling, with coke made from 
the Upper Freeport coalbed coal and buhrstone 
ore and limestone, all mined in the hillsides back 
of the furnace. The stack is 39 feet and 8 inches 
high, and 11 feet across the boshes, with a square- 
cut stone base and a round looped cylinder, of 
3 feet brick wall, with 18 inches lining and 6 
inches packing between. The fuel used in 1865 
was one-half coke and one-half coal, in alternate 
charges, thus : First charge, raw coal, 10 bushels ; 
ore, 633 lbs. ; limestone, 253 lbs. ; three of these 
making a charge. Second charge : three times 10 
bushels coke and 633 lbs. ore, and 253 lbs. lime- 
stone. The upright furnace engine worked 30 lbs. 



steam, and the gauge stood between 3f and 4 lbs. 
pressure on the cylinder ; a very beautiful engine, 
with a 28-inch steam cylinder, mounted endwise 
on a 5^ feet blowing cylinder, the stroke common 
to both being 4^ feet. The gases are taken off on 
each side of the tunnel-head some feet down, and 
introduced beneath the hot-blast house and boilers, 
standing on a terrace about 6 feet above the cast- 
ing floor, but under the same roof. The length of 
the air cylinder is 20, and its diameter 10 feet. 
The three boilers are 3 by 36 feet, with an extra 
flue boiler in case of accident. The coke is shot 
upon high screens ; the raw coal is deposited on 
the stockyard floor, part of which is used for a 
calcining yard.* 

Adjoining tract 289 on the south was No. 310, 
covered by warrant No. 2860. Peter and David 
Bish appear to have been first assessed with 166 
acres in the southeastern part of it, and one cow, 
in 1828, at $91. Willink & Co. conveyed to the 
former 186 acres of allotment 6, February 1, 1830, 
for $116.25, 50 acres and 106 perches of which he 
conveyed to Samuel JJish, March 15, 1844, who 
conveyed the same to the present owner, Thomas 
Truitt, Jr., June 21, 184?, for $400. They conveyed 
121 acres of the northern part of allotment 2 to 
Nicholas Keller, June 3, 1834, for $75.62, who set- 
tled thereon the same year. 

Red Bank postofiice, C. Shunk, postmaster, was 
established here May 13, 1842. It was changed to 
Kellersburgh, February 24, 1871; David Gaunt, 
postmaster. 

Keller laid out on the parcel which he had pur- 
chased the town of Kellerslncrgh, consisting of 
twenty-three lots, thirteen of which are on the east 
and ten on the west side of the Olean road, which 
is the main street, three rods wide. The only 
other street is the one between lots Nos. 5 and 6, 
one rod and a half wide. The area of each lot is 
4X10 rods, and contains one-quarter of an acre. 
The bearings of the main street and the easterly 
and westerly boundary lines of the town are north 
ten degrees east, and south ten degrees west. These 
lots were surveyed by J. E. Meredith for Nicholas 
Keller, Sr., July 19, 1842. The first sale of them 
was advertised by the proprietor in this wise : 
"The site is a beautiful one and in an excellent 
settlement, as there is no part of Armstrong county 
improving as rapidly at this time as that section. 
The surrounding country abounds with iron ore 
and coal, and the great road, leading from the 
borough of Kittauning to Olean Point, passes 
through the same, also the road from the former 
place to the new and thriving town of Clarion, and 

=" Prof. Lesley's report. 







jvlAF^G/I^ET TODD &JTHf^lE, 



GUTHRIE FAMILY. 

James Guthrie was among the earliest pioneers 
of this county, coming here about 1798. He was of 
Irish birth, as was also his wife, Margaret (Dixon) 
Guthrie. They patented and settled upon a tract 
of heavy timbered land, containing 336 acres. 
This Mr. Guthrie cleared up and lived upon it un- 
til his death. His son, Andrew Dixon Guthrie, was 
born on this farm and lived there all of his life. 
He married Margaret Todd Cummins, of whom a 
portrait appears on this page. She was born on 
Crooked creek, Indiana county, where her parents, 
who were of Scotch-Irish descent, had settled at a 
very early day. They emigrated from the Shen- 
andoah valley, Virginia, where the families located 
on coming to America, and where some of their 
descendants now reside, a strong and thriving race 




of people. Mrs. Guthrie now lives with a brother 
at the place of her birth. She was the mother of 
six children, three of whom grew to maturity. 
The names of the latter are Margaret Jane, John 
Calvin and William C. Guthrie. The two first . 
named are single and are living with their brother 
on the old home farm. 

William C. Guthrie was born December 16, 1848. 
He is now engaged in farming and also manufac- 
turing at Apollo a good article of charcoal, for 
which he finds a market at the ironmill. He is 
one of Apollo's pushing business men, and a social, 
genial character. He married Margaret, daughter 
of William and Nancy (Gallagher) McAdoo, of 
Maysville, Pennsylvania, who was born July 19, 
1849. They have two children, John Andrew, who 
was born August 25, 1879, and Nancy Todd, born 
April 11, 1881. 



Will/am c, GiiTHi^iE, 




jVIRS.WlLLIAM c.gUthf^ie. 



^'j^tT. s. •''■. j*3?i?-ft!S*S'fV*^Ja'W^K3l6<.t,re*,rtt»^^S^^ 



THE OLD HOJVP- 




^5^g^i^==afe=^ 




F^ESIDEI^lCE OF \a/|LLIAM C. GLfTHJ^lE. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



281 



as the town is about midway between the two 
places, it offers every inducement that the mechanic 
and the merchant could require." The sale took 
place on the 10th of August, which was a very 
warm day, and was attended by a large number of 
persons who, inspirited as they were, at least some 
of them, by Keller's whisky and the music of John 
Campbell's violin, had a merry time. A number 
of lots were sold at from $20 to $30 each. The 
proprietor retained fifteen-sixteenths of an acre for 
his hotel, store, etc., between lots 19 and 20 on the 
westerly side of the main street. The first seisarate 
assessment list was of twenty-two unseated lots at 
$10 each, in 1845. The next year sixteen unseated 
lots were assessed at $20 each, and six at $15 each. 
In 1876 the number of taxables is 21; minister, 1; 
laborers, 4; miners, 2; shoemakers, 2; blacksmith, 
1; merchant, 1. The real estate is valued at $2,Y80; 
and personal property and occupations at $595. 

Kellersburg has a Lutheran and a Methodist 
Episcopal Church. The first-mentioned society 
built in 1838, two years after it was organized, a 
log house of worship, but iiow has a very good 
frame building, nicely finished, 40X30 feet in 
dimensions. Rev. G. A. Reichert, the first minis- 
ter, was succeeded by Rev. Kyle. Rev. W. Seiner 
was pastor in 1876. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church is a substantial 
frame building erected in 187-. Its dimensions 
are 45X40 feet. 

Willink & Co. conveyed 59 acres of the southern 
part of allotment 2 to Caspar Beer, June 4, 1834, 
for $36.87, which he conveyed to Jacob F. Keller, 
July 22, 1840, for $108, and the latter conveyed 22 
acres and 80 perches thereof to John Heasley, Feb- 
ruary 16, 1860, for $265; Willink & Co. to John 
Mohney 173 acres of allotment 4,,June 21, 1837, 
for $108.12, who kept a hotel; 135 acres and 46 
perches of allotment 5 to Charles Merrill, August 
28, 1838, for $1,000, which Merrill conveyed to 
James .and Thomas Feely, November 1, 1845, they 
to William Garner, October 26, 1848, and he to 
William Geddes, March 3, 1851, for $6,000. 

Adjoining that tract on the south was ISTo. 315, 
covered by warrant No. 2867. Willink & Co. con- 
veyed 165 acres of allotment 5 to Peter Bish, 
December 15, 1828, for $103.12; to Jacob Moyers, 
heretofore mentioned, 191 apres and 85 perches of 
allotments 2, 4, 6, November 29, 1830, for $119, of 
which he conveyed 1 acre and 45 perches to Eliza- 
beth Courson, June 9, 1856, for $50, and 152 acres 
and 30 perches of allotments 4 and 6, September 
7, 1846, for $100; 48 acres and 100 perches to Sam- 
uel Cassat, October 3, 1835, for $30.40, with which 
and 12 acres more and one cow, he was first 



assessed in 1838 at $68. John Bain was first 
assessed with 70 acres of allotment 5, one horse 
and one cow in 1833, at $66, to whom Willink & 
Co. conveyed 96 acres, February 6, 1838, for $60, 
of which Bain conveyed 12 acres and 33 perches 
to John Shobert, November 7, 1839, for $50. On 
the run by which it is traversed the latter erected 
a second-rate gristmill, with which he was first 
assessed in 1840 at $100. He conveyed this parcel, 
"with a frame house and gristmill thereon," to 
Abel Llewellyn, November 17, 1849, for $700. . If 
there has been a subsequent conveyance, it is not 
on record. Willink & Co. conveyed 126 acres of 
allotment 1 to Joshua Baughman, February 6, 1838, 
for $78.37, which was occupied by his widow after 
his death. North of that parcel was one containing 
131 acres and 49 perches, occupied and perhaps 
owned by M. D. Fayette Ely, who was first assessed 
with 100 acres in 1837, at $130, with which he con- 
tinued to be assessed imtil 1840. Jacob Pettigrew 
was first assessed with 100 acres, mostly of this, 
but partly of tract No. 314, and one cow, in 1837, 
at $83, to whom Colwell and his co-purchasers con- 
veyed 173 acres, June 19, 1852. He conveyed 25 
acres thereof to John Pettigrew, October 8, for 
$50, and 28 acres the next day to Josinah Petti- 
grew, for $84. Just north of the Pettigrew pur- 
chase Avas another parcel containing about the same 
quantity, which was formei-ly occupied by John 
Neil, to whom it and an additional quantity and 
one horse were first assessed in 1842 at $475. 

Contiguous to tract No. 315 on the west was 
tract No. 314, covered by warrant No. 2868, called 
" Elliott Grove," which adjoined the original line 
between Toby and Red Bank townships on the 
east and the heretofore-mentioned vacant land on 
the south. It and several of the other foregoing 
tracts* were included in the purchase made by 
Sommers Baldwin, alluded to in the sketch of the 
Holland Land Company, which appears in Chapter 
I. Baldwin conveyed 200 acres of allotment 5, 
which was in the south central part of the tract, to 
Hewlett Smith, April 19, 1817, for $400. 

Those tracts having become revested in Willink 
& Co., they conveyed 165 acres and 17 perches of 
allotment 6, in the southeastern part of " Elliott 
Grove," to Joseph Sowash, June 3, 1830, which he 
conveyed to Charles B. Schotte, April 26, 1831, for 
$800, which the latter conveyed to George Smith, 
August 1, 1839, for $1,000, 50 acres of which 
Smith conveyed to Abraham Bailey, August 23, 
1851, for $500, and he to Casper Flick, March 23, 
1867, for $1,000, and Smith to Flick 100 acres. 



* Warrants 2SJ8. 2852, 28(», 2864, 2865, 2867, 2869,2881, 2886, aud the 
hereiuafter-meiitioned oues, 2869, 2870. 



282 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



June 16, 1853, for $l,800,f leaving about 15 acres 
now belonging to one or more of Smitb's heirs. 

Willink & Co. also conveyed other portions of 
" Elliott Grove " thus : One hundred and sixty- 
three acres and 79 perches to John Mulholland, 
March 1, 1832, for $102.17, which John L. Mul- 
holland conveyed to Oliver Gray, April 29, 1^47, 
for $700, 104 acres and 91 perches of which he con- 
veyed to Harvey Gray, November 28, 1854, for 
$350, and 77 acres to Aaron Gray, October 9, 1855, 
for $350 ; Willink & Co. to Oliver Gray, 186 acres 
and 8 perches, June 16, 1841, for $372 ; 194 acres 
and 130 perches to Samuel Balsiger, July 5, for 
$194.75, a portion of which he conveyed to James 
Duncan, September 14, 1847, and 1 acre of which 
Duncan conveyed to James Craig, Samuel Craig, 
Sr., and Henry Heasley, trustees of the Middle 
Creek Presbyterian church, June 28, 1854, for $13. 

That church, so-called because of its situation 
between Mahoning and Red Bank creeks, was or- 
ganized by the Saltsburg Presbytery in 1844, but 
was not reported as having a " pastor-elect " until 
1854, and soon thereafter a commodious frame 
edifice, 30X40 feet, was erected on that last-men- 
tioned acre. It enjoyed a stated supply until tlie 
next year. After a vacancy of about four years it 
was favored with the ministrations of Rev. W. P. 
Moore, afterward '' the popular and successful 
pastor of Manchester church, in Allegheny City." 
Its pastor from 1863 till 1867 was Rev. J. H. Sher- 
rard, since of Bucyrus, Ohio, who was succeeded 
by Rev. J. A. E. Simpson from 1868 until 1870. 
About that time it was detached from the Clarion 
and attached to the Kittanning Presbytery. Its 
membership in 1876 was seventy. 

Duncanville, a hamlet containing eighteen build- 
ings, so called after James Duncan, who in 1854, 
was first assessed with " a new house and store- 
room," is situated on this parcel. Jeremiah Bon- 
ner was assessed the same year with " a new store- 
house," at $100. Bonner & Duncan kept a store 
here for a few years. Frederick Fair was assessed 
as a merchant here in 1866, and was succeeded by 
Thomas Meredith in 1868, who is still here. The 
elections have been held here since the organization 
of Clarion county. Here too, f-or many years -vcas 
the site of one of the public schoolhouses of this 
township, in which, after 1854, the annual examina- 
tions of teachers were held. It was situated west 
of the Lawsonham road in a grove, built in and, 
like some others of that period, was a shell that ought 
to have been replaced by a better one much sooner 



t In the spring of 1880, in the course of digging for ore, a capaci ous 
pave with several rooms was opened, which has been visited bv 
numerous perkons and from which fine specimens of stalactite and 
stalagmite have been obtained. 



than it was. Its successor, a comfortable frame 
structure, is situated at the crossroads, about 
eighty rods southeast of Duncanville. 

The United Brethren and the Presbyterians also 
have organized churches here and have houses of 
worship. 

Other purchasers of parcels of " Elliott Grove " 
were : Oliver Gray, to whom Willink & Co. con- 
veyed 186 acres and 8 perches, Jxme 16, 1841, for 
$372 ; Elijah French, to whom they conveyed 139^ 
acres, May 29, 1844, for $139.50. According to 
Meredith's connected draft of parcels, George 
Craig owned 100 acres and 10 perches, William 
Toy 100 acres and 150 perches, and George Young 
200 acres of " Elliott Grove," when that draft was 
made. 

North of allotments 3 and 3 of " Elliott Grove " 
lay allotment 4 of tract No. 289, warrant No. 2876, 
north of which and between the above-mentioned 
original township line and the Nicholson tract. 
No. 4150, lay the other tliree allotments of this 
tract, which was included in the Buffington pur- 
chase, 776 acres an'd 135 perches he conveyed, as 
before stated, to JReyffolds & Richey. This tract 
originally contained 990 acres, a small parcel of 
which was conveyed to Alexander Duncan, so that 
after the conveyance \o Reynolds & Richey there 
was a residue of somewhat more than 130 acres in 
the southeastern part of this tract, which are assessed 
in 1876 to E. Buffington, at $798. 

On the south and west of. the Nicholson, No. 
1150, was the Holland tract. No. 311, warrant No. 
2870, of which Willink & Co. conveyed 220 acres, 
of allotments 2 and 5, to George Craig, Sr., 
November 23, 1837, for $137.50, who had been 
first assessed in 1834, with 180 acres, of tract 315, 
warrant 2869, one horse and one cow, at $233, of 
which he conveyed fifty acres to Catherine Craig, 
November 13, 1856, for $350. He was a member 
of Captain Shaeflfer's company. Col. Snyder's regt., 
in the War of 1812, and enlisted in the 103d regt. 
Pa. Vols, in the late War of the Rebellion, but on 
account of his advanced age, was not permitted 
to go to the front. At and before the time of his 
purchase, allotment 1 of No. 311 was occupied by 
George Craig, Jr. Willink & Co. conveyed 140 
acres and 143 perches of the last-mentioned allot- 
ment to George N. Craig, November 21, 1837, for 
$88 12. Colwell & Co. conveyed 75 acres and 151 . 
perches of allotment 2 to George Craig, April 8, 
1859, for $600, with which and one yoke of oxen, 
he was first assessed, that year, at $150. 

South of the last-preceding tract and west of j 
"Elliott Grove" was tract No. 318, warrant No„ 
2869. The earliest purchaser of a parcel of if 





- f^/ 



[(VIES &JTHF?m. 
JAMES GUTHRIE. 

James Guthrie is one of the ojdest residents of 
Apollo, Armst5'l3tig county, Pennsylvania, having 
come there in ISSyy from^^estmoreland county, 
where he was born September 20, 1806. His par- 
ents, William and Agnes (Dixon) Guthrie, were 
among the earliest settlers in the eounty last 
named. During his early life the subject of our 
sketch was a land surveyor. He has been engaged 
in the real estate business, and for fifteen years fol- 
lowed the occupation of a tanner. He was a 
justice of the peace in the borough of Apollo for 
ten years, and in the years 1872-3 was assistant 
clerk in the land office at Harrisburg, under his 
son. In 1834 Mr. Guthrie married Mrs. Margaret 
Hall, whose maiden name was Beatty. She was a 
native of Westmoreland county, born June 9, 1797, 
and the daughter of John and Jane Beatty, the 



MF^S-JAJv^ES GUTHF^IE. 
former born in Maryland, and the latter in Ireland. 

Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie are living a retired life in 
Apollo. Both are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal church. 

John B. Guthrie, son of James and Margaret 
Guthrie, was born in 1835. He volunteered as 
captain of a companj'' of drafted men in the war 
for the Union. Prior to that time he had studied 
law with Mr. Pretty, of Apollo, and had been 
admitted to the bar in 1857. He practiced his 
profession until 1872. He married, in 1859, Miss 
Mary Jane Pretty, daughter of Jacob Pretty, and 
of this marriage two children were the offspring — 
Luretha A., Walter J. John B. Guthrie died Sep- 
tember 21, 1875. His widow now resides with his 
parents, and his sou Walter is receiving an 
education at Meadville CoUeare. 



Ki 



\ •■ 












MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



283 



appears to have been Thomas Gray, to whom Wil- 
link & Co. conveyed 130 acres and 35 perches of 
allotment 5, June 19, 1833, for $81, now occupied 
by Samuel B. Gray, with which and one cow 
Thomas Gray was first assessed in 1834, at $133.50. 
The company conveyed some other parcels, thus: 
158^ acres of allotment 6 to Robert Campbell, 
May 31, 1836, for $118.50; 179 acres and 137 
perches of allotment 2 to James Coats, October 
5, 1836, with which and one horse William Coats 
was first assessed in 1842; 102 acres and 72 
perches of the southern part of allotments 4 and 
5 to Gabriel P. Lobeau, April 4, 1837, which he 
conveyed to John Harman, the present owner 
of the greater part of it, July 28, 1842, for $80, 
13 acres of which the latter conveyed to Lewis 
Enhurst in 1872, for $150; 175 acres and 60 
perches of allotment 3 te John Molninch, June 5, 
1837, for $131.50, 13 act^ and 46 perches of which 
he conveyed to WilUai* and Jokm R. JVIcCullough, 
October 3, 1838? and May 13^1848, and which they 
conveyed to Janies Taylor- on' tt^ last-mentioned 
day, and he tq.AT. 1^. Connw, 9^cr^s, March 8, 
1850, for $400, and tlieii, or soifleii^her time, Con- 
ner conveyed. 4 ^cres to John' CV^ig, who con- 
veyed 1 acre and 32 perches to'Joh'n A. Craig, 
Joseph EarleySiM Samuel B. Gray; "trustees of the 
Coats Gra,veyard," Search 12, 1870, for $5, and 17 
perches and '1714 feet, to Lewis Shoup, March 6, 
1871, foi $50, where the*latter Avas first assessed as 
a blacksmith in 1870, and around which is a small 
hamlet containing six or more buildings, making 
somewhat of a business point. George Craig and 
Andrew Earley must have settled on other por- 
tions of this tract in 1834, as they were both then 
first assessed with portions of it, the assessor then 
being Richard Reynolds, who very carefully noted 
the names of the warrantees and the numbers of 
the tracts. Craig was then assessed with 180 
acres and two cows, at $196; Earley with 160 acres,, 
one horse and one cow, at $180, and John Crozier 
with 100 acres in 1836, at $50. When Meredith 
made his connected draft of parcels of this and 
other tracts, Craig owned 179 acres and 100 perches, 
Crozier 165 acres and 26 perches, and Earley 179 
acres and 137 perches. Colwell & Co. conveyed 
to Earley 89f acres of allotment 1, July 10, 1859, 
for $179.25. William Wattei'son was first assessed 
with 160 acres of this tract and one cow in 1854, 
at $168. He transferred his interest in the land 
during the ensuing year to Samuel Craig, who 
became a permanent resident on that parcel, or at 
least until he purchased a parcel of the adjoining 
tract. 

The only tract of the Holland Company's lands 



in this county that touched the Allegheny river 
was No. 312, warrant No. 2910. Robert Dixon 
and John Hardy were the first purchasers of par- 
cels of it. Willink & Co. conveyed to them as 
tenants in common 155^ acres of allotment 2, 
December 24, 1835, for $108.85, and 335 acres and 
69 perches of allotments 1 and 2, November 2, 
1836, for $235.75. Hardy was first assessed with 
167 acres, two horses and one cow in 1841, at $382, 
and 170 acres at $340. Dixon was first assessed 
with 100 acres and one cow in 1842, at $60, and the 
next year with 150 acres and one cow, at $160. 
Hardy kept a hotel on the parcel, which he occu- 
pied for several years. Dixon conveyed his inter- 
est in their first parcel to Hardy, and Hardy his 
interest in 178 acres of the second parcel to Dixon, 
April 9, 1857. Dixon conveyed the latter quantity 
to Mrs. Ellen Turner, April 13; she and her hus- 
band conveyed 1 acre and 75 perches thereof 
adjoining the road from the mouth of Red Bank 
to Duncanville, " upon which St. Mary's Episcopal 
church has been recently erected," to the " board 
of trustees of the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the 
Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States," 
in' April, 1872, for $1 — in other words, she gave 
the ground to the church. 

The'^next sales of parcels of this tract by Wil- 
link & Co. appear from the records to have been : 
122 acres of allotment 6, the southeastern one, to 
John Wilkins, July 15, 1841, for $92, which, with 
403 acres and 32 perches of allotments 5 and 6, ad- 
joining Samuel Earley's improvement on the south 
and the Allegheny river on the west, his adminis- 
trator conveyed to Aaron Whittacre's administra- 
tor, April 16, 1849, for $2,499.02, which became a 
part of the American Furnace property. Willink 
& Co. conveyed 107^ acres of the east end of 
allotment 4 of this tract, and the west end of allot- 
ment 1 of tract No. 313, to James Watterson, Sep- 
tember 14, 1844, for $107, which he conveyed to 
George K. Wolf May 6, 1858, for $2,000, 95 acres 
and 72 perches of which the latter conveyed to the 
present owner, George W. Craig, April 9, 1866, for 
$1,850. Willink & Co. conveyed 362f acres of 
allotments 3 and 5, along the river, to Aaron 
Whittacre, February 6, 1846, for $372.75, which 
also became a part of the American Furnace prop- 
erty, 54 acres and 69 perches of which John Jamie- 
son conveyed to Thomas Morrow, July 9, 1860, for 
$462. In the winter of 1864-5 Charles A. Hardy 
and Aaron D. Hope expended $1,050 in the pur- 
chase of several parcels of this tract, aggregating 
112 acres; $1,100 in the purchase of 50 acres of 
the Samuel Earley improvement; and $500 in the 
jiurchase of the coal and mineral rights of two 



284 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



other parcels of that Holland tract, which Robert 
Dixon, John Jamison and R. C. Loomis had con- 
veyed to John Booher, Samuel Nichols, Thomas 
Morrow, John Laugler and Mrs. Ellen Turner, in 
which Hope still retains his interest. 

The surface of a large portion of the territory 
of this township was, when first settled, comjpara- 
tively sterile. That in the northeastern part, es- 
pecially in the vicinity of the old Red Bank Fur- 
nace, was so much so that it was vulgarly called 
" Pinchgut." The foregoing prices at which 
various parcels of the land have at different periods 
since been sold, as well as the present condition 
and appearance of the farms, indicate the beneficial 
effects of a more skillful and kindly culture than 
was at first adopted, which was to a great extent 
induced by the home market created for agricultu- 
ral products by the Red Bank and Stewardson 
Furnaces. 

Until about 1835 the only other road in Ihis 
township besides the Olean was the one cut 
through from Bain's to Lawsonham. As late as 
1839 there were only two wagons in this township. 

The most convenient educational facilities en- 
joyed for several years by the first settlers (Alex- 
ander Duncan and others, in the northern part of 
the township) were afforded by the school on the 
north side of the Red Bank, near where Lawson- 
ham now is, which was first taught by James Hun- 
ter, and then by Robert Lawson and others. The 
first schoolhouse within the present limits of this 
township was a primitive log one that was built on 
Elijah French's farm, about a mile from Gray's 
Eddy and a greater distance northeast of Rimer- 
ton. The first school in that house was taught by 
Henry Fox, and some of his scholars traveled five 
miles daily to attend it. The second schoolhouse 
was similar to that one, and situated near Kellers- 
burgh, in which David Truitt was the first teacher. 
Daylight entered both of those primitive temples 
of knowledge through greased paper instead of 
glass.*. The next was situated about 145 rods west 
of the present eastern boundary line of this town- 
ship, " near the present residence of John Bish."f 
The first under the free school law was situated 
nearly a mile northwest of the last-mentioned one, 
on the farm of Henry Pence. Most, if not all, 
of the rest were the usual log structures. One of 
them — the one near what is now Centerville — 
was still in use on the writer's last tour of visita- 
tion to the schools of this county, in 1866. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 8; average 



* John EiiBcr's statement respecting those tivo schools and 
sehoolhouses. 

t Superintendent Glenn's Historical Sketch of Education in Arm- 
strong county. 



number of months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 8 ; 
female teachers, 0; average salaries, $17; male 
scholars, 229 ; female scholars, 184 ; average num- 
ber attending school, 226 ; cost of teaching each 
scholar per month, 35 cents ; amount levied for 
school purposes, $784.20 ; received from state ap- 
propriation, 191.87 ; from collectors, $563 ; cost of 
instruction, $546 ; fuel and contingencies, $37.79 ; 
cost of sehoolhouses, $15.58. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 8 ; average 
number of months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 7 ; 
female teachers, 1 ; average salaries of both male 
and female, per month, $30 ; male scholars, 255 ; 
female scholars, 256 ; average number attending 
school, 119 ; cost per month, 52 cents ; amount of 
tax levied for school and building purposes, 
$2,852.06 ; received from state appropriation, 
$413.85 ; from taxes, etc., $3,254.01 ; cost of school- 
houses, $1,303.17 ; paid for teachers' wages, 
$1,248.50 ; fuel, etc., $1,177.21. 

Population, including that of the section now 
included in Mahoning township, in 1850 was: 
White, 1,142; colored, 9. l&ASk) : White, 1,140; 
colored, 0. In 1870 : NativCj'^SfiS; foreign, 136. 
In 1876, number of taxables, 5^, representing a. 
population of 2,397:.. 

The vote on the {fuestion of gBSming license to 
sell intoxicating liquors, February 28, 1873, was 
99 against and 41 for. 

There are six merchants of the fourteenth class 
in this township, according to the Mercantile Ap- 
praisers' List for 1876. 

Occupations other than agricultural and mercan- 
tile, according to the assessment list of 1876, in- 
cluding the towns: Laborers, 118; miners, 32; 
carpenters, 4 ; shoemakers, 3 ; blacksmiths, 2 ; 
miller, 1; minister, 1; mason, 1; section boss, 1; 
innkeeper, 1 ; old persons, 5. Of those engaged 
in agriculture, 7 are assessed as croppers. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

The general geological features of this town- 
ship, as given to the writer by W. G. Piatt, are: 
Only Lower Productive rocks make the uplands. 
The lower part of the deep valleys, which skirt 
the township, are composed of conglomerate and 
subconglomerate rocks. The Upper Freeport coal 
is represented only in a few knobs in the eastern 
and western portions of the township, and has 
there barely enough rock on top of it to protect 
it from percolating waters. The Lower Kittan- 
ning Coal is the bed chiefly mined, and is from 
three to four feet thick. The remaining beds j 
of the series are represented where the land is ' 
high enough to include them, but, so far as 



J 





J^H^UXL'J^ 




THE WEAY FAMILY. 

KOEERT ■\^'EAY. 

The progenitor of the Wray family in this section of Pennsylvania 
was Daniel Wray, who emigrated \Vith his family from County 
Antrim, Ireland, "in the latter part of the eighteenth century, but lit- 
tle of their history is kno^vn further than that they were sturdy peo- 
ple who were held in high esteem by those who knew them. Some 
time previous to 17;i4 he settled inFranklin county, where Robert 
^^"ray was born in the year above mentioned. 

From Franklin county the family removed to Jlount Pleasant, 
Pennsylvania, and several years later to Indiana county, ^vhere the 
elder Wray purchased a farm adjoining thu now prosperous town of 
Saltsburg.' Robert was at this time a young man full of energy and 
push, and as his father had seriously involved himself in the purchase 
of the property and was in danger of losing it, he assumed the in- 
debtedness, took the claim, and by engaging in the manufacture of 
salt (an industry in which he was a pioneer), he paid for the farm, 
which did not pass out of his possession until after his death. Early 
in life he was united in marriage with Miss Abagail Manners, whose 
parents were of German extraction and among the early settlers of 
Armstrong count>^ She was a most estimable lady— possessed of 
many ennobling traits of character; she endeared herself to all by 
her kindness and benevolence; she was an examjjle of all that is 
Christian in charity and thought, ready for every good work, herself 
an illustration of all she taught. Industry and thrift were salient 
points in her character, and itVas with pride that she referred to the 
fact that her wedding-dress and bonnet Avere purchased ^^■ith linen 
cloth, manufactured by herself from flax of her own raising. After 
her marriage she spun and wove a quantity of cloth with which she 
purchased a copper kettle which is still in possession of the family. 
Her huslmnd was her counterpart in all that pertains to true nobility 
of character — a typical pioneer, hardy and resolute, and, inured to all 
the privations and hardships of frontier life, he was well fitted for 
the arduous work he did so well. Possessed of more than an ordinary 
amount of intelligence, he soon became a leading spirit, and his 
counsel was sought after and many a difficulty between neighbors 
was amicably adjusted by him, that had it not been for his kindly 
ser\'ices would have involved the parties in litigation. His social 
qualities were marked and his hospitality was proverbial. His " latch- 
string was always out," and no one was ever turned from his door. 

In his eighty-fourth year this ffood old man went to his reward, 
" full of days, riches and honor." He died on the farm to which 
he removed soon after his marriage, and which is in possession of his 
son Robert. His wife survived him until she attained the ripe old 
age of eighty-four, beloved and honored by all her acquaintances. 
" None knew her but to love her, 
None named her but to praise." 



They reared a family of nine children— Daniel, John M., William 
H., Robert, Sarah, Elizabeth, Nancy, Anna J. and Abbie M. 

In his political and religious athliations, Mr. Wray was a republi- 
can and a Presbyterian ; all religious enterprises found in him a friend 
and supporter. His interest in politics was great, and he took a lead- 
ing part and was one of those citizens desirous of the best welfare of 
the state and society. 



JOHN M. AVRAT. 

John M. Wray, the second son of Robert and Abagail Planners, 
was born in 1818, and was reared on the old homestead in Kiskimine- 
tas township, Armstrong county. His early life was replete with toil 
and hardship, and it was only ijy the possession of strong hands and 
a robust constitution that he was able to endure the arduous labor 
imposed upon bim in making the great transition from the wilder- 
ness to productive fields. The present generation can scarcely com- 
prehend the magnitude of the work performed by this pioneer and 
his eotemporaries. and to them we are indebted for the substructure 
of our present wealth and prosperity. The father, with his sons, John 
M., Daniel. William and Robert, cleared a trio of the finest farms in 
Western Pennsylvania, one of which is still occupied by John M., 
the others by Daniel and Robert (his elder and youngest brothers). 
In his twenty-first year he married Miss Anna Margaret, daughter of 
Robert and Elizabeth Townsend. whose portraits and biography ap- 
pear elsewhere in this volume. The result of this union ^\•ere eight 
children, Harriet M. (Scott), Clara E. (Marshall), Abagail G. (Alexan- 
der), Hiram H., Anna Af. (deceased), Robert T., Mary A. and Emma 
E. (deceased). Rol.)ert T. is a prominent and successful businessman, 
and is at present connected with extensive coke works in the Fayette 
region. The only child rcmainin.L;; under the parental roof is Wary 
A., the youngest child. Mr. Wray has devoted his life to agricultural 
pursuits, and in his cho.sen avocation has been eminently successful; 
he has given special attention to the rearing of fine stock, especially 
English draft horses. Notwithstanding he has passed threescore 
'yeai-s he is still active, and gives promise of many years of indus- 
try and usefulness. During his eventful career he has been three 
times engaered in mercantile pursuits, but his preference has always 
been for tlie farm, Avhich is endeared to him by many precious 
associations. 

But few men can retrospect a more successful career ; starting in 
life with only his natural resources for his capital, he has conquered 
success in everything, and now in his old age surrounded by his 
children, whose love and respect he holds in the highest degree, and 
whose positions both in business and society reflect creditupon him, 
he is still actively engaged in business, and bids fair to attain the 
position reached by his father. 



MADISON TOWNSHIP. 



285 



investigated, tiiey are devoid of importance. The 
Lower Kittanning Coal has been quite exten- 
sively developed, it being the bed worked on the 
property of the Mahoning Coal Company. The 
ferriferous limestone underlies all the center of the 
township, and far above water level. The buhr- 
stone ore accompanies it, and hence the supply of 
Stewardson Furnace is chiefly derived. The Potts- 
ville conglomerate is above water level through- 
out the whole length of valleys of the Allegheny 
Mahoning and Red Bank in this township, and is 
nearly three hundred feet above water level at the 
mouth of Mahoning. 

STEUCTUBE. 

An anticlinal divides the township nearly in 
halves in a northeast and northwest direction. It 
crosses the river just above the mouth of Mahoning, 
and the Red Bank above Lawsonham. It has 
sharp dips on its southeastern flank. The eastern 
and western portions of the township are in the 
synclinal. . 

Prof. Lesley, in M^'Geological Report on the 
present Red Bank ESirnace property, says, respect- 
ing the chief supply of ore for this furnace; The 
ore-bed is a layer of brown hema|ite mixed with 
blue carbonate, out of which the hematite seems to 
have been made by decomposition. The less blue 
carbonate, the more brown hematite, and the softer 
and better the ore, is the accepted rule. The ore- 
bed is very irregular, sometimes running down to 
six inches, and sometimes up to five feet. It will 
probably average two feet along its whole outcrop. 
It is mined along the hillsides at about the same 
level on the south side of Red Bank and down the 
river. * * * It covers the ferriferous or great 
fossiliferous limestone, a bed of fifteen feet thick, 
filling depressions of all sizes in its upper surface. 



and penetrating its top layer, so as to render it 
a, superior flux, yielding a large percentage of its 
own. Above the ore-bed is a mass of shales many 
feet thick, more or less silicious, and more or less 
charged with balls of blue carbonate of iron. This 
ore-bed is remarkable for its extent of area, cover- 
ing Armstrong, Venango, Clarion, Jefferson, and 
Butler counties, and it has been, in fact, the prin- 
cipal reliance of the fifty furnaces in Northwestern 
Pennsylvania, and the forty-odd furnaces of South- 
ern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky. Its outcrop is 
usually very soft, easily mined by stripping, and 
afterward by gangways, driven partly in the lime- 
stone and partly in the ore. * * * 

There must be over two miles of ore outcrop on 
the 538-acre lot south of Red Bank — Nicholson 
tract No. 1151 — and allowing only two feet of an 
average thickness, and forty feet of stripping floor 
Before commencing the drift, we have one hundred 
thousand tons of soft brown hematite in sight. 
The quantities lying back of the outcro25 are too 
large to need estimation. * * * The Kittan- 
ning, or " middle " coalbed south of Red Bank, is 
only about twenty inches thick, and, if it underlies 
two hundred acres, contains about five hundred 
thousand tons. 

Levels referred to tide, or bights above the ocean 
in feet and tenths of a foot: north abutment of 
Mahoning bridge, lower outside corner, 826.2 ; 
upper inside corner, 829.6; opposite Rimerton Sta- 
tion, 836.7; north abutment, lower inside corner, 
831.5; south bridge seat, lower inside corner, 836.6; 
south abutment, lower outside corner, 850.4; south 
abutment Red Bank bridge, inside corner, 840.4; 
north ^abutment. Red Bank bridge, lower end, 
849.6; Red Bank junction, 850.8; Fiddler's run, 
915; Lawsonham, 919; Buck Lick run, 939; Rock 
run, 966; Leatherwood, 1027. 



18 



CHAPTER XIII, 



COWANSHANNOCK. 



Its Organization in 1848 — First OiBcers — Indian Purchase Line of 1768 — The Original Land Warrants — Timo- 
thy Pickering & Co.'s Tracts — An Ancient Earthworli; — Relics — Land Disputes Settled by Arbitration — 
Village of Atwood — U. P. Church — Green Oak — Town of Bradford — St. John's Lutheran Church — 
Dunkard Church — An Early Day Indian Encounter — Example of the Low Price of Land — Eight Hun- 
dred Acres for §44 — The Eoberts Lands — First Store Opened in 1831 by the McElhinneys — The Findley 
Lands — Huskens' Run and the Man it was Named After — Rural Valley — The Bryan Lands — Fourth of 
July, 1837 — Salem Reformed Church — Isaac Simpson — Roads — Schools — Miscellaneous Statistics — Rural 
Village — Mercantile and Other Occupations — Educational Matters — Religious — PostoiEce — I.O.O.F. Lodge. 



ON the 22d June, 1841, the petition of divers 
inhabitants of Kittanning, Plum Creek a»d 
Wayne townships was presented to the proper 
court of this county, asking for the erection of a 
new township out of parts of those above named. 
On the 25th of the same m.onth ifwas dismissed 
because of informality ; no particular part of either 
of these parts was designated in the petition. The 
application was renewed December 21, 1847, and 
John McE wen, Findley Patterson and George B. 
McFarland were appointed commissioners, who 
presented their report, designating the boundaries 
of the proposed new township, February 8, 1848. 
A remonstrance against its confirmation was pre- 
sented and filed March 20. The report w.as con- 
firmed December 22, 1848, and the township of 
Cowanshannock was by decree of the court erected, 
with these boundaries : " Beginning at the pur- 
chase line on land of Samuel Elgin, thence north 
62 perches to the Cowanshannock creek; thence 
north 6 degrees east along the Pine township 
line 898 perches to a stone on Hannegan's land ; 
thence east S miles to a post on John McEwen's 
farm, at the Indiana county line ; thence south 
along said county line 4 miles and 100 perches to 
a chestnut at the purchase line ; thence south 37 
degrees west along county line 3 miles to a post 
on Hoover's land ; thence north 75 degrees west 
7^ miles to a post on Bradford's lands, at the Kit- 
tanning township line ; thence along said township 
line north 24 degrees east 2 miles and 14 perches 
to the purchase line, the place of beginning." 

At the first spring election, 1849, the following 
township oiBcers were elected : 

Justice of the peace, Samuel Cassady ; constable, 
John Adams ; assessor, Samuel Black ; assistant 
assessors, Jacob Beer and James Stewart ; super- 
visors, John Whittaker and John Stoops ; school 
directors, Samuel Elgin, John McEwen, Samuel 



Fleming, Samuel R. Ramage, William Mcintosh 
and Joseph Elgin ; overseers of the poor, Alexan- 
der P. Ormond, William Rearich ; judge of elec- 
tion, George Stewart ; inspectors of election, 
James Reid, Robert Neal ; township auditors, Jo- 
seph Kirkpatrick, William -Bloan, Samuel Potts ; 
township clerk, David Hill. * ■ 

The township was named Cowanshannock after 
the creek flowing through the very picturesque val- 
ley which it drains the entire length — beyond the 
entire length — between its eastern and western 
boundaries. Cowanshannock is an Indian name, 
and, like other such names, is significant. The 
general opinion of the people of this region is, 
that it means " banks of flowers." On the 26th of 
January, 1833, " C", enchanted with the beauty of 
this valley, as he or she had seen it in the different 
phases, indited a poem, the theme of which was, 
" Cowanshannock, or Bed of Roses," from which 
this stanza is cited : 

From sloping hills and valleys deep, 

The Bed of Roses takes its rise, 
Winding its way through glade and steep, 

From eastern tow'rd the western skies. 

That pretty conception of the meaning of 
Cowanshannock is, however, spoiled by the reality, 
for Heckewelder says : " Cowanshannock, a branch 
of the Allegheny in Armstrong county, corrupted 
from Gawansch-haune — signifying green-brier * 
stream, or brier creek. Gawunschige — briery. So 
it must be inferred that the Indians. found this n 
lovely valley more thorny than rosy. 

The purchase line of 1768, or the old pupchi 
line, as it is often called, traverses the township 
from the chestnut-tree mentioned in the bounda- 
ries at the ansfle south of the north branch of 




* Green brier — a thorny climbing shrub having ayellowisli green 
stem and thick leaves, with small bunches of flowers. It is common j, 
in the tfnited States, and is also called ccU-bi-iei: I 




^. ^^.. 





,^%5r^^ 



y^-c 



-(>ryTy>^l^L£J 



TM^ 



REV. DAVID KENNEDY DUFF. 

David Kennedy DufT was born in Beaver county, 
Pennsylvania, May 8, 3825. He left home vi'hen seven- 
teen years of age to attend school at the academy 
in Darlington, Pennsylvania, and remained there two 
years ; thence he went to the college in Athens, Ohio, 
where he finished his literary collegiate course in 1849. 
After teaching school for about a year at Mount Jackson, 
Pennsylvania, he entered, in 1850, the theological semi- 
nary at Canonsburg, where, during the next three years, 
he completed a careful theological course. He was im- 
mediately licensed (in November, 1853) to preach as a 
home missionary, and traveled in that capacity for two 
years, performing useful services in Ojio, Indiana, Illi- 
nois, Iowa, Eastern New York, and also in the cities of 
Philadelphia and Baltimore. 

In May, 1856, he entered upon the duties of his first 
settled charge, being installed as pastor over the United 
Presbyterian church at Dayton, Wayne township, and 
Mount Zion church at Pine Creek. He remained in 
active duty as pastor of these congregations until 
September 14, 1862, at which time, having previously 
enlisted, he was mustered into service as captain of 
Co. K, 14th regt. Pa. Cav., in which capacity he served 
until his discharge in 1865. He was in the following 
engagements : Droop Mountain, August 27, 1863 ; in 
Newmarket (on the Averill Salem raid); Jeflferson, 
May 8, 1864 ; Wytheville, May 10, 1864 ; Union, May 
13, 1864; Piedmont, June 5, 1864; Buchanan, June 
13, 1864 ; Lynchburg, June 17 and 18, 1864 ; Liberty, 
June 19, 1864; Salem. June 20, 1864; Bunker Hill, 
June 26, 1864; and then with Sheridan, at Darkes- 



ville, July 2, 1864 ; Opequau, September 19, 1864; Stone 
Bridge, September 18, 1864; Fisher Hill, September 
21 and 22, 1864; Forrestville, September 24, 1864; 
Mount Crawford, September 25, 1864 ; Wyer's Cave, Sep- 
tember 26 and 27, 1864; Middletown, October 19, 1864; 
Milford, October 25, 1864 ; Mount Jackson, November 
22, 1864 ; Ashby Gap, February 19, 1865. Captain Duflf, 
in the cavalry engagement at Ashby Gap, Virginia, was 
wounded three times — in the head, right shoulder and 
left hand. He was honorably discharged because of 
these wounds May 15, 1865. In June he resumed charge 
of his congregations at Dayton and Pine Creek, and 
upon June 21, 1866, took pastoral charge of the Concord 
(now Atwood) church. His time was equally divided 
among the three until 1870, when he was released from 
the charge of the Mount Zion church at Pine Creek. 
He is now pastor of the congregations at Dayton and 
Atwood. Mr. Duff was principal of the Dayton Academy 
from the spring of 1857 to the fall of 1862, and from the 
winter of 1866 to the spring of 1867. He was united in 
marriage October 27, 1868, with Miss Nannie Henry, who 
was born in East Franklin township, Armstrong county, 
September 80, 1840. Her parents, James and Sarah 
(Richmond) Henry, were natives of Ireland. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Duff six children have been born, as follows : 
James Gordon, August 21, 1869 ; Samuel Calvin, April 
20, 1872; Willie Richmond, December 5, 1874 (died 
April 14, 1876 ) ; Johnie, March 11, 1877 (died March 23, 
1877) ; Robert Marshall, January 21, 1879 ; and Alice 
Gertrude, May 17, 1881. Mr. Duff lived at Dayton until 
1878, when he removed to Atwood, where he owns 92 
acres of well improved land. 



^l'i^*"'"Blf?Ut S^Jj^fif,:,^^ 





COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



287 



Plum creek in the line between this and Indiana 
county, north 79 degrees west, passing through the 
brick house of Jno. Boyer about twenty-five rods 
east of Huskins' run, and crossing the western 
boundary of the townshiji a little above the angle 
therein. All that portion south of that line was 
taken from Plum Creek township, and was in- 
cluded in the old purchase of 1768, and it consti- 
tutes about one-third of the territory of Cowan- 
shannock township. The origincd tracts in this 
portion were in the names of warrantees as fol- 
lows : A part of the Alexander Dallas tract ; the 
John D. Mercer tract, 402 acres, seated by David 
McCausland ; James Dundas, 402 acres ; Parsons 
Learning, 406f acres, seated by John Byerly ; parts 
of the Jacob Amos and Mary Semple tracts ; 
Joseph Fisher, 402 acres ; Joseph Nourse, 402 
acres, seated by David McCausland ; Patrick 
Farrell, 406J acres ; Samuel Fisher, 443J acres, 
seated by William McCausland ; Joseph Norris, 356 
acres, seated by James Guthrie ; Thomas Bradford, 
452 acres; Elizabeth Henderson, two tracts, 415^ and 
41 3f acres ; nearly all of Andrew Henderson's, 41 3f 
acres, seated by George McLaughlin ; the greater 
part of Robert Semple, Jr., tract, 421 acres ; Will- 
iam Finney, 427.2 acres, seated by John Black ; 
William Wistar, 306 acres; John Dealing, 318-|- 
acres; parts of the Isaac and Samuel Morris tracts; 
John Lart, 330f acres, seated by Daniel Wampler; 
George Snyder, 307^ acres ; John Gill, 321^ acres, 
seated by Jacob Beer, Jr.; Benjamin Davis, 325^ 
acres, one-half above the purchase line, seated by 
George and Michael Somers ; Jonathan D. Sergeant, 
402f acres — small portions of it are in Kittanning 
and Plum Creek townships ; parts of the Larken Dor- 
sey and James Dubbs tracts ; Richard Wells, 330f 
acres, seated by Jacob Beer. Wells purchased, Jan- 
uary 7, 1774, the George Snyder tract and various 
other ti'acts elsewhere mentioned, at five shillings 
per tract.* He was an adherent of the English in 
the revolutionary struggle. Colonel John Bay- 
ard, in his letter to the Council of Safety, from the 
camp at Bristol, Pennsylvania, December 13, 1776, 
wrote this of him : " We are informed today by a 
gentleman from Burlington that Richard Wells 
was there yesterday, doubtless with advice to the 
enemy, and returned that night. He informed the 
people that General Putnam intended burning the 
city." At a meeting of the Council of Safety, Jafi- 
uary 14, 1777, Wells was nominated as a member 
of that body. In his reply to the communication 
informing him thereof, the next day, he said : 
" Sincerity and candor forbid my concealing the 
true reason of my wishing to decline the appoint- 

* Vide sketch of Plum Creek township. 



ment ; I hope not to ofl:'end by my honesty, yet I 
cannot, I think, with an upright conscience, with- 
hold the confession. The post, gentlemen, which 
you fill is built on a foundation so opposite to my 
sentiments, and the money I should have to dis- 
tribute on your account so expressly put into 
your hands for the purposes of war, that I should 
stand condemned by my own heart if I accepted 
the charge. Far be it from me to undertake 
here to arraign your conduct in the prosecution of 
your office ; I cheerfully grant to all men that 
freedom of action which I claim in return, and 
assure you with great sincerity that whilst, on 
the one hand, I cannot give a hearty approbation 
to' the present system ; on the other, I will never 
oppose or disturb it ; my constant study being to 
pass through life at peace with my own breast and 
all the world. I know that I have been more ex- 
plicit than common policy might have dictated, 
but thought I should have been wanting in justice 
to you and myself not to have ingenuously told 
you the truth. I am much obliged by your/enter- 
taining so good an oi^inion of my integrity as to 
nominate me to so important a trust, and hope you 
will not think too unfavorably of me for the part 
I act." 

In the other portion, north of the purchase line, 
were these tracts: Henry Shade, 400 acres, warrant 
584 — bounded by the purchase line on the south, 
which, according to the description of this tract in 
the mortgage from Shade to John Foyle, Jr., July 
2, 1805, must have been the northern boundary of 
Westmoreland county, for this tract is there repre- 
sented as having previously been in Northumber- 
land county, and if so, that northern boundary 
line of Westmoreland county must have struck the 
Allegheny river near Truby's run, in Kittanning, 
instead of near the mouth of the Cowanshannock, 
as seems to have been the case by its location on 
some of the old maps; H. Le Roy & Co., 958 acres, 
warrant No. 3118, along the north side of the pur- 
chase line; H. Le Roy & Co., two tracts, 948^ and 
990 acres, warrants Nos. 3126 and 3128, partly in 
Indiana county; H. Le Roy & Co., 1096-^ acres, 
warrant 3125; James Kirkpatrick, lOOi acres, 
mostly in Indiana coitnty ; Samuel Bryan, 544 
acres and 106 perches, warrant 679; T. W. Hiltz- 
imer, 1,100 acres, warrant 5146, partly in Wayne; 
H. Le Roy & Co., 847|- acres, warrant 3095, seated 
by John Simpson and John Kirkpatrick; John 
Denniston, 180f acres, warrant 3829, tract called 
"Dublin;" John Denniston, 170| acres, warrant 
3830, tract called "Abbington;" John Sloan, 226^ 
acres, warrant 5639, tract called " Stanton;" Joseph 
Cook, treasurer of Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- 



288 



HISTORY OF AEMSTEONG COUNTY. 



vania, in 1789-90, 393 acres, warrant 5631, called 
" The Grove ;" part of the Wallace tract, warrant 
4162; part of thej)r. Wm. Smith tract, mentioned 
in the sketch of Wayne township — he was a mem- 
ber from Philadelphia of the committee for the 
Province of Pennsylvania, July, 1774, and one of 
the deputies chosen by the several counties ; 
George Bryan — he was -^dee-president of the supreme 
executive council of this state in 1777, and was 
commissioned a puisne judge of the supreme court 
April 3, 1780 — 548:| acres, warrant 669; Samuel 
Denniston, 255^ acres, warrant 3621, tract called 
"Alexandria;" John Denniston, 239 acres, warrant 
3922, tract called " Derry ; " Joseph Cook, 447f 
acres, warrant 3636, tract called " Wheatfield ; " 
Aaron Wor, 447 acres, warrant 5483; John Craig, 
245 acres, warrant 3652; John Denniston,* 309 
acres, warrant 3618, seated by Robert Mcllwain ; 
William Denniston, 220 acres, warrant 3620 ; 
Archibald McGahey, 100 acres; Meason & Cross 
543^ acres, warrant 675 ; George Bryan, 1,097^ 
acres, warrant 672 — 500 acres seated by John 
Schrecongost, and 500 by Jacob Torney; William 
Findley, 281 acres, warrant 5638, dated June 27, 
1894, tract called " Fidelity," patent to George Rob- 
erts, March 2, 1895, Roberts' heirs to Samuel Patter- 
son (55 acres), April 16, 1836; Robert McClenechan, 
328f acres, warrant 515 ; William Findley, 100 
acres, warrant 3658, seated by Daniel River; Rey- 
nolds & Clark, 428f acres, warrant 6041 ; H. Le Roy 
& Co. (Holland Company), two tracts, 1,028J and 
1,000 acres, warrants 3022 and 3030; Timothy 
Pickering & Co., 621^ acres, warrant 11, seated by 
James Craig, James Simpson and Isaac Simpson; 
Timothy Pickering & Co., 1,057^ acres, warrant 
176; Timothy Pickering <fe Co., 1,132;^ acres, war- 
rant No. 25. 

The last-named company consisted of Timothy 
Pickering, Tench Coxe, Samuel Hodgdon, Dun- 
can Ingraham, Jr., Andrew Craiger, and Morris 
Fisher. It is set forth in their article of agree- 
ment, dated April 6, 1785, that they expected a 
land office to be opened on the 1st of the next 
month for the sale of lands purchased from the 
Indians in 1784, which is frequently called " the late 
purchase," and that they were desirous of purchasing 
a considerable quantity of these lands. Pickering, 
Coxe, Hodgdon and Ingraham were appointed 
a committee to procure warrants and manage the 
other business of the company. It was stipulated 
that the members of the company should be joint 
tenants, that the lands purchased by their committee 



* Appointed by Col. Charles Campbell, contractor for the militia 
of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, who was to be paid eight- 
pence per ration on account of the stations being so small, as stated 
in Campbell's letter to Gov. Mifflin, August 13, 1791. 



should be conveyed to them as such in fee, and that 
a contract should be made with Gen. James Potter 
to locate their warrants, to show the lands covered 
by them to the surveyors of the districts or coun- 
ties in which they lay, and to cause returns thereof 
to be made to the Surveyor-General's office. Pot- 
ter was to receive seventeen thousand acres as his 
compensation for surveying and locating sixty-three 
thousand acres for the company, for the division 
of which from the company's land, by his execu- 
tors or two of them, he provided in his will, dated 
October 27, 1789. The company and Andrew Gregg 
and James Poe, two of Potter's executors, entered 
into an agreement for the partition, March 3, 1795. 
By that partition the Pickering tracts, warrants 
Nos. 11 and 176, were allotted to Potter's executors 
for the use of his heirs. 

The ostensible evidences of earliest occupation 
in that part of this township south of the purchase 
line are on the farm now owned by Thomas Mc- 
Causland, which is a part of the Joseph Nourse 
tract. 

There are vestiges of a circumvallation on that 
Nourse tract, which encompassed about one acre 
and a half, and was circular. According to reli- 
able information, which has been transmitted from 
the persons who settled thereabouts in and prior to 
1812, the parapet must have been four or five feet 
high, with a fosse or trench surrounding it, the 
depth and width of which could not be accurately 
ascertained, as it was partly filled when it was dis- 
covered. There is the stump of a cherry-tree 
within the parapet, eighteen inches, and another 
one of the same kind in the trench, twenty inches 
in diameter. The tree had grown from an old 
stump which is very much decayed. Both of these 
trees were cut down in 1872 or 1873. 

There is a mulberry-tree from twelve to fifteen 
inches in diameter two rods south of the parapet, 
which has also grown from an old stump, and there 
are two white-oak trees about two feet in diameter 
about the same distance east of the parapet. There 
appears to have been a well at the center within the 
parapet. 

Clay smoking-pipes, with the initials " W. W." 
upon them, and hatchets, of a superior quality of 
steel, supposed to be of English manufacture, were - 
found here by the early settlers. Traces of that 
circumvallation are still visible. Its location is on 
a beautiful elevation, which commands an exten- 
sive view vip and down the valley of the north 
branch of Plum Creek, anciently called Finney's 
Run, thirty rods north of this branch and twenty 
rods west of McDole's, or Madole's run; between 
that location and Branch is the Plum Creek road; 






COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



289 



one hundred and twenty rods southwesterly from it 
is the site of what, tradition says, was '' Hutchison's 
hunting camp," on a run emptying into the Branch 
on its south side, and, therefore, called Hutchison's 
run. Who Hutchison was or whence he came has 
not been handed down to the present residents in 
this region. 

The most northeastern portion of the division 
of this township south of the purchase line is 
covered by the less part of the Alexander Dallas 
tract, the warrant being dated July 1, 1784, the 
greater part being in Indiana county. Its locality, 
as well as the localities of the other tracts, will be 
manifest to those familiar with the topography of 
this region, from the names of some of its owners 
subsequent to the warrantee. This part of that 
tract became vested in James Oliver and Alexander 
McCreary, who conveyed 119 acres of it to John 
Oliver, July 15, 1839, for $500, who conveyed the 
same, June 13, 1840, to Hugh Elgin for $600, who 
in consideration of love and natural affection and 
the sum of $300, conveyed it May 22, 1849, to 
Joseph M. Elgin, the present owner and occu- 
pant. 

The original tract adjoining that one on the 
west was the one covered by the warrant to John 
D. Mercer, dated about the same time as the Dal- 
las warrant. By virtue of the act of Congress 
of January 9, 1815, and its supplements for 
raising the United States direct tax for 1816, it 
was sold by Theophilus T. Ware, collector of that 
tax for the then tenth collection disti'ict of Penn- 
sylvania, to Robert Orr, Jr., for $3.67, on March 
10, 1819, who conveyed it June 14, 1830, to David 
McCausland, for $10. It was first mentioned on 
the assessment list as seated by him in 1824. 

Following the original tracts westwardly along 
the purchase line, the next one is the Joseph Fisher 
tract, on which George McCausland settled in 
1817-18, of which he conveyed 107 acres, and which 
was sold by Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, 
for taxes, September 21, 1820, and was bid in by 
the county commissioners, who, viz.: their succes- 
sors, John Patton, Samuel Matthews and James 
Green, sold it to McCausland June 10, 1828, of 
which he conveyed 107^ acres to John Fisher, 
May 7, 1836, for |100. 

Next is the Thomas Bradford tract, which will 
be noticed elsewhere in connection with several 
other tracts. Next the larger of the Elizabeth 
Henderson tracts, called " Pleasant," patent to 
James Carnahan, May 12, 1790, who conveyed it to 
Joseph Larkey, May 11, 1812, for £75 10s., 
which became vested in John Hutchinson, who, 
_ September 19, 1836, conveyed it to James Ash- 



kittle, who, November 10, 1854, conveyed 53 acres 
of it to Finney Templeton, for 1696. Schoolhouse 
No. 12 is on it. Adjoining the northwestern 
portion of it, on both sides of the purchase line, 
was a vacant tract, for which Robert Simpson took 
out a warrant, January 22, 1847, 32-|- acres of 
which James McGranahan conveyed to Finney 
Templeton, December 3, 1859, for $390.30. Next, 
bordering on the purchase line, the Benjamin 
Davis, a long, narrow tract, widening considerably 
toward its western limit. The warrant for it is 
dated January 20, 1774. It is the same tract of 
which Jacob Beer, John Boyer and Peter Rearich 
conveyed, January 19, 1855, 90 acres and 132 
perches to Susannah Wampler, for $550, and 
the next day, the first two and David Wam- 
pler, 89 acres and 125 perches to Elizabeth Rea- 
righ, for $673.50. Returning to the above-men- 
tioned Elizabeth Henderson tract, next west of 
it and south of the Davis, was the William 
Wistar tract, from the west end of which Mrs. 
Ellen M. Douglass, an heir and devisee of Judge 
Young, conveyed. May 5, 1847, about 83 acres to 
John G. Kline, for $427, July 16, to George 
B. McFarland, 141^ acres for $380, and May 1, 
1851, 80f acres to Alexander Dixon, for $413.75. 
Next west was the George Snyder tract, included 
in the Young purchase. Next the Richard Wells 
tract, which became vested in Jacob Beer, Sr., 
blacksmith, who erected thei'eon, about 270 rods 
above the mouth of Huskins' run, in 1819-20, a 
gristmill and sawmill, with which he was assessed 
first in 1820, which, with 200 acres of that tract, 
he conveyed May 13, 1826, to Henry McBride, 
for $1,100, whose executors conveyed the same, 
June 19, 1849, to John Hughes, for $2,000, who 
conveyed, December 26, 1862, 132 square perches 
thereof, with the gristmill and other buildings 
thereon, to John C. Wilt, for $800, who conveyed 
the saine, April 5, 1864, to John A. Boyer, for 
$1,200, who conveyed the one-half part thereof 
January 3, 1866, to Peter and Henry Louster, for 
$600, and which is now owned by Louster, Sowers 
& Co. This mill has been successively known, 
since its erection in 1819, as Beer's, McBride's, 
Hughes', Wilt's, Boyer's and now as the North 
Star gristmill. John Boyer purchased 103f acres 
of this Wells tract, January 19, 1855, for $918.50, 
and was assessed as a coverlid-weaver in 1857. 

Next and also west of the Benjamin Davis tract 
is a portion of the James Dubb's tract. 

South and west of the Wells is the major part of 
the Jonathan D. Sargeant tract, which having 
become vested in Charles S. Coxe, he conveyed it, 
April 26, 1837, to Samuel Patterson for $800, who 



290 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



conveyed 123 acres of it, March 1, 1840, to Moses 
Beer, for $493. 

Next south of the Sargeant. is that portion of 
the Larken Dorsey tract which is in this township, 
for which tract a patent, dated June 30, 1801, was 
granted to James Abercrombie, who conveyed the 
entire tract to Samuel Patterson, October 13, 1836, 
for $546, of which Patterson conveyed 150 acres 
and 13 perches to Samuel McCurdy, November 6, 
1847, for $530. 

East of the two last above-mentioned tracts was 
the John Gill tract, a patent for which was granted 
to John Vanderen, October 12, 1776, which having 
become vested in Judge White, Archibald Stewart, 
and James McKenuan, the two former and the lat- 
ter's executors conveyed 304 acres of it to Jacob 
Beer, May 8 and June 7, 1847, for $2,079, and 32 
acres the next year to William Mcintosh, for 
$160.50. The latter was first assessed with 235 
acres of it in 1835. 

The next to the east was the John Lart tract, 
the warrant for which is dated January 20, 1774, 
who, two days afterward, conveyed it to Richard 
Wells, the consideration expressed in the deed 
being 5 shillings. . Wells conveyed it, August 17, 
1795, to John Vanderen. It "fell by lot" to 
Susannah V. Johnston, to whom Vanderen's execu- 
tors conveyed it, December 14, 1819. It was seated 
and first occupied by Daniel Wampler, in 1826-7. 
Samuel F. Peters and Susannah Y., his wife, nee 
^Johnston, conveyed 239 acres of it, February 14, 
1870, for $5,975, to James S. Peters. The public 
schoolhouse No. 10 is situated on it. 

Next east was the John Dealing tract, being one 
of the tracts purchased by Richard Wells for the 
nominal sum of 5 shillings. In the deed from 
Dealing to Wells are these words: " To include a 
spring that rises among some little ridges and leads 
into a branch of Crooked creek about one mile 
southeast from an encampment of Benjamin 
Jacobs, and to extend toward said camp." Mrs. 
Ellen M. Douglas conveyed 145 acres of it to 
George Mitchell, December 30, 1846, for $500. 

Next east is the William Craig tract, included 
in the Young purchase. It was seated by Samuel 
Brown, "in the spring of 1837," and on which he 
must have resided until 1846, for that is the last 
year in which his name appears on the assessment 
list of Plum Creek township, in which this tract 
then was. Judging from the maps and records to 
which the writer has access, it has since been very 
sparsely, if at all, inhabited. 

Next east is the William Finney tract, the war- 
rant for which is dated July 1, 1784, and the sur- 
vey, November 10, 1786. It must have been seated 



by John Black in 1827, as he was first assessed 
with it in 1828. It was conveyed by William Fin- 
ney to Mrs. Ann Black, July 18, 1833, as containing 
427 acres, for $100. A sawmill was erected on 
it in 1840, which was assessed to Samuel Black, 
and which is probably the one now owned by Fin- 
ney Templeton, situated fifty rods slightly north of 
west from the public schoolhouse No. 11. 

Next east is the smaller one of the Elizabeth 
Henderson tracts, the warrant for which is dated 
July 1, 1784. The patent for it was granted to 
James Carnahan May 17, 1790, and by him con- 
veyed to Absalom Woodward, who, March 18, 
1823, conveyed it to his daughter Mary, wife of 
David Reynolds, the consideration expressed in 
the deed being "good-will and affection," 111 
acres and 24 perches of which Alexandw Rey- 
nolds, a lineal heir— a son of David and Mary 
Reynolds — conveyed, January 11, 1858, to Martin 
John, for $1,111.50, and April 30 to George El- 
wood, 55 acres and 16 perches, for $551; to J. T. 
Sloan, April 19, 1856, 109 acres and 76 perches, for 
$1,175; to Samuel Sloan, July 6, 1857, 108 acres 
and 85 perches, for $1,1 7 ci. 

Next east was the Joseph Norris tract, which, 
being included in the Bradford purchase, will be 
elsewhere noticed. 

Next east was the Joseph Nourse tract, m which 
are the vestiges of the oircumvallation heretofore- 
mentioned. This tract was seated by David 
McCausland. He was first assessed in 1809, in 
Kittanning township, in which this tract was then 
included, with 368 acres, his title thereto being by 
an " improvement," but on the first assessment 
list of Plum Creek township, in 1811, by a "war- 
rant." The first mention of his having seated 
this tract is on the assessment list of the last-men- 
tioned township, in 1814. 

Next east is the James Dundas tract, the war- 
rant for which is dated July 1, 1784. It became 
vested in John Montgomery, of Indiana county, 
Pennsylvania, who, May 4, 1833, in consideration 
" of natural love and affection and the comforta- 
ble maintenance of Elizabeth Montgomery, or 
paying her $30 a year during her natural life," 
conveyed as containing 452 acres to James Mont- 
gomery and Daniel Devinney, the former " to 
inherit the lower end where McGahey had im- 
proved," who settled on it in 1807, both being 
equal sharers as to quantity and quality. The 
former conveyed to the latter, two years after- 
ward, 128 acres and 4 perches for $50. J| 

A few years later a dispute arose between De- 
vinney and David McCausland, who had, as above 
mentioned, become the owner of the Mercer tract, 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



291 



respecting the division line between these two con- 
tiguous tracts, which, after the preliminary steps 
had been taken for a prosecution in the court of 
quarter sessions, and a suit had been instituted in 
the court of common pleas of this county, was set- 
tled by a domestic tribunal selected by the parties 
litigant. On October 22, 1840, they agreed to 
submit their controversy to the arbitrament of 
Thomas Armstrong and John McEwen, who, as 
they were authorized by the agreement of the par- 
ties, chose David Peelor as the third member of 
the tribunal, whose decision was to settle all mat- 
ters contraverted in that suit and that prosecution. 
Armstrong and McEwen met at McCausland's 
house, November 25, 1840, and examined the papers 
presented by both parties and then adjourned to 
meet on the disputed ground, December 11th, when 
the three referees met at Devinney's. On examin- 
ing the ground about a mile below his house they 
found old marks of a division line for that block 
of surveys corresponding to the Mercer and Dun- 
das surveys, which they traced up and found marks 
near to McCausland's land and Devinney's west 
line, and by continuing run them within about 
two feet of where McCausland claimed " the war- 
rantee corner," as he called it. Then after finding, 
by an actual survey made on the ground, what 
bearing would take them, to " the Bishop White's 
maple corner," in Indiana county, and found it to 
bear at that date, by Peeler's compass, south 80° 
42' east. Then they commenced at that " warran- 
tee corner," and without any regard to lines made 
before, as there were none older than thirty-nine 
or forty years, they run a division line between 
McCausland and Devinney and marked it on the 
ground. Thus ended a controversy which might 
otherwise have occupied much of the time of the 
civil and criminal courts, have embittered the par- 
ties and their families toward each other, and 
entailed upon one or the other of the litigants a 
large amount of taxable costs, and upon each a 
considerable loss of time, expenditure of money, 
and racking anxiety, whichever of them would 
have been victorious in that action and prosecu- 
tion. It may be remarked in passing, that 100 
acres and 9*7 perches of this Dundas tract was sold 
in July, 1835, for $200, to Thomas J. Brandon, 
who exchanged it with David Ralston for another 
tract, who conveyed it to Jesse Henderson in 
January, 1857, for $1,000. 

Next east was the "William Ramsey tract, most, 
if not all, of which is in Indiana county, but which 
was returned as an unseated tract by the assessors 
of both Kittanning and Plum Creek townships, by 
those of the latter until 1819, but it is not on the 



more recent list on parchment of warrantees and 
of the persons who seated the original tracts, 
which was made by James E. Brown in 1827. 

Next south of the Dundas was the Parsons 
Learning tract, which was sold for taxes September 
20, 1822, by Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, 
for the use of the county, and sold by John Patton, 
Samuel Matthews and James Green, county com- 
missioners, March 17, 1828, to David Johnston, of 
Kittanning borough, for $34, who conveyed it to 
Thomas Bradford March 10, 1829, for $100. The 
Jacob Amos tract adjoins it on the south. Twenty 
years later the southern part of the Leaming tract 
was occupied by Daniel Fyock, and the northern 
part of the Amos tract by Thomas Price, between 
whom a controversy arose respecting the division 
line between the two tracts. For the purpose of 
settling it without further legal proceedings, 
Thomas Bradford's executor agreed with Price, 
December 31, 1849, to submit the question in dis- 
pute to Jonathan E. Meredith, and that he should 
permanently establish the division line, which it 
was agreed should be final and conclusive, and, 
furthermore, if Price was not in the occupancy of 
any part of the Leaming tract, Bradford was to 
pay him all the costs of the prosecution for forci- 
ble entry and detainer which had been instituted 
against him, and if Fyock had occupied any part 
of the Amos tract, the referee was to determine 
the amount of rent and damage which Bradford 
ought to have. The referee found that Price was 
occupying 8 acres and 100 perches of the Leaming 
tract. Thus ended a prosecution before it had 
reached the court of quarter sessions. The local- 
ity of the Leaming tract may be otherwise recog- 
nized by that part of it, 70 acres and 102 perches, 
conveyed March 14, 1864, by Benjamin Rush 
Bradford to Ephraim Bufiington and J. A. and 
Richard Coulter,* and by them. May 30, 1866, to 
John "W. McClain for $700, or nearly $10 an 
acre. 

The Amos tract was returned by assessors as 
being in Kittanning township until 1810. It was 
returned the next year on the first assessment list 
of Plum Creek township as being in Indiana 
county. The returns made of ' this and various 
other tracts indicate that, for several years after 
the organization of this county, the division line 
between this part of it and Indiana county was 
not clearly known, at least to the assessors. It 
was afterward ascertained to be partly in each 
county. The portion of it in this county is in the 
southeastern part of this and the northeastern 
part of Plum Creek township. 

* Colonel of the 11th regt. Pa. Vols, in the war of 1861. 



292 



HISTOKY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Next west was about one-third of " Norway," as 
the Mary Semple tract was called. 

Next west of the Learning and northwest of the 
Amos tract was the Patrick Farrell, west of which 
was the Samuel Fisher tract. North of the last 
was the Joseph Norris, which appears on some of 
the assessment lists and in some of the Bradford 
conveyances as the " John Nourse " tract ; on the 
ancient map of original tracts, and on Brown's list 
above-mentioned it is written " Joseph Norris ; " 
and north of that was the Thomas Bradford tract. 

The last-mentioned five tracts, the John Ewing 
and Thomas Hutchinson — called " Hutchins " in 
some conveyances — tracts in Kittanning, and the 
James Burnsides one in Plum Creek township, 
became vested in Thomas Bradford, of Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania, printer. The warrants for 
them are dated July 1, 1784. His trustees con- 
veyed them, July 1, IBS'?, to Benjamin Rush Brad- 
ford for $9,000. The latter, May 1, 1858, conveyed 
the Farrell and Fisher tracts, and parts of the 
Bradford and Norris tracts, containing 1,183 acres, 
to Dr. Thomas H. Allison, for 17,000, and 170 
acres and 34 perches of the Bradford and Norris 
tracts, July 19, 1864, for $960. Bradford wished 
to convey to Allison 1,700 acres; but James, Alexan- 
der and John Guthrie were in the occupancy of 
and claimed the title to 150 acres of the Norris 
tract, and William and James McCausland, "Will- 
iam Kennedy and Andrew Mitchell were in the 
occupancy of and claimed title to 154 acres of the 
Thomas Bradford tract. It was necessary for them 
to be ousted before Bradford could make a satis- 
factory conveyance of these 304 acres. The dis- 
puted points or questions in these cases were in 
regard to the boundary lines of the original sur- 
veys of these two tracts and the uninterrupted 
hostile and adverse possession of the above-men- 
tioned portions of them by the occupants for 
twenty-one years. Bradford instituted ejectments 
against these occupants, at Nos. 97 and 98 of Sep- 
tember term, 1858, in the court of common pleas 
of this county. Struck juries were drawn, who 
went on the ground and examined the original 
lines so far as thtjy were apparent. The cases 
were continued several times. The former was 
tried September 19, 1868, and resulted in a 
verdict for the defendants. A motion for a new 
trial having been granted on the filing of an ade- 
quate bond by the plaintiff, the venue in each 
case was subsequently changed to Allegheny county 
by a special act of assembly, to the_ district court 
of which the records and papers were certified 
June 23, 1864. The trials there also resulted in 
verdicts for the defendants. Writs of error having 



been taken to the supreme court, the judgments in 
the court below were affirmed. 

James Guthrie, Sr., must have settled on that 
Norris tract as early as, perhaps earlier than, 1804, 
for he was assessed with 250 acres of it in 1805, it 
being then in Allegheny township. William 
McCausland — sometimes spelled McCaslin — was 
first assessed in Plum Creek township with per- 
sonal property in 1812, and with 200 acres of land 
in 1813, so that he must have settled on the Brad- 
ford tract in 1811-12. 

Patents for those Bradford lands were granted 
to Thomas B. Darrach, James H. Bradford and 
William Bradford, Jr., in trust for the heirs of the 
above-mentioned Thomas Bradford, not until March 
22, 1856. Their more rapid settlement began after 
Allison's purchase. He divided them into com- 
paratively small tracts, most, if not all, of which 
he sold at considerably advanced rates, within fif- 
teen years after his purchase. As an evidence of 
the ready demand for such tracts, he conveyed, 
June 3, or about one month after his purchase, 65 
acres and 4 perches of the Farrell tract to William 
M. Cox for $942.50; July 24, 100 acres of the 
Samuel Fisher tract to George McLaughlin for 
$1,030, and 22 acres and 31 perches of the Thomas 
Bradford tract for $227.60, and 70 acres to Finney 
Templeton for $910. The summary of which is, 
he sold, within three months after his purchase, 
257^ acres for $3,110.10, or a trifle more than one- 
fifth of the quantity of his first purchase for nearly 
half of what he paid for the whole of that pur- 
chase. A glance at the map of this township 
made in 1860 and the one made in 1876 will give 
an idea of the greater density of the population of 
that portion of this township covered by those 
four original tracts since than before they were 
thus brought into market. The respective locali- 
ties of the Thomas Bradford, Joseph Norris (John 
Nourse) and Samuel Fisher tracts can be readily 
recognized by readers familiar with this region 
from the localities of the smaller portions purchased 
as above stated. 

The locality of the Patrick Farrell tract may be 
identified by the town of Atwood, which is situated J 
about equi-distant from its northern and southern 
lines, in the western part of the tract, and about 
sixty rods east of its western line, which is the 
boundary between it and the Samuel Fisher tract. 
In 1 860 the site of this town was covered by the 
forest. It was then cleared by Dr. Allison. The 
writer remembers the primeval appearance of the 
scope of country around this town, as he traversed 
it on tours of official duty, from and after 1857. 
When he was there the last time, in 1866, Atwood f 




«S^ Si 





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v- 



^.a^ui-^^^^i^^ 




JOHN WILSON MARSHALL. 

The pai-ents of the subject of this sketch, John and 
Elizabeth (Stewart) Marshall, were natives of Indiana 
county, Pennsylvania, and were among the early settlers 
in Wayne township, Armstrong county. John Mar- 
shall and his father, Archibald Marshall, are known to 
have located here in 1812. John Marshall was born in 
1794 ; married Miss Elizabeth Stewart in 1817, and died 
in 1872. Mrs. Marshall was born in 1789, and died in 
1842, in the fifty-third year of her age. There were born 
to them eight children, five sons and three daughters, as 
follows: Archibald and William S. (deceased); John 
Wilson (of whom we shall have more to say presently) ; 
Sarah Jane (deceased) ; Watson S. (deceased) ; Margaret 
C. (wife of Peter Good, now a resident of Wayne town- 
ship) ; Alexander S. (a minister in Linn county, Iowa), 
and Elizabeth (who lives in this county). 

John W. Marshall was born in Wayne township, Arm- 
strong county, October 15, 1821, and remained with his 
father until twenty-four years of age. Shortly afterward 
he purchased a homestead in Wayne township, to which 



he took his bride, nte. Catharine Marshall, with whom he 
was united in marriage February 19, 1850. This lady, 
born in Wayne township, August 23, 1826, died December 
7, 1882, after a long life of usefulness. After their mar- 
riage this couple resided upon the farm and in the village 
of Dayton until their removal to Atwood, where Mr. 
Marshall entered the mercantile business, in which he 
was engaged for nine years, until 1879, when he moved 
to his new farm residence, where he still lives. He owns 
about 125 acres of land adjoining Atwood. This village 
was laid out by Mr. Marshall, and he was its first post- 
master. He accomplished also the laying out of the 
Atwood cemetery, and the organization and incorpora- 
tion of the association which controls it. The United 
Presbyterian church of Atwood has been liberally sup- 
ported by the subject of this biography. He is one of its 
oldest members, and was made an elder of the church 
October 12, 1866. The present house of worship, a very 
creditable structure, was built by him upon contract, 
for the sum of $2,300, in 1873. 




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COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



293 



seemed to have just begun to emerge from the 
wilderness. Only one house had been built there 
before then. Its name was suggested by its being 
at, or near, or more properly in the woods. It was 
not named after any person living or dead. Dr. 
Allison resolutely and successfully resisted the 
suggestion of naming it after him. The inhabited 
parts of the town plot are on Indiana and Jefferson 
streets, each about forty-one feet wide, and cross- 
ing each other at right angles, the course of the 
former being from southeast to northwest, and of 
the latter from northeast to southwest, on which 
are twenty-four dwelling-houses, one of which is a 
hotel, three stores, two blacksmith shops, two car- 
penters' shops, one cabinetmaker's shop, two 
wagonmakers' shops. According to the assessment 
list for 1876 there are one blacksmith, three car- 
penters, one merchant, two pedlars, five laborers, 
two shoemakers, one wagonmaker, one physician, 
and the number of taxables forty-two, which ought 
to give a population of 193. The only pernianent 
resident physician is Dr. John W. Morrow, who 
settled here in the spring of 1873. 

The only church here is the United Presbyte- 
rian. The congregation was organized about 
1827, though there was occasional preaching 
earlier, the first sermon having been preached by 
Rev. Mr. Jamison in 1815. Services were first 
held under the white-oak trees near the house of 
Samuel Sloan, Sr., near the boundary line between 
Cowanshannock and Plum Creek townships, on 
the Robert Semple, Sr., tract. The number of its 
original members was thirty-five. It was called 
the Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Con- 
cord. Rev. David Barclay, of the Presbyterian 
church, commenced preaching to the Concord con- 
gregation several years later than Rev. Jamison. 
The first permanent pastor was Rev. John Hind- 
man, whose pastorate continued from 1832 until 
April 29, 1840. That of the second pastor, Rev. 
William Smith, commenced June 24, 1851, and 
continued until in 1859. James Hutchison and 
Henry McBride were the first elders. A union 
having been formed in 1858 between the Associate 
and Associate Reformed churches, this congrega- 
tion thereafter took the name of the United Pres- 
byterian Congregation of Concord, and as such it 
was incorporated by the proper court December 4, 
1876. The present pastor. Rev. David K. Duflf, 
was installed June 21, 1866. Its present member- 
ship is 95 ; its contributions for 1876 amount to 
$882, and its number of Sabbath-school scholars is 
117. 

The first church edifice of this congregation was 
a hewed log structure, which was erected in 1826. 



The second one was a frame, 60 X 54 feet, and 
was erected in 1852. The present one, frame, was 
erected in 1873, on the southwest side of Indiana 
strfeet, near an angle therein, nearly twenty rods 
from the southeast corner of the town plot of At- 
wood, on a half -acre lot, conveyed February 11, 
1873, by J. W. Marshall and Thomas Martin, for 
$1, to the trustees of that congregation, "for the 
purpose of erecting a United Presbyterian house 
of worship thereon, and to continue as long as it 
shall be used for a house of worship," which is two 
and a half miles northeast from the sites of the 
former ones. 

A one-story frame schoolhouse is situated oppo- 
site the church, on the other side of Indiana street. 
A private school of eighteen pupils is maintained 
here for a considerable portion of the year. 

The Atwood postoflice was established July 14, 
1868, J. Wilson Marshall, postmaster. It was situ- 
ated on the northeast corner of Indiana and Jeffer- 
son streets. The second .postmaster was John A. 
Johnston. The present one is Dr. John W. Mor- 
row, and the office is on the corner of Jefferson 
street and a public alley northeast of Indiana 
street. 

Southwest of the Samuel Fisher tract was the 
Robert Semple, Sr., tract, called " Belmont," the 
northeastern portion of which is in Cowanshan- 
nock township. The warrant is dated July 1, 
1784. Semple conveyed his interest in this tract, 
March 3, 1786, to William Betts, Jr., for five shil- 
lings ; the latter to David iHeston, October 12, 
1790, for £27 ; Heston to Stephen Smith, March 1, 
1792, for £50, to whom the patent was granted 
July 20, 1796 ; Smith to Witson Can by, March 7, 
1803, for $1,000 ; Canby, by his attorney-in-fact, to 
Samuel Sloan, April 5, 1815, for |1,228, who con- 
veyed 114f acres to his son James Sloan, Septem- 
ber 17, 1827, who conveyed the same, March 18, 
1837, to Samuel Patterson for $900 ; Patterson to 
Samuel Lawton, April 14, 1847 ; Lawton to Joseph 
and Valentine Kerr, the same day ; the Kerrs to 
Washington Chrisman, November 12, 1856, "one 
hundred and seventeen acres strict measure," for 
$3,000. 

In the summer of 1869 Chrisman laid out the 
town of Green Oak on that part of this tract 
through which the division line between Cowan- 
shannock and Plum Creek townships passes diago- 
nally, so that about the half of the town is in each 
township. It was surveyed by John Steele into 
lots respectively 60 X 120 feet. One of the lots 
was sold for $40, and eleven for $30 each. This 
new town contains one store (Josiah J. Shaeffer's), 
through the center of which passes the townshiji 



294 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



line, one blacksmith shop, and seven dwelling- 
houses. It is presumed, from the large number of 
arrowheads found here, that this was formerly an 
Indian encampment, hunting-ground, or battle- 
field. 

The sawmill assessed for the first time to William 
Sloan in 1837, and the carding-machine and full- 
ing-mill assessed to him for the first time in 1843, 
were on the run emptying into the north branch of 
Plum creek, within the limits of " Belmont." 

Next north of the Robert Semple, Sr., tract was 
the Andrew Henderson tract, the warrant for which 
is dated July 1, 1784, which was surveyed to him 
May 10, 1786, and conveyed by him April 2, 1787, 
to Walter Finney, to whom the patent was granted 
March 6, 1815, and which William Finney, of 
Harford county, Maryland, conveyed to William 
McLaughlin, February 18, 1830, for $600. John 
McLaughlin was first assessed in Plum Creek town- 
ship, in 1811, and with 313 acres of land in 1814, 
with which quantity his son George, who seated 
this tract, was subsequently assessed until 1 820, 
when he was assessed with 413 acres, which cor- 
responds within the fraction of an acre to the 
quantity contained in this tract, according to the 
original survey. 

Next west is the greater part of the Robert 
Semple, Jr., tract, for which a patent was granted 
to Samuel Smith, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 
February 5, 1805, which became vested in George 
W. Smith, of the borough of Kittanning, who 
conveyed 141^ acres in the northern portion of it, 
January 6, 1826, to Thomas Fitzgeralds, for $380, 
to whose heirs it still belongs. The rest of this 
tract is as yet but sparsely settled. 

Next along the township line was the John 
Fitzer tract, most of which is in this township. 
The patent for it was granted to John Vanderen, 
October 12, 1776. It was sold June 25, 1830, by 
David Johnston, county treasurer, for taxes for the 
year previous, amounting to $5.46, to James E. 
Brown, for $5.96. It was one of the tracts that 
became vested in White, McKennan and Stewart, 
who conveyed 170 acres and 148 perches of it to 
Brown, July 18, 1842, for $175, from whom John 
and Samuel Graydon agreed to purchase it, Decem- 
ber 8, 1850. Brown's deed to Samuel Graydon is 
dated November 2, 1863, conveying to him 190 
acres subject to the rights of the heirs of John 
Graydon. 

Next along the same line, on the Cowanshan- 
nock side of it is, about one-third of the Samuel 
Morris tract, assessed to Joseph Spiker for several 
years after 1825, 103 acres and 51 perches, of which 
were conveyed. May 7, 1871, by John Y. and J. F. 



Woods, heirs of one of Judge Young's devisees, to 
George Harkelrode for $2,310. 

Next along that line is the Israel Morris tract, 
mostly in this township, which became vested in 
Henry D. Foster and his wife, a daughter of Judge 
Young. They conveyed it as containing 322 acres 
to Robert McFarland, September 24, 1847, for 
$2,845.00, who conveyed 194 acres and 40 perches 
of the part in this township to William and 
John Lewis, December 17, 1850, for $2,233.75. 
William (having obtained a release of John's inter- 
est) conveyed 105 acres and 48 perches, one-half of 
what they had purchased from McFarland, to James 
R. Utt and Harvey Stagers, of Morgantown, Vir- 
ginia, August 2, 1855, for $2,015, which they 
conveyed to Jacob Espey, Jr., December 22, 1856, 
for $1,800. Another portion of this tract, border- 
ing on the township line, was purchased by Mrs. 
Lavinia Foy. 

Next along the township line was the Thomas 
Morris tract, about two-fifths of which is on the 
Cowanshannock side, and of which Mrs. Ellen M. 
Douglass conveyed 150 acres to Jacob Beer, August 
26, 1852, for $1,050, 80 acres of which he conveyed 
to John Peterman, March 27, 1857, for $720.39. 

The William Craig, John Dealing, George Sny- 
der and William Wistar tracts, wholly in this 
township, and the Morris tracts, partly in Plum 
Creek township, and the Joseph Ogden tract prin- 
cipally in the latter, were covered by warrants, 
dated January 20, 1774, and were conveyed, four 
days afterward, to Richard Wells for five shillings 
each, who conveyed them, with five other tracts in 
Plum Creek township, February 15, 1800, to Thomas 
Cadwalader for divers good considerations, but 
especially "for five shillings," who conveyed those 
thirteen tracts to John Young, then President 
Judge of the courts of this and other counties in 
the judicial district of which this county was then 
a part, February 18, 1808, for $1,854, or about 
$1,142 for the first-mentioned eight tracts, and 
which were devised by him to his daughters Mrs. 
*Ellen M. Douglass, Mrs. Mary Jane Foster, and 
Mrs. Elizabeth F. Woods. The first-mentioned 
eight tracts of that purchase are described in Cad- 
walader's deed to Young as situated " on the 
waters of Kawanshanock and Plum Creek." 

The foregoing statistical facts afford a fair idea 
of the settlement, advance in the value of the 
lands, and general progress respectively, in the 
eastern, central and western portions of the part 
of this township south of the puixhase line. The 
early settlers were chiefly agriculturists. Those 
following other occupations were very rare. The 

*See general sketch of the county. 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



295 



nearest gristmill was Peter Thomas', heretofore 
mentioned, until Jacob Beer, St., built his on Hus- 
kens' run, in or about 1819. 

The town of Bradford was laid out in 1818, "at 
the junction of a small stream with a larger one ; "* 
" at the cross roads, where the old Franklin and 
Indiana road crosses the Elderton and Martin's 
ferry road," f on the Samuel Fisher tract. Ten 
inlots and ten outlets were assessed therein in 
1820, respectively, at $100. In 1823, William 
Coulter was assessed with 4 of these lots and 2 
houses, $33. Hamlet Totten's recollection is that 
Coulter kept a hotel there at that time. He re- 
sided there three years. John Kier, blacksmith, 
was assessed the same year with 1 house and 3 lots, 
$58, and in 1824-5, at $25. William McLaughlin, 
each of the last-mentioned years, with 1 house and 
3 lots, $25. " Bradford " thereafter disappeared 
from the assessment list. Its site is better known 
to the present inhabitants of this region as " Frog- 
town" and " Toad-alley." 

The petition of divers inhabitants of Plum Creek 
township setting forth that- they labored under 
great inconvenience for want of a road or highway 
" to lead from the town of Bradford to the town 
of Kittanning," the court appointed Jacob Beer, 
Daniel Guld, Robert Orr, Jr., Conrad Schrecongost, 
Robert Sturgeon and John Thomas, viewers. The 
order to them was renewed March 18, 1819. The 
report of the viewers, favoring the opening of the 
road, with a draft of its courses and distances, was 
presented to and read by the court June 23, 1819, 
and approved September 22, and the road ordered 
to be opened thirty feet wide. The draft shows that 
there were then six buildings at Bradford ; that 
the proposed road would intersect the " road to 
Woodward's," pass Jacob Beer's mill on Huskins' 
run, " Early's mill," on Big run, on the John Guld 
tract, and intersect the " State road from Indiana 
to Kittanning," at " the end of Samuel Beer's lane, 
supposed to be about two miles and one-half from 
Kittanning" — the distance from Bradford to the 
last intersection being eleven miles and forty-two 
perches. 

In the southeastern portion of the division of 
this township, above or north of the purchase line, 
was the Henry Shade tract, called " Shadeville." 
The patent to himis dated July 21, 1*796. He was 
a resident of Northampton township, cordwainer, 
as expressed in his conveyance of this tract, Sep- 
tember 3, 1798, to James Seagreaves, of the same 
place, saddler, and Peter Lysenring, of Whitehill 
townshij), in that county, tanner. They reconveyed, 

* Letter from Benjamin R. Bradford, 
t Letter from Hamlet Totten. 



as containing 400 acres, to him November 28, 1801, 
for $328, which subsequently became vested in 
James Brady, of Greenburgh, Pennsylvania, who, 
June 27, 1815, conveyed it to Adam Altimus, of 
Indiana county, for $1,053, who conveyed 210 acres 
and 98 perches of it to William McLaughlin, Sep- 
tember 8, 1839, for $1,053, who conveyed 104 acres 
and 40 perches thereof to George McLaughlin, 
March 9, 1840, for $875.82, who conveyed the same 
June 8, 1846, to Henry Eyler, for $1,100. Errors 
sometimes creep into not only history and biog- 
raphy and encyclopedias, but even into deeds of the 
conveyance of land. For instance, in those last 
two conveyances of this land it is stated that the 
original tract was " patented to Henry Shade, June 
27, 1815," whereas the only patent to him is the 
one above mentioned, dated July 21, 1796. Some 
of the present occupants of portions of " Shade- 
ville " are the Mikesells and William Roof. 

The site of the present edifice of the Evangel- 
ical Lutheran church of Plum Creek is in the 
northeastern part of the tract last mentioned. 
The nucleus of this church consisted, in the sum- 
mer of 1829, of eight Lutheran families, namely, 
those of Conrad Lukehart, Andrew Weamer, An- 
drew and Philip Harmon, Philip Bricker, Christ- 
ian Hoover, Philip Whitesell and John Byerly, 
who then resided in this vicinity. Rev. Gabriel 
A. Reichert began to preach to them occasionally 
in German and English, that year, in Philip 
Bricker's old round log barn, which was situated 
within a few rods of the county line. The church 
was organized in 1830 by electing Conrad Luke- 
heart and Andrew Weamer elders. This became 
one of Mr. Reichert's points, at which he preached 
once in eight weeks, in that barn in the summer 
and in the dwelling-house in the other seasons of 
the year. Measures were taken for erecting a 
church edifice in 1833, and these elders were ap- 
pointed the building committee. Philip Bricker 
gave one-half an acre on the county line for the 
site. Others contributed logs, rafters, etc. It 
was a hewed log structure, 28X32 feet. William 
Rearigh did the carpenter work and various mem- 
bers of the congregation did the "chunking and 
daubing." The floor was made of loose boards. 
It was used in an unfinished condition until 1835, 
when the doors, windows and board ceiling, 
tight floor, high pulpit and neat seats were sup- 
plied. It was then regarded as the neatest church 
in this section, and was used until 1861, when the 
present frame edifice, 45X55 feet, well and neatly 
painted, furnished, seated, plastered and papered, 
was erected on a site adjoining that of the other 
in this township, which was purchased fi'om Will- 



296 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



iam Mikesell, and for style and finish was con- 
sidered the best in this section. It was then 
named St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church. 
Its original number of members was 18 ; its present 
about 200. Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert continued 
his ministerial services six times a year to this 
congregation until 1839. After he left, this chm-ch 
united with the Indiana and Blairsville charge. 
His successors — pastors — were Revs. Jacob Med- 
lart, one-fourth of his time, from March 1, 1839, 
until March 25, 1843 ; Rev H. Bishop, one-third 
of his time, from December 10 until August, 1846, 
when the Blairsville charge was divided and this 
congregation united with that of Smithsburgh ; 
Rev. A. C. Ehrenfeld, one-half his time, from Jan- 
uary 1, 1847, until April 1, 1849 ; Rev. G. M. Pile, 
until May 18, 1851 ; Rev. F. A. Barnitz, until 
August, 1854 ; Rev. Christian Dehl, until May, 
1859, when he resigned on account of ill-health, 
and died December 1, prox. ; Rev. C. L. Stieamei, 
one-half his time, until September 1, 1869 ; Rev. 
J. S. Hooper until August 1, 1782 ; Rev. G. A. 
Lee until September 1, 1874; and Rev. W. E. 
Crebbs.* The present members of the session are 
Thomas R. Lukehart and Abraham Green, elders ; 
Jacob Roof, William H. Wramer, Joseph Luke- 
heart and John S. Harmon, deacons. The facts 
respecting this church have been furnished to the 
writer by Thomas R. Lukeheart, who says that 
records of its doings did not begin to be kept in a 
book until 1828. 

The Sabbath-school of this congregation was 
organized in May, 1840, with Thomas R. Luke- 
hart, superintendent, Jacob Weamer, assistant, and 
Robert Whitacre, librarian, since which time it 
has been in a flourishing condition ; and although 
there are now six other schools within a circuit of 
three miles, its present number of scholars is about 
ninety. 

The boundaries of " Shadeville " were — on the 
north and west by the Harman Le Roy & Co. tract 
No. 3118, on the east by the Indiana county line, 
and on the south by the purchase line. North of 
and contiguous to the above-mentioned tract No. 
3118 were the H. LeRoy & Co. tracts, Nos. 3125 
and 3126, and north of and contiguous to the last- 
named was the H. LeRoy & Co. tract No. 3128, all 
of which, except No. 3125, were partly in Indiana 
county. These four tracts have been generally 
known as " the Whitacre lands." Joseph Whitacre, 
of Muncy, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, had 
the legal title to, but he was not the real owner of 
them. Those four tracts were, among others, 

*Who on account of iU-liealtli resigned SeiJtember 1, 1879, and a 
call extended to Rev. Ephraim Miller, Cincinnati, Oliio, who 
entered upon his duties October 1. 



granted to Harmon Le Roy and Jan Linklain by 
warrants dated December 13, 1792. By the act of 
assembly of March 28, 1814, and the supplement 
thereto of February 6, 1815, a partition of these 
and other lands in Armstrong, Indiana and Jeffer- 
son counties was authorized, whereby these four 
tracts were assigned to John Adlum, of the Dis- 
trict of Columbia. On May 29, 1828, he conveyed 
those four tracts, containing 3,990f acres, to Whit- 
acre. The true intent and object of that convey- 
ance was to enable Whitacre to sell those lands 
with greater facility, which was duly acknowledged 
by him, and he was to render to Adlum annual 
statements of the money arising from the sales 
and to reconvey to the latter all of those lands 
that should not be sold by him, and, after deduct- 
ing expenses and his compensation, to pay over all 
the money arising from the sales of such as he 
would make. The patents therefor were granted 
to Whitacre May 11, 1829. 

Whitacre's first sale was of 121^ acres of tract 
No. 3125, to Joseph Gibson, October 29, 1828, for 
$254.50, who probably settled in 1822 on the portion 
which he purchased, and Levi Gibson on another 
portion the same year. Samuel Porter commenced 
occupying 74 acres of it in 1833. Joseph Gibson 
conveyed the quantity purchased by him from 
Whitacre October 30, 1832, to John Simpson, for 
$900, who conveyed 43 acres and 120 perches of it 
to Smith Neal, March 30, 1834, for $300, who con- 
veyed the same and 133 acres and 26 perches to 
Alexander P. Ormond, April 13, 1839, for $1,400, 
who conveyed the same, viz., 176 acres and 154> 
perches, to John M. and James Hosack, August 4, 
1849, for $1,842, one or both of whom must have 
purchased the saw and grist mills on " Little Cow- 
anshannock creek," within the limits of their 
purchase, as they were first assessed to Andrew 
Ormond in 1838. They conveyed 130 acres and 20 
perches to John W. Marshall, April 6, 1861, for 
$100. 

Some of the other early purchasers of this tract 
were Mrs. Isabella McCaulley, March 12, 1833, 26 
acres and 46 perches, for $65; William Rearich, 
October 20, 1838, 104 acres, for $208; Cornelius 
Barker, April 7, 1842, 217 acres, for the nominal 
sum of $1, who conveyed the same, March 13, 
1845, to Jacob Bowser, for $107. George Ormond 
was first assessed with a sawmill on this tract in 
1842, and Thomas Ormond with a gristmill in 
1846. 

Of the LeRoy & Co. tract. No. 3118, William 
Cochran, Jr., was first assessed with 50 acres in 1817, 
and with 150 acres in 1823; George Rearich, with 
400 acres in 1822; Samuel Rearich, with 135 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



297 



acres, iu 1824; Alexander Jewart, with 282, and 
Jacob Zimmerman, witli 85 acres, in 1833. 

Some of the early purchasers of this tract were: 
Ezekiel Green, January 18, 1830, 100 acres for $200, 
who conveyed the same to John Hildinger, June 18, 
1841, for $1,200; James Brady, of Greensburgh, 
Pennsylvania, June 5, 1838, 82 acres and 15 perches, 
for $200, which his executors by virtue of a decree of 
the court of common pleas of Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, February 24, 1841, for the specific 
performance of a contract, made by Brady of the 
one part, in his lifetime, to Abraham Green on 
the payment of $32, the balance of the purchase 
money. Some of the other purchasers from Whit- 
acre were James Morrow, August 12, 1838, 80 acres 
and 120 perches for $161.50; Alexander Jewart — 
spelled " Guert" in the deed— December 29, 1835, 
282 acres and 88 perches for $353.67; and George 
Baker, September 30, 1841, 83 acres and 110 perches, 
for$16'7.3'7i. William Cochran, Jr., June 7, 1836, 
conveyed 165 acres of this tract, having acquired 
his title thereto by an " improvement," to John L. 
Kirkpatrick, being the same on which the latter 
then resided, for $700. 

Of the Le Roy & Co. tract, No. 3126, John 
Whitacre was first assessed with 26 acres in 1823, 
and Thomas Hockenberry with 100 acres in 1826. 

Of this tract Whitacre, November 10, 1834, con- 
veyed 54^ acres to Solomon Kniceley for $82 ; to 
John Whitacre, November 8, 1838, 138 acres for 
$276, 81 acres and 15 perches of which the latter 
the next day conveyed to James Thompson for 
$392.16 ; Joseph Whitacre to John Whitacre, Sep- 
tember 30, 1840, another quantity of 126 acres and 
45 perches, for $252.53, 61 acres and 85 perches of 
which the latter, December 8, 1844, conveyed to 
William Rearich, for $378. Nearly midway be- 
tween the northern and southern boundaries in the 
western part of this tract is located the edifice of 
the German Baptist or Dunkard church, a neat 
frame 35X40 feet. This church was organized 
about 1832. Its first resident minister was Rev. 
George Rearich ; its present ones are Revs. Levi 
Wells, Robert Whitacre, J. B. Wampler and S. W. 
Wilt. Church members, 105. There is a Sabbath 
school held in this house numbering about 80. 

Of the Le Roy & Co. tract No. 3128, James Hays 
was first assessed with 400 acres in 1826 ; Jacob 
Pierce with 100 acres in 1831 ; and John Hays 
with 61 acres in 1832. 120^ acres of it were con- 
veyed June 6, 1837, to John Mikesell, for $180 ; 
100 acres, October 25, 1839, to Robert Caldwell, 
for $200 ; 41| acres, September 9, 1840, to Reuben 
Brown, for $74.62| ; 93;^ acres, October 1, 1840, to 
John Burns, for $161.59 ; 64 acres to William 



Jewart for $112; and, September 30, 1841, 160 
acres to Robert Caldwell, for $120 ; the same day, 
73 acres and 153 perches to George Buyers, for 
$184.85, who was assessed the next year as a " clay 
potter." 

Stephen De Taney, an early settler in this region, 
used to relate, in his lifetime, that a white family 
was captured by a party of Indians in what is now 
Indiana county, before the Indian troubles were 
allayed. A party of whites, having pursued, over- 
took them near the head of the third run west of 
the Indiana county line which empties into the 
" Little Cowanshannock creek," near the present 
site of the Dunkard church. The point where 
those hostile parties met and where, in the encoun- 
ter between them, three Indians were killed and 
the white captives recaptured, was probably in the 
northern part of this Le Roy & Co. tract, about 230 
rods south of the present site of the Barnard post- 
office. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the north 
and west was the Samuel Bryan one, warrant No. 
679, of which John Hannegan was first assessed 
with 165 acres in 1823; Samuel Scott with 100 acres 
in 1834 ; David McPherson with 107 acres in 1838, 
who afterward conveyed it to George O. Barnard ; 
William Mclntire with 100 acres in 1837. This 
tract became vested in Samuel F., William H. and 
John C. Smith and Lewis R. Phillips and their 
wives, to whom the patent therefor was granted 
January 18, 1838. They by their attorney-in- 
fact conveyed 50 acres and 119 perches of it, July 
25, 1839, to John Hays for $200, and 66 acres, 
January 2, 1843, to George A. Barnard for $150, 
on which is the public schoolhouse, and on which 
also is his residence, where for several years he kept 
a hotel. This point has been known for thirty or 
more years past as " Barnard's." It is on the 
public road, formerly a turnpike. Extending from 
Kittanning to Smicksburgh, James Patrick was 
first assessed with 125 acres in 1841, and John 
McFarland with a brickyard in 1842. The terri- 
tory embraced within the Samuel Bryan tract is 
traversed by the Cowanshannock creek, the major 
portion of it being on the northwest side. 

On the north and east of the last-mentioned 
tract was the Le Roy & Co. No. 3096. Its territory 
now lies in this and Wayne townships and Indiana 
county. James Kirkpatrick settled on it as early 
as, if not earlier than, 1800. On or about Septem- 
ber 20, 1807, that pioneer settler, mounted on one 
of his four horses, might have been seen wending 
his way along paths through the dense forest, 
across Crooked creek and the Kiskiminetas, to 
Greensburgh. Why? It had been advertised in 



298 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



October, 1806, in certain papers published in Phila- 
delphia and Greensburgh, that the tract on which 
he had made his home would be sold, as the law 
then provided, by the sheriff of Westmoreland 
county, unless the county taxes assessed thereon for 
the years 1798, 1800, 1802, 1804, 1805, and the 
road taxes for 1803-4-5 should be paid within 
three months from the date of the advertisements. 
On September 24, 1807, that entire tract, contain- 
ing 847^ acres, was sold by John Sloan, sheriff, for 
unpaid taxes, aggregating $9.43, to James Kirk- 
patrick for $44, he having been the highest and 
best bidder. He conveyed 158:^^ acres of it to 
Moses Kirkpatrick, June 30, 1829, for $100; another 
portion to John Simpson and his wife about the 
same time, and agreed to sell another portion off 
the east end to Thomas Haughenberry and his wife. 
He conveyed the rest of the tract, November 30, 
1829, to David Kirkpatrick. The grantor and his 
wife Mary, as mentioned in the deed, were then 
aged, infirm and incapable of providing for their 
worldly maintenance. So, by their own choice and 
for the great love and affection which they had for 
their son David, and for his past kindness to and 
affection for them, and for the further consideration 
that he should bind himself to provide for them 
sufficient maintenance and such comforts as they 
were entitled to during the natural life of each of 
them, they invested him with all their right, title 
and interest therein. Whatever interest he thus 
acquired has descended to his lineal heirs. On the 
map of original tracts appears a smaller tract, 
carved out of that larger one, on both sides of the 
Cowanshannock, containing 100 acres and 77 
perches, the larger portion of which is now in 
Indiana county, and bearing the name of James 
Kirkpatrick, which is probably the quantity he 
reclaimed and cultivated. The Barnard's postoffice, 
in the western part of this smaller tract, was estab- 
lished July 11, 1861 — its first and present post- 
master being John T. Kirkpatrick, who was first 
assessed as a merchant at that jioint in 1858. 
'David Kirkpatrick built a gristmill on tract No. 
3095 in 1837, which he conveyed to George A. 
Barnard in 1845-6. 

Next west of the two last-mentioned original 
tracts was the Hiltzimer, No. 5146, included in the 
Brodhead purchase and devise, noticed in the 
sketch of Wayne township. John Rutherford 
must have settled on this tract in 1819, as he was 
first assessed with 150 acres of it in 1820; from 1823 
until 1834, with 200 acres. Jacob Peelor was first 
assessed with 300 acres of it in 1826, to whom 
Rebecca J. Johnston conveyed the same, January 
17, 1828. He conveyed, December 12, 1832, the 



tract which he had thus purchased, containing 323 
acres and 54 perches, to John Rutherford for 
$533.50. In this last deed it is described as 
"beginning at a white-oak corner in the line of 
Samuel Bryan," west 120 perches, and on which 
Rutherford was then living. Rutherford conveyed 
38 acres of it. May 21, 1833, to James McFarland, 
who conveyed the same, March 14, 1835, to James 
Brice for $100. Rutherford agreed with his son 
James to convey to him 60 acres and 14 perches 
thereof, on which the latter then lived, for $152.75, 
but died without executing the deed therefor, which 
his executors did, April 21, 1835, by virtue of a 
decree granted by the court of common pleas of 
this county, for the specific performance of that 
agreement, and which James Rutherford conveyed 
to James Brice, April 30, 1835, for $167.75. Brice 
conveyed these two last-mentioned tracts, aggre- 
gating 99 acres and 14 perches more or less, to 
Jacob Lias, May 11, 1853, for $800, on one or the 
other of which he has, within the last few years, 
made several fish-ponds, which are situated in the 
forks of the two branches forming the fifth north- 
ern tributary to the Cowanshannock west of the 
Indiana county line. Pond No. 1 is 20X20 feet; 
No. 2 is 24X44 feet; No. 3 is 20X24 feet. Each 
pond is supplied from a spring of pure cold water. 
They are well arranged, and contain about 5,000 
trout and perch, which are in a thriving condition. 
Lias obtained his first stock from Seth Green & Co. 

The Cowanshannock portion of this Hiltzimer 
tract will be otherwise recognized as that of por- 
tions of which William J. Burns, William T. 
Burns, S. Cassiday, D. Whitacre and J. Borland 
are present owners, and on which Hugh Ruther- 
ford commenced his trade as a tailor in 1837. 

George Roberts, of Philadelphia, merchant, in 
or about February, 1795, purchased twelve origi- 
nal tracts the territory of which is now within the 
limits of this section of this township, aggregat- 
ing, according to the original surveys, 3404f 
acres, patents for which were granted to him 
March 28, the same year, which, with other tracts 
elsewhere in this and in other counties, by his will 
dated December 13, 1800, he devised to his sons 
George and Hugh Roberts and three others of his 
lineal heirs. Among the latter was Elizabeth F. 
Roberts, whose share, or undivided one-fifth part, 
of those lands then unsold, and one-fifth part of 
all the purchase money then remaining due and 
unpaid, she conveyed April 25, 1836, to her nephew, 
George Roberts Smith, in consideration of natural 
love and affection and the sum of $1. Those and 
other tracts are designated in her father's will as 
" unimproved and back lands." 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



299 



The following tracts are included in the Roberts 
purchase : 

The John Denniston tract, No. 3830, called 
" Abington," which contained, according to the 
original survey, IVO^ acres. William and John 
McFarland were first assessed with portions of it 
in 1838. They had probably settled on it in 1836 
or 1837. 

The John Sloan tract. No. 5639, called "Stan- 
ton," 226^ acres, with a portion of which Peter 
Brown was first assessed in 1822-3. 

The Roberts heirs conveyed parts of these two 
last-mentioned tracts, containing 201 acres and 46 
perches, to James Cunningham, June 17, 1837, for 
$362. 

The John Denniston tract, No. 3829, called 
"Dublin," 180 J acres, with 180^^ acres of which 
William Abercrombie was first assessed in 1834, 
and John Gallagher, with 50 acres, in 1838. This 
entire tract was conveyed by those heirs to William 
Patterson, April 16, 1836, for $285. 

The Joseph Cook tract, No. 5637, called "The 
Grove," 383 acres, with 80 acres of which Richard 
Crim and Thomas Duke were each first assessed in 
1836. Ninety-three acres and 139 perches of it 
were conveyed by those heirs to Samuel Patterson, 
April 16, 1836, for $125, and on October 30, 1839, 
80 acres and 112 perches to Richard Crim for $161, 
and 205 acres and 80 perches to William McFar- 
land for $411. 

The Joseph Cook tract. No. 5636, called "Wheat- 
field," 447f acres, with 184 acres of which Robert 
Stoops was first assessed in 1833. The Roberts 
heirs conveyed 164 acres of this tract to Allen 
Foster, April 16, 1836, for $328, and 183 acres and 
100 perches to John Simpson, November 24, 1838, 
for $367. 

The Aaron Wor tract. No. 5483, 447 acres, with 
108 acres of which Stewart Fitzgerald was first 
assessed in 1831, and Robert Adams with 97 acres 
in 1837. The Robertses conveyed 320 acres off the 
west end of it to James Simpson, November 20, 
1830, for $640, and 128 acres and 26 perches to 
Isaac Simpson, December 19, 1834, for $288.97. 

The John Craig tract. No. 3652, called " Leeds," 
245 acres of which Alexander Foster purchased 
May 24, 1828, for $612.50. Craig's run traverses 
it in a southerly course nearly through, a little 
west of, the center. 

The John Denniston tract. No. 3618, 309 acres, 
with which Robert McElwain was first assessed in 
1828, and which the Robertses had conveyed to him 
January 30, 1827, for $675. He conveyed the 
same as containing 401 acres and 109 perches to 
Samuel R. Ramage, April 3, 1836, for $4,000, 



which he conveyed January 20 and 28, 1848, and 
April 4 and 10, 1850, to Alexander and James 
Dixon, John Walker, William Dill and John Mc- 
Couch, as containing 423 acres and 53 perches 
for $5,056.82. John McCouch conveyed the 150 
acres which he had purchased to John McCauley, 
March 31, 1857, for $3,000, or at an advance of 
$750 since April 10, 1850. 

The William Denniston tract. No. 3620, called 
"Hopewell," 220 acres, on which William and 
Thomas McElhinney settled in 1830. It was con- 
veyed to them by the Robertses May 12 of that 
year, for $450. The first store within the limits 
of this township was opened by them on this tract 
in 1831. They were assessed for the first time as 
merchants in 1832, and the last time as such in 
1833. They probably kept that store open about 
three years. William McElhinney conveyed his 
undivided half, except 20 acres therefrom sold to 
Archibald McGaughey, to James McElhinney for 
$220, and James and Thomas McElhinney conveyed 
their interests to Rev. Bryan B. Killikelly, Sep- 
tember 23 and 27, 1844, for $1,567, who conveyed 
the entire tract, 221 acres, to William and Joshua 
Hall, February 1, 1865, for $1,779.20. 

The John Denniston tract. No. 3622, called 
"Deerry" — probably a clerical error for Derry — 
239 acres, with 120 acres of which Andrew Stew- 
art was first assessed, and James McGaughey with 
80acres,in 1835. The Robertses conveyed the whole 
tract as containing 280 acres and 21 perches to 
James McGaughey, April 16, 1836, for $490.21. 

The Samuel Denniston tract. No. 3621, called 
"Alexandria," 255^ acres, with 190 of which 
William McGaughey was first assessed in 1838. 
W. Hall and J. Peoples are present owners of por- 
tions of it. 

The William Findley tract, No. 5638, called 
"Fidelity," 100 acres, on which John McAfoos 
settled in 1834, to whom the Robertses conveyed 
120 acres and 134 perches, December 23, 1836, for 
$188.50; to Samuel Patterson, April 16, 1836, 55 
acres and 54 perches, for $101.37, and December 23, 
106 acres and 114 perches for $50 ; of which Peter 
Brown purchased 50 acres and 32 perches April 20, 
1837, for $225, on which Peter Brown, Jr., was 
first assessed with a tannery in 1862, which is still 
in operation. 

The Findley lands, besides the last-mentioned 
tract, which Findley conveyed to Roberts, con- 
sisted of the four following: 

The William Findley tract. No. 751, called "Will- 
iamsburgh," 409 acres and 140 perches, bordering 
on the purchase line and Valley township, 313 acres 
of which were first assessed to Daniel River in 



300 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1828, and 311 acres to James Elgin in 1831. The 
patent to Findley for this tract is dated May 27, 
1796. 'By'his will, dated March 20, 1820, he de- 
vised this and other tracts to his children — John 
Findley, Elizabeth Patterson, Eleanor Caruthers 
and Mary Black. John Findley was authorized, 
February 1, 1828, by all parties in interest, except 
Elizabeth Patterson, who appointed her son, Find- 
ley Patterson, to divide and convey these lands, 
and, on the 7th of March, all the devisees released 
the undivided one-fourth part to one another. 
John Findley, May 25, 1830, conveyed 311 acres of 
" Williarasburgh " to James Elgin for $900, who 
by his will, dated January 2, 1834, devised it to his 
son Samuel Elgin, in whose possession the major 
part of it still (1876) remains. Huskins run empties 
into the Cowanshannock on the south side at or 
near the center of " Williamsburgh," about fifty 
rods slightly east of south from Samuel Elgin's 
residence. There is a tradition respecting John 
Huskins, who, it is said, gave this stream its early 
name, which, the writer thinks, is a mixture of 
truth and error. It is traditionally related that he 
was employed by Penn's agents to aid in making 
treaties with the Indians ; that the condition of one 
treaty was that the Penns were to have as much 
land as a man could walk over between sunrise and 
sunset, starting from a point on the west branch of 
the Susquehanna, formerly called Canoe Place, now 
Cherry Tree, and proceeding westward ; that 
Huskins, having the reputation of being a great 
walker, was employed for that pu^rpose ; that, with 
Indian guides to halt him at the proper time, he 
started for the above-mentioned point on the Sus- 
quehanna at sunrise on a certain day, and, having 
passed over hills and valleys along the purchase 
line, and having arrived at that part of " Williams- 
burgh " near the Boyer's sawmill, he and the In- 
dians collected, through the night, a quantity of 
stones and piled them up around a tree, some of 
which are still there ; that the Indians, being 
wearied, exclaimed, " White man, big walk ! " and 
that on the next morning Huskins went to that 
stream and christened it " Huskins' run." When 
that event occurred is not known. One thread of 
error woven into the web of that tradition is, that 
the quantity of territory between the Susquehanna 
and the Allegheny was to be ascertained by a day's 
walk, for the boundary line of the purchase of 1768 
between these two rivers was agreed upon and 
clearly defined in the treaty made at Fort Stanwix.* 
" Huskins run " is mentioned in the report of the 
viewers who laid out Plum Creek township in 1809, 
to designate a point in its western boundary line. 
* See sketch Kittanniug borough. 



The name of this run is, then, quite ancient, and it 
is probable that John Huskins originated it. He 
may, perhaps, have accompanied the surveyor who 
ran the purchase line, or he may have traversed 
this region at a later period. However that may 
be, the narrators of his expedition have, at one time 
or another, confounded the walking purchase* of 
1737 with the later one of 1768. Another prob- 
able thread of error in that web is, that the walk 
from one to the other of the above-mentioned points 
was a " big " one for hardy foresters of those times, 
who were thoroughly accustomed to traveling on 
foot, the distance between these points being about 
thirty miles. 

The William Findley tracts, Nos. 3833, 197f 
acres, and No. 3658, 100 acres, contiguous to each 
other, the former lying between " Williamsburgh " 
and the latter, No. 3658, was probably first occu- 
pied by Daniel in 1825, he having been first as- 
sessed with it in 1826. Thomas Patterson, a son- 
in-law of William Findley, was first assessed, in 
1830, with 340 acres, as of No. 3833, but of course in- 
cluded portions of one or more other Findley tracts. 
His sons, John and Findley Patterson, were jointly 
assessed the next year with the same, and the 
latter as a merchant, and thereafter separately, the 
former with 125, and the latter with 200 acres, 
until 1834; in 1835 John was assessed with 345 
acres of the McClenechan tract, No. 515, and the 
next year with the same and 75 acres of No. 3658. 

John Patterson settled on No. 3883 in 1829, and 
gave the name of Rural valley to that part of the 
Cowanshannock valley east of Laurel Grove, for- 
merly called the Narrows, but now Greendale. He 
resided there until his removal to the portion of 
the Pickering & Co. tract. No. 11, which he pur- 
chased, as hereinafter mentioned, in 1836. The 
Rural Valley postofiice was established May 19, 
1830, and he was its first postmaster, keeping the 
ofiice at his residence. 

Findley Patterson moved farther down the 
Cowanshannock in 1834-5. EbenezerSmith, of Cross 
Creek township, Washington county, Pennsyl- 
vania, soon thereafter became the purchaser of a 
considerable body of these Findley lands, it having 
been represented to him that the erection of a grist- 
mill and other improvements in their vicinity 
would induce those in quest of new homes to set- 
tle in this part of this beautiful valley. Thomas 
and Elizabeth Patterson, by Findley Patterson, 
their attorney-in-fact, conveyed to him 88 acres and 
99 perches of No. 3658, March 30, 1835, for $1,070; 
and John Patterson conveyed to him 156 acres 
and 84 perches of tract No. 3833, May 23, the 

* See general sketch of this county. 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



301 



same year, for $1,500, making a total of 245 acres and 
23 perches, which had been allotted to Thomas and 
Elizabeth Patterson in the above-mentioned parti- 
tion. Smith settled thereon in ISSY, and lived in 
the house on No. 3833 theretofore occupied by 
John Patterson. He purchased, February 25, 1843, 
29 acres of " Williamsburgh " from Samuel Elgin, 
for |125. He sold about eight acres of the latter to 
John Boyer, February 5, 1843, for $8, and 125 acres 
and 11 perches of No. 3833 to Samuel Elgin, 
February 19, 1848, for $800, two days before which 
he had conveyed 246 acres and 19 perches to Robert 
McFarland for $5,045, and removed thence to 
McKeesport, Allegheny county. That farm is. 
designated in Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania 
as the " Smith tract." ( Vide sketch of Elderton.) 

John Findley had dedicated two acres of tract No. 
3833, adjoining " Williamsburgh," prior to Smith's 
purchase, for a site for a schoolhouse, common bury- 
ing-ground and a meeting-house, or meeting-houses, 
and conveyed the same, November 21, 1836, to Will- 
iam McKean, Robert Mcintosh, James Elgin and 
Findley Patterson, in trust for those purposes, giv- 
ing an equal right to the Presbyterians of the Gen- 
eral Assembly church, the Associate Reformed or 
the Associate church to build, if they so wished, their 
respective houses of worship thereon, granting to 
the congregation that should first do so full liberty 
to choose the site, provided that they should do 
so in such manner as would not render it impracti- 
cable for either of the other denominations to 
erect their church edifice thereon. His grant was 
qualified by the restriction that those two acres 
should not be sold for or dedicated to any other 
purposes than those above mentioned.* 

The Robert MeClenechan tract. No. 515, drawn 
by lottery, 328f acres, the warrant for which was 
granted to MeClenechan, of Chester county, Penn- 
sylvania, May 19, 1785, and the patent August 17, 
1787. He conveyed this entire tract, March 15, 
1796, to William Findley. In the partition between 
the latter's heirs it was allotted to his daughter 
Eleanor Caruthers, and it was first assessed to her 
husband, Richard E. Caruthers, in 1830, 100 acres 
and 116 jserches of which they conveyed to Will- 
iam F. Caruthers, January 6, 1842, for $1. 

The northern tributaries of the Cowanshannock 
in this part of the township are : Elgin's run, 
traversing " Williamsburgh," so named by James 
Elgin, who first traced it from its mouth to its 
head ; Hill's run, traversing tract No. 3833, so 
called because it rises in and flows through at least 
a part of the Hill settlement north of that tract ; 
Rose run, traversing tract No. 3658, so called be- 

*See sketch of Presbyterian church, Rui-al village, 
19 



cause of the great quantities of wild roses that 
erst fringed its banks. 

The Bryan lands included a number of tracts in 
this township. Tract covered by warrant No. 674, 
partly in Wayne, granted to Dr. William Smith, 
of Philadelphia, druggist, October 20, 1780, as 
containing 549f acres, which Smith conveyed to 
George Bryan, December 31, 1787, "particularly 
in consideration of the sum of five shillings." The 
act of assembly of March 17, 1820, subsequent to 
Bryan's death, authorized Jacob Spangler and 
Thomas Smith, of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, 
and Robert Orr, Jr., of this county, to make par- 
tition of his real estate, and it also authorized his 
son, George Bryan, Jr., to sell and convey all the 
title to and interest in the same of Sarah, daugh- 
ter of the elder Bryan. Among the lands thus 
allotted to her was the eastern half of this tract, 
which George Bryan, Jr., conveyed to Robert B. 
Stille, October 12, 1826, for $1,200, and which the 
latter reconveyed to the former fovir days after- 
ward for the same consideration, who conveyed it 
August 6, 1833, to Archibald Marshall for $800. 
The earliest settlers upon it were probably Harmen 
Lenhart, who was first assessed with 30 acres in 
1832, and Adam Lenhart, with 90 acres in 1833, 
who migrated thither from the Le Roy & Co. tract 
No. 3045. It was sold in June, 1834, for taxes, by 
Samuel McKee, county treasurer, to George Bryan, 
who again conveyed it to Archibald Marshall, 
April 15, 1837, for $1,300, to whom the patent was 
granted June 6, 1840. The latter convej'ed 108 
acres and 135 perches to Samuel McCarthy, Jan- 
uary 1, 1841, for $979, and 163 acres and 53 perches 
to Robert McMeans, December 3, 1841, for $637.87-|-. 
The tannery on this tract was probably established 
in 1850. John Marshall was first assessed with it 
in 1851. William Gallagher's store is also on the 
same original tract, which he opened there in 
1873-4. 

The George Bryan tract No. 669, 548^ acres, 
adjoined the above-mentioned Dr. Smith tract on 
the southwest. It became vested in Richard R. 
Bryan, to whom the patent was granted February 
13, 1850, who conveyed it April 6, 1851, to Robert 
Orr, Jr. Its earliest settler appears to have been 
Michael Thomas, in 1835. John Butler, Jr., Avas 
first assessed with 125, and William McGaughey 
with 208 acres of it in 1838. Gen. Orr conveyed 
14 acres and 127 perches of it to John Marshall, 
April 10, 1872, for $369. It is traversed by a 
southern branch of Pine run, on which, about 100 
rods above its mouth, is schoolhouse No. 3. Samuel 
Gourley was first assessed with a tanyard on this 
tract in 1844. 



302 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The George Bryan tract No. 6Y2, 1,091^ acres, 
the warrant for which is dated October 20, 1785. 
John Sohrecongost, Sr., and Martin Schrecongost, 
brothers, were each first assessed with 100 acres of 
it in 1814, and John Schrecongost, Jr., with 1,000 
acres in 1819. The elder John began the manu- 
facture of j)lows with wooden moldboards, soon 
after he settled here. He was called " Gentleman 
John " because of the comparative neatness of his 
apparel and his comparatively polished manners 
and gentlemanly bearing. Martin owned a part 
of this, but resided on another tract containing 
about 100 acres, which he purchased from Archi- 
bald McGaughey. The former acquired title to 
about 550 and the latter to 100 acres of this tract 
by " improvement," as it appears from the assess- 
ment lists. Bryan's heirs conveyed this tract to 
Richard R. Bryan, October 9, 184Y, by whom it 
was conveyed to Gen. Orr, April 6, 1859, who con- 
veyed 48 acres and 14 perches thereof to C. O. 
Schrecongost, January 30, 1872, for $681.79 ; and 
59 acres and 98 perches to Henry Giger, Novem- 
ber 25, 1874, for $1,0.31.41. 

Two military companies — the Wayne Artillery 
and the Pine Creek Infantry — and a large num- 
ber of citizens celebrated the Fourth of July, 1837, 
at Martin Schrecongost's house. The Declaration 
of Independence was read, and some remarks were 
made by Mr. A. L. Robinson. The other features 
were the parade and evolutions of those mili- 
tary companies, and volunteer toasts of a decided 
partisan tone given by members of both of the po- 
litical parties. Whig and Democrat. 

An early resident on a portion of the Bryan 
tract. No. 672, was James Gogley, who was first 
assessed with 100 acres in 1818, and continued to 
be until 1834. He was one of the pioneer school- 
teachers in this region before the passage of the 
common school law of 1884. His knowledge, like 
that of most of the other teachers of those early 
times, was limited to reading, writing and arith- 
metic. Some of the older citizens of this county, 
though not his pupils, remember him out of his 
pedagogical sphere, as an entertaining singer of 
the entire ballad of "Robin Hood," and other 
shorter ones. He was a nephew of the surveyor 
Robert Cogley elsewhere mentioned. 

Robert Orr conveyed 94 acres and 77 perches to 
Thomas Foster, March 30, 1871, for $2,078. 

The Pleasant Union Evangelical Lutheran 
church edifice is situated in the northwestern 
forks of the cross-roads fifty rods northwest of 
Thomas Foster's residence. 

The Reynolds and Clark lands consisted of one 
tract, partly in Wayne, covered by warrant No. 



6041, granted, probably, in 1817 to David Reynolds 
and William Clark. It was returned on the un- 
seated lists of Plum Creek and Wayne townships 
from 1818 until 1843. It adjoined the Bryan tract 
No. 672 on the east and the Holland Company's 
lands on the north, west and south. It was prob- 
ably not much occupied except by Philip Drum, a 
hunter from some other county, who had a cabin 
and hunting-camp, located near the present resi- 
dence of John H. Hill, for ten years or so from 
about 1790, until after Alexander and Absalom 
Reynolds, David Reynolds' executors, and James 
Clark, guardian of Julia, James and William 
Maize, heirs of William Clark, conveyed it, De- 
cember 8, 1859, to Henry Clever for $1,125. On 
the 21st of that month he conveyed one-half of it 
to Judge Burtington and one-fourth to Horatio N. 
Lee for the last-mentioned sum. They conveyed 
114 acres and 120 perches to John H. Hill, March 
24, 1866, for $918, and 34 acres and 54 perches to 
Joseph Keifer for $248.90, who, five days after- 
ward, conveyed the same to William Garner for 
$300; 100 acres to Samuel and Wilson Schrecon- 
gost for $800 ; and 196 acres to Henry Clever, 
May 10, for |1. Clever conveyed 80 acres and 9 
perches to Jacob McAfoos, May 2, 1870, for 
$360.60, and 46 acres to George Mclntire, March 
2, 1871, for $552, small portions of which are in 
Wayne township. The public schoolhouse No. 1 
and the Salem Reformed church edifice are situ- 
ated on this original tract, 425 rods nearly south- 
east of the northwest corner of this township. 

Next west of the Reynolds and Clark was the 
Le Roy & Co. or Holland Co. tract. No. 8036, viz., 
of allotment No. 1, and tract No. 368, the main 
portion of which was in what is now Valley town- 
ship. The first settler on the Cowanshannock por- 
tion of it was the eccentric Frederick Altman,* to 
whom Wilhelm WillLnk and others conveyed 160 
acres, December 19, 1833, for $90. He probably 
settled on it in 1834, as he was first assessed with that 
number of acres in 1835, and built his sawmill in 
1839, with which he was assessed from 1840 until 
1846. He also manufactured for awhile stone 
pumps, which were one of his inventions. The 
next earliest settler on this tract was probably 
Andrew King, who was first assessed with 155 
acres of it in 1843. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned on the south was 
another of the Holland Co. tracts, No. 3022. The 
earliest settler on the Cowanshannock part of it 
was probably Andrew King, to whom Wilhelm 
Willink and others conveyed 155f acres of allot- 
ment No. 8, June 18, 1828, for $77.88, with which 



* See sketoli of Burrell township. 



»v NkiVj. 




J V 




■I: 





SAfVljEL .ELGIJ^. 



Mf^S. SAM^JEL ELGIIsl. 



SAMUEL ELGIN. 

James Elgin, father of the subject of this sketch, 
vas born in County Derry, Ireland, in the year 
1760., In 1782, having attained his majority, he 
came to America, and in 1791 was married. He 
first settled where Elderton now is, at a time when 
the region around him was a perfect wilderness, 
and while the Indians still infested the country. 
After passing many years as a pioneer in this 
locality, he removed to Cowanshannock, then 
Wayne, township, in 1830. The remainder of his 
life was spent quietly there, and he died December 
20, 18.37. 

His son, Samuel Elgin, whose portrait appears 
above, was born December 1, 1811. He was mar- 
ried October 1, 1836, and lived at the old home- 
stead until his death, which occurred July 25, 1876. 



He was a farmer by occupation, and led a busy, 
useful, honorable life, and stood well in the esti- 
mation of all who knew him. He held various 
offices in the township in which he resided, and 
discharged the duties of each and every one of 
them conscientiously and efficiently. 

Isabella Elgin, his wife, was a daughter of 
Michael Truby, one of the first and most promi- 
nent settlers of Kittanning. She was born March 
10, 1820. Samuel and Isabella Elgin were the 
parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom are 
still upon and around the old homestead. The 
names of those still living are as follows : Jere- 
miah, Rebecca, Ellen, Samuel, Isabella E., Martha 
Jane, Margaret R., Jane T., George L., William S. 
and Robert B. Those deceased are Amanda, 
Alexander and John A. S. Elgin. 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



303 



he was first assessed in 1829. They subsequently 
conveyed as follows : To Abraham Rosenberger, 
216-j- acres of allotment 8, September 1*7, 1828, for 
$108.25, 122 acres of which Rosenberger conveyed 
to Abraham Hill, Ai^ril 28, 1837, for $300, and to 
Joseph Hill 116| acres, March 14, 1837, for 1230. 

The Timothy Pickering & Co. lands in this town- 
ship lay to the east of the Findley lands and con- 
sisted of the following tracts: No. 25, 1132^ acres. 
The earliest permanent white settler on it was 
William Kirkpatriek. In or about 1800 he com- 
menced occupying 200 acres of its northwestern 
part, and with which he was assessed, successively, 
in Toby, Kittanning, Plum Creek and Wayne 
townships, and which James Potter Murry, a 
devisee of Gen. Potter, conveyed to him, Septem- 
ber 28, 1807, for $800, jjayable in annual install- 
ments, without interest. In the same instrument 
Murry agreed to deliver to Kirkj^atrick a good and 
sufficient title in three years, and Kirkpatriek 
agreed to secure the payment of the "purchase 
money by bond and mortgage. Murry was enabled 
to comply with his part of the agreement by these 
200 acres having been conveyed to him by Potter's 
executors. May 19, 1810, and by the granting of 
the patent therefor to him, January 12, 1813. In 
April he consummated the performance of his 
covenant by delivering his deed to Kirkpatriek, 
whose name aj^pears on the northwestern part of 
No. 25, on the map of original tracts. After resid- 
ing there about thirty years, he removed to the 
Blaine tract No. 553,* with 150 acres of which he 
assessed in and after 1831. He conveyed that part 
of No. 25 to William Porter, April 17, 1832, for 
$1,300. Porter conveyed 194 acres and 89 perches 
of it to John Cowan, May 8, 1837, for $1,960, on 
which there is a log barn which was raised about 
1808, which, although now under its third roof, is 
still a substantial structure. It required two days 
to notify the men then living within a circuit of 
thirty miles of such a raising. Until as late as 
1834 trees suitable for building-logs on this and 
adjoining tracts were considered common property. 
If any one saw a tree which would answer his pur- 
pose, either on the tract on which he had settled 
or on any other, he appropriated it to his own use, 
without leave from any one and without the appre- 
hension of litigation. 

Another early settler on No. 25 was William 
Cochran, Sr., who was first assessed with 250 acres 
of it in 1811, which had been devised by Gen. 
Potter to John P. McMillen, to whom his executors 
conveyed the same, consisting partly of tract No. 
11, August 19, 1815, and which he conveyed to 

* See sketch of Wayne township. 



Cochran, December 2, 1816, for $500. Another 
portion became vested in Samuel Cochran. Will- 
iam and Samuel Cochran united in conveying 302 
acres and 17 perches (except 20 acres of the east 
end) to Archibald L. Robinson, July 18, 1826, for 
$1,500, which he conveyed to James E. Brown, June 
21, 1839, for $3,650. 

Two hundred and fifty acres of Nos. 25 and 11 
were devised to Thomas Potter, who conveyed the 
same to William Marshall, June 18, 1814, for $550, 
with which the latter was first assessed in 1828, 
and as a tanner in 1829. He convey-ed it as con- 
taining 265 acres and 117 perches, to Samuel Pat- 
terson, December 10, 1835, for $1,200, which, with 
93 acres and 139 perches of "The Grove," he con- 
veyed to Alexander P. Ormond, March 30, 1840, for 
$2,100. 

Other devisees of portions of No. 25, were John- 
and James P. Jordan. William Stanford occupied 
20 acres of it for several years after 1825 ; Andrew 
Morrow, Robert Neal and Alexander Rutherford 
commenced occupying portions of it in 1835. 
Smith Neal, Sr., settled on the James P. Jordan 
portion of it January 3, 1833, and afterward on the 
Le Roy & Co. tract. No. 3125. Pie was born in 
what is now Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 
1763. At the age of sixteen he enlisted in the 
American army at Carlisle, and participated in a 
number of the important battles of the revolution. 
He was present at the surrender of Lord Corn- 
wallis, at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781. 
Three of his uncles fell in the battle of Brandy- 
wine, September 11, 1777. He settled, some time 
after the close of that war, in the neighboring 
county of Butler, when he enlisted and elsewhere 
served in the war of 1812. The gun which he 
carried is now in the possession of grandson 
Smith Neal. He removed from Butler to this 
county at the time above-mentioned, and was a 
resident successively of Wayne and Cowanshan- 
nock townships until his death, which occurred 
August 13, 1863, when he was within three months 
of being a centenarian. 

The James P. Jordan portion of No. 25, viz., 
200 acres and 128 perches, was sold for taxes by 
David Johnston, county treasurer, in June, 1830, 
to Robert Brown, who conveyed the same to Robert 
Neal, December 3, 1833, to whom the patent was 
issued, who conveyed 100 acres to William Mor- 
row, January 26, 1843, for $20, the latter having 
been .first assessed therewith in 1836. Samuel 
Cassady, Samuel Fleming and Samuel Porter were 
first assessed with other portions of No. 25 in 1838, 
and Jacob Linsebigier with 140 acres in 1841. 

Tract No. 11, 627^ acres, lay next west of No. 



304 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



25, and south of the Wor and Craig tracts. Isaac 
and James Simpson were each assessed with 150 
acres of it in 1823, the latter afterward with 12V 
acres. James Craig and Hamlet Totten were 
jointly assessed with 367 acres of it in 1828. 
Craig probably settled on it in 1827, and Totten a 
year or two later. Stewart Fitzgerald was assessed 
with 827 acres in 1830, James Simpson, Jr., with 
65 acres in 1833, and John Morrow with 75 acres 
in 1834. Three hundred and sixty-one acres and 
90 perches of this original tract were sold for 
taxes to the county commissioners November 19, 
1816, who sold the same to James Pinks August 1, 
1825, who conveyed the same to Hamlet Totten 
May 26, 1827, for $150. Gen. Potter's surviving 
executor and heirs and devisees conveyed that last- 
mentioned quantity to Elizabeth and Margaret 
Latimore, August 22, 1834, for the purpose of 
making up a deficit of two shares of the Potter 
lands, which had become vested in their father, 
George Latimore, and which they conveyed to 
Hamlet Totten December 18 for $350, 151 acres of 
which he conveyed to John Patterson, of Wash- 
ington county, Peniasylvania, May 5, 1836, for 
$750, 46 acres and 26 perches of which the latter 
conveyed to John McElroy September 1, 1838, for 
$1,800. John Totten was assessed with some of it 
for several years, and Sidney Totten with 210 
acres from 1837 until 1840, when he removed to 
the Meason and Cross tract No. 692 ; Zachariah 
Knight with 45 acres, first in 1838 ; James Reed 
with 100 acres, first in 1838 ; David Simpson, as 
chairmakoi-, in 1838, and wheelwright in 1839 ; 
Samuel Smith with 100 acres, first in 1840, though 
he had purchased earlier ; and James Morrow, as a 
blacksmith, in 1841. 

Three hundred and one acres and 45 perches 
were devised by Gen. Potter to James P. Caroth- 
ers, including parts of Nos. 11 and 25, to whom 
Potter's executors conveyed the same, September 
10, 1819, and to whom the patent was granted 
July 15, 1822. He conveyed 250 acres and 130 
perches thereof to James and John Simpson as 
"tenants in common," September 17, 1822, for 
$675. James conveyed his interest therein for 
$1, and John his for $765, to Isaac Simpson, 
August 12, 1826. 

James Simpson, Sr., removed in 1807 from In- 
diana county to that part of tract No. 1 1 border- 
ing on the southwest part of the Wor tract, where 
Anthony Gallagher now resides. He died some 
years since. As late as 1855-6 he said that he was 
offered, soon after he settled there, as much land 
as he could see from his residence for a cow, but 
was unable then to pay even that price, for he had 



not the cow to barter for the land. John Simpson 
was first assessed as a single man in 1809. Isaac 
Simpson was born in Fort Lydick, five miles east 
of Indiana, Pennsylvania, in 1790, and removed to 
this part of No. 11 in 1822, where he still resides 
in his two-story brick mansion, and is quite active 
for one of his advanced age. He was a soldier in 
the war of 1812, in the army of the Northwest, 
under Gen. William H. Harrison, and participated 
in the military operations at Sandusky and Fort 
Meigs. On this part of No. 11, on the cross- 
roads, is the little toAvn or hamlet of Tottenham, 
called Centerville on the attest township map, 
containing eleven dwelling-houses, one cabinet- 
maker, one carpenter, one sewing-machine agent, 
and about forty inhabitants. It was laid out by 
Hamlet Totten in 1859 or 1860. 

Briefly digressing from the Pickering & Co. 
lands, the reader's attention is diverted for a few 
moments to the " Simpson " tract, as designated 
on the map of original tracts, but really consisting 
of three tracts, for which warrants were granted 
to Robert Simpson dated, respectively, December 
21, 1832, May 29, 1834, and January 22, 1847, ag- 
gregating about 268 acres, south of No. 11 and 
east of No. 176, and on both sides of the purchase 
line, the patents for which were granted to Simp- 
sou, respectively, June 1, 1836, and February 26, 
1847, the latter tract adjoining the 91 acres 
assessed to John Morrow, and for which a war- 
rant was issued to him. Simpson conveyed 193 
acres and 127 perches to John Simpson, December 
6, 1851, for $1 and his i^roper and comfortable ■ 
maintenance during the rest of his life. The 
writer has been informed that he settled here in 
1806, but he presumes he did not until 1814, as his 
name does not appear on the assessment list until 
1815. It is said that he served in the Indian war 
in and about 1790. 

Returning from that digression, the Pickering & 
Co. tract No. 176, 1057^ acres, lay west of " Leeds," 
No. 1 1, and the Simpson tract, south of " Leeds," "Fi- 
delity," and Bryan No. 672, east of Findley No. 3658, 
and the McClenechan tract, and north of and border- 
ing on the purchase line. It was a part of the Potter 
lands which became vested in George Latimore of 
Philadelphia, to whom the patent was granted 
February 8, 1812, who, by his will, dated July 15, 
1823, devised it to his wife Margaret, and after her 
death, to his daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret 
Latimore. The Indian Lick run empties iuto the 
Cowanshannock from the north about fifty rods 
east of its western boundary, and Bell's Camp 
run from the south 275 rods east of Indian Lick, 
which was so-called after an old hunter by the 



COWANSHANNOOK TOWNSHIP. 



305 



name of Bell, of Westmoreland county, who in 
early times, for many years when deer were plenty, 
established on it his hunting camp, which he occu- 
pied during a considerable portion of the winter 
and left in the spring. 

Peter Torney, Sr., appears to have been the earli- 
est permanent settler on No. 176, with 200 acres of 
which he was first assessed in 1823. The Latimore 
sisters, after their mother's death, conveyed to him 
'152 acres, September 18, 1833, for $456. Alex- 
ander Foster was first assessed with 150 acres 
in 1829, to whom Mrs. Margaret Latimore con- 
veyed the same October 22, for |450. Jacob 
Ripple was assessed with 100 acres in 1829, to 
whom Mrs. Latimore convej'ed 103 acres and 35 
perches September 12, 1831, for $336.3'?; Peter 
Torney, Jr., with 14 acres in 1829, to whom 
she conveyed 73 acres and 83 perches Sep- 
tember 2, 1830, for $200.50; Samuel Marshall, 
with 130 acres, in 1830; Moses Miller, with 130 
acres, iu 1831, to whom she conveyed 60 acres, 
December 20, for $180; the same year Christopher 
Schrecongost, with 62 acres, and Jonathan Yount, 
with 134 acres, 40 acres besides which he j)urchased 
from the sisters Latimore, March 18, 1335, for 
$122.25, both which, 174 acres, Yount conveyed to 
Lyle Kerr, April 7, for $2,000; John Stoops, with 
150 acres, in 1832, to whom his father-in-law, 
Alexander Foster, Sr., conveyed 128 acres, allot- 
ment No. 1, July 26, 1854, for $1,000; Daniel 
Schrecongost, with 61 acres, iu 1835; John T. Pat- 
terson, with 196 acres — two parcels — in 1836, to 
whom widow Latimore conveyed 69 acres and 116 
perches, December 22, 1831, for $209, and the 
sisters Latimore, 82 acres and 76 perches, Decem- 
ber 20, 1833, for $227; Samuel Patterson, with .123 
acres — two parcels — in 1836, which the sisters Lati- 
more had conveyed to him, January 27, 1835, for 
$370.50; James and Joseph Reed, each, with 94 
acres, in 1838; and John Karn, with 52 acres, in 
1842. Glancing at the township map of 1876, the 
reader will notice on the portion of this original 
tract east of Rural village and north of the Cowau- 
shannock the location of property belonging to the 
estate of Rev. William F. Morgan, deceased, and 
that of the farm of Joseph Ritner Ambrose, late of 
John Neal, deceased, and south of that stream, 
between it and the purchase line, the farms of T. 
W. Stoops, Henry, Jonathan and Resinger Yount, 
William Carson, and John Torney. 

This township was not well supplied with good 
public roads vmtil about 1845. The Kittanning 
and Smicksburgh turnpike was authorized to be 
made ten or twelve years before. Its original route 
diverged from near Patteison's mill in Valley 



township to the left to the vVnderson creek road. 
The present route through Rural village was 
adopted by the pledges given by the inhabitants of 
that place and vicinity to make several miles of the 
pike, if the route were changed, which they did. 

Some of the early schoolhouses within the present 
limits of this township were built prior to 1820. 
The first one was on the Ormond farm, about 
75 rods south of the Cowanshannock. The second 
one was about 400 rods southwest of that one, near 
J. T. Sloan's. The third one was 1 mile and 
80 reds northwest of Atwood, on land now OAvned 
by D. McCoy. It was a square building of round 
logs, one end of which was devoted to a triangularly 
shaped chimney, and in other respects it resembled 
other primitive schoolhouses in this county. The 
first teacher in this house was John Russel. Four 
years afterward he taught in the upper story of a 
stillhouse, nearly a mile southeast of Atwood, in 
the bend of the public road extending from that 
village to Indiana, near the present residence of 
Christojaher Hoover. The heating apparatus con- 
sisted of an iron kettle, with coals, instead of wood, 
for fuel. The fourth one, after 1820, was situated 
about 900 rods nearly east of Rural village, at the 
present cross-roads, about 50 rods southwest of 
where James Morrow's blacksmith shop now is. 
The fifth one was about 200 rods a little north of 
east of the fourth one. The sixth one was about 
one mile east of Rural village at the present cross- 
roads, near what is now Centerville. The seventh 
one was 2 miles and 60 rods south of Rural vil- 
lage, near Black's or Templeton's sawmill. The 
eighth one was northeast of Rural village, and 
about 150 rods slightly south of west from the 
present site of the Barnard schoolhouse. The ninth 
one was about a mile northeast of Atwood, and 100 
rods west of the Derimney schoolhouse. When the 
common school system went into operation, most 
of the comparatively few persons who then inhab- 
ited parts of Wayne and Plum Creek townships 
which are now included in this township readily 
adopted it. 

In 1860, the number of schools was 15; average 
number of months taught, 4; male teachers, 11; 
female teachers, 4; average monthly salaries of 
male, $14.45 ; average monthly salaries of female, 
$13.50; male scholars, 340; female scholars, 334; 
average number attending school, 405; cost of 
teaching each scholar per month, 34 cents; amount 
levied for school purposes, $1,192; received from 
state appropriation, $130.70; from collectors, $682; 
cost of instruction, $854; fuel and contingencies, 
$64.70; repairing schoolhouses, etc., $18. 

In 1876, the number of schools was 16 ; average 



306 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



■ number months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 11; fe- 
male teachers, 5 ; average monthly salaries of male, 
$34; average monthly salaries of female, $35; male 
scholars, 407; female scholars, 352; average num- 
ber attending school, 532; costper month,- 85 cents; 
amount of tax levied for school and building pur- 
poses, $3,700. Receipts — From state appropria- 
tion, 1493.83 ; from taxes, etc., $3,666.06 ; cost of 
schoolhouses, $564 ; teachers' wages, $2,745 ; fuel, 
contingencies, etc., $597.29. 

STATISTICS OF POPULATION, VALUATION, ETC. 

The census of 1850, the first one after the organ- 
ization of this township, shows its population, 
including that of the villages, to have then been : 
white, 1,318 ; colored, 0. In 1860, white, 1,963 ; 
colored, 1. In 1870, white, 2,246; colored, 0; 
native, 2,155 ; foreign, 91. The number of taxa- 
ble in 1876, is 599, and the population, estimated 
on that basis, 2,755. The assessed valuation of 
this township, in 1850, was : real estate, $90,020; 
personal property, $13,295 ; single men, $2,900 ; 
occupations, $400 ; money at interest, $1,651 ; car- 
riages, $325 ; watches, 50 cents. Total, $107,791.50. 
The total valuation of the same, single men 
omitted, in 1876, is $817,051. 

Occupations, other than agricultural, exclusive of 
Atwood and Rural village, not wholly according to 
the assessment list for 1876 : Laborers, 28; black- 
smiths, 5 ; merchants, 5 ; carpenters, 8 ; stone- 
masons, 6; miners, 2; shoemakers, 2 ; teachers, 3 ; 
harness makers, 3 ; painter, 1 ; gristmills 2 ; saw- 
mills, stationary, 5 ; portable, 1 ; tanneries, 2. 
According to the mercantile appraiser's list, there 
are twenty-one merchants of the fourteenth and 
two of the thirteenth class. 

The vote on the local option law, including 
Atwood and Rural village — for license, 124; 
against license, 152. 

EUHAL VILLAGE. 

In the summer of 1836, John Patterson laid out 
Rural village on that part of the west end of the 
Pickering & Co. tract Ko. 11, which he had, as 
elsewhere stated, purchased from Hamlet Totten. 
The town plot has not been recorded. If it is 
still extant, it is not accessible. Forty lots, each 
62-^X165 feet, part of them on each side of the 
turnpike, or Main street, were surveyed by the 
late Major James White ; Hamlet Totten remem- 
bers that he was the surveyor. They were shortly 
afterward offered for sale. Archibald L. Robin- 
son cried them, and his recollection is, that about 
twenty-five were bid olf the first day. The follow- 
ing conveyances from Patterson to the purchasers 



indicate the general values of those lots at that 
time, in the old plot of the village, which extended 
80X25 rods eastward on the Pickering & Co. tract 
11, from the present alley between the Presbyterian 
church and the Odd Fellows' hall, including Main 
street and the alleys. On the 12th October, 1836, 
he conveyed to Judge Buflnngton lots Nos. 38 and 
39 for $40 ; to Thompson Purviance lot No. 6 ad- 
joining " an alley 19 feet wide," for $34 ; to Will- 
iam W. Gibson lot No. 4, for $20 ; to Jacob Pence 
lot No. 10 for $39.50 ; to Samuel R. Ramage lot 
No. 3 for $13 ; to Samuel Smith lots Nos. 8 and 9 
for $154 ; September 20, 1837, to Andrew L. Mc- 
Closkey lot No. 7, for $117.50; February 4, to 
Zachariah Knight lot No. 5, for$400; September 12. 

1838, to James Gourley, 2 lots for $39 ; October 2, 

1839, lots Nos. 17, 18, 19 to Thompson Purviance 
for $40 ; April 28, 1840, to Findley Patterson lots 
Nos. 20, 21 for $35. 

Alexander Foster, Sr., conveyed, January 27, 
1837, to Alexander Foster, Jr., the 150 acres of 
Pickering tract No. 176, which he had about ten 
years before purchased from Mrs. Latimore. In 
the summer or fall of 1839, the elder and younger 
Foster laid out the new plot of Rural village on that 
part of the Pickering & Co. tract last mentioned, 
adjoining on the west the alley between the present 
sites of the Presbyterian church and Odd Fellows, 
hall. This new plot consisted of 20 lots, partly 
on each side of Main street, 62^ feet in front on 
the street, and extending back, some 165 and 
others 150 feet. They were surveyed by Jonathan 
E. Meredith October 10, 1839. Alexander Foster, 
Sr., conveyed some, but Alexander Foster, Jr., 
conveyed most of those lots which were sold. 
Conveyances of them dated November 9, 1839 : 
To Robert A. Robinson, lot No. 1, for $55 ; to 
Zachariah Knight, lot No. 23, for $51 ; to Wesley 
Knight, lot No. 4, for $27.87| ; November 11, to 
Dr. William Aitkin, lot No. 13, for $47.56^ ; 
December 14, to Andrew L. McCloskey, lot No. 8, 
for $17.50; January 10, 1840, to Benjamin Schre- 
congost, lot No. 8, for $15.31 ; to Jacob Beer, lot 
No. 9, for $16 ; January 25, to Peter Brown, lot 
No. 6, for $25 ; April 16, 1844, to James R. Woods, 
lot No. 15, for $15 ; May 21, to Catherine Jones, 
lot No. 14, for $15 ; January 28, 1851, to Hugh R. 
Morrison, lot No. 11, for $40. 

The first separate assessment list of this village 
was in 1839, and included only the old plot, and 
is : Joseph Buffington, lots Nos. 38 and 39,valua- 
tion, $20 ; Samuel Cassady, valuation, $10 ; Samuel 
Flemming, lot No. 14, $10 ; Alexander Foster, 
Esq., lots Nos. 15 and 16, $20 ; William W. Gib- 
son, lot No. 3 (4?), $10; James Gourley, black- 





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J/^COB LI/^S. 



[vli^S. J/vCOB Lly^S. 





«si^--.C2ftr««i ^.3 



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-,s£3-<5:^ ^4 



f^ESIDEHCE OF JACOB Ll/S. 



COWANSHANNOOK TOWNSHIP. 



307 



smith, lots Nos. 11 and 12, 1 head of cattle, ii^lOO ; 
Zachariah Knight, lot No. 5, tavern,* 2 cattle, 
1116 ; Andrew McCloskey, carpenter, lot No. 7, 1 
head cattle, $150 ; John Patterson, 1 house and lot 
$300, and lots Nos. 17, 18, 19, 20, |40 ; Samuel 
Potts, 1 house and lot, §50 ; Samuel Raraage, lot 
No. 4 (3?), $10 ; Archibald L. Robinson, lots Nos. 
32, 83, $20 ; Martin Schrecongost, lot No. 30, $10 ; 
Samuel Smith, lots Nos. 8, 9, $20 ; James Strain, 
lot No. 10, $10. 

The first separate assessment list of the new plot 
is that of 1841. It is meager, except as to lots and 
their value : William Aitkens, lot No. 13, $14 ; 
Jacob Beer, lot No. 9, $5 ; James Boyd, lot No. 14, 
$5 ; Peter Brown, lots Nos. 6, 8, $10 ; Richard 
Grim, lot No. 5, $5 ; Archibald Findley, lot No. 
12, $5 ; Alexander Foster, Esq., lot No. 15, $5 ; 
James Gibson, lots Nos. 7, 17, $10 ; Wesley W. 
Knight, lot No. 4, $5 ; Robert A. Robinson, lots 
Nos. 1, 2, $325; Benjamin Schrecongost, lot No. 
18, $5 ; Robert Stoops, lots Nos. 3, 16, $10 ; John 
Uplinger, lot No. 22, $5. 

This portion of this beautiful valley and its 
vicinity proved to be especially attractive to those 
desiring to settle in this region after 1830. Hence 
it was that John Patterson changed his base of 
operations and laid out the old jjlot of Rural vil- 
lage, which soon became the central commercial 
point for a considerable scope of the surrounding- 
country. Merchants regarded it as a favorable 
opening for their branch of business. Thompson 
Purviance was the pioneer merchant of this village. 
He must have opened his store here in 1836, for 
he was first assessed as a merchant here in 1837; 
David Patterson the next year. The former died 
about the middle of September, 1840, and the latter 
removed to Kittanning in 1841, where he has ever 
since continued to cari-y on the mercantile business. 
Among their successors have been Robert A. Rob- 
inson, John McEroy, Joseph Alcorn, who for 
several yearS^had charge of a kind of co-opierative 
company store, which was not, like some others of 
the kind, a financial success. George B. McFar- 
land and James E. Brown had a store here several 
years, which was transferred to Phoenix Furnace 
after they had acquired an interest in it. Among 
the later merchants of this village are George A. 
Gourley, Andrew Gallagher, Joseph K. Patterson 
and James McFarland. The mechanical trades 
and other occupations have kept pace with the in- 
crease of population here and in the surrounding 
country. 

The first resident clergyman was Rev. James 



* He was first assessed as an innkeeper in 183S. His was probably 
the seennd tavern kept witliin the limita of tliis towiLship. 



D. Mason, and the first resident physician, Will- 
iam Aitkins. 

The assessment list for this year (1876) shows : 
Merchants, 4 ; mason, 1 ; physician, 1 ; tinsmith, 
1 ; peddler, 1 ; printer, 1 ; blacksmiths, 5 ; car- 
penters, 2 ; justice of the peace, 1 ; wagonmakers, 
3 ; laborers, 4 ; shoemakers, 2 ; tailor, 1 ; artist, 1 ; 
innkeepers, 2. The number of taxablcs is 43, giv- 
ing a population of 197. The first school within 
what are now the limits of this village wa"s taught 
before 1836, in the first log cabin built here, by 
Thomas McElhinney, afterward a member of the 
bar of this county, and the author of several 
treatises on "Love, Courtship and Marriage," and 
" Getting through the World." He also wrote 
and published a biography of Martin Van Buren. 

A select school in which the higher English 
branches and the Latin and Greek languages were 
taught, was opened by Rev. James D. Mason in the 
first church edifice, in 1845, which he continued to 
teach until 1847. Among his pupils were Dr. 
Alcorn, the late John K. Calhoun, a member of 
the bar of this county and of the house of repre- 
sentatives of this state, and Rev. Marshall, 

of Iowa. His immediate successor was Rev. 
Cochran Forbes. The number of pupils, male and 
female, ranged from 25 to 35. John McElroy, a 
few years after the latter left, opened a similar 
school in the same building, until he erected a 
school building on his own premises, in which, like 
his predecessors, he devoted himself to the thor- 
ough instruction of his pupils, the usual number 
of which, of both sexes, was from 25 to 30, among 
whom were Dr. John W. Morrow and other suc- 
cessful teachers of common schools. His successors 
have been Mr. Talmage, L. R. Ewing, Louis Kim- 

mel, Joseph Beer, ^ Belden, James Morrow, 

Joseph Buyers and J. A. "Ewing, the number of 
their pupils ranging from 25 to 35. 

The earliest church in this village is. the Pres- 
byterian. On November 27, 1833, the trustees of 
the Presbyterian church at Kittanning, in accord- 
ance with the unanimous wish of its members, 
" and of some of the prominent citizens of Rural 
valley," invited Rev. Joseph Painter "to take 
charge of these two congregations as stated pas- 
tor," pledging themselves for the payment to him 
of $500 annually for his services while he should 
continue to be their pastor. That invitation hav- 
ing been accepted and a call moderated for two- 
thirds of his time at Kittanning, September 23, 
1834, he thereafter preached to the Rural valley 
congregation one-fourth of his time. By direction 
of the Blairsville Presbytery Rev. Joseph Painter 
and E. D. Barrett organized this church August 1, 



308 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1835. The first elders were Richard E. Carothers, 
William Mcintosh and Ebenezer Smith, who were 
ordained and installed on the 20th. The first sac- 
rament in the log edifice was on the 22d, and the 
third and last one there was November 19, 1837. 
The next one was in the brick edifice, June 17, 
1838. The latter was at first small, but it hav- 
ing inci-eased, the Presbytery the next spring 
directed the Presbyterian church of Rural val- 
ley to be organized, which was accordingly done, 
and he, as its pastor, preached to it one-third 
of his time for several years. The first church 
edifice was a log one, 24 X 24 feet, situated on 
the two acres of the Findley tract No. 3833, 
which John Findley, as heretofore mentioned, gave 
for and dedicated to church and school purposes. 
The pulpit consisted of a ten-bushel store box set 
endwise, and the seats of oak slabs, the sawed sides 
upward, and each supported by four wooden legs. 
The pastor's stipulated salary was ^51*80 a year, pay- 
able in flour, meat, oats and other products at 
market prices in Kittanuing. Services continued 
to be held in that primitive temple in the wilder- 
ness for a year or more. Then the question of 
a change of location to Rural Village began to be 
agitated, on which it was provided that each sub- 
scriber to the fund for defraying the expenses of 
the church should be entitled to vote. In this, as 
in most other instances, the question of location 
became an exciting one. The members of the con- 
gregation, pro and con, were deeply exercised as to 
its ultimate disposition. A congregational meet- 
ing was held in that edifice on a warm afternoon in 
May, 1836. Ebenezer Smith was called to the 
chair, and Archibald L. Robinson was apjjointed 
secretary. The word " fillibustering " had not 
then been coined. So William McCain, who lived 
over on Pine creek, a zealous opponent to a change 
of location and a ready and voluble speaker, under- 
took to prevent the taking of a vote by " killing- 
time " with one of his long speeches. After hav- 
ing gained the floor, and having proceeded at some 
length, he was interrupted by John Patterson, who 
proposed that the motion or resolution before the 
meeting should be reduced to writing. When that 
was done, Patterson cut short McCain's time-kill- 
ing speech by calling for the previous question, 
which, having been put, was decided in favor of 
the projjosed change of location by a large ma- 
jority. That question having been thus settled, 
John Patterson gave two of his in-lots, Nos. 1 and 
2, on the north side of Main street, in the old plot 
of Rural village, for the erection of a new edifice, 
graveyard, and other church purposes, but, the 
people preferring to have their new edifice on higher 



ground and a little out of the town, Alexander 
Foster, Sr., gave an acre of the tract which he had 
purchased from the Robertses, the John Craig tract, 
called " Leeds." Their deeds are respectively 
dated October 2S, 1886, and the consideration ex- 
pressed in each is $2. Both of them conveyed to 
John Stoops, William McCain and Robert Mcin- 
tosh, trustees of the First Presbyterian church in 
Rural village, and their successors in ofiice, to be 
appointed, chosen and elected according to the 
rules and established practice of this church. The 
work of erecting the new one-story brick edifice, 
30X40 feet, on the acre off "Leeds" given by 
Alexander Foster, was commenced soon after the 
congregational meeting had decided in favor of 
changing the location, and was rapidly completed. 
The material was not of the best quality, its archi- 
tectural style was not of the highest order ; still 
it was a fair building, adapted, at the time, to the 
wants of the increasing population of this region. 
The pastor. Rev. Joseph Painter, regarded the 
alacrity and celerity with which material aid was 
obtained and the work was completed as wonder- 
ful. As he viewed it, he may have recalled 
Virgil's description of a hive of busy bees in com- 
paring to them the industry of the Carthaginians 
in erecting the buildings and other improvements 
of their city, especially the words : " Fervet 
opus''''* — "the work goes briskly on," which he 
had conned at Amwell academy. The graveyard, 
provided for in the donation of this acre of land, 
is immediately north of that edifice. 

The church membership having increased to 
eighty-five, the congregation desired one-half of a 
pastoi-'s time, which Mr. Painter could not give 
them. Plis successors were Rev. James D. Mason, 
from 1843 until his resignation in 1847; Rev. 
Cochran Forbes, from 1849 until he resigned in 
1854, on account of "bitter and persevering oppo- 
sition chiefly from outside of the church ; " Rev. 
William F. Morgan, two-thirds of his time from 
1856 until his death in 187-. It is said of him 
that he acted with caution, attended to his own 
business, and meddled not with that of any other 
individual. He was an active and acceptable 
co-worker in advancing the educational interests 
of Cowanshannock township. The membership, of 
this church in 1876 is 154, and the number of Sab- 
bath-school scholars 100. This church was incor- 
porated as " the Rural Valley church of Rural vil- 
lage," by the proper court, March 23, 1842. John 
Cowan, Robert A. Robinson, James Reed, Gouin 
Wallace, William Aitken, John Stoops and Isaac 
Rhea were the trustees named in the charter, who 



'■ ^neid, Lib. I, 436. 



I 





S|viiTH Ke:al. 

SMITH NEAL. 

The grandfather of the subject of this biography, 
Smith Neal, after whom he was named, was born 
in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in HCi. As 
a lad he enlisted in the colonial army and served 
one day in the revolutionary war. In 1796 he set- 
tled in Butler county, being one of its earliest 
pioneers. When the war of 1812 broke out his 
patriotic spirit had better opportunity to exhibit 
itself than during the fii-st war with the British, 
and he served as a soldier for a considerable time. 
The rifle which he carried is now owned and 
treasured as a valuable heirloom by his grandson 
and namesake. The pioneer and soldier continued 
to reside in Butler county until 1833, when he 
removed to Armstrong, where he lived until his 
death in 1863. His wife was Sarah Cochran, by 
whom he had one child, Robert, who was born in 
Butler county, July 5, 1798. This son married 
Sarah Lowe, a native of this state, who was born 
in 1797. Robert and Sarah (Lowe) Neal came to 
Armstrong county in 1834, and lived here the 
remainder of their days, the husband dying in 
December, 1862, and the wife in the same month 
in the year 1857. They were the parents of five 



fvlP^S. S_MITH tJEAL- 



children, four of whom are still living, viz.: Will- 
iam H., Rosetta P., Alexander and Smith. 

Smith Neal, whose ancestry has been given in 
the foregoing few lines, was born in Butler county, 
Pennsylvania, January 25, 1822. Upon the 25th 
of May, 1844, having removed to Armstrong 
county with his parents ten years before, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Margaret Sloan, 
daughter of Samuel and Nancy Sloan, early set- 
tlers of Plumi Creek township. She was born in 
1823 and died March 17, 1861. She was the 
mother of live children, three of whom are still 
living — Nancy Jane, Amanda and Sarah C. 

Upon the 10th of April, 1862, Mr. Neal married, 
as his second wife, Caroline Jewert, a native of 
Plum Creek, born November 22, 1834. Six children 
were the offspring of this union, and all are liv- 
ing. Their names are: Loella R. (widow of John 
P. Beyer, a resident of Indiana, Pennsylvania), 
L. Adda, Alden, Robert E., Mattie V. and Alice L. 

Mr. Neal has followed agriculture all of his life, 
and now owns a farm of 220 acres, 150 of which 
is finely improved. Pie has held various oflices 
within the gift of his fellow-townsmen. Both Mr. 
Neai and his wife are members of the United Pres- 
byterian church of Dayton. 



rt-«^ .J-H.T. r^-j^i4*- 




-J 
< 



X 

I- 



Li. 

o 



COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP. 



309 



were to serve until the tliird Wednesday of Novem- 
ber, the time designated for the annual election of 
the corporate oflScers. 

A new frame edifice, 51X61 feet, was erected in 
1850, on one or the other, or on parts, of the two 
in-lots given to the congregation by John Patter- 
son, on the north side of Main street and adjoin- 
ing the widest alley. The congregation sold their 
brick edifice to the Cowanshannock school district, 
which was almost exclusively used for school pur- 
poses while it stood. A new building, better 
adapted for school purposes, has been erected on 
its foundation. It was in this building that the 
writer, in the discharge of his official duty, held 
an annual examination of the teachers of this and 
several of the adjacent townships, and an institute 
in combination, which commenced on Tuesday, 
October 27, 1857, and continued until Friday, the 
30th. Large numbers of teachers and interested 
spectators were present. Much attention was 
devoted to the rudiments, these first things in the 
books, the foundation work of education, which 
had been too much neglected. The teachers gen- 
erally thought their examination in these things 
was " awfully severe," but their attention having 
thus been called to the importance of a familiar 
knowledge of the rudiments, they began to study 
them, and the writer was gratified "to find on his 
visits the next winter to their schools that even 
their young pupils were more familiar with those 
rudiments than they were when they were exam- 
ined. The exercises in the day session were confined 
to examination and illustrations, and the night ses- 
sions were devoted to lectures and discussions of 
various topics of peculiar interest to teachers. 
.Among the former was an interesting and instruct- 
ive one by Rev. E. D. Barrett on language and the 
application thereto of the principles of grammar. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
in 1851-2, and has since belonged to the Dayton 
circuit. Its edifice is situated on the second lot 
west of the widest alley on the north side of Main 
street. It is a frame structure, 31 X 45 feet, erected 
in 1852. 

The Rural Valley postoflice was removed to this 
village along with the removal hither of John Pat- 
terson. His successors as postmaster have been 
Thompson Purviance, Robert A. Robinson, Joseph 
Alcorn, John Colwell, Zachariah Knight, Henry 



Keck, Dr. Wm. Aitken, and the present one, George 
A. Gourley. 

The eastern part of Rural village is traversed 
by Craig's run, so called either after John Craig, 
the warrantee of the adjoining tract called " Leeds," 
or after John Craig of Loyal Hannon, who, in the 
latter pai-t of last century, had his hunting camp 
on that part of it within the present limits of the 
village. 

The Rural Valley lodge. No. 766, of the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows was instituted here, 
June 16, 1871, the original number of members 
being twenty-one. The present number is fifty- 
four. This lodge first purchased in-lot No. 30 in 
the old plot, but sold it to Josiah Miller for $85 — 
the deed to him being dated April 3, 1876. Their 
hall is situated on the north side of Main street, 
at its intersection with the widest alley. It is a 
suitable two-story fj-ame structure, 48 X 20 feet, 
which was dedicated in October, 1875. 

A brass band, thirteen pieces, was organized 
here in September, 1875, which has thus far made 
fair progress. 

In the absence of desirable statistics, the writer 
cheerfully states that the peoj)le of this village 
and of Cowanshannock township generously con- 
tributed to the aid of the soldiers of the Uni-on 
army during the war of the rebellion. 

STEUCTUEE. 

In addition to what we have given in the sketch 
of Plum Creek and Elderton, the following 
has been kindly furnished by Mr. W. G. Piatt, 
who has in charge the second geological survey of 
this county : Nearly all the surface rocks of this 
township are lower barrens. The country along 
the creek is famous for its smooth, fertile soils. 
The lower productive rocks are above water level 
for about a mile along the north branch of Plum 
creek, extending into Indiana county. A small 
area extends southward from Wayne township up 
the valley of Pine creek to Gourley's. A much 
larger and more important area projects eastward 
from Valley township. The lowest rock exposed 
is the feri-iferous limestone, only in the extreme 
western edge of the township. 

The rocks are nearly horizontal, the township 
representing the edges and center of the synclinal 
of which Rural village is about the center. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



MANOR. 



Formed out of the Western Part of Kittanning in 1849 — First Township Election — Named from one of the 
Proprietarj' Manors — Kittanning, afterward Appleby Manor — Ancient AVorks — Numerous Relics — Specu- 
lation in Eegard to the Origin of the So-called "Old French Fort" — Soldiers Here in 1777-8 — Correspond- 
ence of Officers Relating Thereto — Fort Armstrong — Indian Murders — The Claypoole Blockhouse — Early 
Settlers — Transfers of Real Estate in the Manor — William Green's Mill Built in 1789 — "Fort Green"— The 
Indians Become Aggressive — Measui-es Taken for the Protection of the Frontier — Cornplanter's Friendship 
for the Whites — The Militia — Game — Judge Ross — Other Pioneers — Schools — Postoffice — Cradle 
Factory — Number of Inhabitants — Village of Rosston — Borough of Manorville — Its Pioneer Settler — Its 
Industrial Interests — Mercantile — Educational — Temperance — Population of the Borough — Geology of 
Manor Township. 

election, John Christy and Michael Isaman ; con- 
stable, Isaac Boucli ; assessor, David McLeod ; 
justice of the peace, William Copley; supervisors, 
George Bouch and John Hileman ; township audi- 
tors, Richard Bailey, John Shoop and John Will- 
iams ; township clerk, A. J. Bailey ; overseers of 
the poor, Josiah Copley and William Truby; fence 
viewers, John Davis and John R. Shoop. The 
record shows only five school directors to have been 
then elected, namely, Matthew (Matthias) Bowser, 
John Christy, William Ehinger, Rev. Levi M. 
Graves and John Robinson. 

The name of this townshij) originated from one 
of the proprietary manors, which was a part of the 
territory within what are now its boundaries. The 
word manor is derived from manere, to remain, 
because in England the usual residence of the 
owner. It was a jjiece of land generally consisting 
of several thousand acres, owned and held by a lord 
or some great personage, who occupied as much of 
it as was needed for the use of his own family, and 
leased the remainder to tenants for certain rents or 
services. This is said to have been the origin of 
copyhold estates, which were those held by copy of 
the court roll, or a tenure for which the tenant had 
nothing to show except the rolls made by the 
steward of the manor, who was the registrar of the 
couri-baro7i, and who held that court when business 
relating to tenures and tenancies, etc., was before 
it. . 

The reader will keep in mind that the charter 
granted in 1681 by Charles II to William Penu 
vested in the latter and his heirs the absolute 
ownership of all the land in Pennsylvania, with 
comparatively slight exceptions. From then until 
July 4, 1776, all titles to that land were derived 
either from Penn himself or some of his family. 
Thousfh a manor had not been granted in England 



MANOR township was formed out of the 
western part of Kittanning township. The 
petition for its organization was presented to the 
proper court, at June sessions, 1S49, and Hugh 
Campbell, Samuel Green and James Stewart were 
appointed viewers or commissioners, who presented 
their report in favor of the organization, at the 
then next September sessions. A remonstrance was 
presented, on the 20th of the same month, against 
the confirmation of their report, and against the 
organization, setting forth that it would leave 
Kittanning township too small in extent, and would 
cause much additional expense in rearranging the 
locations of the schoolhouses. The court, how^ever, 
at December sessions of that year, confirmed the 
report of the commissioners, and ordered and 
decreed that the new township of Manor be erected 
according to the following boundaries: Beginning 
at a red oak, at Walker's ferry, on Crooked creek, 
on land of Robert Walker; thence by Kittanning 
township, or a line running through the township 
as it stood, north 18 degrees east 6 miles and 278 
perches to a post on the purchase line (of 1768) on 
land of John Morehead, or 16 perches west of Sam- 
uel Mechling's upper corner; thence along the pur- 
chase line and boundary of Pine (now Valley) 
township north 80 degrees west 3 miles to the line 
of the borough of Kittanning ; thence along the 
southeast line of said borough by the curve thereof 
250 perches to the Allegheny river ; thence down 
said river by the meanderings thereof 5 miles and 
120 perches to the mouth of Crooked Creek; thence 
■ by the meanderings thereof, being also the bound- 
ary line of Allegheny township, 5|- miles to the 
place of beginning. 

The first township election was held in March, 
1850, at which the following oflScers were elected : 
Judge of election, George M. King; inspectors of 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



311 



siiicu the relg'ii of Edward III, wliich began in 
1327, the surveyor-general under the Penns sur- 
veyed to them forty-four manors in the eastern, 
western and other j)arts of Pennsylvania, aggre- 
gating 4Jl,015 acres and 82 perches. One of 
them vs^as " The Manor of Kittanning," which was 
surveyed, March 28, 1769, on a warrant dated 
February 23 next preceding. Its boundaries, as 
given in certain quit-claim deeds and releases else- 
where mentioned, were : Beginning at a black oak 
on the east or southeast side of the AUeghenj^ 
river, which was about 125 rods below the mouth 
of Garrett's run, and running thence by land sur- 
veyed to Rebecca Smith, south 72° east 391 
perches to a "Lynn" (linden tree); thence extend- 
ing by hilly poor land south 18° west 977 perches 
to a white oak ; thence by vacant land south 45° 
west 500 perches to a white oak ; thence extend- 
ing by hilly poor land north 35° west 560 perches 
to a birch at the side of Crooked creek, at the first 
bend above its mouth ; thence down said creek, 
the several courses and distances thereof about 170 
perches to a hickory at the side of said river ; and 
thence up the said river the several courses thereof,- 
crossing the mouth of said creek, 969 perches to 
the place of beginning, containing 3,960 acres, and 
allowance of six per cent for roads, but, according 
to later surveys, 4887 acres and 86 perches. 

Neither records nor the oldest inhabitants solve 
the question why, by whom and just when the 
name of this manor was changed to that of 
" Appleby." It may be inferred from the follow- 
ing recorded facts about what time that change 
occurred : John Penn, of Stoke Pogis, and Richard 
Penn, of Queen Ann street west, in the parish of 
Marylebone, in the county of Middlesex, England, 
by John Reynal Coatos, of Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 
vania, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed this entire 
manor to Frederick Beates, of the last-mentioned 
place, by deed dated June 26, 1804, in which it is 
mentioned as " all that tract of land called and 
known by the name of ' The Kittanning Manor,' " 
for the sum of $6,400. Beates by his deed, dated 
the next day thereafter, conveyed " the undivided 
moiety or half of the Kittanning manor" to 
Thomas and Robert Duncan for $8,000, and the 
other undivided moiety to Alexander Cobeau for 
an equal sum, a gain of $9,600 in the brief space 
of twenty-four hours. The Duncans and Cobeau 
mutually agreed upon a partition of this manor 
tract, by which the former took 2,367 acres and 
130 perches of the upper or northern part, and the 
latter 2,458 acres of the lower or southern part, 
as mentioned in their quit-claim deeds. The 
division line between their j)urparts began at a 



i witch-hazel, on the left bank of the Allegheny 
river, about 200 rods above the rnouth of Tub-mill 
run, and extended thence south 52° east 98 perches 
to a post ; thence south 48° west 69 perches to a 
post ; thence south 53^° east 245 perches to a 
white oak ; thence north 33° east 9 perches to 
a post; thence south 55° east 324 perches to a 
post, on the line between the manor and the John 
Biddle tract. The quit-claim deeds or releases of 
the Duncans to Cobeau, and of the latter to them, 
are respectively dated the 11th and 12th July, 
1805, in which the land thus divided is still men- 
tioned as " The Kittanning Manor." Cobeau con- 
veyed 681 acres and 151 perches in the south- 
western portion of his purpart to Samuel Cochran, 
by deed dated April 25, 1807, for $4,086, in which 
it is mentioned as a tract of land situate in " the 
Manor of Appleby." This being the first instance 
in which the writer has met with that name in the 
old records, he infers that the change of name oc- 
curred between July 12, 1805, and April 25, 1807. 
But why and by whom it was made is not manifest 
to him. It appears to have been made while 
Cobeau and the Duncans simultaneously held and 
owned their resjJective purparts. ' Was it made by 
one or all of them? The termination hy is a 
Norse word, meaning a toion. Had apples then 
begun to be abundantly j^i'oduced in the manor, 
and did the then j)roprietors, or either of them, for 
that reason conceive the idea of calling it Aj^j^leby, 
which is equivalent to Appletown? Or was it so 
called after some person of that name who had re- 
sided on it? The writer has not discovered that 
any one by the name of Ajipleby ever resided in 
this county. There was a private by the name of 
George Appleby in Capt. Armstrong's company in 
Gen. Armstrong's expedition to Kittanning. He 
was reported as among the missing, but there is no 
evidence of his having remained or of his having 
afterward settled in this region. Did Cobeau and 
the Duncans, or either, prefer to give their re- 
cently acquired possessions the name of some 
older and favorite place ? And if so, is Appleby 
in England that place ? It is situated on the river 
Eden, 32 miles from Carlisle and 270 from London. 
Ajjpleby is also the name of a parish in the 
county of Lincoln, and of another in the counties 
of Derby and Leicester, in England. It is prob- 
able that the later name of this manor tract was 
derived from either that borough or one of those 
j^arishes. ' - 

■ Cobeau conveyed the remainder of his pur- 
part, namely, 1,837 acres and 125 perches, to Jona- 
than Smith, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for 
$10,000, by deed, dated May 11, 1807, in which it 



312 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



is mcutioiiud as a tract in "Appleby Mauor," ami 
the tracts subsequently conveyed by the Duncans 
are described as situated in " Appleby Manor," so 
that both the Cobeau and Duncan purparts took 
that name. 

The original name of Kittanning is the only one 
appearing on the records at the land office in Har- 
risburg. The manor, when surveyed by Joshua 
Elder, Deputy Surveyor-General, was in Cumber- 
land county. It appears to have been divided by 
George Woods into seven tracts, their areas vary- 
ing somewhat in extent. Tract No. 1 was the 
most northern, and tract No. 7 the most southern. 
He made a plot of a town on two of those tracts, 
which he mentioned thus: " A proposed plan for 
a town at the Kittanning, on the Allegheny river, 
on tracts Nos. 2 and 3. George Woods." The 
northern boundary of tract No. 2 was 179 perches 
below the northern boundary of the Manor. Its 
width was 287 perches, and that of tract No. 3 was 
219 perches. " The Kittanning " is an expression 
almost invariably used in the old records and docu- 
ments, and it must have included a much longer 
stretch of territory along the left bank of the Alle- 
gheny river than was included in the extent of the 
site of the old Indian town destroyed by Gen. 
Ai'mstrong. This is manifest from the etymology 
and meaning of the word Kittanning, elsewhere 
given. The idea that the borough of Kittanning 
" is located on this manor " is erroneous, for the 
borough is a mile or more north of the manor's 
noi-thern limit. 

Perhaps some reader is wondering why this 
manor was retained by the Penn family until 1804. 
Notwithstanding the discontinuance of granting 
manors in England for more than three centuries 
before the granting of the charter to Penn, the pro- 
visions of the nineteenth section of that charter 
evinced a disposition to engraft, as Sergeant says, 
on our provincial institutions some of the features 
of feudal nobility.* They empowered Penn, and 
such as he might license, to erect any parcels of 
lands into manors, with a court-baron and other 
incidents belonging thereto by the laws of Eng- 
land. Yet no manor in that sense was ever erected 
in Pennsylvania. But there is reason to believe 



*That section is in these words and in this orlliography : "Wee 
give and grant license Tnto the said William Penn, and his heires, 
likewise to all and every such person and persons to whom the said 
William Penn, or his heires, shall at any time hereafter, grant any 
estate of inheritance as aforesaid, to erect anv parcels of Land within 
the pvnee aforesaid, into mannors, by and with the licence to he first 
had and obteyned for that purpose vnder the hand and seal of the 
said William Penn, or his heires, and in every of the said mannors, 
to haue and hold a Court Baron, with all things whatsoever, which 
to a Court Baron do belong; and to haue and to hold view of ifrauk- 
pledge, for the conservacon of the peace, and the better government 
of those parties by themselves or their Stewarts, or by the Lords for 
the time being, of other mannors to be deputed when they shall be 
erected, and in the same to vse all things belonging to view of 
fTrankpledgc," &c. 



that Penn was induced, on his last visit to England, 
to erect such manors. But the commissioners of 
property, when applied to for that purpose, de- 
clined to erect such a manor, because it was repug- 
nant to the spirit of the provincial laws and the 
habits and ideas of the people. By his charter, 
Penn and his heirs became the owners, subject to 
the Indian titles, of all the land in Pennsylvania, 
except that in the possession of the Swedes, Dutch 
and English along the Delaware and Schuylkill 
rivers. It having become evident, in the course of 
the first four years of the Revolutionary war, that 
the independence of the United States would re- 
sult, it was obvious that the possession and control 
of so much territory by the Penn family, who 
adhered to the English side of that contest, were 
incompatible with the principles enunciated in the 
Declaration of Independence, the safety and stabil- 
ity of free institutions, the growth of the common- 
wealth, and the just and proper distribution of the 
rights, duties, and burdens of the people. Hence, 
the act of June 2S, 1779, was passed, which provided 
for the payment to the proprietaries, after the close 
of the war, of £1-30,000 for their lands, except their 
manors, quit-rents and private estates, the last 
mentioned of which consisted of tracts of land other 
than the pn'oprietary manors in the interior, eastern 
and northeastern parts of the state, aggregating 
nearly 89,000 acres, all of which were reserved to 
them, that is, all which had been " duly surveyed 
and returned into the land office," on or before the 
4th day of July, 1776. In pursuance of that 
act, and particularly its 15th section, Joseph Reed, 
then president of the Supreme Executive Council 
of Pennsylvania, addressed to Edmimd Physic, as 
Receiver-General under the late proprietaries, a 
written demand, dated February 19, 1780, for the 
books, certificates and other documents, instru- 
ments, records, writings and seals belonging to 
that office, which must have been complied with, as 
the £130,000 and interest were paid within eight 
years after the peace of 1783. In Richard Penn 
vs. Ann Penn, executrix, and John F. Mifliin, execu- 
tor of John Penn, deceased, 2 Yeates, 550, Chief- 
Justice Shippen treated that amount as having 
been paid to John Penn in his lifetime in money 
or certificates, and one-third thereof paid over to 
Richard Penn. 

The Kittanning (Appleby) manor having been 
one of those thus reserved, its title was never vested 
in the commonwealth, and did not pass from the 
Penns until they conveyed it to Beates. 

John Penn and William Penn, by their deed, 
dated November 27, 1820, the consideration therein 
expressed being $1, conveyed to Thomas W. Morris 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



313 



all their lands, manors, reserved tracts, tenements, 
rents and hereditaments in Pennsylvania, hj virtue 
of the act of January 16, 1799, which was passed 
to facilitate the barring of entails. 

Events of historical interest in this township oc- 
curred chiefly within the limits of this manor. 
Various aged inhabitants of this township and 
other parts of this county remember having seen 
the vestiges of a military fortification, consisting 
of a fosse, parapet and fort, on the left bank of the 
Allegheny, between Tub-mill run and Fort run. 
Samuel Monroe, now of South Buffalo township, 
who was born on this manor and resided near those 
vestiges until he was twenty-four years of age, or 
fi-om 1809 until 1833, has described them to the 
writer as they appeared to him in his youth, when, 
during a period of eighteen years, he saw them 
very often. 'A trench or fosse extended along the 
bottom about seventy rods easterly from the river, 
and thence at an obtuse angle southeasterly, twenty 
or thirty rods, which, he estimates from the quan- 
tity of earth thrown up, must have been four or 
five feet deep, and as many or more wide.* The 
parapet around the fort, which was a considerable 
distance below the trench, Hiust have been several 
feet high when it was constructed. Its shape, as 
he remembers it, was somewhat like, though more 
circular than a horseshoe, and enclosed about two 
acres, which is in accordance with the recoUec- 
tion of John Christy, who, in 1833, owned and 
cleared a part of the land on which it had been 
constructed. The latter's impression is that a 
ditch originally four or five feet deep had once 
extended all around it. Monroe, on the other 
hand, thinks that ditch-like apjDearance was 
caused by excavating the earth used in con- 
structing the parapet. Robert Thompson, now of 
Templeton station, who plowed there soon after 
the land was cleared, and John Patterson, of Manor 
township, whose remembrance of it extends back 
to 1834-5, think it was not a regular trench. Ac- 
cording to the recollection of the latter and John 
Mechling, the shape of the pai'apet was nearly 
semi-circular, or nearly that of a half-moon, the 
distance between the extremities of its lunes, or 
the horns of the half-moon, being about fifty rods, 
along the bank of the river — that would have been 
the length of the diameter of the entire circle, or 
rather oblate sjiheroid, if it had been completed. 
Many lead bullets were found in the river bank 
in front of that parapet, which must have been 
shot from the opposite side of the river. Christy 
found, within the parapet, vestiges of small build- 

*Itis possible that that truiu'h may have been dug for ihe pur- 
pose of draining the marsh near the hill, either when that fort and 
parapet were constructed, or at a later period. 



ings, and, at the depth of four feet, arrow-heads 
and pieces of pottery. 

A red-oak, says Monroe, which had grown up on 
the southern or lower lune of that parapet, indi- 
cated 105 annual growths when it was cut down 
in 182.3-4, so that it must have germinated there 
prior to 1718-19. How much longer before then 
had that parapet been constructed? Mechling 
remembers having seen, in 1836-7, a black-oak on 
the upjDer or northern lune fully two feet, more 
likely two and a half feet, in diameter, which 
must have germinated there more than two cen- 
turies since. How long before then had that para- 
pet been constructed? And Christy remembers 
that there was a tree in what he thinks was the 
trench, that was between four and five feet in 
diameter. 

These works evinced a higher degree of skill, 
intelligence and civilization than the Indians 
possessed. Their construction required a different 
kind of labor from that performed by them. There 
are vestiges of similar works in other parts of the 
Allegheny valley, on the southern shore of Lake 
Erie in this state, in the Ohio and Mississippi val- 
leys, and in Western New York. In the trench and 
on the parapet of those near Lake Erie are trees 
three feet in diameter, indicating that they were 
constructed two or more centuries before either 
the French or the English began to erect military 
fortifications in that region. The parapets in 
Western New York were earthen, from three to 
eight feet high, with trenches on their exterior 
sides. On some of the parapets, many years ago, 
were oak-trees whose concentric circles indicated 
that they were 150, 260 and 300 years old, and 
there were evident indications that they had sprung 
up since the erection of those works. Some of the 
trenches were deep and wide, and others shallow 
and narrow.* 

Patterson plowed up in the vicinity of those 
works various relics — a hundred or more white 
beads, and some colored ones, about a quarter of an 
inch in diameter, and from half an inch to two 
inches in length; a silver band, probably like that 
found by Joel Monroe, an inch wide and ten inches 
long, with one edge scalloped and the other straight, 
a hole near each end, and letters and some other 
inscriptions on the surface — he does not remember 
what they were — which his brother James traded 
to Samuel Quest, then a jeweler in Kittanning, for 
a gold finger-ring; knife blades of rather large 
size, the sharp edge of which was straight from 
heel to point, and the back was straight from the 
heel to within an inch of the point, where it was 



* Gov. Clinton's address. 



314 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



arched, making that part of the blade somewhat 
wider than the rest, and its shape somewhat like 
that of a lancet. Other and longer blades with 
hilts and arched backs were also ioxmd. Another 
relic,, found in that vicinity, appears to have been 
made from a dark-red soft stone or hard clay, whose 
present surface color is dark brown — below the 
surface, deep red. Its shape is ovate. The length 
of its axis is one inch and three-eighths, and that of 
its transverse is two inches. A groove one-quarter 
of an inch wide and one-oighth of an inch deep 
extends lengthwise, or in the direction of its 
transverse axis, entirely around it. Its surface, as 
well as that of the groove, must have been very 
smooth when it received the finishing touch. The 
whole evinces much expertness. 

Now, the question arises, when were that ancient 
fortification and its outworks built ? The answer 
cannot be found in the records of history. If they 
had been constructed by either the French or the 
English, before or during the period when this 
valley was disputed territory, there would probably 
have been some mention of them in the records of 
the one or the other, or of both claimants. Are 
they a part of the pre-historic works of the mound- 
builders ? Rev. Dk Eaton, of Franklin, Pennsyl- 
vania, who has devoted much time and attention to 
these ancient people and their wonderful works, is 
inclined to think the Allegheny and Ohio valleys 
were among the prominent places in their settle- 
ments. 

The valley of the Allegheny was, says Heeke- 
welder, according to the tradition cherished by the 
Lenni-Lenape, or Delawares, inhabited by the AUi- 
gewi, who are represented to have been tall, athletic 
and superior in other respects to the other aborigi- 
nal nations. It is also a part of the traditional 
history of various Indian nations, that the Alli- 
gewi, as stated in Cummings' sketches, had made 
considerable progress in the arts, and that the re- 
mains of some of the fortifications which they 
constructed still exist. Were the fosse, parapet 
and fort in question a part of them ? and was it 
, around them that one of the long and bloody battles 
was waged between the Alligewi, the primitive 
occupants of this valley, and the united forces of 
the Lenni-Lenape, and the Five Nations, as the 
Moliawks, Oneidas, Cayugas, Onondagas and Sen- 
ecas were subsequently called ? Was it here that 
the Alligewi, centuries since, were defeated and 
exterminated by the superior numbers of their allied 
foes, as the latter swept along in their triumphant 
advance from beyond the Mississippi to the Dela- 
ware and the Hudson ? According to the accounts, 
once common among the Lenni-Lenape, they and 



their allies found the Alligewi their most valiant 
and powerful opponents, who bravely, and for 
awhile successfully, defended themselves, their 
homes and their native soil from the attacks of 
their invaders. 

In a field above those fortifications, as Samuel 
Monroe further related, which appeared to him to 
have been cleared many years, various relics of an 
ancient battle-field were found, namely, 300 pounds 
of lead bullets, each weighing several ounces, some 
of which were wrought into a lead cannon; twenty 
or more open dirk-knives, with narrow blades six or 
seven inches long, having sharp points, whose 
stamps had been effaced by rust, and nothing but 
the back springs of their handles left ; gun-locks ; 
unrifled gun-barrels ; pistol barrels and butts, about 
the size of those of old holster horse-pistols; pecks 
of flint arrow-heads; numerous remnants of horse- 
shoes, the size of which was between that of the 
horse and the mule ; many pieces of brass about 
the shape and size of an old American cent, on both 
sides of which letters had been impressed, but had 
become illegible — on one side of each j^iece was 
the representation of a buck running at full speed, 
with his head up, his f»re-feet thrown forward, and 
his hind-feet backward, and on the edge of each 
was something like the eye of a brass button; three 
brass kettles, set in one another, the largest hold- 
ing three or four gallons, the next, a size less, and 
so on ; three pieces of silver coin, each of the value 
of 25 cents; a silver band, found by Joel Monroe, 
which the latter sold or traded in Pittsburgh for a 
set of silver tablespoons and a set of silver tea- 
spoons. 

The remnant of what appears to have been 
either a medal, or a trinket which traders, per- 
haps, sold to the Indians, was plowed up by A. B. 
Starr, in the spring of 1878, on the same tract. It 
may be an alloy of brass and some other metal. 
Its shape is circular. Its diameter is one inch and 
its original thickness was one-sixteenth of an 
inch. On its upper edge is the half part of an eye 
which was one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. 
On the obverse side is a king's bust, with this in- 
scription along the border : " Geoegivs, II. D. 
Gratia. R." If there were any other letters, they 
have been effaced by corrosion. On the reverse 
side is a queen's bust, with this inscription along 
the border ; " Caeolina-Regina." The date, if 
there was one, is invisible. It must have been 
struck during the reign of George II, who was 
king of England from 1727 until 1700. 

The writer has another relic, plowed up by 
William Hileman, on the Murphy and Craig farm, 
on that part of the hill portion of the Manor tract. 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



315 



between Fort Run and Tub-mill run, about 280 rods 
east of tbe Allegheny river, and about 175 rods south 
of the former run. It is a pipe differing in shape 
from that of Indian pipes. The diameter of the 
bowl is nearly three-fourths of an incli at its top ; 
the length one inch and five-eighths ; the circum- 
ference of the bulge on its outer surface, four and 
one-eighth inches ; the circumference of the neek, 
three inches ; the portion below the neck is cuneal, 
in the upper part of which is an aperture for the 
stem, nearly three-eighths of an inch in diameter ; 
the length of the pipe from the top of the bowl to 
the lower end-, i. e., the sharp end of the wedge 
part, is two inches and seven-eighths ; and the 
material appears to be a fine soft stone, or hard 
clay, containing considerable aluminous matter. 

There were indications that there had been a 
burying ground on the second bench or bottom 
above or northerly fi'om the trench, in which a 
large number of persons had been interred. Such 
of the bones as were exhumed were sound. Samuel 
Monroe found a skull in which there was a hole 
about the size of a bullet, just above the ean 
but none in any other part. 

Matthias Bowser has related to the writer that, 
while he was plowing on the same tract, in 1836, 
then owned by John Mechling, he struck the bones 
of a human skeleton and part of a moccasin about 
sixty-two rods east of the Allegheny river, and 
300 rods north of Tub-mill run, or about thirty feet 
a little west of north from the house now occupied 
by A. B. Starr. About two rods southeast from 
that grave he opened another, sixteen feet square 
and two feet deep, in which was a large number of 
of human bones, so arranged as if the bodies had 
been piled one upon another, when they were 
buried. 

In the early part of this century those old forti- 
fications and vicinity were frequented by various 
persons now living, to gather plums. James E. 
Brown remembers of that fort being then called 
"the old French fort." In 1835 James W. Camp- 
bell, now of North Buffalo township, and his 
brother were returning from the mill at Nichol- 
son's falls, and stopped near these old works over 
night. George Cook, an old resident in the manor, 
accompanied them to the remains of the parapet, 
and showed them how the women and children of 
the surrounding country were protected there one 
night during the Indian troubles, 1*790-5, when 
forced to flee thither from their homes. After the 
women and children had entered, the men guarded 
the entrance to the interior of the parapet. He 
said that James Claypole, John Guld and others 
with their families, used to flee thither in those 



times for refuge. At least some of the bullets 
used on such occasions were made by the women 
while in the blockhouse, who melted their pewter 
plates and other dishes for that purpose. 

Such being the vestiges and surroundings of 
and the facts connected with that ancient fosse, 
parapet and fort, and history being otherwise silent 
in relation to them, it can of course only be con- 
jectured when and by whom they were originally 
constructed, and on this question there is ground 
for an honest difference of opinion among anti- 
quaries. It is a question well calculated to 
stimulate research, and one, too, that affords ample 
scope for profitable and interesting discussion by 
historical and debating societies. 

It is stated in Albach's Western Annals, page 
7 15, that " a fort was built on the site of the old 
village of Kittanning, known also by the name of 
Appleby's fort, by the government, in 1776." His 
authority for that statement is not given. The 
writer has not been able to ascertain that there was 
ever a vestige of a fort on the site of that village. 
The manor does not appear to have been called 
Appleby until between 1805 and 1807. It seems 
clear, then, that Mr. Albach must have been mis- 
informed respecting both the name and location of 
that fort. It is a well-established fact, however, 
that troops were stationed that year at Kittanning, 
most likely in the vicinity of the present site of 
that borough, and within the limits of the manor. 

A memorial was presented June 5, 1776, to the 
assembly of Pennsylvania from the inhabitants of 
Westmoreland county, setting forth that they 
feared an attack from Detroit and the Indian 
country, and that Vaun Swerengen, Esq., had 
raised a comi^any of effective men at a consider- 
able expense, which the memorialists had contin- 
ued and stationed at the Kittanning, and which 
they prayed miglit be continued. Congress re- 
solved, July 15, that the battalion which was to 
garrison the posts of Presque Isle, LeBceuf and 
Kittanning be raised in the counties of West- 
moreland and Bedford, in the jjrojjortion of seven 
in the former to one in the latter. July 18, John 
Hancock, then president of congress, informed the 
president of the Pennsylvania convention that 
congress had resolved to raise a battalion in these 
two counties for the defense of the western part 
of Pennsylvania, and requested the convention to 
name proper persons for field ofBcers, which was 
accordingly done July 20. Sometime afierwai-d, 
the battalion, commanded by Col. ^Eneas Mackej-, 
was stationed at the Kittanning, where it remained 
until about December 15, when he collected his 
scattered force at a suitable place of general ren- 



316 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



dezvous, preparatory to a compliance with the 
direction of congress of November 23, to the hoard 
of war of Pennsylvania, to order his and Col. 
Cook's battalions to march with all possible expe- 
dition to Brunswick* (now New Brunswick), New 
Jersey, where, at Amboy, Elizahethtown and Fort 
Lee, Washington, being perplexed by Howe's 
movements, distributed troops, about the middle 
of November, " so as to be ready at those various 
points to check any incursions into the Jerseys." f 

Philip Mechling remembers of his father, Michael 
Mechling, relating that when jToung, before his 
marriage, he and others hauled provisions from 
about Hannastown and Greenburgh to the soldiers 
then stationed in the manor, but whether to those 
under Col. Mackey's command or to others sta- 
tioned here afterward, he cannot state. 

During 1777-8 the chief military protection to 
the inhabitants of Westmoreland county was 
afforded by the ranging companies acting under 
the authority of and paid by the state. Col. Lochry 
wrote to Thomas Wharton, then president of the 
supreme executive council, December 6, 1777 : 
"Not a man on our frontier, from Ligonier to the 
Allegheny river, except a few at Fort Hand, on 
continental pay." In the same letter he mentioned 
that he had sent live Indian scalps, taken by one 
of the scouting parties which he had sent out, 
commanded by Col. Barr, Col. Perry, Col. Smith 
and Capt. Kingston, who were volunteers in the 
action which occurred near Kittanning. They re- 
captured six horses which the savages had taken 
from the suffering frontiersmen. 

During those two years detachments of West- 
moreland county rangers were occasionally here. 
Early in the spring of 1779, Gen. Washington con- 
templated the establishment of a military post at 
this point. In his letter to Col. Daniel Brodhead, 
commandant at Fort Pitt, dated at his headquarters, 
Middlebrook,J New Jersey, March 22, he wrote : 
" I have directed Col. Rawlings with his corps, 
consisting of three companies, to march from Fort 
Frederick in Maryland, where he is guarding the 
British prisoners, to Fort Pitt, as soon as he is 
relieved by a guard of militia. Upon his^ arrival 
you are to detach him with his own corps and as 
many as will make up 100, should his companies 
be short of that number, to takepost at Kittanning, 
and immediately throw up a stockade fort for the 
security of convoys. When this is accomplished 
a small garrison is to be left there, and the remain- 



* Col. Mackey's letter in the general sketcli of this countv. 

t Irvine's Life of Washington. 

i Now Bound Brook, on the Karitan river, in Somenset county, 
seven miles northwest of New Brunswick. The upper part of ttie 
village is called Middlelirook. 



der are to proceed to Venango (now Franklin) and 
establish another post of the same kind for the 
same purpose. The party is to go provided with 
proper tools from Fort Pitt, and Col. Rawlings is 
to be directed to make choice of good pieces of 
ground, and by all means to use every precaution 
against a surprise at either post. 

" Col. Gibson is to be ordered to hold himself 
ready to join you with his force when matters are 
ripe for execution. But he is to keep his intended 
removal from Tuscarora a profound secret ; and 
when he receives his orders to march let it be as 
sudden as possible. Hasten the water-craft by all 
means, that you may not have to wait for them 
when other matters are ready. Neither the In- 
dians nor any other persons are to know your 
destination until your movements point out the 
probable quarter. Engage at a proper season as 
many warriors as you can to accompany you, and at 
all events procure good guides, who know the way 
from the head of the navigation of the Allegany 
to the nearest Indian towns and to Niagara. After 
you have moved let it remain a secret, as long as 
possible, to which place you are going. You are 
to inform me with precision, and by a careful 
express, when you will be ready to begin your 
movement from Fort Pitt, iche7i you can he at Kit- 
tanning, when at Venango, when at the head of 
navigation, how far it is from thence to the nearest 
Indian towns, and when you can reach them. In 
making your estimate of the times, you are to cal- 
culate upon moving as light as possible, and with 
only a few pieces of the lightest artillery. These 
things it is necessary for me to know with as much 
accuracy as possible, that the plan of co-operation, 
upon which much depends, may be perfectly 
formed. 

" I wish you to pacify and cultivate the f riend- 
sliip of the western Indians, by all the means in your 
power. When you are ready to move, and your 
probable destination can be no longer concealed, 
contrive ways and means to inform them that you 
are going to meet a large force* to fall upon and 
destroy the whole country of the Six Nations, and 
that if they do in the meantime give the least dis- 
turbance to the frontiers, the whole force will be 
turned against them ; and that we will never rest 
till we have cut them off from the face 'of the 
earth." 

The commander-in-chief 's views respecting that 
project underwent a change during the ne.xt 
month, for on April 21, 1779, he wrote again from 
Middlebrook to Col. Brodhead : " Since my last 
letter and upon further consideration of the sub- 

===Tliat under (.Jen. Sullivan's eomraaud. 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



317 



ject I have relinquished the idea of attempting a 
co-operation between the troops at Fort Pitt and 
the bodies moving from other quarters against the 
Six Nations. The difficulty of providing supplies 
in time, a want of satisfactory information of the 
route and of the natui-e of the country up the 
Allegany river and between that and the Indian 
settlements " on the Upper Allegheny, " and conse- 
quently the uncertainty of being able to co-operate 
to advantage, and the hazard which the smaller 
party might run, are princijjal motives for declin- 
ing it. The danger to which the frontier would 
be exposed by drawing oflE the troops from their 
present position, and the incursions of the more 
western tribes, are additional, though less power- 
ful, reasons." On the 3d of May then next he 
again wrote to Col. Brodhead. The latter replied 
on the 22d : "I am honored by yours of the 3d 
instant and the inclosure. The strictest attention 
shall ever be paid to all the instructions your 
excellency may from time to time be pleased to 
give me, and I am very happy in having permis- 
sion to establish the posts at Kittanning and Ve- 
nango, and am convinced they will answer the 
grand purposes mentioned in your letter. The 
greatest difficulty will be to procure salt provisions 
to subsist the garrison at the different advanced 
posts, but I have taken every promising step to 
obtain them. * * * j have about twenty 
canoes ready made of poplar, and more are mak- 
ing ; some will carry two tons. I have not heard 
a word from Col. Rawlins nor any of his officers, 
and fear they are not yet relieved by the 
militia." 

May 26th Col. Brodhead wrote to Gen. Greene : 
"I most sincerely wish Gen. Sullivan success 
against the black caitiffs of the north, and should 
be happy to meet him near the heads of the Alle- 
gheny, and assist in giving the Senecas a complete 
flogging." 

May 29th he informed Gen. Washington that 
Col. Rawlins' detachment had arrived at Pitts- 
burgh the day before, under the command of Capt. 
Beall, and, as he was informed, the terms of half 
the men would expire in July, when the officers 
intended to resign on account of some neglect 
shown them by the state. June .3 he wrote to 
Col. Archibald Lochry, lieutenant of Westmore- 
land county, that two Delaware runners had ar- 
rived with intelligence that the Wyandot nation 
had bidden the English farewell forever, and their 
chiefs were then en route to take him by the hand 
and make a lasting peace with the Americans ; 
that, according to his private intelligence, Butler, 
with about 200 rangers and a number of Mingoes, 
20 



was to attack the frontier on the west side of 
Laurel Hill, to prevent the American forces from 
carrying on a campaign against the British, and 
that it would, therefore, be necessary for him 
(Lochry) to warn out seventy-five more men of the 
militia to hold themselves in readiness to march at 
a short notice, promising all possible protection 
notwithstanding the angry letters which he had 
sent him a few days before. He further stated 
that the enemy would strike when the strawberries 
were ripe, requesting him to put the frontier in- 
habitants on their guard, and give them assurance 
of protection from himself. " I j)ropose," he also 
wrote, "building a small fort at Kittanning as 
soon as possible, and that will be a more effectual 
security to the inhabitants than all the little posts 
now occuj)ied by the garrison ; these will be con- 
siderable, and I intend to send a fieldpiece there 
to command the water, etc." June 11 he wrote 
to Col. Lochry : " A considerable garrison will, in 
my opinion, afford greater security to your settle- 
ments than as many again trifling forts as are now 
garrisoned ; " and on the 23d of the same month : 
" Lt.-Col. Bayard is at Kittanning, and will cover 
the frontier effectually." June"25th he wrote to 
Gen. Washington: "Lt.-Col. Bayard, with 120 
rank and file, is now erecting a stockade fort at 
Kittanning.'''' Then followed correspondence be- 
tween him and Lt.-Col. Stephen Bayard respecting 
the name which that fort should bear. Bayard's 
letters, even if still extant, are not accessible to 
the writer, so that what he said about naming that 
fort is inferrible from Brodhead's replies, from 
which it seems that Bayard wished to have it 
named after Brodhead, or Col. John Bayard, or 
himself. 

In answering Bayard's letters of June 24 and 27, 
Brodhead, July 1, wrote: "I pity the men who 
are lame, and as a partial supply have ordered 
thirty pair of shoes out of my regimental stores, 
which I hope will be sufficient to alleviate their 
distresses and render them serviceable. Mr. Van 
Lear declares he has sent everything he was ordered 
to send, and if you have pickaxes and shovels, they 
are the proper tools for such ground as you men- 
tion. We will, however, send you some other 
articles which have been mentioned by you and 
Capt. Findley. * * * I think it is a compli- 
ment due to Gen. Armstrong to call that fort after 
him, therefore it is my pleasure from this time for- 
ward it be called Fort Armstrong, and I doubt not 
we shall soon be in the neighborhood of a place 
where greater regard is paid to saints than at Kit- 
tanning, where your sainthood may not be for- 
gotten, I cannot conclude without once more 



318 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



recommending the sti-ictest economy of public 
Stores, and particularly ammunition." 

On July 9, Brodhead to Bayard : " I am favored 
with yours of 1th inst. by Mr. Morrison. It is with 
great pleasure I learn your strict economy, and I 
hope you find your situation more agreeable than 
you expected. I have said that I thought it a com- 
pliment due to Gen. Armstrong to name the fort 
now erecting at Kittanning after him, and I should 
be very sorry to have the first fort erected by my 
directions in the department named after me. 
Besides, I consider it will be more proper to have 
our names at a greater distance from our metropolis. 
I never denied the sainthood of Stephen or John, 
but some regard to priority must be necessary even 
among the saints. I am glad the fort is in for- 
wardness, and hope you are able to keep out the 
scouts I ordered for the jjrotection of the inhab- 
itants. Capt. Harrison is ordered on a tour to Fort 
Armstrong, and he will deliver you this and my 
compliments to the officers. * * * " 

In conclusion : "Whilst I am writing, I am tor- 
mented by at least a dozen drunken Indians, and I 
shall be obliged to remove my quarters from hence 
on account of a cursed villainous set of inhabitants, 
who, in sjiite of every exertion, continue to rob the 
soldiers, or cheat them and the Indians out of 
everything they are possessed of." 

Same to same, July 20 : " Yours of 1 Yth was 
delivered to me by Capt. Finley, and by him I will 
send such articles as niay be necessary for your 
garrison and completing the fort. His excellency 
the commander-in-chief has at length given me 
leave* to make an excursion into the Indian 
country, and as my route will naturally cover the 
garrison at Fort Armstrong, a few men can maintain 
it till my return. Therefore, you will order two 
officers and two sergeants, and twenty-four rank 
and file of ye worst kind to remain at ye post, and 
with all the rest march to this place " — Pittsburgh 
— " by the first of next month, and bring with you 
likewise all the best men from Fort Crawford, 
excej)t a sergeant and twelve privates." 

If the tradition that a woman was brutally and 
mortally outraged at that fort is true, perhaps 
some of those " worst kind " who then remained 
there committed that base and horrible crime. 

Same to Gen. Washington; July 31: "A com- 
plete stockade fort is erected at the Kittanning, and 
now called Fort Armstrong." 

Same to Capt. Campbell, October 2, ordering 
him to march his company with all his stores imme- 
diately to Fort Crawford, which post he was to 



* By his letter dated June 23, his lieadquarters being then at New 
Windsor, 



garrison until further orders. He further stated : 
" Capt. Irwin will be ordered to Kittanning, and I 
will order you a sufiicient quantity of provisions." 

The same day he wrote to Francis Mcllwaine : 
" I have ordered a quantity of provisions to Fort 
Armstrong, and Capt. Irwin is to garrison that 
post with his company. As soon as he takes the 
command (if the water will permit), you will pro- 
ceed to this place (Pittsburgh) with your men, 
leaving the provisions with Capt. Irwin, bring 
down the canoes and other stores to these maga- 
zines ; but should the water continue too low, you 
will march down your men by land, and take a 
receipt for all the provisions, craft and stores left 
with CajJt. Ii-win." 

Same to Captain Joseph Irwin, October 13: 
" Your letter of the 3d inst. is now before me. 
The contents are insolent and inconsistent, and, 
therefore, scarcely merit an answer. Your letter, 
too, to Mr. Mcllvaine, contains a false assertion (if 
he has copied it right), for you had my positive 
orders to wait upon me for instructions to govern 
you at Fort Armstrong, which orders you have 
been hardy enough to disobey and are to answer 
for. * * * 

" If, as you seem to apprehend, you are at liberty 
to disobey my orders, you cannot expect to be sup- 
plied from my magazines, and I shall take care to 
report your conduct to the Governor and Council. 
My former orders to you were verbal. I now com- 
mand you in writing immediately to wait on me 
at headquarters, and if your company is not yet 
marched, it is immediately to proceed to Fort 
Armstrong, where your lieutenant will relieve Mr. 
Mcllvaine and his small garrison, and take the 
command of that post until further orders." 

Same to Francis Mcllvaine, October 13: "I 
received yours of the 11th inst. per express. I ex- 
pect Capt. Irwin's company will be at Fort Arm- 
strong within a few days. * * * 

" I cannot send regular troops to be stationed at 
Fort Armstrong; the new levies raised in Pennsyl- 
vania are properest for that duty. 

" You will pay particular attention to my last 
instructions; I did not recollect there was a com- 
missary there at the time of writing them. He 
will take proper case of the provisions, therefore 
you will only take account of all other stores and 
craft, should any be left. 

"I conceive the firing about Fort Armstrong is 
done by hunters, and not by Indians." 

Same to Lt. Glass, or the commanding officer 
of Capt. Irwin's company, October 18: " You are 
to march the company under your command to 
Fort Armstrong, and there relieve the present gar- 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



319 



rison under Mr. Mcllvaine. Mr. Douglass, assistant 
commissary of issues, will furnish you with pro- 
visions for your garrison at that post. Mr. Mc- 
Ilvain will consult with you and leave a proper 
quantity of military stores, for which you are to be 
accountable. 

"Capt. Gamble" (Campbell), who had, October 
16, been ordered with his company to Fort Craw- 
ford, is " instructed to send scouts to the mouth of 
Kiskamanitis, where you are to order scouts from 
your post to meet them, and upon discovery of the 
enemy, or tracks, you are to give me immediate 
notice. It may be likewise proper for you to keep 
out a spy or two up the Allegheny river to give you 
notice of an approaching enemy, of which I must 
likewise be acquainted. You are to be particularly 
careful to prevent any waste of public stores, and 
not suffer any' firing, except at an enemy, or by a 
hunter particularly employed, if you have any in 
yovir company. Tou are to transmit to me a par- 
ticular return of the company and the provisions 
and stores left at Port Armstrong. You will write 
to me by every opportunity and inform of the state 
of your garrison." 

Same to Lt. Jno. Jameson, October ST: "I 
have rec'd your favor of the 24th inst. I am 
glad to hear you are at length got to Fort Arm- 
strong, and I should be happy [if] it was in my 
power to contribute to the relief of your men, but 
the means are not yet come up the country. I have 
wrote to the presid't of the state for blankets, and 
daily expect his answer. I have ordered for your 
garrison two kegs of whisky and fifteen pairs of 
shoes. Whisky being an expensive article, you will 
not issue it except in rainy weather, and to guards 
and fatigues. I approve of building the sentry 
boxes, as they will in some measure shelter the poor 
soldiers from the weathei', which will soon be un- 
favorable. Your captain returned me forty -five 
men. I shall be glad to know from you where the 
men are, which, it appears, you have not returned." 

Jos. L. Finley, M. B., to Lieut. Jno. Jameson, 
dated at headquarters, Pittsburgh, November 27 : 
" I am directed by Col. Brodhead to require you to 
evacuate Fort Armstrong, and repair to this post 
with all convenient dispatch, taking care to bring 
off all the stores in your possession and pertaining 
to the garrison of whatsoever kinds. For this pur- 
pose, I have sent you two canoes, with which and 
the craft you already have I expect you will be 
able to transport all the stores by water. If not, 
you must have recourse to pack-horses, which you 
can receive from Capt. Carnaghan, who is now with 
a party at Bulls Town on the mouth of the Kiska- 
minitis, and will herewith receive an order to sup- 



ply you, if necessai'y " — that order was issued by 
Col. Brodhead the same day. — "Immediately on 
receipt of this, you will proceed to put the above 
order into execution." 

The troops at Fort Armstrong were not exempt 
from the discomforts and suffering which resulted 
from the delays in receiving provisions, clothing 
and other public stores at Pittsburgh. Col. Brod- 
head wrote to Gen. Washington, July 31, 1779 : 
" Many of the troops are still suffering for want 
of shoes. I have been obliged to give some 
soldiers' clothing to the Indians, and unless they 
can be replaced by the 1st of October, they will be 
great sufferers." A few days later, to Timothy 
Pickering : " Notwithstanding my frequent appli- 
cations, I have not received a hat or a pair of 
stockings for my regiment, or a coatee or pair of 
overalls for my officers. Besides this, there has 
been a great deficiency in blankets, shirts and 
shoes, buckskin breeches and woolen overalls for 
the troops in general." To Gov. Reed : " My 
officers begin to be very ragged, and some have 
worn and lost their blankets, and I have not a 
single stocking for my men. Many other articles 
of clothing are wanting to render them useful in 
this part of the country." Amid the privations 
endured and patriotism evinced by officers and men, 
there was, even in those virtuous times, some plun- 
dering of public property. For, on the 2d of 
August, Col. Brodhead wrote to Gen. Greene and 
Col. Mitchell : " Two barrels of pitch were opened 
on the road, the pitch stolen, and some gravel and 
straw put into them ; and I have been obliged to 
send almost everyone of the boat carpenters down 
the country for want of stuff to enable them to 
finish the work." 

Col. Brodhead, in one of his letters to Gen. 
Washington, mentions Mahoning as being "about 
fifteen miles above Fort Armstrong." The dis- 
tance between the mouth of the Mahoning creek 
and the site of that fort is twelve and nine-tenths 
miles. Its site was about ninety rods above Fort 
run, on the lot now owned and occupied by P. F. 
McClarren, or about 280 rods below Garrett's run. 
A well was sunk, with an approach to it like a 
gangway, down which the soldiers went safely for 
water. A brass cannon is said to have been sunk 
in it, and a willow has grown over and in it, by 
which and other matter it has been for many 
years filled up. 

After the removal of the troops from Forts 
Armstrong and Crawford, Col. Lochry, the lieu- 
tenant of Westmoreland county, chided Col. Brod- 
head quite severely for thus exposing the country 
to the incursions of the enemy. A brisk paper war 



320 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



was for awhile waged between tliem.* Brodhead 
acted under the authority of congress and the 
orders of the commander-in-cliief of the conti- 
nental army, and Lochery under the control, 
mainly, of the president and supreme executive 
council of Pennsylvania, so that it was but natural, 
though not at all desirable by either, that there 
should be occasional clashing of ideas as to their 
respective rights and duties. President Reed 
wrote to both of them October 30, 1119, regret- 
ting the difference of opinion between them re- 
specting the destination of the corps of rangers, 
who, he stated, was a body of men raised by con- 
gress by the express desire of the assembly of the 
state, for the defence of the frontiers — the whole 
to be executed by the supreme executive council, 
and as the members of council were not personally 
acquainted with those stations where the rangers 
might be most useful, they were put under the 
direction of the lieutenants of the counties in 
which it was supposed they would be necessary. 

On December 1-3, 1779, Col. Lochery wrote from 
Hannastowai to Col. Brodhead, informing him that 
the president of this state had invested him 
(Lochery) with authority to station Capt. Irwin's 
and Capt. Campbell's companies of rangers where 
he might think their services would be most bene- 
ficial for covering Westmoreland county and ben- 
efiting the distressed frontiers. In consequence 
of the orders which he had thus received, he re- 
quested Col. Brodhead to send those troops to 
Hannastown as soon as possible, where he would 
assign them to stations, where he flattered himself 
their services would be more beneficial to that 
county, in which the j^resent territory of Manor 
was then included, than they possibly could be at 
Fort Pitt. Col. Brodhead, in his reply, dated at 
Pittsburgh, December 18, stated that President 
Reed had acquainted him, just before Lochery's had 
been received, with the latter's authority for sta- 
tioning those companies, and the reasons for dele- 
gating that power to him, and intimated that, as 
the officers had doubtless received his orders to 
march to that point, where they would receive their 
further orders, he would not prevent their paying 
the strictest obedience to them ; that as he was 
vested with the authority to station these troops, 
he would undoubtedly be able to have them sup- 
plied with provisions by applying to the proper 
(Commissaries. It was absolutely necessary that 
these poor, naked men should first be supplied with 
some kind of clothing before being ordered out 
of their barracks ; ,^i?d as they were then under 

* See Bro.^head's and Loohory's letters in the general sketch of 
sthe countjr. ' i, . ■ 



his (Lochery's) immediate discretion, except in 
eases of offensive operations, he concluded his let- 
ter thus : " I request that you will see that the 
articles I have furnished out of my regimental 
store be returned- The officers can inform you 
what they are," and with such other courteous words 
as are usual. 

Another letter from Brodhead to Lochery, dated 
at Pittsburgh, December 29, stated that the bearers, 
Capt. Clark and Ensign Cooper, with a recruiting 
party, would proceed to Hannastown to recruit 
some men, and doubted not that Lochery would 
give them every possible assistance ; they took 
with them an account of the various articles fur- 
nished to the different ranging companies to be 
replaced by the articles sent up by the state ; 
the quantity of provisions was much less than he 
had a right to expect. The ranging companies, as 
soon as mustered and paid, which he expected 
would be done immediately, should be discharged. 
The recruiting officers were ordered to send up 
such of the men of the ranging companies as had 
been recruited into the eighth Pennsylvania regi- 
ment during the war, and asked Lochery to im- 
press on the minds of the officers of these com- 
panies that they could not then more essentially 
serve their country than by encouraging their men 
to enlist during the war. Lochery, in his reply, 
December 31, intimated that the captains' own re- 
ceipts were to be given for supplies sent there by 
the state ; he did not pretend to take charge of 
them ; he doubted not the stores furnished these 
companies from the continental magazine would 
be replaced on the arrival of those furnished by 
the state ; flattered himself that when the defense- 
less state of this country should be represented, he 
and those acting with him would have orders to 
re-enlist these companies ; if the magazine, ordered 
by the board of war to be " laid in " at Hannas- 
town, should not be, he was determined to repre- 
sent that with every other slighty and indiflierent 
support given to this county since the war com- 
menced ; it would be imprudent for him, as he was 
circumstanced, to order anything concerning those 
of the rangers who had enlisted in the eighth 
Pennsylvania regiment, or even to give any active 
encouragement till he should hear from the coun- 
cil, who in that respect were his superiors ; and 
that it ever had been and ever should be his prin- 
ciple to give every assistance to every recruiting 
party. Brodhead replied January 2, 1870, stating : 
The president of the state (Joseph Reed) had 
written to him that the ranging companies had 
been raised by order of congress, " but I know of 
no power he is invested with to discharge or re- 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



821 



enlist the men ; " he would be mueli pleased to have 
them re-enlisted during the war, and provided for 
as other continental troops, otherwise they could 
be of but little service. If there should not be a 
reinforcement by the next spring, it would be out 
of his power to afford the frontier the protection 
which he wished ; if the board of war had ordered 
a magazine to be established at Hannastown, he 
had not been acquainted with any orders concern- 
ing it ; he did not know what Lochery meant by 
" slighty and indifferent support " given to that 
county, for he was very certain that it had had a 
much greater support since he had had command 
of the western department than any other frontier 
county ; the late expedition,* to which that county 
had contributed a very small force, had evidently 
been calculated for its protection, and in its eflfects 
contributed greatly to the protection of Bedford 
and Northumberland counties ; if some gentlemen 
could find pleasure, even under full gratification, 
let them be indulged ; if Locheiy apprehended 
there was an impropriety in giving the orders 
which he had requested, he would direct Capt. 
Erwin to send up the men, and if he should refuse 
to do so ou the receipt of his orders, he requested 
Lochery to arrest him and send him to Fort Pitt 
for trial ; he had just received a very insolent and 
impertinent letter from Capt. Thomas Camjjbell, 
whom he likewise requested Lochery to arrest and 
send to Fort Pitt, where a general court-martial 
of the line had already been ordered, that he might 
have an immediate trial ; and while the ranging 
companies were under his command, he took all 
possible care to have them supplied, but he did not 
conceive it to be any part of his duty to provide 
for troojjs who were under the immediate com- 
mand of any other gentleman. Lochery, in his 
letter of January 9, 1780, to President Reed, a 
portion of which is quoted in the general sketch of 
this county, stated that the principal people in 
Westmoreland county, and more particularly on 
the frontier, were alarmed at Brodhead's stripping 
that part entirely of troops ; he would not 
suffer " a magazine to be laid in " at Hannastown, 
and refused to give the ranging companies any 
subsistence, so that " we are obliged to billet them 
o^it in the country by fours and fives iu a house, 
the distressed inhabitants being ■willing to share 
the store laid in for their own families rather than 
let the men be dispersed ; " he had refused to send 
the men of ranging companies who had been re- 
cruited into continental service before their times 
had expired, to Fort Pitt, as he could not see any 



* Against the Seneca and Munoy to"\vns on the upper Allegheny. 
.See sketch of Pine townfrhip. 



right the}'- had to be tried, if any fault had been 
committed, by those who had totally refused them 
even necessary subsistence ; Capt. Moorhead's in- 
dependent company, which had been raised for the 
protection of the county and stationed on its fron- 
tiers for nearly the last three years, had been re- 
moved to Fort Pitt and annexed to the 8th Pa. 
regt.; if that company were to be filled, which 
he thought would have soon been done, if proper 
officers had been appointed, and a magazine to sup. 
ply them had been established, and it had been sta- 
tioned with the ranging companies on the frontiers, 
the country would have been better supported and 
more able to have given effective assistance to the 
continental troops, if any offensive measures had 
been carried on against the enemy. The next day, 
Capt. Joseph Erwin took the opportunity by Capt. 
Campbell to inform President Reed " of a piece of 
conduct Col. Brodhead has been pleased this day to 
adopt, which was a ticket dated Hannastown, 
January 10, signed by John Clark, Capt. 8th Pa. 
reg., then handed to him, namely : "I am ordered 
by Col. Daniel Brodhead to arrest you for detain- 
ing the rangers that were re-enlisted into 8th Pa. 
regiment during the war from joining said regi- 
ment, and for disobedience of his orders." Capt. 
Erwin flattered himself that since he had taken 
command of the first ranging company, he had 
done everything in his power for the benefit and 
advantage of the state, and trusted his excellency 
and the council would take proper measures on 
that occasion, as he had been arrested for strictly 
adhering to the instructions given him, and the 
county lieutenant's directions, by order of council. 

It will be borne in mind that Lochery and other 
Westmorelanders complained of Brodhead for re- 
moving the troops from Forts Armstrong and 
Crawford, and thus uncovering their county to the 
incursions of the enemy. His reasons for so doing 
are given in his letter * to Gov. Reed. He wrote 
to Gen. Washington, December 13, 1779: "This 
frontier is at present [in] a perfect state of tran- 
quillity, and many of the inhabitants who were 
driven away by the savages are returned to their 
respective habitations;" and April 27, 1780, to 
President Reed, "no damage has yet been done 
in Westmoreland county." 

Another clashing of opinion between him and 
Lochery was as to the length of time for which men 
should be enli-sted or re-enlisted. The former wrote 
to President Reed, February 11, 1780, that if any 
troops should be raised for Westmoreland county 
and other frontiers of this state, he trusted they 
would be raised for a longer time than were those 



s See general sketch of the county. 



322 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



undei- Capts. Erwin and Campbell, for they had 
been raised and subsisted at great expense, and their 
services had been slight. In his reply, January 20, 
to an anonymous letter, of January 15, which, from 
its contents, he judged to have been written by 
Lechery, he said, it would thereafter be discovered 
who had been the best guardian of the frontiers; 
he would not allege any want of inclination in 
Lochery to protect the frontier, but, by his own 
confession, he had generally if not constantly 
lacked the power to give it any considerable 
protection even by his own militia, and if 
he imagined his people would be benefited by 
another short enlistment of troops, experience of 
what had already been done would argue much 
against his seeming proposal and in favor of a 
durable engagement of such as were or might be 
employed for protecting that and the other parts of 
the frontier. The closing paragraph is in these 
words : " You have discovered your knowledge of 
military matters by denying the jsropriety of my 
having any continental officer arrested, who is not 
under my immediate command, and the assertion 
that I have positively refused them* any subsist- 
ence is as positively false, and I expect your 
superiors will candidly determine thereon." 

In that last-mentioned letter Brodhead also inti- 
mated that he supposed Capt. Campbell had been 
sent to Philadelphia to avoid a trial for his inso- 
lence to him. President Reed, in his letter to 
Brodhead, dated " In Council, Philadelphia, Feb- 
ruary 14th, 1780," mentioned that Campbell had 
attended the " Board with a representation of the 
affairs of his company." The above-mentioned 
correspondence between Brodhead and Lochery had 
also been transmitted, and examined by the presi- 
dent and council. Reed's letter continued : " Your 
appointment to the present command was a most 
desirable event to the authority of the state, as we 
considered your connection with us and natural 
attachment to the state to afford the most substan- 
tial grounds of harmony, and expectation that you 
would on all occasions promote the interests and 
welfare of its inhabitants. These happy prospects 
we had endeavored, on our part, to improve by a 
careful attention to the comforts and interests of 
your command, of which we gave you the most 
substantial proofs in the supplies and clothing for- 
warded to you from time to time. We cannot, 
therefore, but lament this change of prospect, for 
without entering into any discussion of the causes 
of dispute, it is easy to see that the friendship we 
endeavored to cultivate between Fort Pitt and the 
county of Westmoreland is most materially inter- 

* The ranging companies. 



rupted, and that unless some happy measures of 
conciliation are adopted, there is little probability 
of that union of sentiment and action so essential 
to the public welfare in time of great and general 
danger. Such measures we have recommended to 
the inhabitants of that county, and such we must 
recommend to you. We have, though much 
pressed, declined taking any measures for restor- 
ing the men enlisted into the 8th Pa. regt. out 
of the rangers' companies before the expiration 
of the term of service, but at the same time we 
think it our duty to acquaint you that we cannot 
esteem the enlistment, under these circumstances, 
proper, for if they might be taken from their offi- 
cers one month before their discharge, they might 
have been taken at any time, and the very design 
of their enlistment frustrated. Still less can we 
approve the refusing of the companies provisions, 
which must have, in a great measure, destroyed 
their usefulness and made them a burthen to the 
country instead of a benefit ; and we doubt not, on 
due reflection, you will admit the measures to have 
been hasty, and, in their consequences, prejudicial 
to the public. Your zeal to enlist them we highly 
commend, and had you engaged them so that at 
the expiration of their term you could have turned 
them into your regiment, we should have thought 
it the duty of the officers to have promoted your 
men by any means in their power. We observe in 
your letter of January 2 to Col. Lochery you ex- 
press yourself to the effect that you do not know 
of any powers the President has to discharge or 
re-enlist the men. If you mean any powers vested 
in him as an individual, it is readily agreed no 
such powers exist, nor was it attempted to exercise 
any but in conjunction with the council. It was 
supposed he was fully authorized to discharge the 
men at any time the public service would admit. 
Not being disposed to assume jjowers to which we 
are not entitled, we hope the officers connected 
with the state will not easily suppose such a case, 
much less suffer it to influence their actions. But 
when they have reasonable doubts, we shall, on 
proper application, endeavor to remove them. 

" We have carefully avoided expressing our 
sentiments with respect to any of the above points 
to Col. Lochery or any of the .gentlemen of West- 
moreland, for as we retain a great personal respect 
for your character and services, we impute what 
has happened rather to inadvertency than inten- 
tion, and therefore would by no means lessen your 
weight and influence in jj'our command or its 
neighborhood. On the other hand, we sliall seek 
occasions to show our attention and regard." 

In his reply, dated at headquarters, Pittsburgh, 



I 
1 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



323 



Aj)ril 20, 1780, Brodliead said: "As it expresses 
a want of attention to my duty, and is doubtless of 
record in the books of the supreme executive 
council of the state, whereof, although at present a 
soldier, I glory in being a citizen, I feel the rebuke, 
gentle and discreet as it may seem, very sensibly. 
It is, however, a small consolation, that the honor- 
able supreme executive council was not, perhaps, at 
the time of writing this letter, fully acquainted 
with circumstances on this side of the mountain, 
or with my instructions from his excellency the 
commander-in-chief ; and therefore I take the lib- 
erty here of mentioning that it was by his instruc- 
tions that I enlisted as many men from the different 
corps, whose terms were nearly expired, as could be 
prevailed on to serve during the war, and those of 
the ranging companies enlisted into my regiment, 
being destitute of clothing, I immediately ordered 
them to be clothed by my regimental clothier; and 
after having done this I felt an unwillingness to 
have the men marched to places where, considering 
the inclement season .of the year, there was but 
little 23rospect of their answering any salutary pur- 
pose, or even a probability of having them sub- 
sisted ; and the more so, as their movement 
appeared to be calculated only to favor the humor 
of a couple of unmilitary men at the heads of the 
ranging companies, or to prevent me from engag- 
ing them during the war into one of the regiments 
of the state, stationed on its frontier. As to my 
refusing provisions, I conceive my letter to Col. 
Lochery might have convinced the supreme execu- 
tive council that I did not refuse them to those 
companies, but as I had received no instructions 
concerning them, and your letter assured me they 
were not under my command until some offensive 
operations should take place, it appeared to me 
that I had nothing more to do with their subsist- 
ence than with the other comjjanies raised at the 
same time for the defense of the frontier, and 
stationed below the mountain, and therefore I 
thought it unnecessary to give any orders respect- 
ing them, but left the matter between Col. Lochery 
and the deputy commissary of issues. I have a 
great personal regard for Col. Lochery, and by his 
late letters I am convinced that the harmony sub- 
sisting between us is uninterrupted, but I conceive 
on account of his connection with Capts. Invin 
and Campbell he has been led to do things con- 
trary to his own judgment. The inhabitants of 
Westmoreland in general, I flatter myself, are 
ready at any time to acknowledge my particular 
attention and protection. I appeal to the wisdom 
of the supreme executive council whether, consider- 
ing the inclemency of the season, the scantiness of 



our provisions and the necessity of preventing 
every unnecessary expense to the public, the rang- 
ing companies ought not to have been discharged 
agreeably to my recommendation to Col. Lochery, 
and whether Capts. Irwin and Campbell ought 
not to have been tried by a general court-martial 
of the line for their insolence and disobedience of 
orders. * * * J could wish, when other troops 
are to be sent to this district under its particular 
command, the honorable executive council would 
be pleased to communicate to me or any succeed- 
ing commanding officer the terms upon which they 
are raised, and from what magazines they are to 
draw their provisions and stores." 

Reed subsequently replied to Lochery's letter of 
January 9, in which, among other things, he wrote: 
"We very much lament the misunderstanding 
which has arisen between the commander at Fort 
Pitt and the principal inhabitants of Westmore- 
land. We consider the appointment of a Penn- 
sylvania officer to that command as a very happy 
circumstance to the state, considering the state of 
our affairs with Virginia, and as it is highly probable 
that, in case of a change, some person from that 
state would be appointed to that command, policy, 
as well as prudence, makes it necessary to pass over 
transactions which, at another time, ought to be 
more fully discussed. * * * You will see the 
propriety of keeping secret our sentiments with 
respect to the commander at Fort Pitt, and doubt 
not, on consideration, you will see very powerful 
reasons for avoiding any disgusting measures, and 
that you will also on such an occasion make 
somes acrifice of private feelings to public neces- 
sities." 

Lochery to Reed, June 1 : " Col. Brodhead called 
me to Fort Pitt to confer on measures for the pro- 
tection of the frontiers. I am sorry to inform your 
excellency that he is able to give very little assist- 
ance to our settlements from the continental 
troops, although I am certain he will do every- 
thing in his power." 

The proceedings of a certain suit in trespass, 
instituted against Col. Brodhead for appropriating 
the house occupied by Edward Ward and Thomas 
Smallman, in the vicinity of Fort Pitt, to military 
use, in an expected imminent emergency, in which 
£5,000 damages were claimed, and of another for 
taking the demised King's garden for soldiers' gar- 
dens, in which £40,000 damages were claimed — 
these proceedings, at least in the first suit, having 
been referred to congress, that body, April 18, 
1780, passed the following: 

Resolved, That a copy of Col. Brodhead's letter of the 
27th February, and the papeis referred to in it, be 



324 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



sent to the governor and council of Virginia, and to the 
supreme executive council of Pennsylvania. 

Eesolved, That Col. Brodhead shall be supported by 
congress in any acts or orders which the nature of the 
service, and the discharging of his duty as commanding 
officer at'Fort Pitt, hath made or shall make necessary. 

The then president of congress, Samuel Hunt- 
ington, in communicating these resolutions, or act 
of congress, to President Reed, reiterating the 
substance of the last resolution, remarked, " with 
which sentiment I doubt not the legislative and 
executive powers of this commonwealth will fully 
concur, and, so far as appertains to them, support 
him in every act that is necessity for a faithful 
discharffe of his duty as commanding officer at 
Fort Pitt." 

That clashing of opinion between Brodhead and 
Lochery is given so much at length because the 
keeping of a force at Fort Armstrong was affected 
by it. Though the troops were removed therefrom, 
it was not intended by the commander of the 
westei'n department that it should be permanently 
vacant. On April 3, 1780, he wrote to Col. Lochery 
reqtresting him to order out from the militia of 
Westmoreland county sixty able-bodied rank and 
file and a proportionate number of commissioned 
and non-commissioned officers, one-third of whom 
were to be detached to Fort Armstrong and the 
other two-thirds to Fort Crawford and to the forks 
of Black Legs. They were to be drafted for two 
months, if not sooner discharged. That body of 
men, with a number of regulars to support those 
detached to Fort Armstrong, he hoped, would give 
sufficient countenance to the inhabitants of that 
county. He wished Lochery " to inculcate a prin- 
ciple of virtuous resistance against the common 
enemy." He did not think that that frontier, under 
the circumstances, need apprehend danger, but it 
might be necessary for the inhabitants to be on 
their guard, and they might rest assured of every 
possible protection in his power. On the 25th of 
the same month he wrote again to Lochery that he 
had been disappointed beyond all description in 
getting clothing for his troof)S, and, therefore, 
could not until then send a detachment to Fort 
Armstrong, and sent an express with his letter 
informing Lochery that Capt. Thomas Beall would 
start the next morning with the party and provi- 
sions for Foi-t Crawford, where he was to leave a 
part, if any troops were there, otherwise to move 
the whole to Fort Armstrong, whence Lochery's 
detachment was to be furnished. On the 29th 
Reed wrote to Brodhead: The assembly, at its last 
session, had voted that four companies be raised 
for the frontiers, but the deficient state of the 



treasury had prevented its being carried into execu- 
tion. " You will, therefore," wrote he, " render a 
very important and acceptable service to us, if you 
can cover Westmoreland in any considerable 
degree. After many consultations and much 
deliberation, we have concluded to offer a reward 
for scalps, and hope it will serve as an inducement 
to the young fellows of the county and others to 
turn out against the Indians." 

As to the reward proposed to be offered for 
scalps, Brodhead expressed his afiprehension, in his 
reply of May 18, that' it would be construed into a 
license to take off the scalps of some of the friendly 
Delawares, and produce a general Indian war. He 
was not ignorant of the influence of the Delaware 
councils over nearly twenty different nations, and 
for that reason much notice had been taken of 
them. Their councils had been steady, and their 
young men serviceable. Goods, paint and trinkets — 
a small assortment of them — he thought would be 
more efficacious in keeping them so than paper 
money without these articles, which they could 
not be taught to regard as a proper reward. 

On the 6th of May, Brodhead wrote to Beall 
that he had been informed of the discovery of a 
number of Indians opposite Fort Crawford ; that 
Beall had sent a man by the name of Guthrie for 
the Westmoreland militia, and wished that he 
might not cause too great an alarm ; if the alarm 
should prove to be false, or the militia should ar- 
rive at Fort Crawford, Beall should then proceed 
to Fort Armstrong. On the 13th of May, he in- 
formed Washington that the above-mentioned 
detachment of regulars was then at that fort. On 
the 3d of August, he wrote to Carnahan that he 
intended to again garrison the upper forts when a 
sufficient supply of provisions should be secured, 
and on the 18th, to Reed, that necessity had com- 
pelled him to evacuate for a short time Forts Ai-m- 
strong and Crawford, but that he would return to 
the garrisons so soon as they could be subsisted. 

On the 19th, he expressed to Lochery his hope 
that, as the Monongahela was slightly rising, he 
would soon be able to return those garrisons to their 
stations, and suggested, September 6, that as the 
Allegheny, had then risen considerably by the late 
rains, no time should be lost in sending out those 
garrisons, since it was uncertain what views might 
be entertained by the British at Niagara. On the 
27th of March, he wrote to President Reed that it 
would be impossible, under existing circumstances, 
to further garrison Forts Armstrong and Crawford, 
until the commander-in-chief would direct him to 
evacuate Fort Mcintosh, which was at or near the 
mouth of Beaver creek. 



ttfsr 






JOHN CHRISTY. 

The old and well-known resident of this county 
whose name stands at the head of this brief biography 
was the son of Daniel and Rebecca Christy, respectively 
of Irish and Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in 
Hopewell township, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, No- 
vember 7, 1800. He lived with his parents until he 
attained his majority, and then went into Allegheny 
county, where he learned the trade of hatmaking, then 
one of the leading manufacturing industries of the rural 
regions, but now carried on only in the cities and upon 
a large scale. 

In 1822 he was married to Miss Agnes McGregor, of 
Allegheny county, by whom he had three children — one 
daughter and two sons. Being early bereft of his wife, 
he was married again in 1830, to Miss Sallie Ann Ross, 
daughter of Hon. GeorgeRoss, of Armstrong county, born 
February 4, 1805, by whom he had ten children — seven 
sons and three daughters. After his second marriage 
Mr. Christy lived in Noblestown, Allegheny county, for 
about three years, working at his trade ; but, yielding to 
his wife's influence, in the year 1833 he removed to Arm- 
strong county, and purchased the farm on which he and 
his wife still reside. Here they reared their large and 
interesting family of thirteen children, all of whom at- 
tained manhood or womanhood. With the exception of 
two sons, one of whom gave his life for his country 
when in his twenty-sixth year, and one who died in his 
own home, aged twenty-nine, all are now living to 
cheer and comfort their parents in their declining years. 

Coming to the county as they did when it was new 
and still bore many traces of its recent savage inhabi- 
tants, the Christys had much to contend with. Besides 



.^-^/tCcS^, -^ipjiJ. J^o^^ cA^t^'^ . 



being in straightened circumstances, with nearly the 
whole of their farm to clear, and no market for their 
produce nearer than Pittsburgh, their early years were full 
of hardships and deprivations. Their guiding motto in 
life, however, was, " Industry and perseverance conquer 
all things," and they have lived to realize in some 
measure its verity. 

While securing by their well-directed eflbrts and cor- 
rect lives personal and family success, Mr. and Mrs. 
Christy have also ever diligently sought the good of the 
people among whom they have dwelt, and both by their 
effort and example have been useful to the community. 

In their religious views they are Presbyterians. They 
labored zealously for the building and sustaining of the 
Appleby Manor church, of which Mr. Christie has been 
a ruling elder since its organization. Politically Mr. 
Christy has progressed from " old line " Whigism to Re- 
publicanism, and has always been deeply intere.sted in 
all the issues involving the public good. 

The names of the children of iMr. Christy are, by his 
first wife, Jane (Wilson), in Saline county, Illinois ; Will- 
iam M., a lawyer of Saline county, lUinois, and Daniel, 
a farmer of Manor township ; by his second wife, George 
Ross and Joseph Moss, twins, the former deceased ; 
Mary (Mum), living in Pittsburgh ; Rebecca A., who lives 
at the old homestead with her parents; James, who 
died as a Union soldier, in his twenty-sixth year, from 
exhaustion after the seven days' fight in front of Rich- 
mond ; John Calvin, a merchant of Rosston (who was 
also a soldier belonging to the western division of the 
army); Washington and Jefferson, farmers in Manor 
township; Amelia (Blair) and Stephen, who hve in the 
same township. 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



325 



It does uoL ujjpear from the letters either of Col. 
Brodhead or of Gen. William Irvine, who, in Sep- 
tember, 1781, succeeded him in the command of 
Fort Pitt, that Fort Armstj-ong was afterward 
either entirely or partly garrisoned by continental 
or regular troops. Detachments of rangers and 
scouting parties were stationed here at various 
times, after the close of the revolutionary war, 
while the Indians were troublesome and dangerous. 
Two men were killed near that fort by the Indians, 
a day or two before Capt. Miller and his company* 
reached it, whose blood was fresh on the ground 
when they arrived. 

George Cook, who was born about 1764, was a 
soldier, a scout, and resided in the Manor from 
either his boyhood or his early manhood until he 
was nearly fourscore, used to narrate to his neigh- 
bors, among whom was William McKelog, of 
''Glentworth Park," from whom the writer obtained 
a statement of these tragical facts : While Cook 
was a member of a scouting party who occupied a 
fort or blockhouse near Fort Run, so called from 
Fort Armstrong, some Indians made a small cord 
from the inner bark of a linden tree, with which 
they anchored a duck in hole or pool in that run, 
formed by the action of the water about the roots 
of a sugar maple tree on its brink. Three of the 
scouting party, while out on a tour of duty, noticed 
the duck which must have appeared to them to be 
floating on the water. They set their guns up 
against a buttonwood tree, which, with the sugar 
maple tree, was cut down after that land came into 
the j)ossession of Richard Bailey. While they 
were stooping to catch the duck, as it was presumed 
they did, they were shot by Indians, probably 
three, because three reports of gun shots were 
heard. They fell dead into the run, whose water 
was colored with their blood. Hence that stream 
also bears the name of Bloody Run. The bodies 
of those three men were buried on a knoll opposite 
where they were shot, eight or ten rods higher up 
the river. The Indians were probably concealed 
among the weeds, which were then quite rank and 
abundant. Several of the men who were in the 
fort or blockhouse, on hearing the gunshots, came 
out, saw what had occurred, and discovered the In- 
dians' trail, which, on that or the next day, they 
followed to the mouth of Pine creek, and were 
about to give up the pursuit, when, looking up the 
hill, they saw a smoke on its face. After dark, 
they crossed the mouth of the creek, and ascer- 
tained the exact position in which the Indians 
were. The next morning they crawled as carefully 
and quickly as possible through the weeds and 

* See sketch of present township of Allegheny. 



willows, until they thought they were within sure 
gunshot of the murderers of their comrades. They 
saw one of them mending his moccasin. The other 
two were, they thought, cooking meat for break- 
fast. They shot and killed two of the Indians, and 
captured the other. Having brought him past the 
mouth of that creek, on their return, and having 
reached " an open grove," they told him that they 
would give him a start of some distance ahead of 
them, and if he would beat them in running a race 
he should be released. He accepted the offer, 
started, but was overtaken, fatally shot, and his 
body was left where he fell. 

The late Lt. Samuel Murphy related in his 
lifetime that a man by the name of McFai-land 
had a store about fifty rods below Fort Run, be- 
tween 1787 and 1790, and carried on a considerable 
trade with the Indians, with whom he was appar- 
ently on friendly terms. They finally captured 
and took him to Detroit. McFarland was a 
brother-in-law of Gen. Andrew Lewis, of Virginia. 

A blockhouse called the Claypoole blockhouse 
was built by James Claypoole about eighty rods 
below Fort Run, near the river bank. It is not 
now known just when it was built. It must have 
been between 1790 and 1796. His wife, Lavinia 
Claypoole, died in the last-mentioned year, and was 
buried but a few rods from the graves of the three 
men killed by the Indians as above stated. Peter 
Ehinger, with the ax-end of his mattock, cut her 
name and the year of her death on the headstone 
of her grave, which some persons still living re- 
member to have seen. That blockhouse was one 
of the places of refuge for the settlers and their 
families from the attacks of the Indians. 

About 120 rods southeast from the site of that 
blockhouse, at the present residence of Charlton 
Bailey, is a very ancient well, bedded and walled 
with limestone. It is not known by whom it was 
sunk ; some conjecture it was done by the French, 
and others by James Claypole. The probability is 
it was there before the latter's advent to the manor. 
As soon as it was safe to live out of the block- 
house, his son George built a log house between it 
and the hill, where D. S. Herrold now resides. 

There are two species of grapes still extant in 
this locality, which have been perpetuated from 
vines imported and cultured by the French. One 
is of the ordinary size, very sweet, of a deep pur- 
ple, and ripens earlier than other grapes. The 
other is of much larger size, delicious, and is called, 
whether correctly or not, the fox grape. 

The security of the Westmoreland frontier, of 
which the territory included in Manor township 
was a part, was either directly or indirectly affected 



326 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



by tlie causes wbicli embarrassed operations at and 
around Fort Pitt, among which was the confusion 
resulting from the unsettled question* as to 
whether Pennsylvania or Virginia had the right- 
ful jurisdiction over the territory in which that 
fort was located until the latter part of the sum- 
mer of 1780, when the boundary line between the 
two states was definitely ascertained, viz., Mason 
and Dixon's line, which was adopted and agreed 
upon by George Bryan, Rev. John Ewing and 
David Ritterhouse, commissioners on the part of 
Pennsylvania, and Right Rev. James Madison, 
Bishop of Virginia, and Robert Andrews, commis- 
sioners on the part of Virginia, at their joint con- 
vention held at Baltimore, Maryland, August 31, 
1779. Another distracting element was the pro- 
ject of forming a new state out of that portion of 
the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, which Lord 
Dunmore, "in the extravagance of his views and 
designs," had claimed as belonging to Virginia, 
and which was inconsiderately favored even by 
some Pennsylvanians in that part of our common- 
wealth. 

Not only the confusion in the public mind and 
the lack of fealty and harmony caused by that pro- 
ject, but the want of ammunition and other neces- 
saries, interfered with the adequate protection of 
this frontier and the constant and adequate garri- 
soning of Fort Armstrong. "We have observed 
with much concern," wrote President Reed to Col. 
Piper, June 12, 1780, "that supplies of ammuni- 
tion intended for the frontiers, as well as other 
articles sent by casual opportunities, seldom arrive 
at the place of destination without much loss. 
* * We find much more difficulty in the means 
of transportation than procuring the articles. The 
public business has sometimes been delayed a 
whole day while members of the council were em- 
ployed in looking for wagons and horses, which is 
not only inconvenient but degrading." Later in 
the season, on September 16, Brodhead wrote to 
Reed from Fort Pitt : " Since my last, the whole 
of this garrison drew out to my quarters. The 
soldiers were led by sergeants. Upon being asked 
the cause of such an assembly, the sergeants an- 
swered that they came to represent to me that they 
had been five days without bread. They behaved 
well, and upon being told that their officers were 
equal sufferers, and that every possible exertion 
was making to supply their wants, they imme- 
diately returned to their quarters." 

Lochery advised Reed, June 1, that he then 
needed 600 pounds of powder and the same quan- 



« Pennsylvania claimed tinder the charter granted by Charles II, 
and Virginia on that granted by James I. 



tity of lead, and a quantity of flints ; that since 
the beginning of hostilities in the spring he had 
received but six pounds of powder, a large quan- 
tity having been damaged in its carriage over the 
mountains ; so that, at that time they had only 
twenty pounds of good powder, of public property, 
in the county. 

That part of the frontier consisting of the 
manor also shared directly or indirectly in the 
benefits resulting from the money and other sinews 
of war furnished to the authorities of Westmore- 
land county. Reed, in his letter to Lochery, in- 
dorsed June 2, 1780, advised him that he would 
therewith receive £10,000 for the supply and ser- 
vice of his county, stating that it was, in the first 
instance, to be employed in recruiting the company 
of rangers agreeably to the accompanying instruc- 
tions, and should there be any particular exigency, 
he must use the money with discretion and judg- 
ment, ever remembering that money had then a 
fixed value, and that there was then such an atten- 
tion given to expenditure as had not theretofore 
been observed. The instructions required the pro- 
posed company to consist of one captain, one 
lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants, four corpo- 
rals, one drummer, one fifer and sixty privates. 
They were to be enlisted to serve until January 15, 
1781, unless sooner discharged by the supreme 
executive council, under whose orders and direc- 
tion they were to be during the service. The lieu- 
tenant of the county (Lochery) was authorized to 
muster in the recruits, but not to admit any under 
eighteen or over fifty years of age, all to be able of 
body, and at least five feet and six inches high. 
He was to be especially careful not to enlist any 
desei-ters from the continental army, or prisoners 
of war. Lochery, August 24, acknowledged the 
receipt of supplies in good order. 

William Amheron was informed by President 
Reed, by letter dated August 5, that his appoint- 
ment as commissioner of purchases for Westmore- 
land county had been forwarded to him early in 
the summer, with a sum of state money with 
which to make purchases. In fixing the quotas of 
supplies to be drawn from each county, that of 
Westmoreland was fixed at 50 barrels of flour, 
500 bushels of Indian corn, and 100 gallons of 
whisky per month, with which to supply the garri- 
son at Fort Pitt. That post was then in danger 
of being evacuated for want of provisions. As the 
harvest in that county that year was plentiful, it 
was hoped there would be no difiiculty in getting 
those needed supplies, but if there were, he was 
directed to impress them. Yet, as late as the mid- 
dle of September, that garrison was sadly in need 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



327 



of provisions. One cause of the difficulty in ob- 
taining provisions Brodhead attributed to the un- 
settled state of the boundary between Pennsyl- 
vania and Virginia, which had greatly discouraged 
the i^eople, and, he apprehended, had "given a 
handle to the disaffected." A conception of the 
difficulties encountered by his foraging parties in . 
the country may be had from his reply to Capt. 
Samuel Brady, October 11, in which he said: "I 
am favored with j^ours of the 9th inst., and am 
much distressed on account of the apparent aver- 
sion of the peoj)le to afford supplies, and the more 
so as I see no alternative between using force and 
suffering. If Col. Lechery expects to claim a share 
in the cattle that may be collected, his proposal is 
inadmissible, but if it is intended to j^rovide for 
the regulars only, it ought to be accepted. Under 
our present circumstances we cannot admit a 
modest thought about using force as the ultimate 
expedient ; and in case you are likely to meet 
with opposition, yon must send notice to Captain 
Springer, near Little Redstone, who will doubtless 
detach a party to your assistance." 

There was also an embarrassing lack of money. 
On the 21st August he wrote to President Reed : 
" Could a considerable sum of our state money be 
obtaixied, our wants would speedily be suj^jjlied, 
for I am informed that the people will gladly re- 
ceive it in payment for their piroduce. * * * 
If we could be furnished with some half Johannes 
here we could recruit a number of excellent men 
for the service, but they will scarcely agree to 
go all the way to Philadelphia to be mustered be- 
fore they receive their bounty. I think it sounds 
best upon the drumhead ; " and on the 1 6th Sep- 
tember, " If a little hard money could be sent to 
this side [of thej hills for the recruiting service, I 
flatter myself that a number of good men might 
be raised for my regiment. But paper money is 
too plenty amongst the lower class of people to 
allure them." 

Another drawback to the recruiting service for 
awhile after he assumed the command at Fort 
Pitt was the higher bounty paid by Virginia, 
which, including that allowed by Congress, 
amounted to $150 to each recruit. "This puts it 
out of my power," he wrote to Gen. Washington, 
July 31, 1779, "to recruit my regiment until the 
state of Pennsylvania offers a higher bounty." 

It appears from the foregoing stubborn facts 
how great and various were the obstacles to gar- 
risoning Fort Armstrong as constantly and effect- 
ively as the exigencies along this frontier at times 
required. 

One of the earliest settlers in the upper part of 



the manor, and, in fact, in this region, was Jere- 
miah Cook, Sr., who emigrated from Virginia, and 
was, perhaps, among those mentioned by Wm. 
Findley as having moved up to Crooked Creek in 
1769. He was the father of Conrad, George and 
Jeremiah Cook, whose names are on the assess- 
ment list of Allegheny township for 1805, within 
whose limits the manor tract was then included. 
Others were James Barr, one of the associate 
judges of this county, James Claypoole, John Mon- 
roe, Joel Monroe, Jonathan Mason and Parker 
Truitt. John Mason volunteered in Capt. Alexan- 
der's company, and was killed by a bombshell. 
What induced Claypoole, and probably the others, 
to settle here was their impression that the manor 
bottom would be divided into tracts of about 100 
acres each, and sold at moderate prices. But when 
the Duncans became the owners they determined 
not to sell in small tracts. Barr and Claypoole 
l^urchased elsewhere. The others — some of them, 
at least — remained as renters. John Monroe was 
one of them, living at first on the hill, and after- 
Avard on the bottom, about halfway between Fort 
Run and Tub-mill Run, on that part of the tract 
now owned by Brown & Mosgrove. 

The Duncan portion of the manor remained 
undivided about eighteen years after the death of 
Robert Duncan. By his will, dated April 5, and 
registered May 2, 1807, he directed that the residue 
of his real and personal estate, after paying his 
debts, should be divided into fifteen parts, nine of 
which he devised and bequeathed to his wife, Ellen 
Duncan, and six to his daughter Mary. By pro- 
ceedings in partition, 'No. 32, March term, 1825, in 
the court of common pileas of this county, 651 acres 
and 21 perches of the lower part, and 580 acres and 
57 perches of the upper part, were awarded to and 
taken by Thomas Duncan, and 1,130 acres and 141 
perches of the central part were awarded to and 
taken by Ellen and Mary Duncan, under and by 
virtue of the decree of the court made on March 
24, 1825. Thomas Dimcan was appointed a puisne 
judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, March 
14, 1817, which position he filled until his death, 
in the spring of 1827. By his last will and testa- 
ment he authorized his executors to sell and dis- 
pose of all his estate, except what he had specifically 
devised and bequeathed. As he did not specifically 
devise his manor lands, they were first advertised 
for sale by Eben S. Kelly, agent for the executors, 
July 26, 1828. The executors having, at their own 
request, been discharged from their executorship, 
without selling these lands, Thomas Chambers was 
apf)ointed administrator, with the will annexed, 
who, through his agents, whom he selected after 



328 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Mr. Kelly's death, disposed of lliem, viz.: 349 acres 
and 7 perches to John Christy and Moses Patter- 
son, June 5, 1833, for $3,839.45; 304 acres and 33 
perches to John R. Johnston, July 1, 1835, for 
$2,437.60; 147 acres and allowance to William 
Ehinger, August 2, 1842, for $1,029; 17 acres and 
93 perches to Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert, January 
13, 1845, for $123; 111 acres and 17 perches to 
Mary and Eliza Sibbett, June 12, for $777.70. The 
records do not show to whom the residue, or 305 
acres and 88 perches, adjoining the eastern line of 
the tract sold to Christy and Patterson, was con- 
veyed. It is said to have been owned by David 
McLeod and John McGraw, both of whom have 
been dead for many years. 

Ellen and Mary Duncan sold their part of these 
lands thus: 349 acres and 140 perches to John 
Mechling, March 16, 1835, for $4,200, and to Daniel 
Torney 330 acres and 149 perches, for $2,887; 108 
acres and 34 perches to John Houser, December 28, 
for $324; 222 acres to Jacob and Joseph Ilileman, 
May 22, 1838, for $666; and 106 acres and 64 
perches to Jacob Wolf, for $318. Mechling sold 
his tract to Charles Montgomery, May 3, 1837, for 
$8,500 — an advance of $4,300 in less than two 
years. 

The territory included within the Thomas Dun- 
can and Ellen and Mary Duncan purparts has since 
been so divided and subdivided by numerous trans- 
fers, that it now contains, besides the major part 
of Manoi-ville, 57 tracts, whose areas vary from 3 
acres to 256 acres. 

That part of the southern portion of the manor 
conveyed by Cobeau to Cochran was conveyed by 
the latter to the late Judge Ross by deed dated 
October 25, 1813, namely, 681 acres and 151 
perches, for $6,000. In 1848 the latter conveyed 
318 acres and 37 perches to his son Washington, 
and devised 200 acres to his son James, and the 
residue, or 163 acres and 123 perches, with the mills, 
to his daughters Margaret, Mary, Amelia, Eliza- 
beth and Hannah. 

The other part of the southern portion, con- 
veyed by Cobeau to Smith, remained in the own- 
ership of the latter and of his legal representa- 
tives until and subsequent to 1844. The latter, 
under the authority of his will, on the 1st of Octo- 
ber of the last-mentioned year, conveyed 453 acres 
and 133 perches to John J. and Frederick Kling- 
ler ; * April 1, 1849, 245 acres and 131 perches to 
John Christy, 175 acres and 116 perches to John. 
Huston, 111 acres and 15 perches to Robert Wil- 



*0n which Archibald Dickey, and afterward Thos. Correy previ- 
ouslv resided. The stone house — the second one on the manor 
tract— was built by the latter, near the river, about 1,30 rods above 
Tub-mill run, in 1821-2, 



son ; May, 1849, 35 acres and 9 perches to William 
W. Beatty ; April 4, 1852, to John Stephenson 
and David Barr 104 acres and 52 perches ; April 
24, 195 acres and 120 perches to Rev. L. M. Graves, 
whose wife is one of that testator's heirs ; July 21, 
1855, to Margaret Jane Pry, 150 acres and 80 
perches ; March 20, 1857, to Joseph Wolf 195 acres 
and 139 perches ; June 30, 1859, to Thomas Mont- 
gomery 50 acres and 7 perches; June, 1877, to the 
administrators of the estate of Hamilton Kelly, in 
trust, etc., 229 acres and 48 perches, in pursuance 
of an article of agreement dated December 12, 
1848. The aggregate amount of the purchase 
money for these tracts is $25,710.13. 

The Cobeau portion of the Manor tract contains, 
besides the town of Rosston, twenty-five tracts, 
with areas varying from 20 to 250 acres. 

Among the first, if not the very first, white set- 
tlers on the southern part of the Manor were 
William Green and his sons James, John and 
Samuel, who emigrated from Fayette county, in 
the spring of 1787, and took up their abode above 
the mouth of Crooked creek, on what is now the 
site of Rosston. They brought with them a quan- 
tity of cornmeal, which, for want of shelter for it, 
became wet and was spoiled. The nearest points 
of supjjly were Pittsburgh and Brownsville. Food 
was very scarce. They lived for about six months 
on milk, venison and ground-nuts. They boiled 
the ground-nuts in milk, which imparted to them 
a taste somewhat like that of potatoes. John 
Green said that he and the rest of them became 
quite weak on that kind of food, so much so that 
it required two of them to carry a rail. Deer were 
caught by means of a large steel trap set in a deer- 
lick, with a chain to which three prongs were 
attached, which left their marks on the ground 
whereby the deer were traced and captured. 

The pioneer settlers here experienced the want 
of a mill for grinding corn and other grain. For 
a few years they used handmills for that purpose. 
In 1789, or the next year, William Green erected 
a small tub-mill, about sixty rods from the river, at 
a short turn on the stream still called Tub-mill run. 
The forebay was constructed from the trunk of 
either a gum or sycamore tree, and a pair of small 
millstones, from material near the run, which were 
moved by the stream that flowed through the mill- 
race and forebay falling on fans attached to the 
shaft. That was the only mill for grinding grain 
in this region, until Alexander Walker's mill, else- 
where mentioned, was erected. 

The Indians were numerous and had camps on 
both sides of the Allegheny river. From 1787 
until 1791, they were not troublesome. They had 



^ 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



329 



their war-dances where Rosston now is, and oc- 
casionally vied with the white settlers in running 
foot-races. 

Soon after the Indians become troublesome and 
dangerous, Col. Charles Campbell wrote to Will- 
iam Green to remain there ten daj's longer, and 
assured him that he would send thither some sol- 
diers. Mrs. Green and the children for safety 
occupied the fodder house at night, which con- 
sisted of a ridge-pole, placed upon two forked 
stakes which were sunk into the ground, with 
poles about four feet apart, slanting therefrom in 
opposite directions to the ground, on which smaller 
ones were fastened transversely. Bundles of topped 
corn were placed on the outside, and calves, husks 
and pumpkins were deposited within. In ten or 
twelve days thereafter, a body of soldiers arrived 
and built a log fort about the size of a common 
blockhouse, and a number of huts around it for 
soldiers' dormitories, about thirty-five rods above 
the mouth of Crooked creek, or what is now the 
Heigley lot, or lot No. 22, eight or ten rods below 
the street extending from the railroad past Christy's 
store to the river. It was called Fort Green, at 
least it is so named on the historical map of this 
state. There were different commandants, one of 
whom was Capt. Sparks, who is the only one whose 
name the writer's informant, Samuel Green, of North 
Buffalo township, a grandson of William Green, 
remembers to have heard mentioned in connection 
with the foregoing and following facts respecting 
these pioneer settlers, and that fort. Both drafted 
and enlisted men were stationed there. The num- 
ber of scouts usually sent out together was twelve 
or fourteen, and the number of spies two. Among 
the events that occurred, while that fort was thus 
occupied, and which Samuel Green remembers to 
have heard related, is this : Capt. Sparks and 
William Green discovered, one day, an Indian 
under a large sugar tree on the opposite side of the 
river. Having crossed to Bushy island, afterward 
called " Cast-off," they shot at him. But the scouts 
who were sent over to ascertain whether he had 
been killed could not discover any trace of him. 
They supposed, from the appearance of the trail, 
that there were about thirty Indians on the top of 
the hill further back from the river. 

After Harmar's defeat on the 19th and 22d 
October, 1790, the Indians became more trouble- 
some, aggressive and dangerous, and still more so 
after St. Clair's defeat November 4, 1'791. Before 
the first of those defeats, early in the year 1790, 
correspondence respecting the alarming and de- 
fenceless condition of the frontier counties of this 
state — of which Westmoreland was one — was 



commenced between citizens of these counties and 
Gov. Mifilin and Gen. Knox, then the United 
States Secretary of War. The General Assembly, 
February 23, 1790, having set forth that for many 
years the Indians had harassed and distressed the 
inhabitants on these western frontiers, that they 
were likely to continue to do so unless provision 
were made against their future murders and depre- 
dations, and that this commonwealth was desirous 
of procuring the protection and safety of all its 
citizens, recommended the Supreme Executive 
Council to apply to the President and Congress of 
the United States to afford protection to those in- 
habitants, but which was rescinded within two 
weeks thereafter, but why does not appear from 
the published minutes of that body. James Mar- 
shall and David Redick, of Washington county, 
were among the first to call the attention of Gov. 
Mifflin, by their letters, to the perilous situation 
of persons and property along these frontiers, of 
which the territory of Armstrong county was then 
a part, who transmitted them to President Wash- 
ington. Some murders were committed on the 
Allegheny in March, 1791, respecting which Maj. 
Jonathan Heart, in his letter. May 10, wrote to the 
Secretary of War, assuring him that they were not 
committed by the Munsee and Senecas — not by 
the Indians on the Allegheny, for they in every 
particular manifested the most sincere attachment 
to the United States. He intimated that they 
were committed by Indians living on the Beaver 
waters, some of whom were friends and relations 
of the Indians killed by Capt. Brady. Presley 
Neville and others had fears that the Senecas were 
really hostile, though professedly friendly. 

In those days the intelligence of murders com- 
mitted by the Indians spread rapidly from settle- 
ment to settlement, considering the kind of facili- 
ties then enjoyed for transmitting it. On the 29th 
Aj)ril, 1791, William Findley, who resided beyond 
Greensburgh, wrote to A. J. Dallas, secretary of the 
commonwealth, that "yesterday morning the In- 
dians attacked the house of James Kilpatrick" 
(Kirkpatrick) " on Crooked creek " — near the 
mouth of Plum creek — " and killed two men and 
broke a child's leg. The people, however, sup- 
23orted the house. There were six militiamen sta- 
tioned at the house, and nine, I understand, at a 
house in the neighborhood." That event made a 
wide and deep impression. David Stewart wrote 
concerning it, " Sunday, 8th day of May, 1791," to 
Gov. Mifflin : " I have this day received informa- 
tion which may be depended upon, that a party of 
Indians known to be Senecas, sometime in the last 
week of April, killed two men and one child * * 



330 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



at a place known by the name of Crooked creek, 
near Kittauing Old Town, and within twenty- 
eight or thirty miles of our frontiers. * * * 
Our settlements are in considerable fear and dan- 
ger." Andrew Gregg, in his letter to Col. Bryson* 
dated "Penn's Yalley, 16th May, 1791," wrote: 
" We have received some tolerably well authenti- 
cated accounts of the Indians being on our fron- 
tiers. Not many days since they attacked a house 
on Crooked creek, where a party of seven men had 
assembled for their mutual defence, and killed two 
men and one boy in the house. The Indians had 
one killed on the spot and another appeared badly 
wounded. Crooked creek, where the above hap- 
pened, is not more than eighty or ninety miles 
from my house. * * * The people here are a 
good deal alarmed, and are urging me to do some- 
thing in the way of preparing for defence." 

The Secretary of War, May 19, 1791, informed 
Gov. Mifflin, in accordance with the latter's request, 
he had given Col. Clement Biddle, the quarter- 
master-general of this state, an order on Maj. 
Craig, at Fort Pitt, for 200 arms and accouter- 
ments and a proportionate quantity of ammu- 
nition. 

Col. Chas. Campbell, at Greensburgh, August 13, 
wrote to Gov. Mifflin that in consequence of the 
latter's letter of the 1 9th of May he had ordered by 
di-aft a full company of militia of Westmoreland 
county to guard the frontiers until the general 
government would grant them protection ; that he 
had applied to Major John Clark, who had com- 
mand of the troops in that covmty, for the dis- 
charge of all its militia, but as the latter had not 
sufflcient men to guard so extensive a frontier, he 
requested Campbell to continue fifty of his men, 
which he did, having discharged the captain and 
thirty of his men ; those retained served their 
proper time. When their term had expired Gen. 
Butler informed Campbell that he intended to 
withdraw the new levies from their posts, and re- 
quested him to protect the frontiers of his own 
county. He added that he had agreed with the 
lieutenants of Allegheny, Fayette and Washington 
counties to furnish for his quota for that purpose 
seventy-five men, which force he found to be insuf- 
ficient on account of there being so many of the 
enemy along the frontiers constantly stealing 
horses, but doing no other damage. He therefore 
ordered to their assistance one lieutenant and 
twenty-five men, and with all of them he found it 
difficult to keep the frontier inhabitants from 
breaking up, i.e., fleeing to some other less exposed 
part of the state. In conclusion, he said he ex- 

*]jleutenant of Miiffln county, Pennsylvania. 



pected the governor would order the expenses to 
be paid to William Findley, as his character was 
at stake for the punctual payment of the men and 
provisions. 

Lt. J. Jefi:'ers, Fort Franklin (in what is now 
Venango county), December 26, 1791, sent a mes- 
sage to the commanding officer at Pittsburgh, or to 
Maj. J. Irwin of the militia, stating that he had 
just then " received authentic accounts from the 
Cornplanter that an attack on this garrison will 
almost immediately take place, for the Indians 
from below declare that they are determined to re^ 
duce this place, and shake the Cornplanter by the 
head and sweep this river from end to end," and he 
earnestly requested that one subaltern and thirty 
men, with his men who had been left sick at Pitt, 
should be immediately sent to him as a reinforce- 
ment. At the same time he wrote to Eli Williams, 
the contractor: "I am happy to inform you that 
the cattle and salt arrived safe ; the danger is so 
great in this country, that I sent soldiers and In- 
dians to escort them. The bearer of these dis- 
patches and one from Col. George McCuUy of the 
same date, said that a council of hostile Indians 
was then sitting at Buffalo creek (N. Y.), and that 
Cornplanter had been summoned to it." Therelia- 
bility of that information could only be estimated 
by the then late disasters. These dispatches 
reached Pittsburgh at 3 p. m. on the 2Sth of De- 
cember. 

A few days before the reception of these dis- 
j)atches, the inhabitants of Allegheny, Fayette, 
Washington and Westmoreland counties drew up 
a memorial to Gov. Mifflin, dated at Pittsburgh, 
December 21, jDresenting the defenseless state of 
their frontiers, the fearful apprehensions of the 
people resulting from the defeat of the army under 
Gen. St. Clair, requesting arms and ammunition to 
be furnished, recommending the raising of 800 
active partisans under experienced officers and pro- 
vided with good rifles so as to meet the enemy on 
equal terms, and to scout and give thealarm when 
needful, who should be paid in proportion to the 
price of common labor, which then averaged 50 
shillings per month, as the pay allowed to the 
troops of the United States would not be a sufficient 
inducement to able-bodied men, possessing the 
requisite qualifications, and representing that the 
drafting of men in those counties had been going 
on all the preceding summer, and in Westmoreland 
even until the time of their meeting. It was 
signed on behalf of the last-mentioned county by 
Charles Campbell, then the lieutenant thereof, and 
John Young, afterward president judge of the 
courts in the tenth judicial district of this state. 



MANOU TOWNSHIP. 



331 



Such having then been the imminent need of 
protection to the people and their property along 
this as well as other parts of the frontiers of West- 
ern Pennsylvania, President Washington through 
the secretary of war, December 26, 1791, communi- 
cated to Gov. Mifflin his adoption of the following 
measures, which were then being put into execu- 
tion : On the 16th of that month, orders were 
issued to Maj. Isaac Craig to build a blockhouse at 
Fort Pitt and surround it with palisades, so as to 
contain about 100 men, where, viz., at Fort Pitt, a 
commissioned officer and thirty-four non-commis- 
sioned and privates should remain, they being 
taken from two companies, a part of which had 
been stationed there from the 20th of October to 
the 15th of December, when they were under orders 
to descend the Ohio. On the 26th of December, 
besides commissioned officers, a detachment of 
about 120 non-commissioned officers and privates 
were to march from Philadelphia, a part of whom 
to be stationed at Fort Pitt, and detachments posted 
at such other places on the Ohio and up the Alle- 
gheny as would be most conducive to the general 
safety of these parts. Then the lieutenants of 
Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland coun- 
ties were to be authorized to call out scouts or 
patrols not exceeding eight for each covmty, who 
were to be the best of hunters or woodsmen, and to 
be allowed, as an inducement to render such ser- 
vice, the high pay of five-sixths of a dollar a day, 
which was equal to the amount paid for that kind 
of service on the frontiers of Virginia. On the 
29th of December, the secretary of war issued his 
circular to the lieutenants of those three counties, 
informing that the above-mentioned detachment of 
recruits for the regular army had marched for Fort 
Pitt, who were to be posted so as best to conduce 
to the safety of the inhabitants, reiterating what 
had been communicated to Gov. Miffiin as to the 
kind of men that should be selected for scouts and 
the high pay they should receive, and directing 
how they should be mustered into and out of the 
service. 

The president having directed the secretary of 
war to consider the above-mentioned memorial of 
December 21, the latter reported, January 1, 1792, 
that it was unfortunate that the United States had 
no general militia law, and as the frontiers required 
immediate protection, no other expedient presented 
itself except requesting the executives of the states 
that had exposed counties to call out such numbers 
of militia as would afford the necessary aid. He 
suggested that, as the militia were to be called out 
for the general defense and to be paid out of the 
general or national funds, they should be called for 



six months, unless sooner discharged. The gen- 
eral assembly of Pennsylvania, in order to make 
some effectual provision in aid of the measures of 
the federal government for the protection of the 
frontiers, passed an act, January, 1792, authorizing 
the governor to engage for six months, unless 
sooner discharged, a number of active and experi- 
enced riflemen, not exceeding 228 non-commis- 
sioned officers and privates, who were to be 
stationed at such places and in such proportions 
as should in his judgment be best calculated to 
defend these frontiers. He was required to organ- 
ize the men thus engaged into three companies, over 
which he might, if necessary, appoint and com- 
mission one major, and one captain, one lieutenant, 
one ensign, four sergeants, four corporals and two 
musicians for each company to consist of sixty-six 
privates. The pay of the commissioned officers 
was the same as that of like officers in the service 
of the United States, and that of the non-com- 
missioned officers and privates, with the bounty 
added, was equal to 60 shillings per month to each 
sergeant, 55 shillings to each corporal, and 50 
shillings to each musician and private. The sum 
of £4,500 was appropriated for rendering that act 
operative. 

The circular letter of Gov. Mifflin, January 20, 
1792, to the lieutenants of Allegheny, Fayette, 
Washington and Westmoreland counties, advised 
them, among other things, that those three com- 
panies, when filled, should be stationed thus : The 
first one at the southwest corner of Washington, 
now Greene county, and range thence to the Ohio; 
the second one at the mouth of Great Beaver, and 
range thence by the heads of Pine creek to Fort 
Crawford; the third one at the Kittanning, and 
range thence up and down the Allegheny river. 

Maj. George McCully was appointed command- 
ant of the corps. To. Col. Clement Biddle, who 
was then quartermaster-general for the state, were 
assigned the inspection and management of the 
same. John Wilkins, Jr., was the contractor of 
rations. The commissioned officers of the first 
company were : Captain — James Paul, Fayette 
county; lieutenant — Henry Enochs,* Washington 
county; ensign — Jeremiah Long, Washington 
county. Those of the second company : Ca2:)tain — 
Samuel- Smith, Washington county ; lieutenant — 
Daniel Hamilton,! Washington county; ensign — 
William Jones, Allegheny county. Those of the 
third company : Captain — John Guthrie, West- 
moreland county; lieutenant — William Cooper, 



='■ Declined; John Gray was appointed in his stead, 
t Declined ; Robert Stevison, or Stevenson, was appointed In his 
stead. 



332 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



"Westmoreland county ; ensign — Samuel Murphy, 
Westmoreland county. 

The estimate of the money required for the then 
immediate purpose of raising and equipping the 
troops under the command of Maj. George Mc- 
Cully, as made by Q. M. G. Clement Biddle, which 
included one month's pay, riiJes, powder, lead, etc., 
was £2,700, for which Gov. Mifflin, February 8, 
1792, directed a warrant to be drawn. 

The stationing of these companies at the above- 
mentioned points covered the frontiers of Alle- 
gheny and Westmoreland counties quite effect- 
ually, but left a considerable gap open in tlie north- 
westerly part of Washington county, as David 
Redick demonstrated by his pen and ink sketch or 
map of the river and region on that side of the 
last-mentioned county, which accompanied his let- 
ter of February 13, 1792, to Gov. Mifflin, in which 
letter he stated that he had been informed that 
many of the riflemen of that county had declined 
entering into the six months' service for that 
reason. Said they, "Why will we go into a ser- 
vice which appears to be calculated for the pro- 
tection of Allegheny county, whilst our own friends 
and families will continue exposed ? " A meeting 
of the inhabitants living on the Ohio, at and near 
HoUiday's cove, held on Saturday, February 4, 
took a similar view of their situation, and resolved, 
among other things, that the drafting of the front- 
ier inhabitants to serve on militia duty in any 
other part of the countiy, except where they re- 
sided, was unjust, oppressive and impolitic. They 
bound themselves, to keep respectively, in good 
order, at least one gun, and to have always in 
readiness a sufflcient quantity of ammunition to 
be prepared at a minute's warning to repulse any 
attack which might be made on the frontier in- 
habited by them. Maj. McCully was satisfied 
from the survey shown him by David Redick that 
there was " a frontier of forty miles on the south- 
west of that county, exclusive of ninety miles 
from Yallow creek to Kittannion, on the Ohio and 
Allegheny," and intimated to Gov. Mifflin, two 
days before the meeting at HoUiday's cove, that if 
the Governor would order one company of militia 
to be drafted for that uncovered part of the front- 
ier, he would dispose of his three companies 
on the river, hoping to give a good account. He 
wrote to the quartermaster-general from Greens- 
burgh, March 31, that Capt. Paul, with a beau- 
tiful company, had marched from Pittsburgh on 
Wednesday, the 28th, to cover that southwestern 
frontier. 

McCully wrote to Biddle, March 11, that on the 
arrival of certain articles which the latter had 



ordered to be forwarded, he would " send detach- 
ments to fixed posts." 

Such was the exposure of the white settlers to 
hostile attacks from the Indians along the Alle- 
gheny and Ohio rivers, from above Kittanning to 
Yellow creek, when the site of Fort Green was se- 
lected as one of those "fixed posts," whither it is 
probable " Ensign Murphy marched, on Thursday, 
29th, with twenty-eight men of Capt. Guthrie's 
company, completely armed, to join some who had 
been sent out before to cover the frontiers of 
Westmoreland county," as Maj. McCully wrote 
from Greensburgh on the 31st, adding that he was 
then on his way to those frontiers, and that he 
should order Capt. Guthrie out with the rest of his 
company with all possible haste. In his letter to 
the secretary of the commonwealth, April 6, re- 
gretting the non-arrival of any part of his and 
the companies' camp equipage, a portion of the 
rifles, which prevented him establishing posts on 
the frontier of Allegheny county, which would 
otherwise have been done, he stated that the three 
companies needed but six privates to complete the 
whole two companies, and that he had posted the 
one on the frontier of Washington, and the other 
on the frontier of Westmoreland county, though 
not completely armed and equipped. The latter 
probably remained at Fort Green several weeks, 
and then the principal portion of it was stationed 
several miles below; for Col. Charles Campbell, 
from Black Lick, his residence in what is now In- 
diana county. May 28, wrote to Gov. Mifflin, that 
on the 22d the Indians attacked Lieut. William 
Cooper's station, near the mouth of the Kiskimin- 
etas, and killed one man and wounded another, and 
that Maj. McCully had taken all his men away 
from Green's and Reed's stations, except a few to 
keep up Green's. He suggested that as Smith's 
and Guthrie's companies were to be stationed at 
the month of the Puckety — Fort Crawford — he 
would have to give up the settlements near these 
stations, or, as requested by McCully, send the 
militia thither. He insisted that both of these 
stations should be supplied or manned by conti- 
nental troops, as it was distressing to call on the mi- 
litia of the one county to guard so extensive a front- 
ier, to stand as a barrier to the interior, but that, 
if a sufflcient number of men were not kept out, 
those settlements would break up, as they could 
not support themselves without raising some crops. 
In a postscript he stated that he had just received 
a dispatch by express, that 100 Indians had crossed 
the Allegheny river, and fifty others had been seen 
the day before in the inhabited parts, and one man 
had been killed. William Findley, in his letter 




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III 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



333 



June 1, to Secretary Dallas, after relating the at- 
tack at Reed's station, stated that the alarm caused 
by it spread rapidly. The Indians heralded their 
approach by burning some of the houses which 
they first reached. There were only about forty 
of them, but they created so great a panic that the 
people fled before them. They went out in squads 
of from five to seven, keeping nearly the course of 
the Kiskiminetas. They did not seem to be so 
anxious to kill as to plunder. Their eager desire 
to capture horses seemed to divert their attention 
from sheddiiig blood. A scout pursued one of 
these squads up the north side of the Kiskiminetas 
to the mouth of Black Leg's creek and down to the 
Allegheny, but could not get a shot at them, on 
account of the unfavorable character of the ground, 
but succeeded in recapturing ten horses. The 
scarcity of arms among the whites was a distress- 
ing circumstance. Thus vohintary exertions were 
prevented and many families were compelled to 
flee. The white settlers had become so confident 
that the Indians would not wage war again and the 
need of money was so imminent, to repair their 
desolated homes, that they had sold their guns to 
the people going down the river. On the 18th 
he wrote that Col. John Pomeroy, one of the best 
and most trustworthy oflScers on this side of the 
mountains, was then out with six eomj^anies of 
militia. 

In bis letter of the 18th he stated that the neg- 
lect and disobedience of the oflicers and scouting 
parties along the Allegheny river had obliged Maj. 
McCuUy to keep two companies — mentioned by 
Col. Campbell — embodied at one station where he 
could enforce the execution of his own orders; 
that the small scouting parties, sent out by Capt. 
Guthrie, never went the length of their appointed 
tours ; Cooper did not send out any scouts ; and 
there was excessive drunkenness. 

The secretary of war, July 11, informed Gov. 
Mifflin that the troops of the United States, in 
considerable numbers, would soon arrive on the 
frontiers of this state, and that a sufiicient portion 
of them would remain there until the effect of cer- 
tain pacific overtures to the Indians should be 
known. In that condition of affairs, and as the 
time for which the state troops were raised would 
soon expire, he asked whether it would be compati- 
ble with the views and arrangements of his 
excellency to permit the continental officers, recruit- 
ing in this state, to endeavor to enlist such non- 
commissioned oflicers and privates of those com- 
panies as would be inclined thereto. 

Whereupon A. J. Dallas, secretary of this com- 
monwealth, presuming that the proposals in the 
21 



communication of the secretary of war were satis- 
factory to Gov. Mifiiin, proposed: 

That instructions should be transmitted to the 
lieutenants of the exposed counties, that they 
should keep up the same number of spies, drafted 
from the militia, that had been authorized to be 
employed before the organization of the three 
companies; that any surplus in the appropriations 
of the 1791-2 should be used for bounties to engage 
the best woodsmen in that service; that the spies 
should be engaged to commence their services at 
the expiration of the term of service of these com- 
panies; that so much of the arms and ammunition 
of those companies as were necessary should be 
supplied to the spies, and the rest given into the 
custody of the county lieutenants; that it should 
be stipulated that the spies should be in constant 
motion on the exposed parts of the frontiers, and 
keep up a constant communication with the federal 
camp on the upper part of the Ohio and at Fort 
Franklin, giving all the information possible; and 
that a copy of these instructions should be sent to 
Maj. McCully, inclosed in a letter of thanks to him 
and his corps. He deemed it imprudent to enter 
into that arrangement or suggest it to the officers 
for some time, because a delay of two or three 
weeks might obviate its necessity, either by the 
receipt of the news of i^eace, or some unexfiected 
and untoward event might render a more powerful 
exertion unavoidable. 

John Wilkins, Jr., December 21, informed the 
quartermaster-general that he had advertised in 
the Pittsburgh Gazette that he would be at Wash- 
ington on the 4th, at Uniontown on the Vth, and 
at Denniston's mill on the I7th of January, 1793, 
to pay the officers and men of the six months state 
militia. Captain Guthrie's company was of course 
paid off at the last-mentioned place. 

Col. Charles Campbell, from Black Lick, February 
27, wrote to Gov. Mifflin that although there had 
not been any damage done for some time, the peo- 
ple on the frontiers of his county were apprehen- 
sive that they would receive a stroke from the 
Indians in the spring, as the winter had been veiy 
open and clear of snow. In the same letter he 
stated that there were then about thirty of the 
continental soldiers stationed "at the Cattannian" 
and at Coe's station. The latter was on the west 
side of the Allegheny river, about a mile below a 
point opposite Fort Crawford, or the mouth of 
Poketas. The fonner must have been Green's, as 
it was called "the Kittanning" for several miles 
along the river above Crooked creek. Kittanning 
was pronounced and spelled variously in those 
times by those who knew not its correct orthogra- 



334 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



phy and orthoepy. That station became and was 
called a fort — Fort Green — on being occupied by 
United States troops. 

The secretary of war informed Gov. Mifflin, Sep- 
tember 3, 1793, that information had that day 
been received that, notwithstanding the utmost 
efforts of the commissioners, the pacific overtures 
to the Indians north of the Ohio had been rendered 
abortive by their insisting upon the Ohio as the 
boundary. The majority of the Indians of various 
tribes determined on war, notwithstanding Capt. 
Brandt and his Mohawks, who were among them, 
strongly urged the hostile ones to make peace with 
the United States. Gen. Knox thought that the 
sword only, under the circumstances, could afford 
ample protection to the frontiers, and although it 
was believed that the militia collected on the 
frontiers and the scouts, under the governor's 
orders, were sufficient for their defense, he deemed 
it proper to caution the people immediately that 
every measure necessary to guard against surprise 
should be adopted. 

A few weeks later an Indian runner, sent by 
Cornplanter, raised an alarm by informing the peo- 
ple that a party of Indians was about to attack 
some part of the frontiers, which caused Col. 
Campbell and others at a meeting, held in reference 
thereto, to recommend that a company should be 
raised and stationed on the frontiers. Gen. Will- 
iam Jack wrote the governor from Greensburgh, 
November 19, that he had consulted with Gen. John 
Gibson, several militia officers and "respectable 
characters of this county," and he and they were 
of the opinion that there was reasonable cause for 
continuing in service the additional company un- 
der Capt. Murray, which had for some time been 
stationed on the "Westmoreland frontier. Gov. 
Mifflin, February 28, 1794, requested the secretary 
of war to loan four brass nine-pounders to be used 
in defense of the frontiers. An act of assembly 
was passed the same day providing for that de- 
fense, and on the 1st of March the governor issued 
his circulars to the lieutenants and ensigns of the 
three defensive companies, who were therein di- 
rected to apply immediately to their respective 
captains for instructions to raise their respective 
complements of non-commissioned officers and men. 
One of them was directed to Samuel Murphey, lieu- 
tenant, Allegheny county; James Patterson, ensign, 
Allegheny county, and Stephen MoHuflfy, ensign, 
Westmoreland county. 

The secretary of war. May 19, transmitted to Gov. 
Mifflin the act of congress directing a detachment 
from the militia of the United States, and stated that 
in pursuance thereof the president desired the gov- 



ernor to take effectual measures as soon as might 
be to organize, arm and equip according to law, 
and hold in readiness to march at a moment's 
warning, 10,768 of the militia of Pennsylvania, in- 
cluding the officers, who were to be either the 
militia officers or others at the option of the ^con- 
stitutional authority of this state, and the organiza- 
tion of the corps or detachment was to be conform- 
able to the act of congress. May 8, 1792, which 
provided for establishing a uniform militia through- 
out the United States. 

At that time, the present territory of Armstrong- 
county lay partly in Allegheny, Northumberland 
and Westmoreland counties. It appears, from the 
roll designating the several brigades which were to 
constitute that detachment, that the quota of Alle- 
gheny county was 297; of Northumberland county, 
456, and of Westmoreland county, 410. Brig.-Gen. 
Wilkins was assigned to the command of the bri- 
gade, which consisted of the quotas from Allegheny 
and Westmoreland counties. 

Military discipline must have been very lax, for 
John Adlum wrote to Gov. Mifflin from Fort 
Franklin, Augtist 31, 1794: 

" The posts along the Allegheny river kept by 
the eight-months' men are a burlesque on the mili- 
tary art, at least those of them that I have seen, for 
the officers and men are generally jack fellows 
alike, and I have passed them when the men have 
been lolling about without either guard or sentry, 
and, from inquiry, find it to be too generally the case, 
and I am certain they might be surprised any day 
or night by an inferior number." 

Wolves, bears and deer were numerous. Samuel 
Green, Sr., killed a very large bear with a club. 
He shot and killed a panther on Green's, now Ross' 
island, which is said to have been the largest one 
ever killed in this county. It measured eleven 
feet from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. 

William Green and his sons lemoved, prior to 
1804, to the west side of the river, and Judge Ross 
became thereafter the first permanent white settler 
in this southwestern portion of the Manor, probably 
in 1807, as he is first assessed in Kittanning town- 
ship in 1808. He and his family occupied for awhile 
one of the cabins near Fort Green. In the course 
of a few years he built the stone house now owned 
and occupied by his son, Washington Ross, which 
was the first one of that material erected in this 
region, and probably one of the first within the 
present limits of that part of this county which is 
on the east side of the Allegheny river, except the 
one in Kittanning borough. He was then (1808) 
assessed with 100 acres, valued at $4 per acre. He i 
was first assessed with a gristmill and sawmill in 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



335 



1820, so that tliey were probably erected in 1819. 
They were situated on the right bank of Crooked 
creek, about 200 rods above its mouth, having been 
since known as "Ross' mills." In the former 
were two runs of stone. Grists were brought to it 
at times from a distance of from twenty to thirty 
miles. It is said that this j)ortion of the Manor 
tract was once called " Egypt," on account of the 
abundant quantity of grain which it yielded. 

The island opposite the mouth of Crooked creek 
became the property of William Green by virtue 
of his "improvement right." His application 
therefor in writing to the secretary of the land 
oflSce is dated March IV, 1807, and an order was 
issued the same day to James Sloan, James 
Matthews and James McCormiok to appraise it. 
Green conveyed it to Ross, February 18, 1808, for 
$100. The quantity of land in it, as specified in 
the deed, was 21 acres and 59 perches. The latter 
conveyed it to his son Washington, March 17, 
1848, containing, as specified in the deed, 38 acres 
and 6 perches, showing its quantity, as ascertained 
by a later and more accurate survey, to be 16 aci-es 
and 107 perches greater than that ascertained by 
the original and less accurate survey. It is assessed 
this year (1876) as containing 30 acres, at $40 per 
acre. The diminution of its quantity has probably 
been caused by the action of the ice and water in 
the floods and freshets that have occurred in the 
Allegheny river during the last quarter of a 
century. 

Crooked creek was declared to be a public high- 
way from its mouth to Jacob Frantz's mill, by act 
of March 19, 1816. 

The small island next above the last-nientioned 
one contains about seven acres, and is called " Cast- 
Off " in the records, probably because it has been 
separated from the other. It formerly belonged to 
the estate of Samuel Cochran. By the act of 
March 9, 1847, for the settlement of that estate, 
P. Fraizer Smith, the present reporter of the cases 
in the supreme court of this state, was appointed 
trustee for that j^urpose. He conveyed this island 
to Patrick Black, December 14, 1854, for 175, that 
being the highest and best price bidden for it, who 
conveyed the undivided half part of it, April 11, 
1861, to Simon Truby, Jr., for $200, who conveyed 
two-thirds of that undivided half to J. B. Finley 
and Thos. McConnell, on the 15th of that month, 
for $133.34, showing an appreciation in value of 
that one-half part of 166to per cent in a little over 
six years. The last-named j)urchasers and Darwin 
Phelps conveyed the entire island, November 9, 
1863, to George C. King for $225. 

The other original tracts which and parts of 



which were within what are now the limits of 
Manor township, were: The Samuel Findley tract, 
202f acres, seated by Michael Ritchards, and ad- 
joined the southeastern part of the Manor, the sur- 
vey of which was made June 2, 1770, by order 
dated April 3, 1769, a part of which now belongs 
to the estate of John Williams, deceased ; the 
Thomas Burd tract, ISO acres, seated by Samuel 
Simmeral; the John Roberts tract, called " Roberts- 
burgh," 237^ acres, partly in Kittanning township 
seated by John Hartman ; the Clement Biddle 
tract, called " Biddlesburgh," 317 acres, seated by 
James Kilgore and Joshua Spencer; the John Bid- 
die tract, called " Biddleton," 319.3 acres, became 
vested in Jonathan Paul, of New Castle, Delaware, 
who conveyed it to Thomas Newlin, May 2, 1808, 
for $620; the Simon Herman tract, 295 acres, part- 
ly in Kittanning township, seated by Jacob Wolf ; 
the Peter Ehinger tract, 400 acres, partly in Kit- 
tanning township, seated by himself ; the William 
Betts, Sr., tract, 401 acres, seated by John Howser; 
the William Betts, Jr., tract, 378^ acres, seated by 
Henry Hartman ; the Alexander Hunter tract, called 
" Mahogany," seated by Jacob Ilileman ; the John 
Smith tract, called "Maria's Choice," " situate on 
the Kittanning path," 411^ acres, partly in Kittan- 
ning townshij), seated by Joseph and Tobias Stive- 
son; the Michael Mechling tract, called " Mechling- 
burgh," 105 acres and 59 perches, seated by Jacob 
Wilyard; the John Gray tract, 280 acres, seated by 
Jacob Wilyard ; the Rebecca Smith tract, 390.9 
acres, seated by Thomas McMasters ; the James 
Glentworth tract, called " Glentworth Park," 415 
acres, seated by David McKelvy; and the Robert 
Davidson tract, 430.9 acres, seated by James 
Dougherty and John Truby. 

" Glentworth Park " is skirted by the Allegheny 
river from the southwestern corner of "Victory" 
to the northwestern corner of " Rebecca's Hope," 
or the Rebecca Smith tract, and from which there is 
an extended view of the beautiful scenery up and 
down and on both sides of that river. To show the 
advance in the value of the land in the northern 
part of Manor township in the lapse of thirty or 
forty years, the transfers of " Glentworth Park " 
and the Robert Davidson tract are given. The 
warrant for the former is dated September 13, 1784. 
Glentworth conveyed his interest therein January 
7, 1788, to John Ashley, the consideration expressed 
in the deed being $1. Ashley conveyed this tract 
to Thomas Skelly April 29, 1808, for $605, and the 
latter to Mrs. Rebecca McKelvy, wife of David 
McKelvy, " by and with the consent and approba- 
tion of her said husband," the undivided one-half 
part thereof, December 8, 1808, for $310.45, and 



336 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the residue to David McKelvy, August 10, 1818, 
for $415, aggregating $725.45. The Robert Davi- 
son tract, adjoining it partly on the north, was pur- 
chased by the late Judge BufRngton from the heirs 
of Robert Davidson in 1846-7, for $2,170. 

The Rebecca Smith tract lay between " Glent- 
worth Park " on the north, "Mahogany" on the 
east, the manor on the south and the Allegheny 
river on the west. The mouth of Garrett's run is 
near its northwestern corner. One branch of this 
run rises on that part of the John Schenck tract now 
owned by Peter Heilman, in Kittanning township. 
It was probably named after Garrett Pendergrass, 
who established a trading post near its mouth, 
about where Patterson's store now is, prior to 1800, 
with whom Jacob Waltenbough occasionally 
traded. His stock consisted chiefly of dry goods, 
which he sold to the whites, and traded with the 
Indians for skins. He must have left there before 
1805, as his name does not appear on the assess- 
ment list of Allegheny township for that year, or 
afterward on that of Kittanning township. The 
PuUen path, which it is said the Indians traveled 
when they went east to commit depredations, ex- 
tended from this point eastward to where it inter- 
sected the Kittanning or Ohio path", on the John 
Schenck tract. Its route, in part, was probably 
past the front of George Bovard & Sons' store, and 
thence over the hill a little north of his dwelling- 
house, for Alexander Cunningham and William 
McKelvy found a line of trees along there, which 
appeared to have been blazed by the Indians many 
years before they cleared the land there, some forty 
years ago. In the trunk of one of the trees, which 
they cut down, was a bullet, between which and 
the surface the concentric circles indicated that it 
must have been there eighty or more years. When 
George Bovard took possession of that part of 
"Rebecca's Hope," in 185.3-4, there were on it 
three or four circular mounds, ten or twelve feet in 
diameter, and five or six feet high, and about ten 
feet apart, made of the sandstone which was abun- 
dant near them. The warrant for this tract is 
dated September 13, 1784. Rebecca Smith became 
Rebecca Bakewell, and this entire tract continued 
in the ownership of William G. Bakewell and 
others of her descendants, until they conveyed it to 
Robert Speer, January 10, 1846, for |1,173, who 
has since then, at divers times since 1853, sold 
about two hundred and forty-five acres in twenty 
different parcels, varying in quantity from about 
the sixteenth of an acre to one hundred and thirty- 
seven acres, for $8,210.71. It was formerly thought 
that a vein of lead existed within what is now the 
territory of this township ; such an idea has crept 



into Gordon's " Gazetteer" of this state. The sup- 
position used to be somewhat prevalent that there 
were veins of silver in this western region. As 
late as December 20, 1866, Speer made the special 
reservation in his deed to Rev. J. N. Dick for the 
13 acres and 121 perches in the northwestern part 
of " Rebecca's Hope " to search for ten years in the 
ravine, on the east side of the tract thereby con- 
veyed, " for gold, silver and lead, and, if found, to 
mine the same." It does not appear that the geo- 
logical and mineralogical features indicate the 
existence of any one of these metals in its native 
state as a natural product anywhere in this county. 
If pieces of either ore were ever found here, they 
were probably brought from the west by the In- 
dians and lost. 

Among the white settlers near the mouth of 
Garrett's run, in the latter part of the last and the 
early part of the present century, was James 
Henry. Jeremiah Lochery, a singular and some- 
what noted character in those times, lived with 
him. Lochery was reputed to have accompanied 
Gen. Armstrong in his expedition to Kittanning, 
and to have been wounded in one of Capt. Sam 
Brady's raids. Sherman Day learned, more than 
thirty years ago, from those who knew Lochery, 
that " he had no family, and wandered from house 
to house, staying all night with people and repay- 
ing their hospitality with anecdotes of his adven- 
tures," a knowledge of which has not come down, 
so far as the present writer is informed, to any of 
the present generation. Peter Ehinger, with his 
family, removed from the west side of the river to 
this side of it and resided, for several years, a few 
rods above the mouth of Garrett's run, and re- 
moved thence to the tract warranted in his name, 
a part of which is now occupied by his son James. 

The original tracts outside of the manor appear 
to have been unoccupied for many years after they 
were surveyed, except by those who seated them 
and a few others who were transient residents. 
Patrick Dougherty, however, settled on the north- 
western part of the Davison tract, a short distance 
below where the rolling mill now is, and above the 
small run between the Armstrong and the Glent- 
worth tracts, in 1790, where he resided twenty-two 
years, during a part of which period he traded 
with the Indians and others, and transported freight 
to and from Pittsburgh in a canoe capable of carry- M 
ing twelve barrels of flour, according to the state- ■ 
ment of one of his descendants. The writer has 
his account book, less a few of its first pages, 
which have been torn out. His accounts were kept j 
in pounds, shillings and pence, in Pennsylvania 
German, probably by his wife, who was a daughter 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



337 



of the elder Jeremiah Cook, elsewhere mentioned. 
It appears from the entries that Dougherty was 
trading there as early as October, 1793. On the 
fourth day of that month, Stephen Allen was 
charged with sundry quantities of cherry, walnut 
and poplar boards, and about the same time Gollit 
and Himmig was also charged with divers quan- 
tities of the same materials. Those parties, per- 
haps, resided in Pittsburgh, whither Daugherty 
transported these articles in his large canoe. The 
reader may be curious to know the prices which 
those kinds of lumber then brought. The following 
items are therefore given : 450 feet cherry boards, £1 
10s 6d; 400feet walnut boards, 16s; 700 feet poplar 
boards £2 5s 6d. The price of liquors, probably 
whisky, appears to have been two shillings a quart in 
1799. Daugherty also kept a ferry between his place 
and Sloan's on the opposite side of the Allegheny 
river. The ferriage for one person was sixpence, 
and the same for one horse. That book shows 
that some who habitually crossed the river there 
did not pay their ferriage instanter, for it contains 
charges therefor against various persons, some of 
which are quite numerous and extend through the 
years 1800-1-2, but which appear to have been 
from time to time adjusted. The names of the 
persons thus charged are of interest in this con- 
nection as showing some of the then residents in 
the vicinity of that ferry and on both sides of the 
river. They are : Frederick Monroe, Thomas 
Williams, Levi Hill, Hamilton Kilgore, William 
Broch, Samuel Kelly, Jonathan Mason, Andrew 
McQuirn, Sebastian Wolf, Samuel Sunerall, Archi- 
bald Moore, James Hall, Malfus Sisrot. 

In 1812 Patrick Daugherty enlisted in Capt. 
James Alexander's company, accompanied to Black 
Rock, and died the next year of fever contracted 
in the service. 

A part of the Davison tract was occupied several 
years after 1826 by James, son of Patrick Daugh- 
erty. In 1839 David Crytzer was assessed with 
430 acres of the last-mentioned tract ; William 
McKelvy with 200 acres, and James McKelvy with 
100 acres of the Glentworth tract ; Robert Speer 
with 200 acres of the Rebecca Smith tract; James 
Lowther with 285 acres of the John Gray tract ; 
John Richard with 80, and John Lopeman with 25 
acres, of the Michael Mechling tract ; Jacob Hile- 
man with 307, Caskey with 50 and George Olinger 
with 50 acres of the Alexander Hunter tract ; 
Charles Rupert with 100, George Smeltzer with 
150, and Philip Houser with 50 acres of the Wm. 
Betts, Sr., tract; Philip Houser with 189 acres of 
the Wm. Betts, Jr., ti-act ; Jacob Wolf with 295 
acres of the Simon Hermon tract; John Hustman 



with 336 acres of the John Roberts tract ; John 
Cunningham with 240, Wm. llartman with 83, and 
John Wolf with 73 acres of the John Biddle tract; 
Michael Isaman with 169, Solomon King with 143, 
and Joshua Spencer with 100 acres of the Clement 

Biddle tract; and Samuel Simmerall with 

acres of, probably, the Thos. Burd tract, which 
was surveyed to George Beck, who conveyed it to 
Jacob Beck, to whom the commonwealth granted 
a patent, March 27, 1837, who, on April 3, conveyed 
it to James C. Kerr, as containing 180 acres, for 
$2,000. He conveyed it to Robert Walker (of A), 
who devised it to his son Alexander, the present 
owner and occupant. Jonathan Mason was assessed 
with 225 acres from 1804 till 1816. 

The reader who is familiar with the topography 
of this township can readily recognize the respect- 
ive locations of the above-mentioned tracts, by 
beginning at the Davison tract and tracing them 
in the order in which they are named southerly to 
Crooked creek. On the draft of the original sur- 
vey of the Manor tract, the land adjoining the line 
from its northeast corner, which is on the tract 
now occupied by Rev. A. S. Miller, south 18 
degrees west 977 perches to a point about 200 
rods nearly west of the present residence of 
Mrs. M. Lease, including the southern part of 
the Hunter, the whole of the two Betts and John 
Biddle tracts, and part of the Clement Biddle 
tract, is designated as "hilly poor land," from 
which designation, thus made by the then deputy 
surveyor-general of Cumberland county, the pres- 
ent owners, it is presumed, emphatically dissent, 
so far as it includes the qualifying word "poor." 
Its hilliness is patent, but the soil is generally too 
productive to be called poor, while the scenery 
visible from several points is grand, variegated and 
picturesque. 

Among the early settlers in the southeastern 
part of this township was Joshua Spencer, Sr., who 
settled on the Clement Biddle tract, whose early 
biography is not without interest, from the fact of 
his having been a captive in his boyhood. He was 
about twelve years old at the beginning of the 
revolutionary war. While he and another person 
were thrashing in a barn where he then lived in 
the Susquehanna country, in the fall of 1776, 
five Indians rapidly entered the barn. Their 
moccasins being slippery, they fell, but instantly 
arose, captured Spencer and his companion, and, 
with the aid of three other Indians who remained 
outside, took the captives to the Indian country, 
where they were compelled to run the gantlet, 
which Spencer did without injury, but the other 
was badly hurt and covered with blood. When 



338 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Spencer had finished an Indian came up to him, 
called him "a d — d Yankee," and knocked him 
down. Having been adopted by the tribe, a squaw 
was selected for his wife. One day an Indian 
having suddenly raised his head from stooping 
over the fire, in the cabin where Spencer was, 
struck it against the front of the chimney over 
the fireplace, and was so provoked by being thus 
hurt that he seized a butcher-knife with which he 
chased Spencer to the end of the cabin, where he 
suddenly stopped.and left him unharmed. He was 
adopted in place of an Indian boy that had died. 
The men wanted to kill him, but the squaws 
saved him. He planned his escape thus : While 
out fishing, daily, he marked his time by the 
shadow of a tree, so that he knew how much 
longer he remained away from his Indian quarters 
one day after another. He escaped on one of 
these days to the British, surrendered himself as a 
prisoner of war, was taken to Canada, transferred 
thence to Prisoner's island, in Lake Erie. Either 
there or in Canada he and Lieutenant Samuel 
Murphy, afterward of Murphy's bend, were fellow- 
prisoners. At the close of the revolutionary war 
he was exchanged. He then returned to his old 
home in the Susquehanna country, where he 
married, emigrated in 1799 to what is now Burrell 
township, in this county, and afterward removed 
to the Clement Biddle tract, in Manor township, 
where he died about 1 844. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first schoolhouse within what are now the 
limits of this township was a primitive log struct- 
ure, which, according to a rather ancient draft of 
that portion of the manor tract purchased by Jona- 
than Smith, was located a few rods north of the pres- 
ent site of the Appleby Manor Presbyterian church, 
on the Duncan purpart of the manor tract, very 
near the line between it and the Cobeau jjurpart on 
the right hand side of the Kittanning and Leech- 
burgh road, facing to the north. It was jirobably 
erected as early as, perhajis earlier than, 1802, and 
was for years the only one within a circuit of several 
miles, to which the children of this then sparsely 
settled region resorted for instruction. The first 
teacher in it was probably Harrison Cook ; the 

next, Conkling, who was succeeded, several 

years afterward, by one whom his pupils rather 
ungraciously called "the old girl." He taught 
there in 1811-12. Hugh Campbell was one of his 
pupils and the only one of those who attended that 
school, so far as the writer has learned, now living. 
He had previously taught elsewhere in this county. 
His name was pronounced as if it were spelled 



Girl or Gurl, neither of which is correct. His 
name in full is Edward Gorrell. The orthoepy 
was faulty, as much so as in our own times is the 
construction of Horrell into Hurl or Hirl. His 
name appears for the first time on the assessment 
list of Allegheny township in 1811; in 1813 he 
was assessed with twelve acres of land. In 1814 
the assessor wrote his name " Gurral." He may 
have been a kinsman of Lt. Gorrell, who com- 
manded the English garrison at Green Bay, in the 
summer of 1*763, when the great Pontiac's mighty 
conspiracy was raging, and which, through the 
tact and good conduct of its commandant, was 
the only forest garrison that was not then over- 
powered. Perhaps some of that name in and 
about Pittsburgh are descendants or other kindred 
of that early teacher in the manor. 

These were considered, so far as the writer can 
learn, good teachers in those times; they were 
good penmen, and taught thoroughly the few 
branches then embraced in the course of study in 
those early schools. Gorrell's pupils say he wrote 
a very fine, neat and beautiful hand. 

That primitive temple of knowledge, in the 
course of several years, was abandoned and another 
log one was ei-ected about sixty rods southwest of 
it, on the opposite side of the last-mentioned road, 
which continued in use after the adoption of the 
common school system until 1866, when a frame 
one was erected, about forty rods- east of it, a few 
rods below the church, which is still used for school 
purposes. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 7; average 
number months taught, 4; male teachers, V; average 
monthly salaries, $20; male scholars, 179; female 
scholars, 143; average number attending school, 191; 
cost of teaching each per month, 46 cents; amount 
levied for school purposes, $646.82 ; amount re- 
ceived from state appropriation, 187.51 ; amount 
received from collectors, $317.01 ; cost of in- 
struction, $560 ; fuel and contingencies, $31 ; 
repairs, etc., $11. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 9 ; average 
number months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 2 ; fe- 
male teachers, 7 ; average salaries per month of 
male teachers, $32 ; average salaries per month of 
female teachers, $33.29 ; male scholars, 247 ; fe- 
male scholars, 202; average number attending 
school, 283 ; cost per month, 65 cents ; total 
amount tax levied for school and building pur- 
poses, $2,380.68 ; received from state appropria- 
tion, $298.53 ; from taxes and other sources, 
$2,791,75 ; cost of schoolhouses, viz., purchasing, 
renting, etc., $996.20; teachers' wages, $1,320; 
fuel, contingencies, etc., $588.16. 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



339 



CRADLE FACTOBT. 

The proprietor of this factory for the manu- 
facture of grain-cradles, Thomas Montgomery, 
commenced the business in his twelfth year on a 
very limited scale, and with a very meager stock 
of tools. In the manufacture of his first cradle 
he used an old drawing knife, a shingle nail, ground 
sharp for a chisel, a fire-poker for a bit or boring 
tool, and a condemned cradling scythe, which he 
procured from his brother. His first cradle, thus 
made, was used for several years. It won a some- 
what extensive reputation, which induced several 
of his neighbors to apply to him to make cradles 
for them. He did so, they finding the scythes and 
trimmings, and he finding the wood. The demand 
for his cradles increased to such an extent that the 
boy began to regard himself as a manufacturer. 
He collected about $25, with which he purchased, 
at Pittsburgh, one and a half dozen scythes, a 
brace, three bits, three chisels of diflierent sizes. 
He also purchased on credit an additional dozen 
and a half of scythes from P. H. Laufman, who 
insisted on his thus taking them, and which he 
used in making thirty-six cradles,which were readily 
sold. The next year he made 160 cradles — all by 
hand. He thus continued to manufacture on a 
small scale until his father moved from the Manor 
to near Cochran's mills, where he made them about 
four years — during the latter part of that period 
at the rate of 350 annually. He removed thence 
to near the junction of the Anderson Creek road 
and the Clearfield turnpike, in what is now 
Valley township, where, for nine years, he an- 
nually made nearly 600. Thence he removed to 
Manor township, where — except two years dur- 
ing the war, on that portion of the lower tract 
taken by Thomas Duncan and purchased by Moses 
Patterson — in connection with his agricultural 
pursuits, he has continued to manufacture thein 
at the rate of from 450 to 650 each year. He has 
from first to last made and sold 18,000 cradles, and 
still continues to make them. 

TEMPEEANCB. 

The vote, February 28, 1873, for granting a li- 
cense to sell liquors, 34 ; against it, 85. 

POSTAL. 

The Ross' Mill postofiice was established June 
16, 1843, George Ross, postmaster. The only one 
now within the limits of this township is the one 
at Rosston. It was established June 15, 1858. 
The first postmaster was Thomas McConnell ; the 
present one is John C. Christy. 



POPULATION. 

According to the census there were, in 1850, 
white, 754, and colored inhabitants, 11; in 1860, 
white, 1,210; in 1870, native, 1,013, foreign, 58. 
There has been a considerable accession of colored 
persons, employes and their families, at the quarry, 
since the taking of the last census. The present 
number of taxables is 426, making the present 
population 1,967, exclusive of Manorville, whose 
population was included in that of the township in 
1850 and 1860. 

EOSSTON 

is a town or village on the Ross tract, extending 
from the mouth of Crooked creek up along the left 
bank of the Allegheny river, on its west side, and 
the Allegheny Valley Railroad on its east side. It 
was surveyed and laid out into thirty lots for 
Washington Ross — hence its name — by James 
Stewart, September 18, 1854. Its shape, by reason 
of the curvature of the railroad and the bend in 
the river, is nearly lanceolate. Lot. No. 30, the 
one between the southmost street and the mouth 
of the creek, contains 1 acre and 70 perches. The 
width of the east ends of each of lots Nos. 1, 2 
and 3, fronting on Railroad street, is 66 feet and 
10 inches, and that of the eastern ends of all the 
rest, except No. 19, is 66 feet. The width of the 
western ends of lots Nos. 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 is 66^ 
feet each; of lots Nos. 12, 13 and 19, 68 feet each, 
and that of the west end of No. 1 1 and east end of 
No. 19 is 65 feet. Their lengths vary, the greatest 
being 277, and the least 100 feet. The plan of 
this town shows four streets and two alleys.to have 
been laid out. Water street is 40 feet wide, and 
extends along the river, between the two unnamed 
streets, which intersect it, • north 44 degrees east 
672 feet. Railroad street extends from the south- 
most street north 50 degrees east 332^ feet to an 
alley, thence north 44 degrees east 342 feet to the 
northmost street, and thence north 34f degrees 
east to the upper extremity of the pibt. The two 
alleys are each 12 feet wide, and cross each other 
at right angles nearly midway between the north- 
most and southmost streets. At the upper extremity 
of the plot is a parcel of ground that was not laid 
out in lots, containing 100 square perches, which 
Anthony Kealer purchased for an acre more or less 
for $100, by deed dated March 3, 1868. 

On lot No. 22, fronting on Water street, which 
is the third lot below the northmost street, that 
is, the street extending from the railroad station 
west to Water street, now known as the Heigley 
lot, was the site of Fort Green, elsewhere men- 
tioned. Some of its outworks extended back on 



340 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



to lot No. 9. The first sales of lots appear from 
the records to have been made November 25, 1854, 
to John Isamon, No. 1 for $106 ; to Jacob Isamon, 
Nos. 3, 27 and 29 for $281, averaging $93.66 for 
each. 

A steam sawmill was erected by Messrs. Wash- 
ington Ross and George Householder on lot No. 
30, which cost $3,000. Ross purchased House- 
holder's interest in the mill, and afterward, Sep- 
tember 23, 1859, sold it and that lot to Andrew J. 
Faulk for $4,500. Faulk reconveyed the same to 
Ross, April 1, 1861, for $4,000, who conveyed the 
same, April 8, 1867, to William T. and George 
Reiter for $6,300, from whom it subsequently 
passed by public sale to Elisha Robinson, Jr. For 
the first three years its capacity was such as to 
enable the proprietors to saw 3,000 feet a day. 
Afterward, by the introduction of the muley 
saw, the capacity was increased to 10,000 feet a 
day. The Allegheny Valley Railroad afi'orded an 
extensive market for the stuff sawed imtil the 
completion of the Bennett's branch or Low Grade 
division. A large quantity of the lumber sawed 
here was also used in the construction of boats or 
barges, which was carried on at Rosston for several 
years. The number of employes in the mill, 
which was run by steam, and the boatyard was 
from fifteen to twenty. 

Other lots were sold at various times for different 
prices. For instance, lot No. 22, the site of Fort 
Green, was conveyed to Emjnanuel Heigley for $51, 
and Nos. 15 and 16 to Jacob Spencer for $100, 
both on February 6, 1858. Lots Nos. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 
were conveyed to Andrew J. Faulk, afterward 
governor of Dakota territory, November 25, 1859, 
for $420, averaging $84 each. At a later period, 
February 16, 1863, Nos. 13 and 14 were conveyed 
to George C. King for $90. There have been 
several transfers of lots Nos. 9 and 10, from Ross 
to George Bovard, July 29, 1856, who soon after- 
ward conveyed to Joseph L. Reed, and in which 
Thomas McGtonnell acquired an interest, which he 
released to Reed, who conveyed the same, includ- 
ing the storehouse erected by McConnell and 
Reed on No. 10, to James Ross, February IV, 
1863, -for $2,200, whose collateral heirs conveyed 
both lots to John C. Christy, August 31, 1867, 
together with two other small parcels out of the 
town plot, for $2,500. No. 10 has been the site of 
the only store in Rosston. The first storehouse 
erected on it, while in the possession of Christy, 
was destroyed by fire on the night of August 30, 
1874. The present structure, better and more 
substantial than its predecessor, was soon after- 
ward erected on the same site, which is on the 



corner of Railroad street and the northmost cross, 
or, as it is called in some of the records. Market 
street, opposite to which, on the east end of lot 
No. 11, is the Allegheny Valley Railroad ware- 
house, in which, when emergencies require, a tele- 
graph oftice is kept in operation. 

Rosston is not an incorporated or separate 
municipality. For all municipal purposes it is 
part and parcel of Manor township, and its inhab- 
itants are liable for their proportionate part of the 
township taxes. There is no schoolhouse within 
the limits of the town plat, but there is one a few 
rods east of its eastern boundary, where the chil- 
dren of Rosston and of the southwestern part of 
the township resort for instruction, the cost of 
which is paid out of the township school tax for 
five months in the year. The cost of maintaining 
a " summer school" is raised by subscription ; such 
schools are also called " subscription schools," the 
teachers of which, in some places, are too often ill- 
qualified for the important work of teaching young 
children, whom some, aye, too many, unreflecting 
parents think such teachers can properly instruct. 
The truth is, that class of pupils require the most 
intelligent, skillful and faithful teachers, so that 
the foundation of the educational work may be 
thorough and solid. The best and most experi- 
enced and skillful teachers are selected in Prussia 
for the youngest scholars. 

There is not as yet any church edifice in Ross- 
ton. The schoolhouse is occasionally used as a 
place of public worship by different religious de- 
nominations. The number of taxables shows the 
population of this village to be about one hundred 
and seventy-four. Various occuj^ations: Merchants, 
2, one doing business elsewhere; teachers, 2; boss, 
1; brakemen, 3; carpenters, 2; laborers, 12; con- 
ductor, 1; mechanic, 1; saddler, 1; cobbler, 1. 

Slabtown is a hamlet in the northwestern corner 
of the township, with a population of about ninety. 
The chief occupation of the men is that of laborer. 

THE BOEOUGH OF MANOEVILLB 

was formed out of a part of the Thomas Dun- 
can j)urpart of the Manor tract and a part of 
" Rebecca's Hope," or the Rebecca Smith tract. 
Twenty-four lots were laid out for John Sibbett 
"in the town of Manorville," June 28, 1854, 
lying between the present eastern boundary of 
the borough and Water street, and between the 
northern boundary of the manor tract, which 
extends through the borough along the center of a 
" lane 22 feet wide," as designated on the plat of 
the borough, and which is between H. M. Lamb- 
ing's shop and dwelling-house — between that lane 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



341 



and the unnamed street, 35 feet wide, extending 
from the eastern line of the borough past the Cop- 
ley brickyard and James Cunningham's store to 
Water street. At and before the time of laying 
out these lots this place was called Manorville, 
obviously from the manor. The northern line of 
the manor tract is about equidistant from the 
northern and southern lines of the borough, but the 
southern portion being considerably wider than the 
northern, the major part of the borough was taken 
from what was formerly that tract. Those Sibbett 
lots appear from the plat to be the only ones that 
have as yet been numbered. Arnold and others 
laid out lots at different times on that part of the 
borough taken from " Rebecca's Hope." 

The taxables of Manorville were first assessed by 
themselves, or separately, in 1851. 

The construction of the Allegheny Valley Rail- 
road a few years thereafter gave the chief impetus 
to settlements here. 

The first petition for incorporating this place 
into a borough was presented to the court of quar- 
ter sessions of this county December 1, 1S65, but 
was not approved by the grand jury. A second 
one, signed by two-thirds of its taxable inhabitants, 
was presented at June sessions, 1866, which having 
been approved by the grand jury and having laid 
over the time required by law, the court ordered 
and decreed, June 6, 1866, that the village of 
Manorville be erected and incorporated into a body 
corporate and politic, to be known and designated 
as the borough of Manorville, with the following- 
metes and bounds: Beginning at a red oak on the 
bank of the Allegheny river; thence on the line 
between Calvin Russell and P. F. McClarren south 
68° east 28 perches to the Allegheny Yalley Rail- 
road; thence along said railroad 1*7° east 5to perches 
to a post; thence by land of John Shoop south 68° 
east 20 perches to a post; thence by land of Cham- 
bers Orr, now of Adam Reichert, north 14° east 
64 perches to a post; thence 68° west 1 perch to a 
post ; thence north 14° east 56 perches to a post ; 
thence north 10° east 21 perches to a post; thence 
by land of Arnold's heirs north 11° west to said 
railroad; thence along said railroad north 17° 
east 35^ perches to a post; thence south 61° east 
4 perches to a post; thence north 25° east 3 
perches to a black jack ; thence south 68° east 1 
perches ; thence north 10° east 34 perches to a 
chestnut; thence north 68° west 13 perches to 
a post on the bank of the Allegheny river ; thence 
down said river south 28° west 80 perches, and 22° 
west 130^ perches to a red oak and the place of 
beginning. 

The first election of borough ofBcers was directed 



to be held at tlie public schoolhouse in Manorville, 
on Saturday, June 23, 1866, of wliicli ten days' 
notice was ordered to be given by Alexander Cun- 
ningham, the then constable of Manor townsliip, 
and James Cunningham was appointed judge, and 
William Copley and Joseph D. Brown were 
ai^pointed inspectors of that election. The subse- 
quent elections were ordered to be held at the same 
place. 

The following borough ofiicers were elected at 
the first borough election : Burgess, Joseph M. 
Kelley; town council, Jesse Butler, Calvin Russell, 
David Spencer, Peter F. Titus and Samuel Spencer; 
justices of the peace, John Mcllvaine and A. 
Briney; school directors, for three years, David 
Spencer and Dietrich Stoelzing; school directors, 
for two years, A. Rhoades and M. M. Lambing; 
school directors, for one year, R. C. Russell and 
Jesse Butler; high constable, Jonas M. Briney; 
borough auditors, Robert McKean, Milton McCor- 
mick andW. M. Patterson; judgeof election, Joseph 
M. Kelly; inspectors of election, William Copley 
and H. M. Lambing; assessor, David Spencer; 
overseers of the poor, James Kilgore and George 
W. Shoop. 

If the minutes of the town council and the 
ordinances passed during the first few years after 
the incorporation of this municipality are extant, 
they cannot be found by the present clerk of 
council, so that what the council did in those 
years has not been ascertained. The records, since 
they have been kejjt.in the book now used there- 
for, do not show that there has been any of what 
may be termed municipal legislation of notable 
interest. Indeed, the affairs of the borough seem 
to have moved along with but slight control of 
specific rules and regulations. 

The first resident on the territory within the 
present limits of Manorville, after the revolution- 
ary and Indian wars, was probably William Sheerer, 
who, about 1803, established a tannery on a small 
scale, at the foot of the hill just below and adjoin- 
ing the northern line of the manor tract, with 
which he was assessed in 1805-6-7 at $15. He 
was the clerk of the general and presidential elec- 
tions in Allegheny township in 1804. He was also 
assessed with one horse at $10, making his total 
valuation $25 for each of those years. He must 
have abandoned his tannery and removed thence 
in 1807, as that is the last year in which his name 
appears on the assessment list. For 1805-6 it is 
on the assessment list of Allegheny township, and 
for 1807 on that of Kittanning township, whicli, 
the reader will bear in mind, was organized in 
September, 1806. 



342 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



What is now the site of Manorville remained 
unoccupied by any permanent settler for many 
years after Sheerer left. It was swampy and cov- 
ered with thickets of laurel. 

The Lambing brothers settled here in 1830, and 
were first assessed in Kittanning township, the 
next year, viz.: Matthew Lambing, with 1 head 
of cattle, $18; John Lambing, with 50 acres (of 
Rebecca Smith tract), $100, and "young man, 25 
cents;" Michael Lambing, "young man, 25 cents;" 
Henry Lambing, 3 horses, $60, 1 head of cattle, $6, 
and "young man, 25 cents," total, $66.25. Manor- 
ville was then a wilderness of swamp and thickets. 
In 1832 John Lambing was assessed with the same 
50 acres as in the previous year, also with a dis- 
tillery, total, $375; and Michael Lambing, as shoe- 
maker, at $50. That distillery was situated near 
the foot of the hill, a few rods above the northern 
line of the Manor tract, with which was connected 
a run of stone for chopping the grain used in dis- 
tilling. The mill part must have been adapted 
during that year to grinding grists, for in 1833 
John was assessed not only with the distillery, but 
as a "miller," and Henry with a steam mill. For 
a year or so afterward, the land assessed to John 
and the distillery were rented to John West, and 
afterward the mill was assessed to Henry, and the 
distillery to Matthew Lambing. The mill had a 
capacity for grinding sixty bushels in twenty-four 
hours. It and the distillery ceased to be operated 
about 1840-1. Since then, these almost first set- 
tlers have carried on their respective trades — one 
a shoemaker and the others carpenters, cabinet- 
makei's and machinists. 

Josiah Copley began the manufacture of fire- 
brick in 1847-8, and continued it until 1858. It 
was thereafter carried on by his sons for two or 
three years, and then by his brother, William 
Copley, until the latter's death, and since then by 
William S. Copley. The brickworks are located 
on land belonging to Miss Eliza Sibbett, between 
the railroad and the hill, on the south side of the 
street, extending from the latter past the railroad 
station to Water street. They have a capacity for 
making 3,000 bricks a day. They were destroyed 
by a fire, but were soon after rebuilt. The number 
of employes was at first fifteen, which was subse- 
quently reduced about one-third by the use of im- 
proved machinery. 

The late Andrew Arnold, about 1850, established 
a tannery on a somewhat large scale, about 35 
rods north of the northern line of the Manor tract, 
on that part of the 62-acre tract which he pur- 
chased from Robert Speer, lying between the rail- 
road and Water street, with which he was assessed 



from 1851 until 1855. The next year it was 
assessed to A. & H. J. Arnold. Its valuation 
varied from $600, in 1851, to $1,000 in 1853, and 
to $1,200 in 1856. It was assessed to H. J. Arnold 
in 1859 at $2,000, and in 1862 at $1,500. It was 
first assessed, after their deaths, to Mrs. Isabella 
Arnold in 1865. The Arnolds carried on the manu- 
facture of fire-brick, the father from 1852-3 till 
1856, the brickyard being assessed, each of those 
years, at $50 ; and another year thereafter by 
father and son, the valuation being $500. The 
tanning was done on the old slow process of 
keeping the hides in the vats a year — those for 
sole-leather eighteen months. The number of lay- 
away vats was about forty-five. The capacity of 
the tannery was 3,500 sides of leather a year — 
sole, upper, harness and bridle leather, including 
1,000 sides of calfskin. 

Dietrich Stoelzing was first assessed as proprie- 
tor of this tannery in 1867, and as owner in 1868. 
He came here in May, 1863. From then on during 
the continuance of the war 5,000 hides wei'e tanned 
yearly, making 10,000 sides of leather for the 
United States government, which was used for 
gun-slings and cartridge-boxes. During the first 
year after the close of the war this tannery turned 
out 10,000 sides of harness leather, and the next 
year 5,000. Then followed the tanning of cup- 
leather at the rate of 2,500 sides annually. He 
commenced the process of tanning in air-tight 
vats, or vessels, in 1875. 

The number of employes during the war, and a 
year or two after its close, was twelve, and since 
1867 from four to six. 

The apparatus consists of forty-eight lay-away 
vats, four lime-vats, four leach-tubs, four bates, one 
large cistern, two posts, six handlers, one stopping- 
wheel, one steam-pump, and a steam-engine of 
twenty-five horse-power. The tanhouse is a large 
two-story frame structure. 

While making leather for gun-slings and cart- 
ridge boxes the hides were kept in the vats six 
weeks, afterward six months, and now on the 
vacuum plan, two weeks for heavy belting and 
sole-leather, and only four days for calfskins. 
The idea of tanning on this plan originated, as the 
writer is informed, with one Davis, of Allegheny 
City, Pennsylvania, in 1868. Stoelzing tried it 
then and made it a success on a small scale, but 
could not make large vats or vessels air-tight, i. e., 
he did not make it a success on a large scale. In 
1875 J. J. Johnston, patent agent, Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, took out a patent in his own name 
for a large, air-tight vat. Stoelzing put up one of 
that kind in his tannery at Manorville, and made 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



343 



it successful beyond his expectations. The process 
of tanning by the vacuum method is this : After 
the hides are prepared in the usual way they are 
suspended in the air-tight vat ; the vat is then 
closed and the air exhausted, so that the pores of 
the hides are opened and the liquor from the bark 
is absorbed, the pressure being at the rate of ten 
pounds per square inch, the liquid rising, of course, 
to fill the vacuum caused by exhausting the air. 
The liquor is changed until the hides are com- 
pletely tanned. It is made by placing ground oak- 
bark in an air-tight swinging circular leach ; when 
filled with the bark the air is exhausted and spent 
liquor is forced in from below with a pressure of 
ten pounds per square inch ; after standing an 
hour the leach is turned half around, so as to 
reverse its ends ; after standing another hour the 
liquor is run into the air-tight vat ; the bark 
remains in the leach, and whatever liquor remains 
in it is expelled by a pneumatic pressure of twenty- 
five pounds per square inch, caused by pumping 
the air in on the top. 

The leather thus tanned is of better quality and 
greater weight than is that tanned by the old 
process. The leaching extracts almost instanta- 
neously all the tannic acid contained in the bark. 

In the spring of 1861, J. C. Crumpton estab- 
lished an oil refinery on a tract about 20X15 rods, 
next below the brick-yard and railroad station, 
between the railroad and an alley extending along 
the easterly line of the borough, and a tank lot 
between the railroad and Water street. The ca- 
pacity of its still was at first only thirty barrels, 
or sixty a week, as there were but two runs in that 
time. During the proprietorship or superintend, 
ency of Benny, several stills were added, varying 
in capacity from 80 to 250 barrels. Between 1867 
and 1870, while Oliver B. Jones was proprietor, 
another still, with a capacity of 500 barrels, was 
added. During those years the refinery and ground 
were assessed at $7,000, and the tank lot at $600. 
The capacity was not subsequently increased. The 
proprietorship passed from Jones to King, Barbour 
& Goodwin, who gave it the name of the Federal 
Oil Works. John B. Barbour and Edward L. 
Goodwin sold their undivided two-thirds interest 
in those works to the Standard Oil Company May 
18, 1876, for |8,000, by whom they have been re- 
moved to some other point down the river. 

MERCANTILE. 

Henry J. Arnold opened a store near what is 
now the upper part of the borough, on the river 
side of the railroad, in 1855, which was continued 
by, at least assessed to, James Daugherty until 
1862. James Cunningham opened his store, op- 



posite the railroad station, in 1804-5, which is still 
open. John McElwain kept a store in the Arnold 
storeroom in 1867-8. These are probably the only 
mercantile houses that ever were within what are 
now the borough limits. This year, only one, and 
that in the fourteenth class, appears on the mer- 
cantile appraiser's list. 

Manorville has not yet been adorned by a church 
edifice. ' Religious services are occasionally held 
by different denominations in the sohoolhouse. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first school in what are now the limits of 
this municipality was opened in a log dwelling 
house, built by James Kilgore, probably a year or 
two before the adoption of the common school sys- 
tem. That house was situated in the rear part of 
the oil refinery lot, or between the railroad and the 
hill, a few rods below the brickyard. It was a 
pay or subscription school, taught by William 
Stewart. The next one, nearest to Manorville, was 
a one-story dwelling, converted into a schoolhouse, 
on the lower side of the Leechburgh road, near its 
intersection with the river road. In 1853 a frame 
sohoolhouse was erected by the school board of 
Manor township, at the head of School or Butler 
street, in the Sibbett plot, near the hill, which was 
several years afterward moved from its base by a 
land-slide. The present school-building is a sub- 
stantial frame, painted white, 38X28, ceiling 12 
feet, with a cupola and bell, erected by the last- 
mentioned board in 1862. The first annual report 
of Manorville was for the school year ending June 
1, 1868, for which year the statistics are: 

School, 1 ; number months taught, 5 ; male 
teacher, 1; salary per month, $50; male scholars, 
40; female scholars, 39; average number attending 
school, 49; cost per month, each, 7 7t5(t cents; levied 
for school purposes, $315.18; levied for building 
purposes, $121.22 ; received from collector, etc., 
$355; from state appropriation, $21.08; cost of 
instruction, $250 ; fuel and contingencies, $54.94 ; 
repairs, $4.82. 

Statistics for 1875 are here given: School, 1; 
number months taught, 5; male teacher, 1; salary 
per month, $50; male scholars, 37; female scholars, 
28; average number attending school, 51; cost, 
each, per month, 92 cents ; tax levied for school 
and building purposes, $339.99 ; received from 
taxes, etc., $430.78 ; from state appro23riation, 
$38.69; teacher's wages, $250; fuel, collector's fees, 
etc., $86.98. 

TEMPERANCE. 

The temperance element has for several years 
been strong. The vote on the question of grant- 
ing license was 85 against, and 34 for it. A Good 



344 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Templars' lodge was established iu 187 3, whicli 
continued to flourish for a year and a half, into 
which among others a goodly number of juveniles 
were initiated, some of whom had not secretiveness 
enough to keep secret the passwords and other pri- 
vate matters of the order, which was one of the 
reasons for disbanding. 

EESIDENCES. 

There are pleasant sites for residences with ex- 
tensive views of fine scenery on the extended line 
of hill adjoining the borough on the east. Rev. 
Gabriel A. Reichert, the zealous and faithful 
Lutheran missionary and pastor, elsewhere men- 
tioned, has resided on one of the subdivisions of 
the Thomas Duncan portion of the manor tract, 
about one hundred and seventy rods back from the 
railroad since his return from his pastorate in Phil- 
adelphia. Josiah Copley was a resident near the 
brow of the hill, where he lived many years, when 
he invented at least one of his modes of navigating 
our western rivers with steamers in low stages of 
water. The cottage built some twenty or more 
years since by the Sibbetts, is a few rods below, 
which, with eighty-seven acres and fifty perches of 
land, they conveyed to the late Chambers Orr, who 
conveyed the same, together with forty-two acres 
and fifty-two perches of other contiguous land, to 
Mrs. Emma R. Reichert, wife of Gabriel A. Reich- 
ert, Jr., Aj^ril 6, 1871, for «il8,000. It is now called 
" Reichert Hall." The grounds around it have 
been tastefully improved. 

POPTTLATION. 

The only census taken since the organization of 
this borough is that of 1870, by which it appears 
there were then 316 native and 14 foreign-born in- 
habitants. The number of taxables in 1876 is 86, 
from which it is inferred the population now is 
395. The assessment list for the same year shows 
the occupations to be : Laborers, 28; merchants, 3, 
two of whom do business out of the borough; car- 
penters, 3 ; tanners, 3 ; coopers, 2 ; teamsters, 2 ; 
brickmakers, 2 ; teacher, 1 ; cabinet-maker, 1 ; 
plasterer, 1 ; shoemaker, 1 ; blacksmith, 1 ; coal- 
digger, 1; butcher, 1; refiner, 1. 

POSTOFFICE. 

The Manorville postoflice was established Janu- 
ary 27, 1864, and James Cunningham was the first 
and he is the present postmaster. 

GEOLOGICAL. 

Near the mouth of Crooked Creek, the Freeport 
limestone is within fifty feet of the Allegheny 
river. 

A cutting on the railroad, one-third of a mile 



below the rolling-mill, which is in the lower part 
of Kittanning borough, well exposes the small coal- 
bed next above the Kittanning seam, from 9 to 18 
inches thick, divided in tlie middle by a thin band 
of slate, immediately underlaid by a band of im- 
pvire, somewhat indurated, fireclay, 2 to 10 feet 
thick, through which are scattered nodules of rough 
iron ore. Beneath the fireclay is an irregularly 
stratified mass of highly micaceous sandstone, the 
natural color of which is blue, but when weathered 
is chiefly light olive-green and reddish brown, con- 
taining regularly marked vegetable forms, over 
which are dark-blue shales, 25 feet thick, weather- 
ing rusty brown, in some places curiously distorted, 
become more compact and silicious toward the top, 
and a thin layer of bituminous shale and coaly 
matter is inter stratified with the mass — dip south- 
west 2° to 3°. About thirty feet above those small 
coalbeds, on the BuflSngton land, is another coal- 
bed, 4 feet thick when regular, but which in some 
places in the mines thins away to a mere streak. 
Thirty feet above it the Freeport limestone is 
nearly six feet thick; ten or fifteen feet above this 
the upper Freeport bed, 3 feet thick, contains 2J 
feet of available coal. The strata rise northwest. 

The following imperfect section was pai-tially 
leveled in the little ravine below the borough of 
Kittanning : Green shale, 2 feet ; light blue shale, 
2^ feet ; upper Freeport coal, 5 feet ; unknown, 6 
feet ; Freeport limestone in fragments ; unknown 
(shale, etc.), 40 feet ; brownish-gray slaty stand- 
stone, 8J feet ; blue and gray shale (6 to 8 feet 
exposed), 25|- feet ; coal, 4 inches ; shale, brown, 
passing into sandstone, 5 feet ; gray slate, 3 feet ; 
unknown (shale), 29 feet ; shale, 5 feet ; arena- 
ceous shale, 4^- feet ; sandstone, white above, slaty 
below, 14 feet ; blue -slate, 3 feet ; bed of sand- 
stone, 4 to 6 inches thick, immediately upon the 
Kittanning coal, 3 feet ; unknown, 24 feet to the 
road, and 15 feet more to the river, at low water. 
(First geological survey of Pennsylvania.) 

The small coalbed above specified as being next 
above the Kittanning seam, from 9 to 18 inches 
thick, because of its insignificant size was not 
known to be persistent throughout the country, as 
has been shown in the course of the second geolo- 
gical survey. It has been proven by J. C. White, 
who has charge of the district composed of 
Beaver, North Allegheny and South Butler, not 
only to be persistent but to increase in bulk west- 
ward, culminating as the great Darlington cannel 
coalbed, in Beaver county. It has also been found 
by Franklin Piatt, another member of the geologi- 
cal corps, as a large and workable bed throughout 
Jefferson and Clearfield counties, and he has traced 



4 



MANOR TOWNSHIP. 



345 



it into Cambria county. It is properly called the 
" Upper Kittanning coal " in the Allegheny valley 
series, and the " Darlington Cannel " in Beaver 
county, because " at Darlington the bed seems to 
acquire its maximum size and importance." (Sec- 
ond geological survey, Pennsylvania, Q.) 

Levels above tide : Opposite Rosston station, 
"788.4 feet ; opposite mile post, 782.5 feet ; oppo- 
site mile post, 789.8 feet ; opposite mile post, 1d1.6 
feet ; opposite Manorville station, T96.9 feet ; 
bench mark on outside corner of south wall of 
culvert No. 42, 794.4 feet ; opposite mile post, 4-3 
miles above Pittsburgh, 804.7 feet. (Ibid, N.) 

On May 31, 1871, Andrew J. Dull leased from 
William M. Bailey and several other heirs of the 
late Richard Bailey the exclusive right to operate 
for and remove all the limestone and iron ore, etc., 
on 93 acres, being those heirs' purparts, for the 
term of twenty years, on condition that he would 
commence operations on or before April 1, 1872, 
and pay the lessors eight cents a ton for all the 
limestone which he should remove therefrom. On 
March 27, 1873, he took a similar lease from David 
Spencer for twenty acres of his land contiguous to 
the Bailey premises, but higher up Fort run, at 
six cents a ton for limestone. 

Operations under the Bailey lease were com- 
menced in February, 1872, and, of course, later 
under the Spencer lease. The following facts 
were obtained from Joseph R. Smith, the superin- 
tendent of the quarry and the store connected with 
it : The stone quarried thus far is the Freeport 
limestone, interstratified with three layers of slate, 
each about twelve inches thick. The aggregate 
thickness of the three layers of limestone is about 
fifteen feet. The number of employes for the 



first year and a half after the quarrying was begun 
was 135, forty of whom were colored men who 
were formerly slaves in the Shenandoah valley, 
Virginia. The average number of employes since 
then has been about seventy-five. The quantity of 
limestone annually quarried and shipped by the 
Allegheny Valley Railroad to Pittsburgh until 
1876 has been 48,000 tons. The pay-rolls show 
that during the same period the amount paid for 
wages monthly has been $4,000, and an equal 
amount for freight. From 1872 till 1875 the 
amount paid as freight from this quarry exceeded 
the amount received by the Allegheny Valley 
Railroad as freight from all sources during the 
first three years after it began to be operated. 
This limestone is used for fluxing in the manu- 
facture of iron. The quarrying thus far has been 
along the course of the right-hand bank of Fort 
run, a distance of about 200 rods up that run from 
the face of the hill looking toward the Allegheny 
river. A branch railroad, intersecting the Alle- 
gheny Valley I'oad about twenty-five rods below 
Fort run, has been constructed along the valley 
of that run, a distance of 275 rods, including the 
length of a branch to that branch, which is about 
twenty-five rods, over which the limestone is trans- 
ported, without transshipment, en route to Pitts- 
burgh. 

The Baileys formerly operated a kiln on a 
limited scale, in which limestone from that vein 
was burned. It was a draw-kiln. The lime was used 
as a fertilizer and for building. Seven thousand 
bushels were sold in one summer for the latter 
purj)ose in Kittanning, besides a considerable 
quantity for both jjurposes in the surrounding 
country. 



CHAPTER XV. 



MAHONING. 



Organized in 1851 from Territory in Madison, Pine, Wayne and Red Bank Townsliips — Boundaries — First 
Election — Maiioning Creelc Navigation Company — The Early Settlers and First Owners of the Land 
Tracts — Transfers — Village of Texas, now Oakland — Joint Stock Company — Methodist Episcopal Church — 
Baptist Church — Brethren in Christ Congregation — Oakland Classical and Normal Institute — Red Bank 
Cannel Coal and Iron Company — Dunkard Church — Mahoning Furnace — Casper Nulf and Wife, Cente- 
narians — German Reformed and Lutheran Churches — Putneyville — Building Flatboats — Methodist Epis- 
copal Church — United Presbyterian Church- — Firebrick Works — Population — Educational and Other 
Statistics of the Township — Geology. 



THE petition of divers inhabitants of Madi- 
son, Pine, Wayne and Red Bank townships 
having been presented to the court of quarter 
sessions of this county, December 19, 1849, pray- 
ing for the erection of a new township out of 
parts of the above-mentioned ones, James Stewart, 
William Kirkpatrick and Joseph Lowry were, 
December 21, appointed viewers, to whom the 
usual order was issued May 14, 1850, which was 
not executed. A second petition, therefore, was 
presented December 17, held over March 7, and 
March 21, 1851, the court appointed William 
Kirkpatrick, James Stewart and Archibald Glenn 
viewers. Their report, favoring the granting of 
the prayer of the petitioners, was presented and 
read June 9, and confirmed September 20, 1851, 
and the new township was then organized and 
christened Mahoning. Omitting a tedious, formid- 
able number of courses and distances, its bounda- 
ries or outlines, as designated in the report of the 
viewers and confirmed by the court, are : Begin- 
ning below Olney furnace, on Mahoning creek, at 
the point where the new line* between Wayne 
and Red Bank townships strikes the creek ; thence 
down the Mahoning to a point opposite the mouth 
of Pine run ; thence by various courses and dis- 
tances northwesterly to a white oak ; thence 
northerly along a line dividing school districts, 
i. e., sub-districts, as they then were, along the 
eastern boundary of Robert Morrison's land ; 
thence northwesterly to the Red Bank creek, at or 
near the west end of the Fort Smith tract ; thence 
along the left bank of Red Bank creek, around its 
big bend to a point opposite the mouth of 
Leatherwood creek ; thence southwesterly to " a 
school district line ; " thence along that line pass- 
ing George Nulf's improvement, " taking a section 
off Madison township," to a black oak ; thence 



*See sketch of Wayne township. 



southeasterly to the Mahoning creek ; thence down 
the same, " taking a section off Pine township," to 
a hemlock, the corner of George Reedy's land ; 
thence southwesterly, northeasterly and north- 
westerly to the corner of Pine and Wayne town- 
ships, as it stood before the division; thence 
southeasterly to a white oak by the roadside ; 
thence northeasterly, and southwesterly, to the 
place of beginning, " containing about twenty-five 
square miles." 

At the first township election the following 
oflicers were elected : Judge of election, William 
R. Hamilton ; inspectors of election, John Sheri- 
dan, John McCauley ; assessor, Samuel Ferguson ; 
assistant assessors, John A. Colwell, Alexander 
Cathcart ; supervisors, William Smullin, Thomas 
Buzzard ; township clerk, Milton Osbein ; town- 
ship auditors, David Putney three years, R. C. 
Williamson two years, John Sheridan one year ; 
school directors, J. W. Powell and J. J. Wich 
three years, James Stockdill and John Shoemaker 
two years, James McLaw and Thomas Buzzard one 
year ; overseers of the poor, Peter Shoemaker and 
John Duff ; Justice of the peace, James T. Putney ; 
constable, Absalom Smullin. 

This township was, of course, named from 
Mahoning creek, which skirts its southeastern, 
and, with its deep bends, flows through its 
southern, part. The meaning of Mahoning, as 
elsewhere given,* is a stream flowing from or near 
a lick. 

By the act of assembly, March 21, 1808, this 
creek was declared to be a public highway for the 
passage of rafts, boats and other vessels, from its 
confluence with the Allegheny river to the mouth 
of Canoe creek in Indiana county. That act 
authorizes the inhabitants along its banks, and 
others desirous of using it for navigation, to re- 



*See sketch of Red Bank township. 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



347 



move all natural and artificial obstructions in it, 
except dams for mills and other waterworks, and 
to erect slopes at the mill and other dams, which 
must be so constructed as not to injure the works 
of such dams. Any person owning or possessing 
lands along this stream has the liberty to construct 
dams across it, subject, however, to the restrictions 
and provisions of the general act authorizing the 
riparian owners to erect dams for mills on naviga- 
ble streams. William Travis and Joseph Marshall 
were appointed to superintend the expenditure of 
1800 for the improvement of this stream, author- 
ized by the act of March 24, 1817, to whom an 
order for their services for $201 was issued by the 
commissioners of this county December 23, 1818. 
The erection of the first bridge across it was at a 
point a short distance above its mouth, on the 
Olean road, which was granted to John Weld June 
19, 1822, at $500. Vestiges of its southern abut- 
ment are still visible. 

By the act of assembly, April 22, 1858, the Ma- 
honing Navigation Company was incorporated, 
and Henry Brown, Stacy B. Williams, Isaac C. 
Jordan, Harrison M. Coon and James E. Mitchell 
were appointed commissioners — for the last-named 
three William Bell, Charles Kremer and Irvin 
Gillespie were substituted by the supplement to 
that act passed April 10, 1863 — who were author- 
ized to open books for subscription to the capi- 
tal stock of the company, and keep them open 
until $5,000 should be subscribed, but no longer. 
The par value of each share is $10. The char- 
ter officers are one president and four managers, 
who are to be elected annually. Each stockholder 
has one vote for each of his shares not exceeding 
ten, and one for every five shares exceeding 
ten. The president and managers have the requi- 
site power to make such by-laws and regulations 
not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of 
the United States and of this state. Besides the 
usual powers conferred upon such corporations, the 
special ones conferred upon the president and 
managers of this company are to clean and clear 
the Mahoning, Canoe, Big Run Stump, and East 
branch creeks from all rocks, bars and other ob- 
structions ; to erect dams and locks, to bracket 
and regulate and alter the , dams that were then 
and to be thereafter erected in these streams, so 
that no injury be done to the water power of the 
owners ; to control their waters by bracket or 
otherwise for the purpose of navigation ; to levy 
tolls not exceeding one and one-fourth cent for 
each five miles run upon the Mahoning, and by the 
supplementary act of April 10, 1863^ on the other 
above-mentioned streams, per thousand feet of 



boards or other sawed stuflf ; one and one-fourth 
cent for every fifty feet, lineal measure, of square 
or other timber ; the same per foot of every boat 
passing down these creeks, to be collected at their 
mouths, and at such other points along these 
streams as may be necessary ; and, besides various 
other specified things,' including the levying of 
tolls upon logs, viz., twenty-five cents per hundred 
logs for every five miles they are driven down 
these streams, generally to do all things necessary 
for their safe navigation. Any person who runs 
his rafts, boats, logs and other craft past a collector's 
office without paying his toll is subject to a fine of 
five dollars. The tolls are liens upon the property 
on which they -are assessed and levied, into whose- 
soever hands it may come. Among other provis- 
ions is this : Whenever the dividends arising from 
the tolls shall in gross equal the amount of stock 
actually subscribed, clear of all expenses, and ten 
per centum per annum, the tolls shall be reduced 
so as to be only sufficient for the improvement of 
these streams. 

The act of assembly, April 2, 1869, declares the 
Mahoning creek to be a navigable stream and pub- 
lic highway for all kinds of crafts that can navigate 
it, both up and down, from its mouth to the Mahon- 
ing furnace or iron works. It also authorizes John 
A. Colwell to make, at his own expense, a towing- 
path for horses to travel on along this stream be- 
tween those two points, for the purjjose of towing 
boats laden with metal or merchandise. When 
thus made, it is to be open for public use, free of 
expense or toll to him. He has the right, on the 
same conditions, to improve the bed of the creek 
by removing stone and widening the channel. He 
is to pay the owner of the land for the right of way 
for the towing-path such an equivalent as may be 
agreed upon between him and them, but if they 
cannot agree, the damages are to be assessed by 
three persons " appointed by the courts," in the 
same manner as damages are assessed for lands 
taken for public roads in this county; and in case 
of a failure to agree, the owners of land along the 
route of the towing-path shall not delay the making 
of it, but he is authorized to tender them a bond 
for the payment of such damages as may be legally 
assessed, and thereupon he shall proceed to make 
the towing-path. 

The portion of " Quito " in this township, else- 
where mentioned as conveyed by Isaac Cruse to 
George Weinberg, was successively owned by Will- 
iam Benton, Abraham Mohney, Rev. John G. 
Young, who conveyed 115 acres, April 26, 1867, to 
Moses Stahlman for $2,600. Other portions of 
" Quito " in this township are now owned chiefly 



348 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



• by John A. Col well, Ellas and John Cunselman 
and William Procious and Blinker & Jones, to the 
latter of whom and another Craig conveyed 2'72 
acres and 130 perches, June 2, 18Y4, for $12,500, 
exceisting the half acre on which schoolhouse No. 
6 is situated. John McClelland and his family oc- 
cupied a log house on this parcel in the winter of 
1845-6. On one of the severely cold nights of that 
winter, the house — it was a log one — caught fire in 
the upper part from, it was supposed, the chimney, 
which was constructed of wooden slats and daubing 
of clay. The four children, sound asleep in the 
loft, were consumed by the flames, which had en- 
veloped them before they were aware of their peril. 
The father and mother were not awakened until 
the devouring element had nearly caught them 
asleep on the first floor, from which they had barely 
time to escape with their lives in their night- 
clothes through a window near their bed. Fred- 
erick Mohney was the first one who discovered the 
fire. He hastened to it, and found Mrs. McClelland 
trying to keep from freezing by walking to and fro 
near the burning cabin, and her husband sitting on 
a log near by sadly moaning. When asked why 
he moaned so, he pointed to the flames, and with 
heart-rending anguish, said: '• There is my all — my 
four boys ! " The population in this region was 
then sparse, but as the painful intelligence of their 
terrible calamity spread, contributions of clothing, 
provisions and other necessaries flowed in upon 
them, and thus they were made as comfortable as 
that intensely afilictive bereavement would permit. 
They soon afterward removed to Craigsville, in the _ 
western part of this county, where he for several 
years followed his trade of miller. In 1867, he re- 
ceived the nomination as republican candidate for 
county treasurer, but died before the election. 
Samuel W. Hamilton, of Mahoning township was 
nominated and elected. 

There is a larger area of " Lurgan " than of 
either "Quito" or No. 2903 in this township. That 
parcel of it conveyed by Stephen B. Young to Sam- 
uel S. Harrison and Hugh Campbell was by them 
conveyed, March 3, 1850, to William Horn, who 
conveyed 50 acres, May 10, 1856, to Elias Cunsel- 
man for $800. A considerable portion of the parcel 
conveyed by Stephen B. Young to Robert Morri- 
son is now owned by the latter's son, James H., 
and a portion by another son, Harvey Morrison, 
besides the 100 acres conveyed by Alexander Cath- 
oart, April 7, 1863, to D. Slade for $1,000. 

The parcel containing 310 acres and 116 perches 
which Young conveyed to Henry D. Foster, De- 
cember 1, 1840, for 12,000, the latter conveyed to 
Mrs. Elizabeth Hewett, September 6, 1843, for 



$3,000, who conveyed 100 acres and 50 perches 
thereof to her son, Robert Ferguson, June 6, 1854, 
for $1 and the annual payment to her during her 
life of $20, and the residue she divided between 
her other son, Samuel Ferguson, and her son-in- 
law, John Duff, or his wife. The Fergusons 
settled here 1844, and Duff in 1845. The parcel, 
343 acres and 108 perches, purchased by Campbell, 
was conveyed by him to Alexander Colwell, June 
7, 1849, for $1,000, which was devised to and is re- 
tained by his daughter, Mrs. Harriet H. Calhoun. 

Of the parcel contiguous to " Lurgan " on the 
south, No. 2903, William Hamilton conveyed 117 
acres and 19 perches to Alexander Colwell, May 
19, 1843, for $110, which he also devised to Mrs. 
Calhoun. William R. Hamilton conveyed 225 
acres and 142 perches to John A. Colwell & Co., 
February 2, 1854, for $1,000, the other portions 
remaining as noticed in the sketch of Red Bank 
township. 

Another parcel of it became vested in Thomas 
McConnell, who conveyed one-half of it to James 
E. Brown, so that they are its present joint owners. 
Camp run, formed by tributaries from the north- 
east and northwest, traverses this tract and empties 
into the Mahoning creek at the foot of the deep 
bend northeast from Putneyville. It is so named 
from an Indian camp that existed on the bottom 
between the mouth of this run and that of Little 
Mud Lick, before and for a short time after the 
beginning of this century. Some of the early 
white settlers, Robert Cathcart and others, used to 
state that some of the Indians who occupied that 
camp were still there after they came here. About 
125 rods east of the junction of these tributaries 
to Camp run is a subterranean burnt district, con- 
taining about three acres, judging from the red 
color of the surface above it. The roof of the 
cavity, caused by the burning of the coal, appears 
to be two or three feet thick, as it extends under 
the hill. The roof appears to have been slate, fire- 
clay and other matter, as appears from cemented 
portions of it. At least some of the coal is of two 
kinds — block coal, an analysis of which is else- 
where given, and bituminous, closely united with- 
out slate or any other matter between them — the 
former about eleven and the latter four feet thick. 
The depth of the ashes on the floor or at the bot- 
tom of the cavity is from three to four feet. Their 
color is similar to that of lime. The block coal is 
very easily ignited, and the subterranean ignition 
in this instance may have originated from some fire 
kindled by the Indians who occupied that camp. 
The trees on |Jie surface appear to have grown up 
since the extinguishment of the subterranean fire. 




Vw 




'2^.^ 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



349 



One of them, near the opening, is about eighteen 
inches in diameter. 

The earliest permanent white settlers on 2903 
were William R. Hamilton and John Kulin. It 
is still sparsely inhabited. 

Adjoining "Lurgan" on the west was the upper 
or northeastern portion of a large vacant tract, in 
the northern part of which, as Lawson & Orr's 
map of original tracts indicates, Jacob Hettrick 
settled as early as 1808, for he was assessed that 
year with 50 acres at $37 — his kind of title being 
" improvement." Next south of that parcel was 
the one occupied under an "improvement" right 
by Robert Cathcart, who must have settled on it 
in or before 1805, as he was first assessed in 1806 
with 330 acres, one horse and three cattle, at $320. 
His two-story red house, the first frame one in this 
section, was for many years one among the few for 
several miles around. The commissioners of this 
county granted him an order, March 20, 1810, for 
M 6 for killing two panthers. Before his death — 
June 4, 1846 — which occurred in the fore part of 
August, 1847, he had agreed to sell 51 acres and 31 
perches of his land to John A. Colwell cfe Co., 
which his executors conveyed to them, March 23, 
1849, for §255. They also conveyed 15 acres to 
his son, Alexander Cathcart, March 19, 1851, for 
$225, in pursuance of an agreement made in that 
decedent's lifetime. The rest of his estate, real, 
personal and " merchandise," he devised and 
bequeathed to his children. 

Contiguous to the above-mentioned parcels of 
that vacant land on the west, including the one 
covered by Alexander Cathcart's warrant, was 
another one, on which John Moorehead, who came 
from Franklin county, Pennsylvania, settled, proba- 
bly in 1807, was first assessed with 100 acres, 
" improvement," two horses and two cattle, at $88, 
in 1808, and was somewhat notable in those early 
times as a moneyed man. He obtained a warrant, 
No. 6029, for 438 acres and 47 perches, March 20, 
1811, which, mainly, by his will, registered March 
19, 1839, he dbvised to his sons Isaac and Joseph, 
to be divided by them " according to the division 
made by Robert Richards," which they did by con- 
veyances to each other, Febi'uary 5, 1848, the patent 
for the same having been granted to them, Jnne 
30, 1844. Isaac took the eastern purpart, contain- 
ing 194 acres and 117 perches, and Joseph the 
western, 239 acres and 44 jjerches. Several town 
lots were laid out on each side of the Anderson 
Creek road in the southern part of Joseph's pur- 
part, surveyed by J. E. Meredith probably in Feb- 
ruary, 1848. Joseph Moorehead coilveyed 176 
acres of the southern poi'tion of his purpart along 
22 



the northwestern side of the Anderson Creek road, 
to William R. Hamilton, March 14, 1854, for 
$3,000, who laid out a number of lots, sui-veyed by 
John Steele, consisting of a part of the town of 
Texas, now Oakland, within the limits of which 
there were a very few residents in 1848. The 
assessment list of Red Bank township for 1850 
shows that this town or village then contained 
eight taxables, including one stonemason and one 
bricklayer, and a total valuation of real and per- 
sonal property and occupations amounting to $772. 
All of the Hamilton lots are on the northwestern 
side of the Main street, as the Anderson Creek 
road is here called, between the Brethren in Christ 
Church and the eastern line of the Lamberson land, 
about eleven rods east of the road which intersects 
Main street and extends thence northwesterly 
across Red Bank creek, about 350 rods below the 
point where the Rockport road crosses it. The 
lots west of that road were laid out on Isaac Lam- 
berson's land, and those on the southeastern side 
of that street and east of that road are parcels of 
the Joseph Moorehead purpart. 

For the pui'pose of showing the general value of 
these town lots, the following conveyances are 
here given, as found in the public records : Wm. 
R. Hamilton to Jane Hettrich, May 7, 1858, lots 
Nos. 7 and 8 for $90; to Mary Reese, March 4, 
1859, lot No. 5, $68.33; to Mahoning school district, 
same day, lot No. 10, for $40, on which the present 
frame, painted schoolhouse was erected; to Chris- 
tian Reesman, April 1, 1861, lot No. 2, $50; to 
Lewis W. Corbett, December 12, 1864, lots Nos. 6, 
7, 10, $145. Lot No. 1 appears to have been pur- 
chased by Henry Musser, and by sheriflf's sale and 
other transfers became vested in Hamilton, Shoe- 
maker & Co., who conveyed it to Joseph T. Shoe- 
maker, June 19, 1863, for $25. On this lot was 
located the storehouse of the Joint Stock Company 
of Oakland, or the Oakland Company trading store. 
The organization of this company was effected in 
the summer of 1856, and it went into operation 
under a constitution signed by John Steel, Samuel 
Ferguson, John Shoemaker and William R. Plam- 
ilton, September 26 of the last-mentioned year, 
and was recorded in the recorder's office of this 
couuty, March 10, 1858. Forty-seven persons, five 
of whom were females, became stockholders, their 
resjjective number of shares varying from one to 
six, amounting to $5,200. The constitution con- 
tained stringent and prudential provisions for 
starting and managing the business of this com- 
pany, which was not to be dissolved before 1862. 
A joint stock store was opened and supeiTised by 
three directors, prudent, conscientious men, chosen 



350 



HISTOKY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



by the stockholders. Its business, however, after 
a continuance of several years, was not a financial 
success, and in winding it up there was incipient 
litigation, which was finally checked. 

Plots of the Lamberson lots were made by 
Jonathan E. Meredith in February, 1848, and 
March, 1849, and another one by David Putney, 
March 19, 1868. Some of them were sold thus: 
To Joseph W. Moorehead, May 17, 1869, 19,200 
square feet of lots 13 and 14, for $205, and 5,152 
square feet of lot 14, April 26, 1871, for S52 ; to 
P. W. Shoemaker, April 28, 1875, the portion 
added to lot 9, for fl58. Lamberson conveyed 
2,970 square feet on the south side of Main street 
and about fifteen rods nearly west from the angle 
in this street, to the trustees of the Methodist 
Episcopal church of Oakland, September 19, 1874^ 
for $10, on which, in that year, was erected the 
present church edifice, frame, 30X40 feet, one 
story, fifteen feet. The writer has not ascertained 
when this church was organized. It is without 
regular classleaders, and enjoys preaching, gen. 
erally, only once in two weeks. The old Oakland 
schoolhouse, frame, unpainted, was situated north- 
westerly from this lot, on the opposite side of the 
Anderson creek road. 

The lots on the southeastern side of Main street 
were surveyed by Jonathan E. Meredith probably 
in 1848-9, and belonged originally to the Joseph 
Moorehead purpart (except the one owned by 
David Jones), which, or a considerable portion of 
which, appear by recitals in some of the convey- 
ances to have been purchased of Moorehead by D. 
and J. Baughman. As a number of those convey- 
ances are not recorded, so full a statement of the 
prices for which these lots were sold as is desirable 
cannot be here given. The one now occupied by 
Dr. W. S. Hosack, containing about one-qviarter of 
an acre, appears to have been owned by Stephen 
Norris, which was conveyed by Sheriff Kelly to 
Wm. R. Hamilton, June 3, 1857, for $30, by whom 
it was conveyed to Samuel McGary, May 10, 1858, 
for $92, who, the same day, conveyed it to James 
A. Truitt for $274.50. Adjoining the road from 
Mahoning furnace on the east was a parcel 
containing 2 acres and 55 perches, consisting 
partly of the George Nulf tract, which, with other 
contiguous land, became vested in Samuel Copen- 
hauer, who conveyed to John Carson, and he to 
John and James Murphy. They conveyed these 
2 acres and 55 perches to Mary Reece, March 
27, 1855, for $275, of which she conveyed 1 
acre and 32 perches to Joseph T. Shoemaker, 
February 2, 1874, for $65. George C. Nulf con- 
veyed 85 perches to Mrs. Reece March 25, 1857, 



for $35. Along both sides of the road from Ma- 
honing furnace and along the southeastern side of 
Main street, contiguous in part to the Norris lot, 
was a parcel containing 12 acres and 138 perches, 
the northern part of which Moorehead conveyed 
to Joseph Baughman, and Nulf the southern part 
to Samuel Copenhauer ; the Moorehead and Nulf 
portions having thus became vested in Copenhauer, 
he conveyed the entire parcel, February 12, 1848, 
to John Carson, and he to Joseph W. Powell, 
March 8 ; Powell to George C. Nulf, December 8, 
1852 ; Nulf to George Reesman, January 21, 1859 ; 
Reesman to John McCauley, November 18, and 
McCauley to James A. Truitt, January 30, 1860, 
for $420, on which Truitt resides, and where he 
has had his store and kept the Oakland postoffice 
for several years, he having been the deputy and 
the postmaster since about 1848. This oflice was 
established in 1841, and was kept elsewhere until 
about 1846. George Nulf kept a hotel on this 
pai-cel from about 1847 until the building thus 
occupied was burned in 18 — . Truitt started his 
tannery about 50 rods south of Main street, on the 
eastern side of the road from Mahoning furnace, 
on this parcel in 1860. The present church edifice 
of the Baptist Congregation, frame, 36X56 feet, 
two stories, the first twelve and the second sixteen 
feet in the clear, which cost $5,000, was erected on 
this parcel in 1874, adjacent to which is the par- 
sonage.* This church was organized April 10, 
1837, by Rev. Thomas Wilson, and worshiped 
elsewhere until the completion of this edifice. 
It was incorj)orated by the court of common pleas 
of this county September 13, 1876, its corporate 
name being the " Red Bank Baptist Church of 
Oakland." The number of its members is sixty, 
and of Sabbath-school scholars seventy-five. A 
union Sabbath school, with different ofiacers, which 
most of the scholars of the Baptist school attend, 
is held, at a different hour, in this edifice, except 
in the winter. Lot No. 1 was conveyed by John 
Heighhold, who purchased it at sheriff's sale, to 
Mary Reece October 3, 1856, for $75, and the lot 
now owned by Julia Taylor, contiguous to the 
church lot, was conveyed to her by Truitt, Novem- 
ber 23, 1867, for $75. 

The Brethren in Christ congregation have a 
church edifice at the northeastern extremity of this 
village, on Peter Shoemaker's land, frame, 31X41 
feet, one story. It formerly belonged to the Meth- 
odist congregation, and was erected in 1844 on that 
part of the Bryan lands conveyed to William Smul- 
lin, and was purchased by Peter Shoemaker in 1872, 

*This lot, 12,480 square feet, was eunveved by James A. Truitt to 
this oliurcli, August 1, 1877, for 91. 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



351 



taken down, removed to its present site, and recon- 
structed just as it was before its removal. This 
churcli was organized prior to 1846, and worshiped 
elsewhere until the present edifice was provided. 
It has been so carefully fostered hj Peter Shoe- 
maker and some of his kindred that it has frequently 
been called "Shoemaker's church." Its member- 
ship is 67, but is at present without a resident 
minister. 

The educational facilities of this village have 
been thus far those afforded by the public school.* 

Dr. W. S. Hosack is the first resident physician 
of Oakland. He settled here in 1874. The sec- 
ond one is Dr. P. W. Shoemaker, who settled here 
in 1875. 

The separate assessment list of Oakland for 1876 
shows its number of taxables to be 55; laborers, 
26 ; carpenters, 7 ; single men, 3 ; merchants, 2 ; 
physicians, 2 ; shoemaker, 1 ; plasterer, 1 ; school- 
teacher, 1 ; farmer, 1 ; artist, 1 ; pauper, 1 ; land- 
lord, 1. Before the completion of the Allegheny 
Valley and Low Grade railroads, when the travel 
and hauling of freight along this route were con- 
siderable, there were two hotels, which were reason- 
ably well patronized. 

Adjoining the Isaac Moorehead purpart of the 
John Moorehead tract onjthe east was another part 
of the vacant land which was covered by the war- 
rant to Alexander Cathcart, dated February 22, to 
whom the patent was granted May 29, 1836. No 
important transfers of any of this tract occurred 
until January 15, 1870, when Cathcart's two parcels 
(including the one conveyed to him by his father's 
executors), aggregating 399 acres and 96 perches 
(exclusive of the " Gumbert lot," which had been 
previously conveyed to James E. Brown), to James 
H. Mayo for |14,095. On the same day Jacob An- 
thony conveyed to Mayo 50 acres and 32^ perches, 
part of the Isaac Moorehead purpart, and 50 acres 
conveyed to him by Philip Shoemaker, guardian of 
the minor children of Jos. Shoemaker, for $3,000 ; 
and Philip Shoemaker to same 50 acres and 32 
perches, which he had purchased from Alexander 
Colwell, and 35 acres, which he had purchased at 
sheriff's sale for $3,400. Mayo purchased these 
lands for theR ed Bank Oannel Coal & Iron Com- 
pany, of which he was a member. This company 
commenced operations in six or seven weeks after 
those purchases were made, but little was done, ex- 
cept to prefiare for shipping their coal, when rail- 

* The Oakland Classical and Normal Institute, under the prinei- 
palship of Lebbens J. Shoemaker, A. B., a graduate of Princeton 
College, was opened in the first story of the Baptist church, April 11, 
1877, m which instruction is given in the common and higher Eng- 
lish branches and the Greek and Latin languages. The average num- 
ber of pupils, male and female, is sixty-eight, and 01 those pursuing 
the higher English branches and Greek and Latin is sixteen. A lit- 
erary society for improvement in composition and speaking, (ton- 
ducted by the students, is connected with this institution. 



road facilities should be afforded. It was incor- 
porated in accordance with the general act of 
assembly, passed April 21, 1854, to enable joint 
owners, tenants in common, and adjoining owners 
of mineral lands to manage and develop the min- 
eral resources in their lands. The charter members 
were Chester Snow, of Harwick; Jonathan Iliggins, 
Orleans; J. K. Butler, Dennisport; Francis Childs, 
Charlestown; Charles B. Lane, Boston; George W. 
Lobdell, Mettapoisett, Massachusetts ; and James 
H. Mayo, Ridgeway, Pennsylvania. Their cer- 
tificate or application for a charter set forth, among 
other things, the objects of the company to be, the 
developing of their lands, and the mining, prepar- 
ing for and the carrying to market of the coal, 
iron, fire-clay and other minerals and mineral 
products which might be found in and under their 
lands; to construct roads, railroads on their lands ; 
to erect dwelling-houses and other necessary build- 
ings ; to introduce all necessary machinery for 
raising, preparing their minerals for and removing 
them to market, and to make all other improve- 
ments preparatory to leasing their lands; that their 
land was divided into 5,000 shares, the par value of 
each $100; and that each of the above-mentioned 
members owned 625 shares. F. Carroll Brewster, 
then the attorney-general of this state, having ex- 
amined and considered their certificate or applica- 
tion, certified, January 24, 1871, that it was properly 
drawn and signed, and the same was duly recorded, 
February 14, in Deed Book No. 39, page 221, in the 
recorder's oflice of this county. 

The writer has ascertained these additional facts 
from a communication of A. S. R. Richards, one of 
the company's clerks : " This company now owns 
nearly 2,000 acres of land in fee simple, most of 
which is well adapted to agriculture, affording all 
the feed necessary for their stock and a surplus for 
sale. The local name of the colliery, which is a mile 
and a quarter in an airline northeast of Oakland, 
is ' Bostonia.' The first shipment of their coal east 
was in June, 1873, just after the opening of the Low 
Grade division of the Allegheny Valley Railroad. 
There are five workable veins of coal on this com- 
pany's property — an excellent gas coal known as the 
Red Bank ' Orrel,' which is extensively mined, and 
shipped to gas companies in Northern and Eastern 
New York, northern part of this state, to Canada 
and elsewhere. Veins 2, 3, 4 have not yet 'been 
worked; vein 5 is canuel, the largest in the United 
States, and which is claimed to be superior to the 
Scotch and but little inferior to the English cannel, 
large quantities of which are shipped to Boston, 
Philadelphia and New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, 
Michigan and Canada, where it is used as fuel in 



352 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



grates and stoves in dwelling-houses and to gas 
companies within a radius of 500 miles, by which 
it is used as an ' enricher.' The company's extensive 
deposits of iron ore, limestone and other minerals 
remain as yet comparatively intact, awaiting their 
demand hereafter for manufacturing purposes in 
their native territory. When the vein of coal already 
opened is worked to its full capacity, the daily 
shipments from it reach 250 tons, requiring the ser- 
vices of sixty miners, three inside and two outside 
drivers, two inside and four outside laborers, one 
blacksmith, one engineer, one weighmaster, one 
stableman, one inside foreman, one clerk and one 
manager, in all about seventy eight employes on 
an average, but sometimes numbering 125. All the 
employes are paid in full on or about the 15th of 
each month, each monthly disbursement amounting 
to about |5,000; the colliery is equipped with a 
locomotive; numerous pit-cars, a large blacksmith 
and car shop, all the tools necessary for the prose- 
cution of an extensive business; pockets, screens 
and other appliances to prepare the coal for the 
varied demands of the market. Connected with 
these works are about five miles of a track of T iron 
rail; their capacity is equal to a daily production 
of 350 tons of coal, and twenty-eight neat and com- 
fortable cottages have been erected for the em- 
ployes, which are provided with all the modern 
conveniences, the circumjacent grounds of which 
are tastefully laid out and beautifully adorned with 
flowers, shrubbery and fruit-trees. The general 
depression of business has caused a considerable 
reduction of the quantity of coal mined at and 
shipped from this colliery, and all connected with 
it are eagerly waiting for a general revival of busi- 
ness and consequent increase of the demand for the 
immense products which this colliery is capable of 
yielding. 

In the assessment list of Mahoning township for 
1S16 is a separate one for this colliery, or cannel 
coal works, showing this company to be assessed 
with 1,019 acres of land at $20,980, and with 
personal property, $550 ; the number of taxables, 
26, and their personal property and occupations, 
$1,741.50. The 26 taxables are of course that j)or- 
tion of the employes residing at the colliery. The 
total valuation of the company's and the employes' 
property and occupations is $23,271.50. 

James Parker appears to have settled cotem- 
poraneonsly with Robert Cathcart (in 1805) on a 
portion of this vacant land, probably adjacent to 
the southern line of the latter's tract, with 400 
acres of which, and two horses and one cow, $335, 
he appears to have been assessed in 1806. His 
name appears for the last time oii the Bed Bank 



list in 1810, with the same quantity of land, and 
with one horse aiid one cow, $306. He and Cath- 
cart occasionally went out together on hunting 
expeditions, and it may have been on one of these 
that the latter killed the panthers above mentioned. 
It used to be related by John Millison, who was an 
early settler in another part of what is now this 
township, that on a certain occasion Parker went 
to a point on the Mahoning, called in those times 
the " Fish-Basket," to obtain some fish. He hitched 
his mare on the bank or bluff above the creek, 
which was captured by an Indian while he was 
getting his fish. When Parker discovered his loss, 
he made immediate pursuit, recaptured his mare, 
and remarked: "That young Indian will never 
steal another horse." That was probably in 1807, 
as Parker was thereafter assessed with only one 
horse. 

The name of Stofel Reighard appears on the 
map of original tracts as occupying at least a part 
of the land which Parker seems to have abandoned. 
His name is on the Red Bank tax list only for the 
year 1822, when he was assessed with 206 acres. 
Edward Blakeley settled on the southeastern part 
of this large tract of vacant land in 1806. He was 
first assessed in Red Bank township for the next year 
with 200 acres, "improvement," two horses and 
two cattle, at $140, and Robert Blakeney with 100 
acres, "improvement," and one horse, for 1808, at 
$58. Both of those parcels appear to have been 
covered by a warrant to Mrs. Catherine Blakeney 
in February, 1836. By her will, registered August 
1, 1837, she devised the northern part, or "end" as 
she designates it, on which she and her youngest 
son, Robert, had resided before her death, to him, 
and the remainder south of a division line from 
east to west, to her son James, and her daughters 
Jane, wife of Jacob Nulf, and Margaret, wife of 
Samuel Buzzard. The southwestern portion of this 
southern purpart is skirted by the northern half of 
the deep northeastern bend in the Mahoning. The 
northern purpart contained, according to J. E. 
Meredith's survey, 130 acres and allowance, and 
the southern one 190 acres and 94 perches. James 
Blakeney and his sisters conveyed 158 acres and 80 
perches of their purpart to Charles Johnston, Sep- 
tember 16, 1835, for $300; Johnston, 60 acres and 
allowance to Christian Shunk, June 29, 1846, for 
$240; Shunk to A. and J. A. Col well, 63-^ acres, 
April 11, 1848, for $700, of which they conveyed 
10 acres and 105 perches to Joseph Shoemaker, 
December 30, 1856, for $85.25. Johnston conveyed 
131 acres to Philip Shoemaker, October 14, 1854, 
for $850, of which the latter conveyed 7 acres and 
27 perches to Joseph Shoemaker, March 5, 1857, 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



353 



for $28.67. Philip Shoemaker also purchased — the 
records do not show either when or for what 
amount — Robert Blakeney's purpart, a part of 
which, along " the road leading from Nulf 's old 
fording to McKallip's mill," he conveyed to James 
and Eli Simmers, July 23, 1855, in 67 acres and 21 
perches of which John Shobert had, in 1844, an 
interest, of which he was divested by sheriff's sale, 
and of which Jeremiah Bojiner became the pur- 
chaser for $350, and which he conveyed to Peter 
George, March 10, 1845, for $400. It is described 
as lying "along the Hogback road," and adjoining 
land of George Nulf on the west. One acre and 
four perches of it was sold by James Simmers to 
Hannah Simmers, September 6, 1856, for $62. 

Philip Shoemaker settled on that parcel of these 
vacant lands north of Blakeney's, probably in 
1814, for he was first assessed on the list of Red 
Bank township the next year, with 400 acres — 
perhaps the same that had been occupied by James 
Parker — and two horses, at $400. His cousin, 
Peter Shoemaker, who, it is said, was his favorite 
kinsman, settled on the western portion of that 
parcel probably in 1824. He was first assessed in 
1825 on the last-mentioned list with 200 acres 
and one horse at $421. He was a prominent and 
active member of the Brethren in Christ church, 
which seceded from the German Baptist, or 
Dunkard church, of which his brother George was 
for many years the pastor. A church edifice, 
brick, about forty feet square, was erected on his 
land, about 235 rods east of Oakland, in 1846, and 
was completed in the autumn of 1847. In 1872 
the edifice heretofore mentioned, at the north- 
eastern extremity of Oakland, was substituted for 
this one, which has since been converted into a 
dwelling-house. Fifty rods north of this brick 
building is an acre of ground which Philip and 
Peter Shoemaker conveyed to Alexander Cathcart, 
Jacob Anthony and William Smullin and their 
successors, " including a house sometimes occupied 
as a schoolhouse," " intended as a public burying- 
ground," February 27, 1840, for $5. It is a part of 
the land included in the patent to Philip Shoe- 
maker, dated May 25, 1827, and in the purpart 
which he had conveyed to Peter, June 17, 1824. 

Another portion of these vacant lands lay south 
of Joseph Moorehead's, west and south of Peter 
Shoemaker's, and west of the Blakeneys' purparts, on 
which George Nulf settled, probably, in 1821, 
when he was assessed with two oxen and one cow 
at $38; in 1824, with 160 acres; in 1826, with 100 
acres, " improvement ; " in 1832, with 100 acres, 
" Mahoning," *. e., on the Mahoning. He obtained 
a warrant, dated June 12, 1837, on which a f)atent 



for 208 acres and 48 perches was granted to John 
Gebhart, April 11, 1838, for $4.84, the upper or 
northern part of which was included in the above- 
mentioned conveyance of Nulf to Copenhauer, 
and which is now owned by Truitt. Nulf con- 
veyed 111 acres of it to Wm. McMillen, March 6, 
1848, for $950. John Thorn obtained a warrant 
for 100 acres of these vacant lands March 6, 1827, 
and the patent August 7, 1828, 24 acres and 70 
perches of which are south and east of the Col- 
well and Shunk warrant for 33 acres, and north of 
the Mahoning, and the rest in the northern part of 
the eastern bend of this creek, which he conveyed 
to Yost Smith January 25, 1831, for $280, and 
which the latter's widow and heirs convej^ed to 
Colwell and Shunk September 29, 1845, for $1,300. 
A small tract of 33 acres and allowance in the 
southwestern part of these vacant lands, west of 
the southern purpart of the Blakeney and west of 
the Thorn-Smith tract, was left vacant after George 
Nulf had acquired title to his tract, for which a 
warrant was granted to John 'A. Colwell and 
Christian Shunk, April 3, 1845, and which was 
thereon surveyed to them May 1, by J. E. Meredith, 
special deputy surveyor. The patent was granted 
to John A. Colwell March 11, 1847. A narrow 
strip of it extends across the Mahoning to the 
northern line of " Pleasant Valley." In the north- 
eastern acute angle formed by the eastern line of 
this narrow strip and the left bank of the creek, 
on the southeastern side of the creek, is the site of 
the Mahoning Furnace, which was erected by 
Alexander and John A. Colwell in the summer of 

1845. It was a steam, cold-blast, charcoal furnace 
until 1860, when its fuel was changed to coke. It 
is ten feet across the bosh by thii-ty-three feet high, 
and made in forty-six weeks, in 1856, 4,796 tons of 
forge metal out of hard blue carbonate, lying on a 
limestone bed in the coal measures, 100 feet above 
water level, within the distance of a mile from the 
stack. Its annual average production has been 
about 2,000 tons, and the number of employes 100. 
The metal is transported in flatboats down the 
Mahoning creek and Allegheny river, some to 
Kittanning, but most of it to Pittsburgh. John 
A. Colwell purchased Shunk's and his wife's 
interest in this tract and the adjoining Thorn- 
Smith one, both containing 133 acres, March 2, 

1846, for $8,000, and in the 63^ acres of the southern 
purpart of the Blakeney tract, as above mentioned, 
April 11, 1848, for $700, those parcels constituting 
but a small portion of the aggregate quantity of 
land in this vicinity belonging to the furnace 
property. The only dwelling-houses within con- 
venient distance when the erection of the furnace 



354 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



was begun were the log one, built by Adam iSTnlf 
many years ago, on the opposite side of the creek, 
and another log one on this side. The latter was used 
for some time as a boarding-house for the large 
number of men employed in that erection. The 
present number of buildings on both sides of the 
creek is twenty, besides the schoolhouse, built in 
1855-6, and used for church purposes, sawmill, 
coal and coke yards, and 150 rods of rail, or tram- 
way. The partnership in this furnace business 
between Alexander and John A. Colwell was dis- 
solved by the death of the former in 1868, and 
since then it has been controlled by the latter. 
The bridge across the Mahoning at this point was 
erected in 18-tT-8 by the furnace company; also 
the second superstructure. It was afterward de- 
clared a county bridge, and the present super- 
structure was erected at the joint expense of the 
county and the owners of the furnace. 

There was still another parcel, a small one, of 
these vacant lands south of Nulf's, covered by a 
warrant to Shunk, which became a part of the 
Furnace property. 

Contiguous to those vacant lands on the east and 
southeast was a considerable body of the Bryan 
lands, for which Arthur Bryan obtained a warrant 
dated October 20, 1786, which he, in October, 1787, 
conveyed to George Bryan, and of which, among 
other lands, the act of assembly, March 17, 1820, 
as "stated in the sketch of Cowanshannock town- 
ship, authorized partition to be made among the 
latter's heirs, by Robert Orr, Jr., of this county, 
Thomas Smith and Joseph Spangler, of Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania. Within a month after the passage 
of that act the partition was made, and the instru- 
ment evidencing it is dated April 20, and which 
was recorded May 8, of the same year. It and the 
accompanying diagram show this tract to have 
been thus divided into three purparts, each con- 
taining 363 acres and 120 perches. The northeasts 
ern one. No. 3, was allotted to Francis Bryan, of 
Albany, New York; the western and central one. 
No. 2, to George Bryan, of Lancaster, Pennsyl- 
vania, and the southern one, No. 1, to Mary Bryan, 
probably of Philadelphia. Francis Bryan, by 
Robert Orr, his attorney-in-fact, conveyed his 
entire purpart to William Smullin, April 3, 1835, 
for $1,455, to which he removed about that time, 
where he has ever since since resided, most of 
which has been retained by him, and on which 
substantial improvements have been made. One 
of the township schoolhouses, erected many years 
ago, is at the cross-roads near his homestead, a few 
rods south of which is the site of a camp-ground 
where the Methodist denomination of the circum- 



jacent region formerly held their camp-meetings. 
About 1843-4 the frame church edifice was erected 
near that site, which was subsequently removed to 
Oakland by Peter Shoemaker, and which was the 
only one used by the Methodists in this township 
for a period of eight years. Smullin conveyed 103 
acres and 115 perches to Henry R. Hamilton, March 
13, 1839; he to William Hamilton, January 12, 
1841; and he to Wm. R. Hamilton, April 21, 1843, 
for 11,237.42, on which he resides and where he 
has established his homestead and made valuable 
improvements. He purchased from Smullen 12 
acres and 113 perches, February 12, 1846, for 
$131.25. 

An Indian path in old times extended from the 
run near Wm. R. Plamilton's house across the 
Mahoning about forty rods above the mill at 
Putneyville to the vicinity of Olney Furnace, where 
it forked — one branch extending to Punxsutawney, 
and the other via Dayton, and across the north 
branch of Plum creek near Plumville, Indiana 
county. 

George Bryan conveyed his entire purpart to 
John Smullin, May 16, 1838, for $2,200; he con- 
veyed 265 acres to Samuel Hamilton, April 1, 1845, 
for $1,584, who devised the same to John J. Hamil- 
ton, and he to Joseph K. Hamilton, the present 
owner, April 16, 1855, for $5,000. 

Mary Bryan, to whom the southern purpart, No. 
1, was allotted, married Thomas Park. After his 
death she conveyed this entire pui-part to George 
T. Bryan and John McCarter, the latter of Charles- 
ton, South Carolina, in trust for Sarah, wife of 
Jonathan Bryan, which they conveyed to Alexander 
Colwell, February 17, 1848, for $1,818.75, 100 acres 
of which he conveyed to Joseph Shoemaker, April 
5, 1850, for $800. Other portions of it have not 
been much, if at all, cultivated. At the northern 
bend of the Mahoning in the southern part of it 
was the " Fish-Basket," heretofore mentioned, 
which was a favorable point for catching fish, and 
to which the early white settlers and Indians in 
this region resorted for that purpose. In 1865 a 
well was drilled here for oil to the depth of 800 or 
900 feet, and then abandoned. A large deposit of 
very strong salt water was found, a few buckets of 
which having been boiled yielded a large percent- 
age of salt. 

In the southern part of what is now this town- 
ship, including what has from early times been 
called "the Cove," "the Big Cove," "the Mahon- 
ing Cove," west of the two deep bends, crossed by aj 
line extending due south from a point about 601 
rods east of the mouth of Long Run, on the Red 
Bank to and across the Mahoning, and east of that 




^''"V^,^^^^^^?: 



WILLIAM FEEAME JOHNSTON. 

[GOVEKNOK OF PENNSYLVANIA, 1848-52.] 

William Freame Johnston, the third Governor of Pennsylvania 
under the constitution of 1838, was born at Greensburg, Westmore- 
land county, Pennsylvania, November 29, 180S. His paternal 
ancestors were originally from Annandale, Scotland, where they 
at one time held valuable estates. The head of the house, Alex- 
ander Johnston, however, being killed at the battle of Fontenoy, 
April 30, 1745, the estate fell into dispute, and finally, through 
political strife, was lost. The family then removed to Ireland and 
settled in County Fermagh, where, in July, 1772, the governor's 
father, Alexander Johnston, was born. He emigrated to America in 
1796, and after serving for a time as a surveyor in Western Pennsylva- 
nia, located in Westmoreland county, of which he was sheriff when 
his son, William F., was born. The mother of the governor, Eliza- 
beth Freame, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in Novem- 
ber, 1781, and was a daughter of William Freame, a private in the 
British army, who bore arms against the French in America, and 
afterward accepted the proposition of the English government to re- 
main in this country. The issue of the marriage of Alexander John- 
ston with Elizabeth Freame was eight sons and two daughters. The 
subject of our sketch was not the only member of the family who at- 
tained exalted position. Several of the sons bore themselves 
gallantly as officers in the Mexican war and the war for the Union. 

The subject of this sketch had a limited common school and 
academic education, but acquired a great fund of general informa- 
tion by reading and observation. He studied law under Major J. B. 
Alexander, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1S29, when in his 
twenty-first year. Shortly afterward he removed to .\rmstrong 
county, and here he engaged in practice, and soon rose to a com- 
manding position. He was appointed by Attorney-Gen. Samuel 
Douglas, and subsequently by Attorney-Gen. Lewis, district attor- 
ney for Armstrong county, which office he held until the expi- 
ration of Gov. Wolf's first term. For several years he repre- 
sented the county in the lower house of the legislature, and in 1847 
was elected a member of the senate from the district composed of 
the counties of Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria and Clearfield. " As a 
legislator, Mr. Johnston," says a biographer, " was bold and original, 
not beholden to precedents, and was an acknowledged leader." 
During the period in which he was in the legislature a great finan- 
cial crisis occurred, and the distress which ensued was extreme. 
" At this crisis Mr. Johnston came forward with a proposition to issue 
relief notes, for the payment or funding of which the state pledged 
its faith. "This he advocated with his usual energy and logical 
acuteness, and though a majority of the legislature was politically 
opposed to him, it was adopted, and gave instant relief" In 1847 Mr. 



Johnston was elected president of the senate. By a provision of the 
constitution— if any vacancy occur by death or otherwise, in the 
office of governor, the speaker of the senate become the acting exec- 
utive oflicer— Gov. Shunk resigning on the 9th of July because of 
ill health. Speaker Johnston became governor. In 1848 he was the 
Whig nominee for the office, and was elected over Morris Long- 
streth, after a very sharp and remarkably close contest. Gov. 
Johnston managed the financial affairs of the commonwealth 
dtu-ing his administration in a very creditable manner. One of the 
subjects which first and most fully occupied his attention was the 
material interests of the commonwealth, and he argued with great 
ability in his first message for a protective tarift'. One work of last- 
ing and high value which he accomplished was the publication of 
twenty-eight large volumes, known as the Colonial Kecords and Penn- 
sylvania Archives, composed of important papers relating to the most 
interesting period of state history. Upon retiring from office, after 
failing to secure a reelection, Mr. Johnston returned to Kittanning, 
engaged in the practice of his profession, and also entered upon an 
active business life, at different periods being interested in the manu- 
facture of iron, boring for salt, the production of oil from bitumi- 
nous shales, and the refining of petroleum. He was prominent in 
organizing the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company, and was its first 
president. Under his management the road was built from Pitts- 
burgh to Kittanning. During the war of the rebellion he took an 
active part in organizing troops, and superintended the construction 
of the defenses at Pittsburgh. He was appointed by President An- 
drew .Johnson collector of the port of Philadelphia, the duties of 
which office he discharged for several months, but through the hos- 
tility of a majority of the senate to the President, he was rejected by 
that body, though ample testimony was given that the office was 
faithfully and impartially administered. He then practiced law in 
Philadelpliia, associating with himself Hon. George S. Selden, of 
Meadville, and subsequently — some time in 1868 — returned to Kit- 
tanning. In 1871 he removed to Pittsburgh, and be died there at 
the residence of Mrs. Samuel Bailey, October 2b, 1872. At the 
commemorative meeting of the Armstrong bar Judge Logan made 
a brief address, a single paragraph from which will convey some 
idea of the Governor's character. "I gladly testify," said he, - 
"to- the fine abilitv of Gov. Johnston as a lawyer, and his powers 
as an advocate ; to 'his marked courtesy of address, and his uniform- 
ly gentlemanly bearing ; to his absolute integrity in professional rela- 
tion, always the characteristic of the great lawyer and man ; and to 
his scorn of the wrong. To say that Gov. Johnston was distin- 
guished in these things is but the tribute of truth to the recollection 
of a man whose presence commanded affection, and whose memory 
compels respect." ,, ^ .., 

Mr. Johnston was married April 12, 1832, to Miss Mary Monteith. 
The offspring of their union were five sons and two daughters. 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



355 



part of the Mahoning which is the southern part 
of the western boundary line between this and 
Madison township, lay three contiguous tracts, 
the easternmost one of which, called "Pleasant 
Valley," was covered by warrant No. 51Y2, 660 
acres, granted to Isaac Anderson February 15, 
1794; the central one, called "Curiosity," was 
covered by warrant No. 453, 413 acres, granted to 
Jeremiah Murry May 17, 1785, and the western 
one, called " Isaac's Choice," covered by warrant 
No. 3833, 220 acres, granted to Isaac Anderson 
April 27, 1793. Murry conveyed No. 453 to 
Anderson December 13, 1790, and Anderson con- 
veyed all these three tracts, February 4, 1795, to 
George Roberts, of Philadelphia, to whom the 
patents were granted February 10. The aggregate 
number of acres in the three tracts was 1,293, 
which, in 1807, were assessed at $646.50. "Curi- 
osity" was seated by Jacob Anthony in 1816, and 
John Edwards was assessed with 125 acres of it, 
one horse and one cow, in 1818, at §88. "Isaac's 
Choice" by Philip Anthony in 1817, and "Pleasant 
Valley" in 1818. There was, however, a sale by 
Roberts' heirs of 43 acres and 141 perches of 
"Pleasant Valley" to Jacob Nulf December 23, 
1806 — ^probably a mistake either in the deed or the 
record, as the deed was acknowledged December 
24, 1836 — for S88. That parcel is described in 
the deed as adjoining lands of John Shoemaker, 
Alexander and John White, and " the meeting- 
house lot." It does not appear from any of the 
tax or assessment lists that either Nulf or any of 
his adjoiners resided here when that conveyance 
was made. Thomas Blair, it may be remarked in 
passing, offered these three tracts for sale bj^ 
advertisement in the Kittanning Gazette March 
22, 1826. Roberts' heirs conveyed 15 acres and 78 
perches of "Pleasant Valley" to Nulf, April 30, 
1832, for $31, which, with an additional quantity 
subsequently purchased by him, aggregating 220 
acres, he agreed to sell to Christian Shunk, Novem- 
ber 27, 1844, for $3,000, which the latter agreed to 
sell to John A. Colwell, March 2, 1846. Nulf 
having died without executing a deed to Shunk or 
Colwell, by virtue of a decree of the proper court 
for the specific performance of the contract between 
Nulf and Shimk, James Galbraith, Nulf's adminis- 
trator, conveyed these 220 acres to Colwell on the 
payment of $905, the unpaid balance of the pur- 
chase money. This " meeting-house lot " contains 
five acres of " Pleasant Valley." It was conveyed 
by Roberts' heirs November 21, 1832, for $10, to 
John White and John Shoemaker, who agreed and 
declared, December 16, 1834, that they and their 
executors and administrators should hold, possess 



and be interested in these five acres and all their 
appurtenances, and "the buildings erected and to 
be erected thereon," in trust for the persons resi- 
dent in the vicinity thereof, for the purposes of a 
public burying-ground, the erection thereon of 
meeting-houses, schoolhouses, and other buildings 
for public use. They also agreed that upon a 
written request of two-thirds of the male citizens 
residing within five miles of this lot being 
presented to them, their heirs and legal represent- 
atives, they would duly convey their trust to such 
trustees as should be selected by those persons, 
who should hold the same in trust for those pur- 
poses in the same manner as they then held them, 
subject to such modifications as two-thirds of such 
citizens might deem best calculated to effect the 
design of the trust. A log church edifice 
was erected thereon perhaps in 1812 or 1813, 
for Philip Mechling remembers having passed 
it one summer-day when a meeting of some 
kind was being held in it, and having no- 
ticed the people within looking at him through 
the open spaces between the logs, which had 
not then been filled with clay or mortar. The 
house then had the appearance of having been 
built several years. He is not certain whether he 
was then riding as constable or sheriff. If as the 
former, it was in 1815, but if as the latter, it was in 
1817-18. That edifice was used for church pur- 
poses by different denominations, and for a school- 
house for several years after the furnace went into 
operation. Some portions of it still remain. This 
" meeting-house lot " is situated at an angle on the 
eastern side of the " Hogback road," and is desig- 
nated " Cem." on the township map, being 
about 1 30 rods south of Mahoning Furnace. Rev. 
B. B. Killikellv preached in that house occasion- 
ally. 

Roberts' heirs conveyed other parcels thus : 103 
acres and 41 perches of "Pleasant Valley" to John 
and Alexander White, September 1, 1830, for $303, 
forwhich they were first assessed in 1831; 91 acres 
and 60 perches, partly of " Curiosity," to Michael 
HoUobough, November 1, 1830, for $182.70 ; 186 
acres, wholly of " Pleasant Valley," to John Nulf, 
April 21, 1838, for $314; 58 acres, parts of "Pleas- 
ant Valley" and "Curiosity," to Adam Nulf, No- 
vember. 1, 1830, for $116.40; 100 acres, parts of 
" Curiosity " and " Isaac's Choice," to John Martin, 
November 1, 1830, for $200; 112 acres, parts of the 
last-mentioned tracts, to Jacob B. Hettritk, Sep- 
tember 4, 1828, for $225; 51 acres of " Curiosity" 
to George Stewart, June 17, 1837, for $115.50 ; 68 
acres and 29 perches of "Isaac's Choice " to Philip 
Anthony, June IS, 1837, for $160. In the south- 



356 



HISTOBY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



western part of this township is a portion of the 
Robert Morris tract, No. 4528, noticed in the sketch 
of Pine township, 235 acres and 80 perches of 
which Robert Orr conveyed to George Reedy, 
August 28, 1847, for $824, now owned in part at 
least by James Roberts. All the rest of what is 
now Mahoning township, besides those three tracts, 
and the northwestern corner of the S. Wallis tract. 
No. 4128, was covered by warrants of the Holland 
Laud Company. Adjoining "Curiosity" and " Pleas- 
ant Valley " on the north, was that company's 
tract No. 317, warrant No. 2880, the southeastern 
part of which, consisting of allotment 6 and part of 
allotment 4, became vested in Adam Nulf, on the 
right bank of the Mahoning, in the southeastern 
part of which he settled. The log house in which 
he lived is still there, and is said to have been built 
in 1799 or 1800. He must have f)lanted an orchard 
soon after his settlement, for it contained the old- 
est trees and the largest number of them in this 
section of the country. If he settled here as early 
as above indicated, he must have escaped the 
assessor's notice for several years, for his name is 
not found on any tax list until that of Red Bank 
township for 1809, when he was assessed with 50 
acres, improvement, and one horse, at $190. Pie 
died intestate, and his heirs entered into an agree- 
ment, November 14, 1837 (his widow having pre- 
viously died), for an amicable partition of the lands 
which he had left, consisting of about 215 acres, 
nearly all of which was then in Red Bank town- 
ship, which, except the 15 acres on the left bank of 
the Mahoning, then in Wayne township, which 
their father had agreed to sell to Jacob Nulf, on 
which about 40 acres were then cleared, and on 
which there were a house, stable and the above- 
mentioned orchard, which they finally agreed to 
sell to the highest and best bidder on the first 
Monday of April, 1838. They, however, did not 
thus sell their lands, but subsequently conveyed 
them to the Colwells, so that they are now included 
in the Furnace property. 

In the eastern jjart of the broad, deep bend in the 
Mahoning in the southeastern part of this town- 
ship, opposite Eddyville, is a portion of the Holland 
land, covered by warrant No. 3150, the j^atent for 
which is dated July 21, 1836, in the southeastern 
portion of which is the Smith burying ground, 
quite an old one, which is somewhat overgrown 
with weeds and bushes, in which are the graves of 
Gasper ^or Casper Nulf, Sr., and his wife. They 
had formerly resided on another Holland tract on 
the north side of the Red Bank. The assessment 
list of 1817 shows that he had "moved away" — 
tlxat is, he had the year before removed thence. 



where he had resided since 1808, when he was first 
assessed there with 100 acres, two horses and one 
cow at $51. He was first assessed on the Plum 
Creek township tax list for 1817, when the territory 
within this bend was in that township. His and 
his wife's deaths were noticed in the Kittanning 
Gazette thus: "Died, February 1, 1837, Casper 
Nulf, aged one hundred and six years, and on No- 
vember 11, 1836, Phebe, his wife, aged one hun- 
di-ed and three years. They had lived together 
more than eighty years, and were the parents of 
eighteen children. Their descendants are believed 
to number 300. They had supported themselves 
by their own industry until within three years of 
their deaths." 

George Sniith, almost a centenarian, who was 
employed as rodman, axman or chain-carrier in the 
STirveys of the Holland lands many years ago, was 
an early settler on this tract, in this part of what is 
now this township, of which Willink & Co. con- 
veyed to him 105 acres, September 17, 1839, for 
$275. 

There may have been some other cotempo- 
raneous early settlers on it besides those above 
mentioned. The later settlers appear from the fol- 
lowing conveyances : Willink & Co. to Andrew 
Foreman, who had settled on it in 1830, 105 acres 
in the northeastern part of the bend, January 9, 
1839, for 1250, and he to Reuben HuflEman, March 
14, 102 acres and 32 perches thereof for $900; 
Willink & Co. to John Doverspike, March 12, 1840, 
121 acres and 120 perches for $303. 

The German Reformed and Lutheran churches 
were organized in this bend. Services were held 
by clergymen of both these denominations in 
George Smith's house, in an old log schoolhouse 
and elsewhere until 1873, when the present neat 
and substantial frame edifice, 40X40 feet, was com- 
pleted, in which there has been regular preaching, 
alternately, by clergymen of both these denomina- 
tions. 

This Le Roy & Co. tract and warrant No. 3119 
were laid over the southern part of an earlier one 
to Charles Campbell. It was not known for many 
years just where the latter was laid, but it extended 
about an equal distance north and so.uth of the 
Mahoning, was surveyed on warrant No. 3832, 
April 22, 1793, and contained 226 acres and 70 
perches, and which was conveyed by Campbell's 
heirs to John McCrea, who instituted an action of 
ejectment, October 6, 1857, against its occupants, 
John Kuhn, John Huffman, Daniel Doverspike and 
Andrew Foreman, which finally resulted in Mc- 
Crea's recovering all but the 58 acres included in 
the commissioner's deed to Doverspike. 





GEORGE S. PUTKfEV. 



>/lF^S. GEOItIGE s.pUtKeV. 



GEORGE S. PUTNEY. 

The father of the subject of this sketch, David Putney, the be- 
ginner of the improvement which developed into Putneyvllle, 
where his descendants reside, was born in Connecticut, October 18, 
1794, and came to Pittsburgh, then considered a town of the Far 
West, before he was of age. There he married, upon September 29, 
1818, Miss Lavinia Stevenson, who was born January 7, 1796. The 
children of David Putney and wife were : James Thompson, born 
July 8, 1819 ; George Stevenson, May 29, 1821 ; David Taylor, August 
20, 1823; Mary Eleanor (SmuUin), September 26, 1825; William Nel- 
son, April 13, 1829; Samuel Boyd, May 24, 1831; Nelson Osborne, Sep- 
tember 7, 1833, and Ezra Judson, July 31, 1837. Of this family the 
only members now living are the subject of our sketch and Mrs. 
Smullin, both of whom reside in Putneyvllle. Shortly after their 
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Putney moved to Freeport, and it was there 
that their son George Stevenson was born. In 1833 David Putney 
purchased from the Holland Land Company, at $1.50 per acre, a tract 
of 1,000 acres of land surrounding and including the site of the 
present \-illage named after him. Soon after this purchase was 
made, Mr. Putney, with his sons James Thompson and George Ste- 
venson, came to the spot where the village now stands. The bottom- 
lands and the hillsides were then covered with a thick growth of 
laurel and hazel-brush, through which a road was cut with consid- 
erable difflculty. A little shanty was erected upon the creek bank, 
near where the gristmill now stands. The material of which it was 
constructed was slabs gathered along the creek, and it was roofed with 
bark taken in large pieces from trees in the vicinity. This served as 
their home, and in it George S. Putney discharged the duties of head 
cook. Instead of plates fresh chips of wood were used, each serving 



for only one meal and then going into the fire over which the next 
was cooked. About four months later a second cabin was built, 
similar to and near the first. This was to ser\'e the purpose of a 
store, and was stocked with a limited assortment ot staple goods 
brought from Freeport and Pittsburgh. For about a year there were 
no other buildings erected, but during that period Mr. Putney was 
engaged in working upon a headrace and dam and taking out tim- 
ber for a grist and saw mill, employing ten or twelve hands. The 
sawmill was completed the second year. Shanty life no longer pos- 
sessing the charm of novelty, and now having a mill to manufacture 
lumber, a story-and-a-half frame dwelling-house was erected — the 
first in the neighborhood. Father and sons were then made happy 
by association with the rest of the family, who moved up from Free- 
port; and George S. Putney, being relieved from the duties of chief 
cook, was promoted to the position of "boss sawyer" in the mill, 
and commenced getting out the lumber for the gristmill, which was 
built and put in successful operation during the third year of the 
settlement. The elder Mr. Putney was a natural genius in mechan- 
ics and a typical New England pioneer, able to turn his hand to 
almost any industry. With the improvements alluded to business 
was continued very successfully up to the spring of 1840, by whicli 
time considerable land had been cleared and the sunshine allowed 
to reach the fertile soil of the little valley. A few houses for tenants 
had also been erected. About this time David Putney contracted to 
furnish a large amount of timber for the completion of dam No. 1 on 
the Monongahela river, at Pittsburgh, and to meet the contract he 
purchased some rafts on Mahoning and Red Bank creeks. But in 
addition to these purchases he was obliged to buy a tract of timber 
land on the Clarion river, Avhere he and his son James Thompson 
went to get out what they needed. The two brothers being greatly 



attached to each other, James Thompson refused to stay longer than 
about thirty days, and returned home. His father then summoned 
George S. to his assistance. In a reasonable time the timber was all 
taken out and in readiness for high water to run it to market. George 
S. Putney, having to remain there awaiting a rise, went to work and 
took out frame timber for the Methodist Episcopal cbnrch at Free- 
port. To their misfortune there was no freshet during the fall sufli- 
cient to aiford them the opportunity to make a delivery, and the 
timber was frozen up in the ice the following winter and lost. In 
consequence, David Putney became financially involved, and in 1842 
was obliged to effect a sale of the greater part of his property to meet 
his indebtedness. It was then that James Thompson and George S. 
Putney, by request of their creditors, purchased the grist and saw 
mills with about 190 acres of land surrounding them, agreeing to 
pay therefor the sum of 54,000. Tliis was for the time, and to them, 
in their condition, a heavy undertaking, as they were entirely desti- 
tute of funds and had to rely wholly upon the proceeds of the mills 
to pay for the property. About the same time they made another 
purchase, which time has demonstrated to have been a wise one. 
This was a tract of pine land in Henderson township, Jefferson 
county, then of small value, but now, left unmolested and with a rail- 
road running through it, worth from 5^75,000 to S80,000. Fortunately 
for the young men who succeeded their father in business, the Ma- 
honing furnace was put in operation, in 1S4.'S, by John A. CoUvell & 
Co., and an outlet was demanded for the metal which they manu- 
factured. This the Putney brothers supplied, putting up a boat 
scaffold and building boats upon which, under contract, they carried 
the company's pig-iron down the creek and the Allegheny river to 
Pittsburgh. They put up a new sawmill, entered into a general lum- 
ber business, and in 1848 engaged in merchandizing, taking into part- 
nership in the latter a third brother, David T. These industries were 
fairly remunerative, but it was the business of buildjng and purchas- 
ing boats to carry metal for the furnace people which gave them the 
greater part of the revenue with which they discharged their indebt" 
edness. By 1852 they had discharged the obligations which they 
incurred at the start. The partnership in the store remained un- 
changed until 1854, when David T. Putney went to the West for grain, 
and on his return home was attacked with cholera and died on the 
steamer, near St. Louis, May 2, 1855, his remains being brought to 
Putneyvxlle. In the meantime a tannery had been established, and 
this, with the two mills, the store, boating interest, etc., was carried 
on by James T. and George S. Putney quite successfully until the 
death of the former, December 24, 1858. During this year the grist- 
mill was burned, and at the time of James T. Putney's death a new 
one was in process of construction. Upon his brother's death , George 
S. Putney bought from his heirs his entire interest in the firm prop- 
erty, with the exception of two tracts of land. He now had the 
business of the two mills, the store, tannery and metal-carrying to 
attend to, and employed his brother, Samuel B. Putney, and A. Smul- 
lin to assist him, the former devoting his attention principally to the 
boat business, and the latter going Into the store. Both continued 
with him during the war. Through this period Mr. Putney carried 
on business under many disadvantages, chief among which was an 
almost universal credit system. He had, about the time the war 
broke out, suffered a severe loss by a great fl^ood, which carried away 
his milldam, boats, and some other property. But notwithstanding 
his misfortune, he was able during the war to assist others who 
needed favors. No soldier's widow or other deserving person was 
obliged to go without the comforts of life because lacking the cash 
with which to buy them. His liberality also found expression in 
large money subscriptions to protect from the draft some of his fel- 
lowmen who could illy afford to go into the army and abandon 
family and the business or labor which supported them. He paid 
many times the amount which, had he been subject to the draft and 



chosen, would have hired a substitute, and did it disinterestedly. 
Mr. Putney worked on alone, ambitiously, although with little en- 
couragement, until 1868, when he was joined by his sons, W. F. Tay- 
lor and L. Miles, the latter assuming the active management and 
attending to the bookkeeping and buying. From the fact that Mr 
Putney had not been able to give his personal attention to the store 
its business had declined, but under the new management it was 
rapidly built up, and the other lines of business were correspond- 
ingly developed. In 1869 the sawmill was rebuilt, and the boat 
scaffold soon after. By 1870 the business of the store had so increased 
that its proprietors were compelled to build an addition. The grist- 
mill was remodeled at a cost of from $7,000 to $8,000, and steam intro- 
duced in the tannery. Various iniprovements attested from time to 
time the enterprise and energj'^ of father and sons. Upon Sunday, 
October?, 1877, fire destroyed the store, and Mr. Putney and his sons 
suffered a loss over and above their insurance of about $10,000. L, 
Miles Putney was in New York buying goods at the time, and was 
apprised of the calamity by telegraph. After a few messages had been 
passed betw^een himself and the people at home, it was decided to 
continue the business and he went on with his purchases. Business 
was resumed, eight days afterward, in a small building and under 
many disadvantages, but the firm had a prosperous trade. Prepara- 
tions were made for building a new store as soon as the adjusting 
agent of the insurance company had estimated and reported the 
losses by the fire, and the new structure was erected and goods sold 
in it in April, 1878. It was fully completed by July of that year 
This store building, of which the sole architect was Mr. L. Miles 
Putney, is 80 feet deep by 40 in width, and two stories in hight. 
The store proper, than which there is none finer in Pennsylvania 
outside of the great cities, is 24X80 feet, and is adjoined by a ware- 
room and private office. It is a^marvel of convenience and elegance, 
and contains many ingenious devices which are suggestive of the 
New England descent of its designer. The second story is finished 
off in fine style as a hall, which is occupied by Putney viUe Lodge, 
No. 735, 1. 0. 0. F. 

The firm of George S. Putney & Sons is now engaged in this store, 
in which they do a large business, in the grist and saw mills, a boat- 
yard, farming, stock raising and a general lumber business. 

Mr. George S. Putney's father, David, lived to see the country in 
Which he settled finely developed and to enjoy the sight of a well- 
ordered village developed through his own and his family's enter- 
prise upon the land which he took up at an early day in its virgin 
state. He was honored by an election to the legislature in 1854, and 
was a useful, esteemed citizen all of his life. He died August 31, 
1879, and his wife, Lavina, April 20, 1873. 

George S. Putney, who has carried on and amplified the enter- 
prises begun by his father, and resulting in the building up of Put- 
neyville, has been, like him, a most highly respected resident of 
Armstrong county, and one who has materially aided in its improve- 
ment. He was elected to the legislature, upon the democratic ticket, 
in 1870, defeating M. M. Steele. He has held nearly all the offices of 
trust and honor in the gift of his fellow-townsmen, and both in offi- 
cial and private life done much to advance the interests of the com- 
munity. The new house of worship of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, of which he is a member, was built largely through his 
influence and pecuniary aid, 

Mr. Putney was married, October 10, 1844, to Margaret, daughter of 
Jacob and Susannah Andrews, born in Allegheny county, July 25 
1826. To his wife, a very superior woman, great credit is due for 
wise assistance which very materially enhanced her husband's suc- 
cess and prosperity. The offspring of this union were six sons, of 
whom four are living. Their names and respective dates of birth 
are as follows : Nelson Boyd, born October 20, 1845 (died April 27, 
1861); William Taylor, June 30, 1847; Lemuel Miles, June 17, 1849; 
Homer Clark, December 25, 1855 (died April 6, 1881) ; George Wesley, 
October 8, 1860, and Calvin Kingsley, April 23, 1867. 

William Taylor Putney was married to Clara B. Hamilton, De- 
cember 25, 1872, and George Wesley Putney to Nancy Nolf, December 
8, 1881. 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



357 



Adjoining the last-riieiitioiied tract on tlie west 
was tract No. 320, covered by warrant No. 3119, 
the eastern part of which is traversed by Mill- 
seat run, which flows in a northwesterly conrse 
and empties into the Mahoning about 150 
rods below the " Narrow Sluice," where this creek 
is only twenty-two feet wide. Tradition relates 
that a mill, with one set of stone, was erected in 
the first decade of this century, by Adam Smith, 
on this run, 75 rods northeasterly from the present 
schoolhouse No. 5, but ceased to be used many 
years since. John Daubenspike's name on this 
tract is one of the few that appears on the map of 
the original tracts which were between the Ma- 
honing and Red Bank creeks. He settled on it in 
1816, and was assessed on the Plum creek township 
list for the next year with 130 acres at $130. The 
Holland Company did not obtain their patent for 
this tract until November 3, 1827. They conveyed 
to him 92 acres and 110 perches of it June 24, 
1830, then in Wayne township, for $150 ; and 56 
acres and 46 perches of it March 21, 1882, for $28. 75 ; 
150 acres and 91 perches to Andrew Foreman, Feb- 
ruary 26, 1841, for $125, on which is the public 
schoolhouse No. 5 ; 85 acres and 48 perches to 
David McCullough, December 15, 1842, for $70; 
100 acres and 39 perches to John Huffman, 
September 21, 1842, for $82 ; 208 acres and 
100 perches to David Putney, March 14, 1843, 
for $150 — he must have settled on this tract 
in 1834, about which' time he removed hither 
from Freeport, for he was first assessed for 
the next year on the Wayne township list, 
with 750 acres of No. 3119, and two horses, at 
$622. He may have agreed to purchase that or a 
greater quantity from the Holland Company, and 
they may have conveyed directly to his vendees. 
The only persons, according to the tax lists, 
assessed with parcels of this tract in 1840 were 
John Daubenspike and David Putney. The latter 
built his sawmill in 1835-6 and his gristmill in 
1838-9, on the western part of his parcel, near the 
left bank of the Mahoning. 

That portion of Putneyville on the same bank 
was founded by him. Fifteen town lots, between 
East Main and East Water streets, were laid out in 
1841, surveyed by J. E. Meredith July 7, 1842, 
several of which are numbered. The two earliest 
sales of them were, according to the public records : 
David Putney to Dr. J. H. Wick, the first resident 
physician here, lot No. 5, containing 45 perches, 
September 29, 1848, for $40 ; lot No. 6, 24 perches, 
to Ambrose Shobert same day for $30, and lot No. 
3 to David Kirkland for $20. The following 
conveyances are given as indicating the value 



of real estate in various portions of the eastern 
part of this town, at different periods : David 
Putney to George S. Putney, 1 acre and 118 
perches, December 27, 1850, for $10, which was 
not, of course, the full pecuniary value, but as he 
also conveyed another parcel for a similar consid- 
eration to one of his other sons, portions of which 
the former and the heirs of the latter conveyed to 
others, it is here given; 13jV perches to Wm. 
Cunningham, February 28, 1861, for $50, which, 
with the improvements, the latter conveyed to G. 
S. Putney, November 25, 1865, for $800 ; 1 acre 
and 25 perches to S. B. Putney for $50 ; 504 feet 
to Wm. A. Brown, March 26, 1861, for $5 ; lot No. 
2, 26 perches, to Andrew Bradenbaugh et al, 
October 28, 1865, for $5; George S. Putney to 
George Beck, same day, one-half an acre and one- 
half a perch for $50 ; David Putney to W. C. 
Putney et al., 2 acres and 81 perches, between 
Main street and the Mahoning, November 30, 1867, 
for $150; George S. Putney to Adam Nulf, 90 
perches, December 12, for $50 ; to Susan Boyle, 
one-fourth of an acre, December 25, 1862, for $33 ; 
to C. C. Keesey, two lots between First, Second, 
Keesey and Walnut streets, May 11, 1874, for 
$510. 

The postoflice, David Putney, postmaster, was 
established here July 18, 1844. 

The building of flatboats for transporting pig- 
metal to market was begun here in 1847-8, which 
has been continued to the present time by the Put- 
neys, and has afforded employment to an average 
of ten or twelve persons. About fifteen are built 
annually. Their length, at first, was seventy-five 
or eighty, and their width eighteen feet. Since 
the improvement of the navigation of the Mahon- 
ing below this point, their width has been increased 
to twenty-five, and their length to one hundred and 
seventy-five feet. The boat-yard is at the junction 
of First, East Main and East Water streets. 

The tannery south of Walnut, and between 
Second and Third streets, was established in 
1852-3. James Wilson was first assessed as a 
tanner here in 1853. This tannery was first 
assessed to J. T. and G. S. Putney in 1855. It was 
originally one of the common kind, but it is now 
operated by steam. 

The common school has afforded the chief edu- 
cational facilities. Rev. J. A. Camjibell, the first 
county superintendent, taught a normal class here 
in 1855-6. 

The second resident physician in this part of the 
town is Dr. Theodore P. Klingensmith, who set- 
tled here in 1874. 

The first store here was opened by George W. 



358 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Gohecu in 1S45, with wliicii and a house and lot 
he was then assessed at $700. He does not appear 
to have been assessed with the store after 1846. 
The mercantile business in this part of the town 
has since then been chiefly limited to the Putney- 
brothers and sons. G. S. Putney and sons are the 
present owners of two stores — one containing a 
general assortment of goods and the other limited 
to hardware. 

The place of worship of the Methodist Episcopal 
church was changed from edifice near William 
SmuUins' to this place, in 1844, and held public 
services in the schoolhouse and occasionally in the 
Associate Reformed or U. P. church edifice, until 
their present edifice, frame, 40 X 60 feet, two stories, 
costing $5,000, was erected, in 1873, on the north- 
east side of First, about sixteen rods above Grant 
street, on a lot conveyed, December 27, 1870, by 
George S. Putney to Amzi Loomis, John F. Gear- 
hart, William B. Smullin and himself, trustees, 
" containing sixty-four perches, also five feet from 
■the south line for hitching purposes." 

David Putney, endearingly called Father Putney 
by his neighbors, was elected a member of assembly 
in 1853, but was defeated for the nomination the 
next year on account of the hue and cry raised 
against him because of his instrumentality in pro- 
curing the passage of an act authorizing the taxing 
of dogs for the purpose of paying damages for the 
loss of sheep killed by them — a piece of legislation 
that was needed and which has since been supplied. 
His son, George S. Putney, was elected to the same 
office in 1870, and served during the next sessipn 
of the legislature. 

The Associate Reformed, now called United 
Presbyterian church, was dependent on supplies 
most, if not all the time, until quite recent years, 
when it ceased to exercise its ecclesiastical func- 
tions. Its membership was too small to maintain 
a regular pastor. The lot, containing 100 perches, 
adjoining Grant, between Third and Fourth streets, 
on which its frame edifice is situated, was conveyed 
by J. T. and G. S. Putney to James L. Armstrong, 
John Duff and Samuel Ferguson, committee or 
trustees, and their successors, December 8, 1853, 
for $1. The congregation became divested of their 
title to it by sheriff's sale to William R. Hamil- 
ton, who had been one of the chief contributors to 
the maintenance of the organization during its 
ephemeral existence. 

The first bridge across the Mahoning, connecting 
the two parts of this town, was erected at an early 
date. The present superstructure is the third one. 

Lodge No. 735, Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, was established here December 1, 1870. 



The western portion of Putueyville is situated 
on the right^ bank of the Mahoning on a part of 
the Le Roy & Co. tract No. 319, warrant No. 3000, 
the patent for which to the Holland Company is 
dated February 12, 1829, which Willink & Co. 
conveyed to John Millison, October 8, 1836,* that 
is, the upper or northwestern part of the 98 acres 
and 8 perches which were then conveyed to him 
for $197 — that part seeming on a connected draft 
to project into the northeastern and southern pur- 
parts of the Arthur Bryan tract. This part of the 
town does not appear to have been laid out, like 
the eastern part, into town lots. Small parcels 
have, however, been sold to divers persons at vari- 
ous times. Millison conveyed half an acre to J. 
T. and G. S. Putney, July 7, 1842, for $2 ; 1 acre 
and 84 perches to John Grinder, June 17, 1850, for 
$200, and 1 acre and 8 perches to him, December 
7, 1853, for $100; Grinder to John C. and Miles D. 
Gray, part of the parcel which Millison had conveyed 
to him, June 17, 1850, for $111.50 — they were first 
assessed on the Putneyville list in 1856, and John 
C. Gray as a merchant in 1862 — his store being on 
this lot, south of West Main and west of Short 
streets. South of the former and east of the latter 
street is the parcel which Millison conveyed to 
Grinder, 1 acre and 84 perches, June 17, 1850, for 
$200 (where the latter opened a hotel in 1860), 521 
perches of which Grinder reconveyed to Millison, 
January 28, 1860, for $100, and which Millison 
conveyed to Michael Huffman, June 2, 1866, for 
$100, where the latter kept one of the two hotels 
in this town for several years, and which is now 
kept by S. Nulf. Opposite this hotel, on the corner 
of West Main and West Water streets, is the 
other hotel, kept by Joseph C. Schrecongost, which 
is on the parcel conveyed by Millison to Enoch 
Lewis, November 11, 1848, who conveyed it to 
George W. Goheen, May 1, 1861, for $500, and he 
to Schrecongost, June 6, 1850 — their deeds evi- 
dence this anachronism — for $500, where he was 
first assessed as an innkeeperin 1860. Grinder to 
L. W. Corbett, one-fourth acre, which the latter 
conveyed to Jas. L. Hettrich, July 21, 1861, for 
$52.50. Conveyances of various other parcels have 
been made from one to another which have not yet 
been recorded. 

The first separate assessment list for Putneyville 
was in 1851, showing that the entire town then 
contained 24 taxables, indicating the number of 
inhabitants then to have been 110. Though the 
occupations were assessed at $320, there are no 
specifications of what any of them were. The ag- 



* He was first assessed with fifty acres of it and two oxen in 
1832, at »100. 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



359 



gregate valuation of real estate was llj'ZSS, and of 
personal $165. The assessment list for 1876 shows: 
taxables, 51, indicating the population to be 234. 
The occupations were specified thus : Minister, 1 ; 
school-teacher, 1; surveyor, 1; physician, 1; fann- 
ers, 2; laborers, S; merchants, 2; millers, 2; shoe- 
makers, 2; blacksmith, 1; cabinetmaker, 1. 

Willink & Co. conveyed other portions of this 
tract : 87 acres and 6 perches to John Daubenspike, 
June 17, 1829, for $168 ; 224 acres and 19 perches 
to John Shoemaker, December 20, 1832, for 
$140.07, and he to Jacob Smith 164 acres and 87 
perches, June 23, 1840, for $662.50; 93 acres and 
63 perches to Peter Hine, December 19, 1833, 
for $58.30, and he to George S. Putney ; 186 acres 
and 100 perches to A. and J. A. Colwell, August 
18, 1847, for $186.60. Sixty-five acres "in the 
northwestern corner" of this tract in the southern 
half of the eastern bend of the Mahoning, southeast 
of the furnace, were conveyed by Benjamin B. 
Cooper to John Thorn, January 6, 1819, for $97.50. 
This parcel appears to have belonged to the heirs 
of Yost Smith, and it is now a part of the furnace 
property. 

Passing up to the northern portion of this town- 
ship, west of " Quito," is the territory covered by 
the warrant to Willink & Co., No. 2896, on tract 
No. 280, called "Lisburn," 990 acres, divided into 
six allotments, the patent of which is dated Sep- 
tember 6, 1802. Allotment 2 is in the northeastern 
part and chiefly on the northern or Clarion side 
of the Red Bank, traversed by Leasure's Run, and 
on which the town of New Bethlehem is situated. 
Lewis Dauhenspecht appears to have been the first 
permanent white settler on this allotment when it 
was in Toby township. He was first assessed on 
the list of that township as a single man in 1806, 
and the next year with 200 acres, " improvement." 
Willink & Co. conveyed 130 acres and 16 perches 
to him October 5, 1811, for $195. The portion of 
this allotment on the southern, or Armstrong 
side of the Red Bank continued to be owned by 
Daubenspike and his heirs, who released to his 
son Lewis April 2, 1850, for $654, \intil the latter 
conveyed 54 acres and 124 perches, including one- 
half an acre formerly sold, to William R. Hamil- 
ton, January 22, 1874, for $7,500, on a part of 
which he laid out the town of South Bethlehem. 
As indicating the value of real estate in this new 
town a few years since and up to the present time, 
the following conveyances are here given : Wm. 
R. Hamilton to C. C. Cochran, lot No. 79, 64 
perches, October 23, 1875, for $250; 12 acres and 
49 perches, " beginning at the corner of Short and 
Broad streets," to Washington Craig & Co., 



November 16, for $2,750; lots Nos. 5 and 7 to 
James H. Craig, November 19, for $500; lots Nos. 
10 and 12 to C. H. Ide, March 15, 1876, for $1,500; 
lot No. 81 to Mary C. McMillen, March 25, for 
$300 ; lot No. S to George E. Cowan, April 6, for 
$200 ; lots Nos. 16, 18, 20, 22, 78 to Philip Eaker, 
May 7, for $1,200 ; lots Nos. 104, 106 to W. Craig 
& Co., December 28, for $200 ; lot No. 85 to 
James McMillen, May 10, for $250;* lot No. S 
to L. W. Corbett, May 27, for $500. In West 
Bethlehem: Lots 40, 42, 44 and part of 46 to 
Jacob F. Anthony, June 2, for $1,325 ; two- 
fifths of an acre to L. M. Putney, January 6 ; 64 
perches to Mahoning school district September 1. 
The major part of allotment 1, in the north- 
western part of this tract, is on the north side of 
the Red Bank. This allotment has upon it on the 
map of original tracts the name of Casper Nulf, 
probably the younger. Casper Nulf, Sr., was first 
assessed with 100 acres, two horses and one cow, on 
the list of Red Bank township in 1808, at $51, and 
Casper Nulf, Jr., with 50 acres, one horse and two 
cows, in 1812, at $100. It was probably from this 
allotment that the former "moved away" — to 
Plum Creek township in 1816-17, where he and his 
wife died at the advanced age heretofore men- 
tioned. Benjamin B. Casper conveyed this allot- 
ment to John Mohney, December 20, 1831, for 
$165, and he to Frederick Mohney, March 7, 1835, 
for $300, who had been assessed with it, one horse 
and one cow at $207, in 1833. Willink & Co. con- 
veyed 157 acres and 46 perches of allotment 6 to 
James Cathcai't, who had formerly occupied a 
parcel of "Lurgan," March 13, 1838, for $118. He 
must also have acquired allotment 4, or a portion 
of it, for he conveyed 59 acres and 148 perches off 
the east end of it and allotment 6 to John Corbett, 
April 1, 1851, for $49.62, and 137 acres and 12 
perches off the same to George Space, March 29, 
1855, for $1,500 ; he had been assessed with 94 
acres at $94, in 1844. Moses McLain was assessed 
with 100 acres of allotment 3, one horse and two 
cows at $72, in 1831. It does not appear from the 
records that he purchased this parcel. A portion 
of this tract was included in the purchase made 
by Alexander Colwell and his co-vendees, for they 
conveyed 157 acres of it — it seems to have been 
of this allotment — to Thomas McKelvy, April 15, 
1863, for $460, which he conveyed to Isaac Lam- 
berson July 22, 1865, for $600, 28 acres of which 
the latter conveyed to George Seward October 14 
for $250. The father of the last-named, Chauncy 



« Since the centennial year — in South Bethlehem— lots ^os. 14, 
17 19 to C. C. Cochran, December 20, 1877, Si/00 ; to A. S. Brown, lot 
No. 54, October 30, for S200 ; lots Nos. 27, 28, 29, 31, 69, 71, -3, (o, 80 and 
82 to <ieo. S. Putney and sons, January l.S. 1S7R. for S1,S30. 



b 



360 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Seward, wliu claimed to be a kiiismai) of ex-Gov- 
ernor, Senator, Secretary William H. Seward — he 
may have descended from the family or a branch 
of the family of Deacon Seward, of Durham, 
Connecticut, where there were families by the 
name of both Chauncy and Seward — settled on 
this part of this tract about 1S39, for he was 
assessed with 350 acres of it, two horses and two 
cows in 1840, at $435. Whatever inchoate title he 
may have acquired does not appear to have been 
perfected. Lamberson conveyed 100 acres to Jolui 

McClain, July 81, 1866, for $ , and McClain to 

James H. Mayo, June 28, 1871, for fl,500. Wil- 
link & Co. conveyed 94 acres and 93 perches of 
allotment 4 to Frederick Mohney, March 13, 1838, 
for 170.90. The latter conveyed 27 acres and 139 
pei-ches, either of this or an adjoining allotment, 
to John Lamberson, May 12, 1 862, for |!350. James 
McLain was assessed with 170 acres of allotment 
5 and one yoke of oxen in 1837, at $115. Colwell 
et al. conveyed this allotment to him December 
19, 1849, for $l7l.50, and McClain to Mayo, June 
6, 1872, for $5,000, so that this allotment, on which 
was formerly a schoolhouse, and the above-men- 
tioned John McClain parcel are now a portion of 
the Red Bank Cannel Coal and Iron Company's 
property. 

Adjoining the last preceding tract on the west 
was the Holland tract No. 281, covered by warrant 
to Willink & Co. No. 2891, the chief part of which 
was in the upper part of the Great bend in Red 
Bank creek, in what is now Clarion county. It con- 
tained six allotments. Portions of 2, 4, 6 are on 
the east side, and portions of 3, 5 are on the west 
side, of the Great bend. Jacob Anthony was 
assessed with 200 acres of it, two horses and three 
cows in 1824, at $93. James Anthony's name 
appears on the Red Bank township assessment list 
the same year. He appears to have been assessed 
with 50 acres, the eastern part of allotment 2, 260 
acres of some other tract, one yoke of oxen and 
two cows at $120. Willink & Co. conveyed 72 
acres and 32 perches of the east end of this allot- 
ment to him February 3, 1837, for $54.45. 

Benjamin Price was assessed on the Red Bank 
township list in 1833 with 140 acres in the east 
end of allotment 4, two horses and two cattle, at 
$201. Willink & Co. conveyed to his administra- 
tor in trust for his heirs 111 acres and 4 perches 
thereof June 14, 1841, for $130, which his widow 
and heirs conveyed to Jacob Nulf March 19, 1845, 
for $700, which, with other land belonging to his 
estate, was divided by proceedings in partition 
February 20, 1854, into two purparts, the one of 
which contained 108 acres and 137 perches and 



the other the same quantity less three perches. 
The former, "A," valued at $1,632.84, was taken 
by Barbara Baughman, and the other, valued at 
$1,197.21, by the guardian of Jacob Nulf, Jr., 
which the latter with his mother and the other 
heirs, for the purpose of releasing him from his 
recognizance, conveyed to David Gumbert August 
21, 1865, for $1,525. A parcel in the west end of 
allotment 5, on the west side of the Great Bend, 
was formerly conveyed to James Bleakney, who 
conveyed the same to George W. Goheen March 
15,1 845, and Goheen to the present owner, Joseph 
Hettrich, 82 acres, May 19, 1857, for $300. The 
Rockford road seems to cross the Red Bank on or 
near the line between allotments 4 and 6. 

The tract next south of the last preceding one 
was No. 291, covered by warrant No. 2886, a con- 
siderable portion of which is within the Great 
Bend in what is now Clarion county, the patent 
for which to Willink & Co. is dated September 6, 
1802. Jacob Anthony was, according to one of 
J. E. Meredith's connected drafts, formerly the 
owner or occupant of the portions of allotments 4 
and 6 east of the Red Bank. He was probably 
here, or in the vicinity, in 1822, when he was first 
assessed with one cow at $10, with 200 acres, two 
horses and three cattle at $93, in 1824, and with 
400 acres of Holland land, two horses and two 
cattle at $500, in 1837, which must have included 
the quantity in the southern part of the Great 
bend, which he also owned. The records in this 
county do not show from whom he purchased or to 
whom he sold. Willink & Co. conveyed 100 acres 
of the east end of allotment 2 to Wm. Anthony 
August 4, 1847, for $109. The eastern part of 
allotment 6 was settled by William McClain, who 
was first assessed with 50 acres of it, one horse 
and two cows in 1832, at $62.50. He afterward, 
according to Meredith's connected draft, pos- 
sessed 106 acres and 50 perches, the title papers 
of which are not recorded. There is a parcel con- 
sisting mostly of allotment 1, in the northwestern 
part of this tract, on which Samuel Buzzard set- 
tled in 1833. He was first assessed with 75 acres 
and two cows at $91 ; the next year, being then in 
Red Bank, but after 1836, in Madison, township. 
Colwell et al., in pursuance of a previous agree- 
ment, conveyed 181 acres and 60 perches to Robert 
Blakeney, in trust for Samuel Buzzard's heirs, 
December 23, 1852, which they conveyed to Will- 
iam Willison May 27, 1858, for $400, 10 acres of 
which, along the southern or left bank of Red 
Bank creek, became vested in David Stewart, on 
which he erected the firebrick works in 1 872-3. 
The cost of these works, including that of the rail- 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



361 



road from them to the claybank, and of the bridge 
and trestle-work, was about $32,000. The clay 
used in the manufacture of the brick, which is 
said to be of an excellent quality, its analysis com- 
paring favorably with that of any other in this 
country or in Europe, is obtained from a vein from 
four to ten feet thick on the farm of Thomas 
Buzzard, about three-quarters of a mile southeast- 
erly from the works, up the creek. The capacity 
of these works is said to be adequate to the daily 
manufacture of 8,000 bricks and work for about 
thirty employes, though the present daily produc- 
tion is only about 3,000. During the time of their 
erection about fifty persons were employed. The 
number employed in 1874, when these works were 
first represented in a separate assessment list, was 
fourteen, including the proprietor, one manager, 
one yard-manager, one clerk, one miner and eight 
laborers. The number in 18'76 is only three. 
This property now belongs to John B. Bell, of 
Allegheny City, and the estate of Samuel M. 
Kiers, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Next south or above that Buzzard-Willison par- 
cel is the one on which Thomas Buzzard settled in 
1836, when his land, two horses and two cows were 
assessed at $225. Willink & Co. conveyed 168 
acres and 155 perches of allotment 3 to him, June 
19, 1847, for $338. Contiguous thereto on the 
south is the western end of allotment 5, containing 
132 acres and 22 perches, which Willink & Co. 
conveyed to George Nulf, August 15, 1839, for 
$265.50, with 50 acres of which, one yoke of oxen 
and one cow he had been first assessed m 1831. 
The Oakland postoflice, George Nulf, postmaster, 
was established here December 20, 1841. The first 
edifice of the Red Bank Baptist church, frame, was 
erected on this parcel in 1846, and was burned in 
the fall of 1873.- Its site may yet be recognized 
by the graveyard north of the Anderson Creek 
road, nearly opposite the schoolhouse. This part 
of allotment 5, excejst the Baptist church lot, and 
50 acres and 70 perches of allotment 2, tract 309, 
warrant 2864, were conveyed by George C. Nulf to 
John McCauley, October 9, 1855, for $2,800. The 
latter conveyed these two imreels and another one 
of 4 acres and 100 perches, which he had purchased 
from Thomas Buzzard, to W. W. Wakelee, March 
13, 1865, and which Wakelee reconveyed to Mc- 
Cauley, January 17, 1868, for $3,000. One hundred 
and thirty-eight acres of the last-mentioned parcel 
were, according to Meredith's connected draft, 
occupied by W. Mitchell. Another parcel, accord- 
ing to the same, 126 acres and 127 perches, southeast 
and east of the latter and south of the Great Bend, 
was occupied by Samuel Adams, who appears to 



have removed hither from "Springfield" — that 
part of it north of the Mahoning — in 1834, when 
he was first assessed in Red Bank township with 
100 acres of the Holland land, probably the parcel 
of allotments 1, 3, containing 1274- acres, conveyed 
by Willink & Co. to James Anthony, August 11, 
1845, for $122.50. Fifty acres of it became vested 
in Samuel W. Kinney, which he conveyed to James 
Stewart, July 19, 1850, for $400, which passed 
from him to Joseph K. Wright by sheriff's sale, in 
March, 1856, and which he conveyed to John Mc- 
Cauley in June, 1862, for $400. East of the last- 
named parcel and southeast of the Great Bend was 
another parcel, consisting of parts of allotment 6, 
of tract 291, warrant 2881, and allotment 2, of 
tract 308, warrant 2886, with which, 318 acres, two 
horses and one cow, Conrad Lamberson was first 
assessed at $209, in 1835, and which Willink & Co. 
conveyed to him, October 3, for $337. He con- 
veyed this parcel to his son, Isaac Lamberson, and 
his son-in-law, James Anthony, January 8, 1839, 
each one's purpart to be determined by the survey 
and division made by Robert Richards, December 
1, 1838. Anthony's purpart, containing 140 acres 
and 34 perches, included the western portion of the 
parcel, and Lamberson's, 151 acres and 84 perches, 
the eastern portion, in the northeastern part of 
which are the town lots which he laid out in the 
village of Oakland. The agreement between the 
grantor and grantees was that the former and his 
wife should have the privilege of living on either 
of these j)urparts, either in the house where they 
then resided, or with the family of either one or 
the other of the grantees; that the grantor be fur- 
nished with hay and pasturage for one cow, sufli- 
cient firewood, one-fourth of all the grain raised on 
those j)remises, fifty pounds of beef and fifty 
pounds of pork annually, and that he should have 
the privilege of digging for and raising stone coal 
thereon during his life. Anthony conveyed 35 
acres of his purpart to Henry Adams, May 23, 1857, 
for $175, and 52 acres and 96 perches to John 
Shoemaker (of Philip), May 19, 1866, for $631; 
and Lamberson, 136 acres and 130 perches of his 
purpart to Charles E. Andrews, March 29, 1873, for 
$5,500. 

Other portions of tract 308, warrant 2886, south 
of the foregoing, were conveyed by Willink & Co., 
namely. 164 acres and 52 perches of allotment 6 
to Philip Shoemaker, June 22, 1831, for $125, and 
175 acres of allotment 5, September 20, 1832, for 
$127.50, and he to his son John, 112 acres and 10 
perches of allotment 6, February 27, 1840, for $100, 
and the east half of allotment 5, together with 
the east end of allotment 1, tract 317, warrant 



362 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



2880, for $120.60. John Reedy was assessed with 
160 acres of allotment 2 of the last-mentioned 
tract, one yoke of oxen and one cow, in 1836, at 
$48. He did not perfect his inchoate title. This 
allotment was included in the sale from Willink & 
Co. to Colwell et a^., who conveyed 125 acres and 
10 perches of it to John Beham, February 5, 1856, 
who conveyed this parcel to J. A. Colwell & Co., 
May 10, 1871, for $3,000.* It is singular that in 
the several deeds this allotment is described as 
No. 2 of .tract 319, warrant 3000, the northeast 
corner of which adjoins the southwest corner of 
the southern purpart of the Bryan tract. Willink 
& Co. conveyed 93 acres and 50 perches of allot- 
ment 1 to Daniel Reedy, May 1, 1840, for $93.33, 
with 46 acres of which he is still assessed; and 1*72 
acres and 72 perches of allotments 3 and 5 to 
Joseph K. Wright, July 15, 1841, for $112.50, with 
160 acres of which his heirs are still assessed. 

The population of this township, including that 
of the above-mentioned towns, in 186(5, was 1,446 
white ; in 1870, native, 1,333 ; foreign, 69, and col- 
ored, 1. The number of taxables in 1876 is 426, 
indicating a population of 1,959. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 9 ; average 
number months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 7 ; fe- 
male teachers, 2 ; average monthly salaries of male, 
$16.86 ; average monthly salaries of female, $17.50 ; 
male scholars, 208 ; female scholars, 163 ; average 
number attending school, 226 ; cost of teaching 
each scholar per month, 54 cents ; amount tax lev- 
ied, $734.02 ; received from state appropriation, 
$72.07 ; received from collectors, $673.16 ; cost of 
insti-uction, $612 ; cost of fuel and contingencies, 
$185.74 ; cost of schoolhouses, $378.66. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 10 ; average 
number months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 7 ; fe- 
male teachers, 5 ; average salaries male per month, 
$31.14 ; average salaries female per month, $25.40 ; 
male scholars, 272 ; female scholars, 242 ; average 
number attending school, 322 ; cost per month, 76 
cents; amount tax levied, $3,035.89 ; received from 
state appropriation, $378.51 ; from taxes and other 
sources, $2,974.56 ; cost of schoolhouses, $1,158.79 ; 
paid teachers, $1,615 ; paid fuel, etc., $517.90. 

The vote on the question of granting license to 
sell intoxicating liquors was, for, 35 ; against, 119. 

The population of this township having been 
small and sparse prior to the adoption of the com- 
mon school system, the educational facilities were 
correspondingly meager. The buildings purposely 
erected for schoolhouses before the passage of the 
free or common school law of 1 834 appear to have 

* J. A. Colwell & Co. couveved 118 acres and 153 perches of this 
parcel to Pliram Beham, November 11, 1878, for it2,900. 



been the primitive log ones heretofore mentioned, 
located nearly a mile east of Oakland, in the 
" Cove," and on Millseat run. The pioneer teach- 
ers were Robert Walker, George EUenberger and 
William Foster. 

The mercantile appraiser's list for 1876 shows 
the merchants in this township to be two in the 
fourteenth class, three in the thirteenth, and one 
the eleventh. 

The general geological features of this township, 
as communicated to the writer by W. G. Piatt, 
after completing his geological survey of this 
county : The deep valleys of Mahoning and Red 
Bank creeks exhibited conglomerate and subcon- 
glomerate rocks. The lower productive measures 
usually make up the interval between the conglom- 
erate and the highlands, except in the eastern 
corner of the township, where a small portion of 
the lower barrens cap the hills. Of these lower 
barrens the Mahoning sandstone forms the prin- 
cipal part. It is handsomely exhibited on the 
slopes overlooking Putneyville from the north. 
It is very massive and seventy-five feet thick. The 
lower productive coal measures present some ex- 
ceptional features of interest, the entire group, 
with all its coals and limestones, being favorably 
situated for study. At the "Point," at Putney- 
ville, a complete section of those measures is ob- 
tained, displaying all the typical members of the 
group in coimected succession. By typical members 
are meant the following strata in descending order : 
Freeport upper coal, formerly called Upper Free- 
port, 3^ feet thick ; Freeport upper limestone, the 
one chiefly mined in this vicinity ; Freeport lower 
coal ; Freeport lower limestone, the middle bed at 
Bostonia ; Freeport sandstone, massive and promi- 
nent ; the Kittanning upper coal ; the Johnstown 
cement limestone ; Kittanning middle coal ; Kit- 
tanning lower coal, 3 feet thick ; ferriferous lime- 
stone, 10 feet thick, and supports its usual iron ore ; 
Clarion coal ; Brookville coal. The last-mentioned 
coals are not important here. Further down the 
Mahoning the ferriferous limestone and iron ore 
used at Colwell's furnace, where the Upper Free- 
port coal supplies the fuel for the stack. The 
Pottsville conglomerate is conspicuous at the base 
of the slopes at Putneyville and below the furnace, 
and extends along Red Bank creek to the outskirts 
of New Bethlehem, where it sinks under water 
level. 

In the eastern part of this township, including 
the heretofore-mentioned subterranean burnt dis- 
trict, is the continuation of the stratum of block coal 
described in the sketch of Red Bank township, 
where it is from 10 to 12 feet thick, which con- 



MAHONING TOWNSHIP. 



363 



tains, according to Dr. F. A. Genth's analysis of a 
specimen of it, moisture, 1.06; volatile matter, 
34.00; fixed carbon, 56.78 ; ash, 8.16— 100.00 ; sul- 
phur, .21. This stratum extends northwesterly, 
and as it approaches Bostonia, is what is commonly 
called cannel coal, though in reality a cannel 
slate, containing, according to A. S. McCreath's 
analysis of a specimen of it, 25 per cent of ash- 
This deposit, says Piatt, is irregular, existing only 
in "pots" or concave areas, disconnected, and 
often widely separated, so that the occurrence of 
cannel is confined to certain localities. The thick- 
ness or thinness of the mass may be judged by the 
depth or shallowness of the " pots." A mistaken 
idea prevails in the Red Bank region that the out- 
spread of the " cannel" is as regular as that of one 
of the coalbeds of the productive series. The 
origin of these " pots " is not exactly clear. They 
may represent depressions which e.xisted originally 
in the surface when the coalbed was formed ; or 



they may be due to fioating sheets of vegetation, 
similar to those which now exist in the Dismal 
Swamp, North Carolina. Underlying the "can- 
nel" at all points is a thin layer of bituminous 
coal, with a regular and continuous outspread, 
being the equivalent of the Kittanning upper coal, 
by which the geological horizon of the cannel de- 
posit is defined. 

An anti-clinal axis crops the western part of this 
township, passing over the Mahoning valley, near 
the Mahoning furnace, thence between Oakland 
and the Narrows, and across Red Bank creek in 
the neck of the Great Bend. The eastern part of 
this township is a synclinal, perfectly regular and 
without any disturbances. 

The elevation above ocean level at New Bethle- 
hem is IjC/O.S feet; at Bostonia junction, 1,073.8 
feet ; at the west end of the railroad tunnel, 
Anthony's Neck, 1,050.8 feet ; at Leatherwood, 
1,026.8 feet. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



BUERELL. 



Named after Judge Burrell — Organization — Indian Names of Crooked Creek — Original Owners of tlie Soil — 
Warrants Dated in 1776 — Names of the Citizens of the Township in 1805 — Strange Conjugal Arrange- 
ments — Powder-Mills — Captain Sam Brady's Autograph — An Eccentric Manufacturer of Plows — "Will- 



iamsburg " — Salt Works — Religious History - 
Mercantile and Other Occupations — Population. 

BURRELL .TOWNSHIP was named after the 
late Judge Burrell, who was at the time of 
its organization president judge of the tenth judi- 
cial district, which was then composed of Arm- 
strong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. An 
unsuccessful attempt, as elsewhere mentioned,* 
was made to organize a new townsliip to embrace 
most of the territory of which Burrell now con- 
sists. In 1853-4 another attempt was made, which, 
the objectionable feature in some of the boundaries, 
which were first prayed for, having been removed, 
succeeded against a somewhat formidable opposi- 
tion. The remonstrance of citizens of Allegheny 
township set forth that they were not unwilling 
to part with a portion of their territory, but ob- 
jected to the cutting up of their school districts, 
which they feared would result. The remonstrance 
of the citizens of Kittanning township set forth 
that the formation of the new township would de- 
range the school districts, and since Manor township 
had been, a few years before, formed out of Kit- 
tanning, the taking of another part of it off would 
leave it too small for township purposes. The 
court, however, appointed James Stewart, Archi- 
bald Glenn and William Mcintosh viewers or 
commissioners, whose report in favor of the forma- 
tion of the new township was filed March 22, 1854, 
which was subsequently, in 1855, ajiproved, and the 
organization of Burrell township consummated. 
Its boundaries are: Beginning at Crooked creek, at 
the end of Walker's tunnel; thence through the 
territory of Kittanning township south eighty de- 
grees, east four miles and one hundred and sixty- 
six perches, to a maple on Cherry run, near the 
house of Samuel George; thence south fifteen de- 
grees west three hundred and thirty-nine perches, 
to a buttonwood at the forks of Cherry run; thence 
through the territory of Plum creek township south 
fifteen degrees east two miles and eighty-four 
perches, to Lindsey Argler's run; thence down 
said run south seventy degrees west one hundre<l 



* 111 sketch of Kisklminetas township. 



Primitive Schools — Recent Educational Statistics — 

and ten perches, and south fifty-six degrees west 
sixty-four perches, to Crooked creek; thence through 
territory of Kisklminetas township south thirty 
degrees, west one mile and three hundred and eight 
perches, to a white-oak on land of Jacob Hart; 
thence north eighty-six degrees west one mile and 
a half; thence north forty-seven and a half degrees 
west one mile and two hundred and forty-five 
perches, to a post on the line between the town- 
ships of Allegheny and Kisklminetas; thence 
through the tei'ritory of Allegheny township north 
twenty-five degrees west two hundred and twenty 
perches to a post; thence north forty-five degrees 
west one hundred and seventy-six perches, to 
M. Lane's, taking him into the new township; 
thence due north three miles and seventy-six 
jserches, to a black-oak on the bank of Crooked 
creek; thence down said creek north forty-seven 
degrees west fom-teen perches, south eighty-four 
degrees west ninety-two perches, north eighty-four 
degrees west thirty perches, north forty-one de- 
grees west ninety-six perches, north fourteen de- 
grees east fifty-four perches, north sixty-two 
degrees west twenty-six perches, north sixty-seven 
degrees east ninety-three perches, north forty-four 
degrees east sixteen perches, north twenty-one 
degrees east thirty-six perches, and north forty 
degrees east fifteen perches, to the place of 
beginning. 

The chief stream in this township is Crooked 
creek, whose ten large bends, between the points at 
which the eastern and western boundary lines 
cross it, make its course very crooked. These and 
numerous other great bends in other parts of the 
territory through which it flows make it a very 
crooked stream. Hence the Indians called it 
Woak-hanne, Crooked Stream, tlie Stream with 
Large Bends; Woak-tschin, to bend; Woak-tsche-n, 
crooked. 

The ancient county map shows that the thirty- 
six original tracts, exclusive of the demons tract, 
within the present limits of this township, were : 



BURRELL TOWNSHIP. 



3G.' 



Reading Beatty, 436. V acres, seated by Jacob Hart ; 
James Shields, 261 acres 62 perches, partly in 
South Bend ; Robert Finney, Jr., 385.9 acres ; 
William Palmer, 437;^ acres, a small portion in 
Kiskiminetas ; Robert Carnahan, 396^ acres, 
seated by John Wagle ;* James Vanhorn, 450 
acres, partly in Allegheny, seated by Adam Fiscus ; 
Jacob Beer, 313 acres 109 perches, seated by Will- 
iam Kerr ; Thomas York, 346 acres, partly in 
Allegheny, seated by George Elliott ; John Brown, 
357.8 acres, partly in Allegheny, seated by John 
Beck ; James Renwick, 305 acres, seated by John 
Pitts; James Clark, 418 acres, seated by John 
Schall ; William Sykes, 329^ acres, seated by 
Michael Schall, Sr.; William Eckart, 361 acres. 
The foregoing tracts are on the lower, or southerly 
and southwesterly, side of Crooked creek. The 
following are on the opposite side of that creek : 
John Salter, 327 acres ; Christopher Hoover, 192 
acres, seated by himself ; Agnes Kyle, 221.5 acres; 
Robert Adams, 321.65 acres, partly in South Bend, 
seated by Isaac Wagle and Wilson ; Sam- 
uel Kyle, 215.6 acres, partly in South Bend, seated 
by David Sloan ; Joseph Shoemaker, 382 acres ; 
Henry Davis, 200 acres, seated by himself ; R. 
Cogley, in right of Malcom Campbell, 257 acres, 
seated by George Shoemaker, heirs of William 
Clark; R. Cogley, 91|- acres ; Adam Wilhelm, 140 

acres, seated by ; John Craig, 205-2- acres, 

seated by George Helffreich, patent to Craig, 
dated September 21, 1789, deed from Craig to R. 
Cogley, May 1, 1790, consideration £50, Cogley to 
Michael Schall, December 31, 1805, consideration 
£200, Schall to George Peter Sheffer, January 
27, 1806, for 185|- acres, consideration £150; 
Francis Cooper, 308^ acres, afterward John 
Davison's ; George Risler, 345.8 acres, seated by 
Andrew Beck; Isaac Mechlin, 325 acres, seated by 
John Robb and George A. King ; Mary Field, 318 
acres, 109 perches ; Michael Huffnagle, 382.9 acres, 
seated by Robert Walker. Huffnagle was captain 
of one of the volunteer companies raised in West- 
moreland county for the defense of the frontiers, 
served as major of two companies under appoint- 
ment of the lieutenant of that county, from Feb- 
ruary 11 until July 1, 1779, was favorably men- 
tioned by Col. Daniel Brodhead in his letter to 
President Reed of April 27, 1780. In 1783 he had 
charge of the timber and the land of the reserved 
tract opposite Pittsburgh. In the course of his 



* This tract -was sold by the sheriff of Westraoreland county for 
taxes to Jacoh Beck, the deed for which is dated October 20, 1807, 
who, by deed dated January la, 1844, conveyed it in trust for the 
heirs of John Wagle to Catherine Wagle, an'equal share to herself, 
for §7. The bulli of this tract is southwesterly from the mouth of 
Pine run, in the southwestern part of what is now Burrell town- 
ship. 

23 



varied correspondence with Major, afterward Gen- 
eral, John Armstrong, Jr., who was tlien Secretary 
of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsyl- 
vania, is a letter from the Secretary to Huffnagle, 
then prothonotary of Westraoreland county, dated 
at Philadelphia, November 15, 1783, in which he 
said : " The licentious disposition discovered in 
Manellan township is not a little alarming, and in 
the opinion of council requiries an early and rigorous 
correction. Jlpon receipt of this you will there- 
fore assemble the magistracy of that part of the 
county and with them adopt the most efficient 
measures to investigate the business and enforce 
the laws." 

Returning to the original tracts : James Arnold, 
49 acres ; Valentine Shallus, 445 acres, called 
" Mount Joy," seated by Michael Schall ; Thomas 
Milliken, 228 acres, seated by George P. Shefier, 
warrant dated Octobers, 1778, deed to R. Cogley, 
January 17, 1789, consideration ten shillings ; Cog- 
ley to Michael Schall, May 8, 1806, for 225 acres, 
consideration £200 ; Schall to George P. Sheffer, 
July 9, for 228 acres, consideration £350 ; Joseph 
Sansom, 401-|- acres ; Jacob Shallus, 327.4 acres, 
seated by Isaac Wagle ; John and Samuel Hall, 
314.14 acres, seated by James Hall ; Isaac Mather, 
325 acres, seated by Peter Rupert, warrant dated 
August 20, 1776; Mather to John Paul, Novem- 
ber 10 ; Paul to John Vanderen, Jr., June 3, 1779 ; 
Vanderen to Michael Hillegas, who was for several 
years treasurer of this state, and of the United 
States, before the close of the revolutionary war ; 
Hillegas to Lazarus de Francy, then late of 
Auteen, France, May 1, 1780 ; Madam Philebert 
Guichet de Francy, by her attorney-in-fact, Will- 
iam Reynolds, of Bedford, Pennsylvania, to the 
heirs and devisees of James Hamilton, Carlisle, 
Pennsylvania, and Thomas Hamilton, Greensburgh, 
Pennsylvania, February 19, 1830, from whom the 
present owners have more immediately derived 
their titles. This tract was for many years ad- 
versely claimed by different parties, and there was 
much litigation resjDecting it, before two verdicts 
and judgments in favor of the validity of the 
title by which the present owners hold it. From 
the ancient county map and descrijjtions in some 
old deeds there apjjears to have been a vacant 
tract of considerable extent skirting Crooked creek 
from its first large bend above the mouth of 
Cherry run and the Malcolm Campbell tract, and 
that runs up to the southern boundary of the 
Joseph and William Sansom tracts, and adjoins 
the northern, northeastern and eastern boundaries 
of the Josejih Shoemaker tract. 

The John Wilson tract, called " Wilsonburgh," 



366 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



mostly in Allegheny and Kiskiminetas townships, 
appears to have been looked after quite early. 
The order or application for a warrant is dated 
April 13, 1769. The warrant is dated July 26 and 
the patent July 31, 1781. Joseph Landis and wife 
conveyed 60 acres of "Wilsonburg" to Joseph 
Beck October 31, 1856, for $475. 

The warrant for the Michael Huffnagle tract, 
called "Isaac's lot," is dated September 5, 1776. 
Huffnagle conveyed his interest in it to John 
Vanderen July 10, 1778, who conveyed it to Isaac 
Vanhorn, January 24, 1782, whose executors, by 
James Brady, of Greensburgh, Pennsjdvania, their 
attorney-in-fact, conveyed it to John Shotz, the 
consideration expressed in the deed being $1, 
August 7, 1810, and he conveyed 280 acres of it 
to Alexander Walker, January 22, 1814, for 
11,250. 

The warrants for several of those tracts are 
dated in 1776, one of them as early as the 4th of 
February ; those for other tracts are dated one, 
two, eight and twelve years later. The surveys of 
some are dated a few days, and others a few 
months, after those of the warrants. 

The John Brown tract, called " Engina," or 
"Algenal," has remained in the ownership of the 
Clemens family during the last century. The 
patent for it to Paul Engle, or Angle, is dated 
September 7, 1781, which subsequently became 
vested in Jacob Clemens, who devised it to 
Charles W. Clemens. 

So far as the writer can determine from the 
assessment list of Allegheny township for 1805-6, 
the following are the assessments then made in 
that part thereof now included in Burrell : George 
Beck, 160 acres, three horses and four cattle, ap- 
praised at $210 in 1805, and $205 in 1806; John 
Henry, 63 acres and three cattle, $33.90 in 1805, 
and $18 in 1806; James Hall, 250 acres, one dis- 
tillery, two horses and two cattle, $242.50 both 
years ; Christoj^her Hoover, 200 acres, one horse, 
two cattle, $120 both years; George Helffreid 
(Helffreich), one horse, one head of cattle, $15 in 
1806 ; George Painter, 98 acres, one gristmill, one 
sawmill, one head of cattle, $119 in 1805, and $10 
in 1806 ; George Peter Sheffer, 400 acres, one 
horse, one head of cattle, $315 in 1806; Michael 
Schall, Sr., 400 acres, one head of cattle, $305 in 
1805, and $233 in 1806 ; Michael Schall, Jr., 275 
acres, two horses, two cattle, $167.50 each year ; 
John Schall, blacksmith, $10 in 1805 ; Jacob 
Schall, schoolmaster, single man ; George Shoe- 
maker, 225 acres, two cattle, $178.75 in 1805, $183 
in 1806; Adam Wilhelm, 160 acres, one horse, 
two cattle, $100 each year; Isaac Wagle, 50 acres, 



$75 in 1806. There must then have been a popu- 
lation of about sixty. The valuation of these 
tracts of land then varied from twenty-five to fifty, 
sixty-nine and seventy-nine cents an acre. The 
portion of that list showing the returns of un- 
seated land for those years is not accessible — it is 
probably lost. Such land, a few years later, was 
generally valued at fifty cents an acre. 

More or less of the tracts, like those in the ad- 
joining townships, probably had particular names. 
"Rotterdam," for instance, is the one given to the 
R. Cogley (91|^ acres) tract lying partly on Cherry 
run and partly on Crooked creek, above the mouth 
of that run. There must have been a mill of some 
kind, probably a gristmill, on this tract, at or near 
the mouth of Cherry run, as early as, or before, 
1802,* for in the act of assembly of that year fix- 
ing the place for holding the elections in Alle- 
gheny township at the house of George Painter, 
at the mouth of that run, he is described as 
" miller." He was assessed with a gristmill and a 
sawmill in 1804. Indeed, " Rotterdam " has been 
a prominent point in this region ever since. The 
warrant for it to R. Cogley is dated April 3, 1789, 
the patent to Michael Schall June 14, 1806 ; the 
deed from Schall to George Painter, July 29 of 
that year ; deed from Painter to Isaac Wagle, 
June 9, 1809, two tracts, one for 11 acres and the 
other for 42 acres and 53 perches, for £600 ; deed 
from Wagle to Robert Richards, February 13, 
1816, for $1,650 ; Richards to Andrew Craig, Jan- 
uary 18, 1820, for $2,000, the above-mentioned 53 
acres and 53 perches ; release from the heirs of 
Andrew Craig to William Craig ; William Craig 
to Adam Thompson and John Wright, August 27, 
1825 ; Wright agreed, March 18, 1829, to convey 
his interest therein to John and Samuel Pitts ; 
that contract having been proven in proceedings 
in the Orphans' Court, Wright was directed to de- 
liver one moiety to John Pitts for himself, and the 
other moiety to him in trust for Salona, the sole 
heir of Samuel Pitts, deceased, which was done, 
the deed having been executed in 1839 ; the in- 
terest of Salona Pitts was conveyed by herself and 
her husband, David Speer, to John Jack for $500 ; 
a contract Was entered into between John Pitts 
in his lifetime to convey his interest to John Jack, 
which, after his death, having been duly proven in 
proceedings in the Orphans' Court of this county, 
Robert Walker (of A.), administrator of the estate 
of John Pitts, was directed by the court to make 
to Jack a deed therefor (except 25 acres) of the mill 
tract and parcel of land, which deed is dated 



* Painter built a miU some distance up Cherry run, it is said, in 
1800, and at the mouth in 1S02. 



BUEKELL TOWNSHIP. 



367 



March 29, 1840; Jack to Michael Cochran, April 
19, 1845 (except 1 acre, sold by John Pitts in his 
lifetime to Daniel Ruflfner), one undivided half- 
part for $1,000. The transfers of the other moiety 
are: Adam Thompson, February 26, 1830, an un- 
divided half to Daniel Shoemaker and Peter Hine ; 
transfer by Hine of his interest to Shoemaker ; 
Shoemaker to Jacob Hart, April 15, 1837 ; Hart to 
Joseph Miller, April 29, 1843, for $1,000 ; Miller 
to Michael Cochran, June 2, 1849, for $1,200 ; 
Michael Davis to Michael Cochran, March 21, 1858, 
for 112 perches of the Henry Davis tract, for 
eighty cents; Cochran's executors — his heirs 
having refused to take the property at its appraise- 
ment in proceedings in partition — to John 
Schwalm and W. H. Carnahan, June 30, 1871, for 
$17,000, who are the present owners. The present 
site of their mills is the most ancient mill-seat in 
what is now Burrell township. These mills, jjrior 
to 1830, were, perhaps, known as Painter's, 
Wagle's, Richards', Craig's, Davis', and Wright 
& Thompson's mills. They have since been 
called Pitts' and Cochran's mills, which last-men- 
tioned name they and their locality still bear,* 
though recently changed to that of Carnahan's. 
The first store at this point was opened by Michael 
Cochran in 1849-50, which he continued while he 
owned the property. A grange store is now kept 
here by Schwalm & Carnahan. 

On December 21, IS22, Irwin & McClelland 
advertised — Robert Irwin having been first as- 
sessed as a carder in 1821 — that they "continued 
as usual, fulling and dressing cloth at the 
mouth of Cherry run." Anthony Helffreich was 
first assessed with that fulling-mill ( and with 
a sawmill) in 1824-5, and for several years after- 
ward. He announced in his advertisement in Oc- 
tober, 1826, that he intended to have everything 
necessary to full, dye and dress cloth in the best 
manner. Isaac Kinnard was first assessed there as 
a carder in 1834. He subsequently became the 
proprietor of the fulling-mill that he ultimately 



* To show the mutations hoth in the ownership and the vaUie of 
this property for a series of years, or the variations of value in the 
estimates of the assessors, the following facts are collected from 
assessment lists of Plum Creek township, in which this portion of 
Burrell formerly was: In 1S32, Pitts & Shoemalterwere assessed with 
101 acres and one p^ristmill, valued at Si^jOl ; in 1833, Latimer A Shoe- 
maker 101 acres and one gristmill, transferred to Wm, Calhoun, to 
whom they were assessed, together with one foiu-th-rate horse and 
one head of second-rate cattle, at a total valuation of ^544 : in 1S34, Pitts 
& Calhoun, 101 acres and one second-rate gristmill, Sf-501 ; in 183,5, John 
Pitts, 100 acres, fourteenth-rate, and one fourth-rate gristmill, S2'25 ; in 

1836, Pitts & Shoemaker, 100 acres, etc., same as in preceding year ; in 

1837, Pitts, J. Hart & Abraham Llningbigler, 100 acres, etc., S325 ; in 

1838, Hart & Pitts, 103 acres, seventeenth-rate, and one gristmill, tliird- 
rate, SfSOS ; in 1839, Hart & Pitts, same as in preceding year ; in 1^10, 
Wilier & Pitts, 103 acres, seventeenth-rate, and one gristmill, third-rate, 
$803 ; in 1841, Miller & Pitts, 103 acres, seventeenth-rate, and one grist- 
mill, third-rate, S500 ; in 1842, Miller & Jack, 24 acres at S2 per acre, and 
one gristmill, S450, total, S198 ; in 1843, Jack & Miller, 50 acres at S2 
per acre, and one gristmill S400, total, S600 ; in 1844, Jack & Miller, 50 
acres and one gristmill, ^70 ; in 184o, .50 acres at $4 per acre, and one 
gristmill at ?300, total, $500 ; in 1816, Michael Cochran, 50 acres and 
one gristmill, $650. 



converted into a woolen-factory, which is now op- 
erated by him and his son. 

This point has ever since its settlement, been 
supplied with an adequate number of such me- 
chanics as are usual in such a place. 

A substantial county bridge, with .stone pier and 
abutments and wooden superstructure, has for 
many years spanned Crooked creek between the 
month of Cherry run and Cochran's mills. 

Thus it is, th.at "Rotterdam" has been, from 
the beginning of this century, an important point 
for business for the surrounding country. 

During the late rebellion, flagrante bello, when 
the success of the Union forces was essential to 
the preservation and perpetuity of our national in- 
tegrity, this was, as it were, a focus of the peace 
element of the adjacent region, which was an ob- 
struction, to say the least — an irrational, illogical 
obstruction — to the successful prosecution of the 
war, to obviate which in a portion of this region 
required, at a certain stage of the war, the pres- 
ence of a detachment of United States troops to 
prevent the partial nullification of the equable and 
necessary demand of the government for additional 
forces. Yet even this point was not then barren 
of that other element, which regarded the vigor- 
ous prosecution of that war as indisjsensable to 
securing, conquering a permanent peace by the ef- 
fective triumph of the national arms. 

Among the early settlers on the territory in- 
cluded in this township, George Shoemaker was 
noted as a thrifty and successful farmer. He 
seated the tract called "Monmouth," designated 
on the ancient county map as the one warranted 
to " R. Cogley in right of Malcolm Campbell," 
which contained 257 acres, the patent to him bear- 
ing date March 20, 1801.* Its territory as origin- 
ally surveyed, lay about a mile south of " Rotter- 
dam," in a large western bend of Crooked creek. 
His wife must have been an eflScient helpmeet, as 
many another wife is. He must not only have 
cherished a strong afiiection for her, but have had 
a high appreciation of and great confidence in her 
as a woman of sound judgment and excellent busi- 
ness capacity, for by his last will and testament, 
registered October 1, 1821, he gave to her all his 
personal and real proj)erty, provided his eldest 
sons and one of his daughters should have what 
had already been advanced them. He further di- 
rected that the rest of his children should have 



* As showing the value of land in this section in the early part of 
this century, the passing remark is made that George Shoemaker 
sold thirty-three acres of that tract, May 29, 1805, to Henrj' Davis, 
for $99. 

That tract " Monmouth " was surveyed April 26, 1790, by warrant 
dated March 7,1788, " situated on the north side of Crooked creek, 
and near the mouth of Cherry run, iu Armstrong township, West- 
moreland county." 



368 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



"schooling equal to that of their eldest brothers 
and sister — then as each of them come of age, 
with good behavior and due respect to their moth- 
er's advice, shall have to the amount of what the 
estate will possibly admit of." The writer has not 
learned that any of them has ever forfeited his or 
her right to a share of that patrimony. Mrs. 
George — or rather 'Margaret, for ladies in their 
widowhood resume their maiden Christian names 
— Shoemaker, a comely lady, was, in due time after 
her husband's death, wooed by Barnard Davers, 
who lived near the South Bend. She, however, 
would not be won, unless he would enter into an 
antenuptial agreement respecting the separate use, 
occupation and management of their respective 
lands and other property, to which the wooing 
widower assented. An " indenture " was accord- 
ingly prepared, dated December 14, 1824, and ex- 
ecuted by them and Eben Smith Kelly, the pre- 
amble of which set forth that, whereas, a marriage 
was intended, by permission of God, to be shortly 
had and solemnized between the said Barnard 
Davers and the said Margaret Shoemaker, where- 
fore, in consideration of that intended marriage 
Barnard Davers covenanted, promised and agreed 
to and with the said Eben Smith Kelly, that in case 
that marriage should take place, it should be law- 
ful for the said Margaret Shoemaker, from time to 
time, and at all times during their joint lives, to 
have the possession and enjoyment of all and 
singular the goods and chattels, moneys and per- 
sonal property of whatever description, also of all 
the rents, issues and profits of her lands and tene- 
ments, or, those of her late husband, then in her 
possession, and to sell and dispose of the same or 
any part thereof to such person or persons and in 
such manner as she should think proper, notwith- 
standing the said intended marriage, and as if she 
were sole and unmarried, and without being subject 
to the debts, contracts, disposal or engagement of 
the said Davers, or of any person or persons claim- 
ing under him ; that after her death the same 
should go to her children or such other persons as 
she might by her last will and testament appoint ; 
and in case she should survive him, then his heirs, 
executors or administrators should not claim, chal- 
lenge or demand any right of, in, to or out of those 
goods, chattels, rents, issues and profits ; that she 
should be at liberty to carry into execution the last 
will and testament of her deceased husband in all 
respects, and be free to act therein just as if she 
were sole and unmarried. It was also declared and 
agreed by and between all these three parties, and 
she thereby agreed and consented, to accept and 
take the provision thus made for her in lieu of her 



dower or third part of the rents, issues and . profits 
of the lands and tenements which the said Barnard 
Davers then had, and of her part of the personal 
property which she possessed under the laws of 
this state. The marriage occurred early in 1825, 
and they used, managed and occupied their separ- 
ate estates as distinctly and independently of each 
other, pleasantly and harmoniously, until Davers' 
death in December, 1829. 

In due time another suitor, George A. King, a 
substantial farmer, who owned and cultivated, be- 
sides other lands, a part of " Edgeware," as the 
Isaac Mechlin tract was called, west of the western 
branch of Pine run, and north of the Isaac Mather 
tract, known also as the Samuel Peebles tract, to 
whom the patent was granted, whose heirs sold to 
John Robb 301 acres of it September 5, 1810, for 
1602, who sold 121 acres of it to Geo. A. King June 
16, 1812,for|242,soughtherhand. Her children had 
then grown up, some of them were married, and 
with her were cultivating and managing the fertile 
acres of " Monmouth," which their father had de- 
vised to her. In that emergency — as related by the 
then editor of the Pittsburgh American, and whose 
statement is reproduced in Sherman Day's Histori- 
cal Collections of Pennsylvania — she consulted the 
late Samuel Houston, of Kittanning, her factor and 
confidential merchant. When she had stated to 
him her intention to marry again, he is reported to 
have said, " I should suppose that one so happily situ- 
ated as you are, with everything rich and comfort- 
able about you, and your sons and daughtei'S grown 
up, would not think of such a thing at your time 
of life. I would advise you by no means to en- 
tangle yourself again in any marriage alliance." 
" You tink not, Mr. Houston ?" " Why, it is very sin- 
cerely the advice I would give you, if that is what 
you want." " Well, dat may be all very well and very 
goot; but, see here, a man I want, and a man I will 
have!" " O, that is a very different thing alto- 
gether, and in that case, I would advise you by all 
means to marry." She, however, would not accept 
her new suitor's proposal, unless he, too, would en- 
ter into an ante-nuptial agreement, like that with 
Barnard Davers, which he did. The parties to the 
agreement in this instance were Geo. A. King, of 
the first part, James E. Brown, of the second part, 
and Margaret Davers, of the third part. The date 
of the this second agreement is March 8, 1832. 
They were subsequently married, and managed their 
respective estates as she and Davers had done. In 
both instances husband and wife were separate, on 
their farms, from Monday morning until Saturday 
night each week; their accounts were kept sepa- 
rately; they knew hardly any more about each other's 



BURRELL TOWNSHIP. 



369 



business affairs than if they were single. There 
were no clashing interests, no coveting of each 
other's possessions, to cause trouble and discord. 
At the death of her third husband, in the spring 
of 1843, as at that of her second one, the Shoe- 
maker estate was left intact. She never claimed 
dower in either Davers' or King's estate. From 
loyalty to her first husband's estate, not from stingi- 
ness, did she, by ante-nuptial stipulations, require 
each of her last two husbands to pay, as they cheer- 
fully and regularly did, an annual stipend in flour 
for his boarding and horsekeeping from Saturday 
night until Monday morning of each week of their 
singular, and, in this county, unprecedented, con- 
jugal lives. She is said to have been well educated 
in German. She survived her last husband several 
years, having enjoyed the affection of her kindred, 
and the esteem of friends and acquaintances, to 
which the good qualities of her heart and mind 
justly entitled her. 

POWDEEMILLS. 

As early as 1811 George Beck, Sr., commenced 
the manufacture of powder near the mouth of 
Pine run, on the George Risler tract, which was 
continued by him and his sons until Thursday, 
June 29, 1826, when an explosion of about fifty 
pounds of powder in the mortar occurred, caused, it 
was supposed, by a spark elicited by one of the 
pounders. John and Daniel Beck were at the 
time employed in the mill. The latter was thrown 
out of the door and so injured that he after- 
ward died; The former was severely but not 
fatally injured. A part of the roof was also 
carried away by the explosion, but the building 
was saved. Willow charcoal, the writer is in- 
formed, was used in making powder at that 
mill. The reputation of Beck's powder stood high 
at home and abroad. Large quantities of it were 
transported to Pittsburgh in canoes. Some of the 
Kittanning merchants made prominent mention of 
it in their advertisements. 

In September, ISTS, Thomas Logan, Jr., deputy- 
sheriff, found, near the junction of Pine run with 
Crooked creek, a flagstone which .had apparently 
been detached from the face of a' rock, on which is 
this inscription: "Capt. S. Bedy, 1780," the 
figures being under the central part of the words. 
This relic is now in the possession of Col. Wm. 
Sirwell of Kittanning. 

It is said by some of the oldest inhabitants that 
there was another powdermill at the mouth of a 
run above Cochran's mills, either Fageley's or the 
one lower down, in what was formerly a part of 
Plum creek township. It does not appear that 
anyone was ever assessed with a powdeiinill in that 



township. But George Beck's name with the 
initials " P. W." after it, being those probably of 
povidm-worlcs, appears on the assessment lists for 
1817-18. The lowest of the three rates then fixed 
for powdermills was $50. George Beck's occupa- 
tion, one horse and two cattle were assessed at 
only $38 in 1817, and $36 in 1818, so that although 
he then manufactured powder he must have done 
so on too small a scale to be assessed with a 
powdermill. 

John R. Shaeffer erected a powdermill in 1822 
near Pine run, about 100 rods south of the present 
northern boundary-line of the township, near W. 
and L. Shaeffer's present residences. About two 
years thereafter an explosion, probably caused by 
friction, occurred while the proprietor and his em- 
ploye were returning from the house, whither they 
had gone a short time before. It was afterward 
converted into a linseed-oil mill, which was in a 
few years converted into a distillery, which was 
operated for several years by Shaeffer. 

More than half a century ago Frederick Altman 
commenced, and continued for some years, the 
manufacture of plows with wooden moldboards. 
He advertised in the Kittanning Gazette, Septem- 
ber 21, 1825, that he was then making half-patent 
plows, that is, those with cast-iron moldboards and 
wrought-iron colters. His plows of both kinds are 
still remembered as having been excellent ones. 
The locality where he made them is in the northern 
part of the township, near the head of a spring 
run which empties into Pine run about 230 rods 
above its junction with Crooked creek. That 
locality is on the Valentine Shallas tract, which 
became vested in Michael Shall. Altman must 
have been endowed with a good degree of mechan- 
ical ingenuity and inventive genius. Besides guns 
and other things, he made a good pocket-knife 
with twelve blades, and invented an auger with a 
chisel attachment, by which he bored holes in his 
wooden moldboards, etc., which were nearly 
square.* He was certainly eccentric enough to 
have been a man of genius. One of his eccentrici- 
ties was his constant refraining from speaking to 
any of his children. Their mother was the medium 
of communication from him to them, except on 
one occasion, which was when he and one or more 
of them were going to Kittanning in a wagon. 
When they were descending, or about to descend a 
hill he said to his son Isaac, in German, perhaps 
involuntarily, " Nun yetz der wagon must gesj^ert 
sein! " '■'■Now the wagon must be locked," equiva- 
lent to " down brakes " on railroad cars. 



* There was on exhibition a similar invention at the International 
Exposition in Paris in 1878, which attracted much attention. 



370 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



" WILLIAMSBUEGH." 

A patent dated June 9, 1818, was issued to 
William Fiscus, Sr., for 138 acres of a tract 
adjoining the Henry Davis, Agnes Kyle and 
Joseph Shoemaker tracts, which must have been 
the major part of the Christian Hoover tract, on 
which Fiscus soon afterward laid out the town of 
" Williamsburgh," with 51 in-lots and 6 out-lots, 
and convenient streets and alleys. The lots were 
numbered and the streets named Main and Market. 
The records show that the proprietor conveyed lot 
No. 11, containing one-quarter of an acre, on the 
corner of Main and Market streets, August 15, 
1818, to Canady Hunter for $31. Hunter assigned 
his interest therein to John Pounds, September 9, 
1818 ; Pounds assigned his interest to Edward 
Carlton December 1, 1819; Carlton conveyed the 
same to Rachel Pounds, April 2, 1823, for $1, and 
there endeth the record. It is not apparent to the 
writer that another of these lots was ever sold. 
The passing remark may here come in that Will- 
iam Fiseus was assessed as a "hatter" from 1811 
until 1816. Perhaps some of the oldest inhabit- 
ants of that region remember whether his manii- 
faoture of hats was extensive and lucrative enough 
to warrant the expense incident to purchasing the 
ground for, and the laying out of, a town. 

From 1820 until 1822, inclusive, these lots were 
assessed separately; the tax on each varied from 
ten to twenty, fifty, seventy-five cents and one dol- 
lar. The assessor and his assistants returned in 
1823 that the value of the lots was so small that 
" the tax could not be got off them." They there- 
fore agreed with Fiscus to aggregate the 24 of 
them on the list that year at 6 acres, on which they 
assessed a tax of $6. 

South of " Williamsburgh " and below and 
adjoining the western projection of the Henry 
Davis tract, in a southern bend of Crooked creek, 
was " Ganges," as the John Salter tract was called, 
which extended several rods across the creek, and 
was surveyed May 22, by warrant of February 4, 
1776. Opposite to " Ganges," on the west side of 
the creek, was " Nemidid," on the William Eckhart 
tract, surveyed May 21 by warrant of February 12, 
1776. 

SALTWORKS. 

Some time prior to 1820, perhaps as early as 
1812, a salt well was bored and the salt manufac- 
ture commenced on the southern part of the above- 
mentioned Christopher Hoover tract, on that part 
of it called " Hooversbm-gh." These "saltworks" 
were for the first time assessed to W. R. Richards 
in 1841, and then successively until 1844. The 
l)atent for sixty-nine acres of that tract was issued 



to Christian Hoover June 10, 1809, who conveyed 
the same to James Richards, November 18, next 
thereafter, for $139, who by deed dated March 18, 
1820, conveyed two-fifths of the sixty-nine acres, 
on which " Crooked creek salt works are erected," 
to William R. Richards for $80, who by deed of 
March 5, 1857, conveyed one-fifth thereof to David 
Ralston for $100. 

Another salt-well, called the "lower saltworks," 
was drilled, about 1824, a half a mile or so below 
Cochran's, now Carnahan's, mill, on the Francis 
Cooper, afterward John Duncan, tract, on the upper 
or north side of Crooked creek, by Michael Town- 
send, who with the intent, Jacob-like, of deceiving 
his father, as Michael Davis relates, showed a bot- 
tle of salt water to his father, as having been ob- 
tained from that well.' The father, thus induced 
to believe that the well would yield a good supply 
of the briny fluid, erected a shed and procured 
pans which were put in place. When he discov- 
ered that the well did not yield that kind of water, 
he became so disgusted that he burned the shed. 
Le Fevre and John Parks made salt several years, 
which they hauled away by teams. It was not a 
profitable well, and was of course abandoned. 

CHUECHES. 

The first Evangelical Lutheran church within the 
present limits of this county is the St. Michael's, 
which was organized in 1806, by Rev. Michael 
Steck, Sr., of Greensburgh, Pennsylvania. The 
original members of the church were twenty-four, 
namely : John George Helfiferich and George Peter 
Shaeffer, elders ; John Philip Shaeffer, Michael 
Schall, Sr., Isaac Wagley, Sr., Jacob Waltenbaugh, 
Henry Davis, Jacob George, Sr., Wm. Heffelfinger, 
Adam Wilhelm, Philip Hartman, George A. King 
and their wives. The number increased rapidly. 
At least two other Lutheran churches have sprung 
from this one. 

Before the regular organization of churches in 
this region, clei'gymen, chiefly Lutheran and Ger- 
man Reformed, itinerated and held religious ser- 
vices at private houses, one of which, in what is 
now Burrell township, was George Peter Shaeffer's, 
frequently mentioned in Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert's 
diary, which was in the vicinity of the mouth of 
Cherry run, near which Mr. Reichert resided sev- 
eral years before he was called, in 1837, to the pas- 
torate of Christ's and Imnianuel churches in Phil. , 
adelphia. Previous to his removal thither, hisi 
itinerations had extended east to the Allegheny 
furnace, then in Huntingdon, now in Blair county, 
north to Venango and Crawford counties, and 
through the western and southern parts of this 



BUERELL TOWNSHIP. 



371 



county, so that his ministrations occurred at Shaef- 
fer's but once in four weeks. He preached a trial 
sermon there, July 6, 1823. A congregational meet- 
ing was held there August 3, when St. Michael's 
church was reorganized, and it was determined that 
his salary should be paid from the 1st day of July. 
The officers were installed August 31. His diary 
shows that on April 11, 1824, he baptized four chil- 
dren, two of whom were John Householder's, and 
then or about that time, confirmed twenty-five per- 
sons, the youngest of whom was fourteen years of 
age, and the oldest fifty-five. Of that number 
Peter George is known to be still living. There 
were then sixty-four church members. The num- 
ber present at the communion, August 11, 1827, 
was small, on account of a difficulty or controversy 
in one of the largest families, that is, a family con- 
sisting of a large number of persons, with exten- 
sive family connections. 

The first church edifice, 30X^0 feet, was con- 
structed of square hewed logs, about 1820. Its 
site was about a mile and a half northeast of the 
mouth of Cherry run, on the northeastern part of 
the John Craig tract, on land then owned by 
George P. Shaeffer, which continued to be used 
until 1852. Shaefi'er for $1, conveyed, August 3, 
1830, five acres and eight perches of that land to 
John P. Shaeffer and Peter Rupert, "trustees for 
the German Evangelical Lutheran and German Re- 
formed churches in the townships of Allegheny, 
Kittanning and Plum Creek," meaning, probably, 
that the members of these churches then consisted 
of persons residing in those townships. 

It was announced in the Kittanning Gazette that 
the Evangelical Lutheran church, near George P. 
Shaeffer's, was consecrated on Sunday, September 
16, 1832, when Revs. Steck and Hacke, of Greens- 
burgh, Pennsylvania, officiated — the former a Lu- 
theran, and the latter a German Reformed clergy- 
man. The Lutheran church was then under the 
charge of Rev. G. A. Reichart. 

The St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran church 
was incorporated by the proper court, March 20, 
1850. The charter ofliicers were : Rev. George 
F. Ehrenfeldt, pastor ; Isaac Kinnard and George 
King, elders ; Peter Hileman, Samuel Woodward 
and George Riggle, deacons, who were to serve 
until an election should be held. 

The second church edifice, brick, 44X60 feet, 
height of ceiling fourteen feet, was erected in 1852, 
at the crossroads on Anthony Helft'erich's land, and 
was dedicated soon after its completion, by Rev. 
Daniel Earhart and others. It was razed to the 
ground by one of the violent storms in the summer 
of 1860. The present brick edifice was soon after 



erected, through the exertions, in part at least, of 
Rev. Michael Swigert, on the same site, which is 
probably on the southeastern part of the Jacob 
Shallas tract. 

Members in 1876, 225 ; Sabbath-school scholars, 
100. 

The church of Christian Brethren was organized 
about 1852. The edifice is a one-story frame. It 
was incorporated by the proper court June 7, 1853. 
The charter officers were : Jos. Shoemaker, elder ; 
Jos. B. McKee, Thos. A. McKee, deacons ; Samuel 
Wilcox, Jr., John Carnahan, Daniel Shoemaker, 
Daniel Keefer, David Rarich, trustees. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was also or- 
ganized about the same time as the last-mentioned 
one. Its edifice is one-story, frame. 

Both of these edifices appear to be near the cen- 
tral part of the William Sykes tract. The former 
is possibly on the southwestern part of another 
ancient tract, designated " vacant " on the map of 
original tracts. 

SCHOOLS. 

Not record evidence but reliable tradition says^ 
that before 1807 some of the more forehanded citi- 
zens employed teachers to instruct their children 
in their families. That is probably what Mrs. 
Kirkpatrick means when she says that she remem- 
bers of schools being kept here and there in pri- 
vate houses in the locality where she spent her 
childhood, several miles up Crooked creek.* A 
primitive log schoolhouse, according to reliable 
tradition, was built on the Christopher Hoover 
tract, perhaps on the " Hooversburgh " part of it, in 
1807, then in Allegheny township. Whether the 
first teacher in that house was Jacob Shall or Will- 
iam Smith, or James Moor, who were assessed as 
" schoolmasters " somewhere in Allegheny town- 
ship in 1805-6 and afterward, or someone else, is 
not manifest to the writer. Reliable tradition in- 
dicates that some, if not the mass, of early settlers 
of the territory included in Burrell township paid 
a due degree of attention to the education of their 
children. It is but fair to infer that thorough and 
accurate teachers were sought, that is, thorough 
and accurate in their limited degree of advance- 
ment, and that the desire for thorough and ac- 
curate teaching has been transmitted, at least such 
is the writer's conclusion from his past observa- 
tions, made in the discharge of his official duties 
in the educational service. A fair type of the 
early teachers, probably, is Isaac Kinnard, who, 
before and since the adoption of the common 
school system, taught twenty-three consecutive 
seasons. His penmanship was neat and legible, and 

*See sketch of South Bend township. 



372 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



so far as lie had progressed in the other branches, he 
was thorough and accurate. This feature is not 
mentioned here as exclusively peculiar to Burrell 
township, but rather as illustrative of the force and 
effect of a good beginning, a right start in the 
early settlement of a place or section of country. 
Prominent among the good and zealous teachers, 
under the common school system, was Samuel 
Murphy, who had become a veteran in this im- 
portant branch of public service, in Burrell and 
Allegheny townships, in both of which he trained 
a goodly number in his schoolrooms and normal 
classes to be thorough, accui-ate and acceptable 
teachers. A peculiar feature of the Teachers' Dis- 
trict Institute in Burrell, for one term at least, was 
the presence of a number of pupils selected from 
the respective schools, who were formed into classes 
for drills, which were conducted by the different 
teachers, one session of which the writer had the 
pleasure of attending and observing the good effect 
of that feature upon teachers and pupils and upon 
the parents who were thus induced to be present. 

In 1860 the number of schools was 8; average 
number months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 8 ; aver- 
age salaries per month, $16.88 ; male scholars, 172; 
female scholars, 114; average number attending 
school, 177; cost of instructing each scholar per 
month, 49 cents ; amount levied for school purposes, 
$664.87 ; received from state appropriation, $60.62 ; 
from collector, $500 ; cost of instruction, $540 ; 
fuel and contingencies, $24. 

In 1870 the number of schools was 8 ; average 
number months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 7; female 
teachers, 2 ; average salaries of males per month, 
$31.55 ; average salaries females per month, $30.69 ; 



male scholars, 185; female scholars, 131 ; average 
number attending school, 224 ; cost per month, 83 
cents ; amount tax levied for school and building 
purposes, $1,164.60 ; received from state appropria- 
tion, $209.25 ; from taxes, etc., $1,283.74 ; cost of 
schoolhouses, $64.75 ; paid for teachers' wages, 
$1,254.72 ; paid for fuel, collector's fees, etc., 
$135.45. 

POSTAL. 

Pitts' Mill postoffice was established June 16, 
1843, whose first postmaster was Joseph Miller, 
and the Cochran's mills one August 1, 1855, Rob- 
ert A. Paul postmaster, both at the same point. 

MERCANTILE AND OTHER OCCUPATIONS. 

The stores were appraised this year thus : In 
10th class, 1 ; in 13th class, 1 ; in 14th class, 1. 
The number assessed as merchants, 4. 

The assessment list for 1876 shows, besides 127 
farmers, laborers, 62 ; blacksmiths, 4 ; carpenters, 
3 ; teachers, 3 ; preachers, 2 ; physicians, 2 ; wagon- 
makers, 2 ; professor, 1 ; civil engineer, 1 ; miller, 
1; shoemaker, 1. 

POPULATION. 

According to the census of 1860, the first one 
after the organization of this township, the num- 
ber of whites was 830, colored 3. In 1870, native, 
941 ; foreign, 23 ; total, 964. The number of taxa- 
bles in 1876 is 253, which indicates the present 
population to be 1,163, showing an increase of 199 
in the last six years. 

For the geological features of this township the 
reader is referred to those presented in the sketches 
of Plum creek township and Elderton. 



4 



CHAPTER XVII, 



VALLEY. 



Set Apart from Pine — Mills — Monticello Furnace — The Patentees and Subsequent Owners — Lands of Gen. 
Armstrong's Heirs — Doanville Seminary — Donaldson Nurseries — Troy Hill — The Old State Road — The 
Collins Lands — Pine Creek Baptist Church — Methodist Episcopal Church at West Valley — Pine Creek 
Furnace — Holland Land Company Warrants — Geological Features. 



TAILBT TOWNSHIP. 

THE petition of divers inhabitants of Pine 
township, praying for its division into two 
townships, Was presented to the court of quarter 
sessions of the peace of this county, at June ses- 
sions, 1855. James Stewart, Archibald Glenn and 
John H. Lemmon were appointed viewers or com- 
missioners. Their report, favoring the division, 
was filed September 13, and confirmed December 
13, of that year. It was suggested that the new 
township to be organized by that division be called 
Butfington, and also after some other individual. 
In speaking of it to the writer. Judge Buffington 
remarked that he was opposed to naming any new 
township after any living person. He suggested 
the name of Valley, inasmuch as its territory is 
traversed from east to west by the valley of the 
Cowanshannock. The court, consisting then of 
three judges, adopted this name, and on the last- 
mentioned day Pine township was divided and 
Valley township erected, with the following boun- 
daries: Beginning at the corner of the cemetery 
in the borough of Kittanning; thence by the bor- 
ough line north 5 2^ degrees east 110 perches ; thence 
along the upper line of said borough south 31^ 
degrees east 160 perches to the purchase line; 
thence along said line and the townships of Manor 
and Kittanning south 80 degrees east a distance 
of about 8^ miles to the corner of Plum Creek (?), 
Kittanning and Cowanshannock townships; thence 
along the line of Cowanshannock and Wayne 
townships north 2 degrees east 4 miles to Pine 
creek near Peter Beck's; thence down Pine creek 
by the several meanderings thereof a distance of 3 
miles and 28 perches to a point near Bossinger's 
sawmill; thence south 46 degrees west 113 perches 
to a chestnut; thence north 89^ degrees west 58 
perches to a white-oak ; thence north 89 degrees 
west to a maple; thence south 86 degrees west 75 
perches to a white-oak; thence north 72 degrees 
west 23 perches to a white-oak ; thence north 57 
degrees west 24 perches to McAllister's dam on 
Pine creek; thence down said creek by the several 



meanderings thereof a distance of 2 miles and 132 
perches to the Allegheny river at the mouth of 
Pine creek; and thence down said river by the 
different meanderings thereof a distance of 5 miles 
and 100 perches to the place of beginning. 

The records do not show who were appointed to 
hold the first election of township oificers. The 
following were elected at the first sjJring election, 
in 1856 : Justice of the peace, Jas. K. Tittle; con- 
stable, Wm. S. Campbell; judge of election, John B. 
Starr; inspectors of election, Andrew Wauggaman, 
John I. Sloan; school directors, Robert E. Brown, 
James K. Tittle, one year; Daniel Slagle, John 
Robinson, two years ; John Howser, Wm. Peart, 
three years ; assessor, John Robinson ; township 
auditors, Wm. Gillis, one year, Hugh Space, two 
years, George Hill, three years ; overseers of the 
poor, Abraham Fiscus, Abraham Bossinger; town- 
ship clerk, Geo. W. Speace. 

In the northwestern section of this township, 
west of the bridge across Pine creek, near Hepler's 
blacksmith shop, it is found that James Walker, of 
" Mexico," and Philip Essex, afterward of Morgan 
county, Ohio, agreed. May 5, 1811, for the sale and 
purchase, at |4 per acre, of a portion of "Mexico" 
contained within specified boundaries, so that 
Essex might " have the benefit of the creek." 
Essex also purchased about that time 40 acres, 
" surveyed off the southwest side of Samuel Cal- 
houn's land." He conveyed both of those parcels, 
the former for $120, and the latter for S40, to 
Robert Brown, April 17, 1827, both of which the 
latter conveyed to Alexander McAllister, of Alle- 
gheny county, Pennsylvania, May 3, for $200, who 
erected a fulling-mill in the northwestern part of 
the parcel which he had purchased from Calhoun, 
with which he was assessed from 1829 until 1848-9, 
and a gristmill, with which he was assessed from 
1832 until 1837. 

Portions of the Samuel Calhoun tracts became 
vested in Robert Orr, for some of which a patent 
was granted to him October 9, 1842. He conveyed 
111 acres and 88 perches, consisting partly of the 



374 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



smaller Calhoun tract and partly of " Amherst," 
to Joseph Starr, February 9, 1853, for $892, and 
which, with 18 acres and 15 perches of one of the 
Collins tracts, the latter conveyed to James 
Walker, the present owner, January 10, 1857, for 
$1,700.27. Orr conveyed a small part covered by 
that patent, and a part of " Amherst," aggregating 
213 acres and 66 perches, to George Sheckler, 
December 15, 1856, for $756. For several years 
after 1856 Barton W. Blanchard manufactured 
fanning-mills in this part of the township. 

Passing the small portion of "Pine Grove," 
below Pine creek, on which are the Sloan mills, 
was the Steel Semple tract, covered by warrant No. 
748, 178 acres and 84 perches, which, having be- 
come vested in Robert Brown, the patent therefor 
was granted to him May 15, 1828, 106 acres of 
which he conveyed to Walter Sloan June 7, for 
$306, and the residue, 78^ acres, in the southern 
part of the tract, including the mouth of Hays' 
run, to David White, Jr., August 4, for $130, to 
which the latter removed from one of the herein- 
after-mentioned Collins tracts. He operated a dis- 
tillery near the mouth of Hays' run during a por- 
tion of the time while he resided here. He con- 
veyed 2 acres of this i:)arcel to John Howard, Feb- 
ruary 26, 1846, for $25, and 110 acres to Joseph K. 
and James A. Lowry, June 20, 1851, for $1,000, on 
which they erected a two-story sawmill near the 
mouth of the run, with a twenty-foot overshot 
wheel, and a two-story frame dwelling-house, which 
buildings, with 2 acres of curtilage, were conveyed, 
September 6, 1855, by Joseph Clark, then sheriff 
of this county, to John J. Sloan for $615. Joseph 
K. conveyed his interest in the whole parcel to J. 
A. Lowry, August 11, 1854, and the latter's interest 
therein was conveyed by the same officer to Robert 
E. Brown, who j)urchased an undivided moiety for 
himself and the other for James E. Brown, Decem- 
ber 12, 1855, for $320. That sawmill, not having 
been used for several years, is in a state of de- 
cadence. Hays' run, on which it is situated, 
tradition says, was so called after an Indian bear- 
ing the English name of John Hays, who resided 
on it in early times. Indians, probably Senecas or 
Cornplanters, had a camp on this stream, about 300 
rods in an airline from its mouth, and about two 
miles from Pine Creek Furnace, in the early part 
of this century. 

Next below that tract along the river was one 
of the Collins tracts, elsewhere noticed. Next 
below that one was a tract called " Monticello," 
263 acres and 63 perches, including in its south- 
western corner the mouth of the Cowanshannock, 
the patent for which was granted to Robert 



Semple, November 22, 1802. He devised it by his 
will, dated August 10, 1808, to his wife, Elizabeth 
Semple, who conveyed it, August 9, 1809, to Robert 
Beatty for $900. He erected a gristmill and saw- 
mill on it the next year, a short distance above the 
mouth of the Cowanshannock, with which he was 
assessed until 1818, which, with the entire tract, 
he conveyed to David Loy, of Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, November 2, 1813, who conveyed 
the same, February 19, 1818, to Robert Brown for 
$4,000, which, with 47 acres and 58 perches of the 
adjoining Nicholson tract, he conveyed to his son, 
Robert E. Brown, October 11, 1841. The two- 
story brick mansion house was built by him in 
1842. 

Matthias Bowser, ^ brother-in-law of David 
Loy, was assessed with those mills from 1814 till 
1819; Robert Brown from then until 1827, and 
with a distillery from 1826 till 1828; Isaac Cun- 
ningham with those mills from 1827 till 1828; John 
P. Brown from then until 1837, and Robert E. 
Brown from 1842 until 1868. He turned out large 
quantities of lumber from the sawmill prior to 
1859, among which was the material for the Pipe- 
town, or upper covered, bridge at Pittsburgh. The 
fall of water in the Cowanshannock for the first 
mile above its mouth is over 100 feet. Notwith- 
standing the advantage of so great a water-power, 
that large flouring-mill and the sawmill were taken 
down in 1866-7, and their material used for other 
purposes about Monticello Furnace. 

This furnace, at first a charcoal and then a coke 
hot-blast one, was erected by Robert E. Brown, in 
1859, about 175 rods up the river from the mouth 
of the Cowanshannock. He conveyed it, with the 
Monticello, and about forty-eight acres of the ad- 
joining Nicholson tract, his moiety of the parcel of 
the Steel Semple tract, which he had purchased at 
sheriff's sale, Monticello island, and eighty acres 
on the west side of the river, to McKnight, Martin 
& Co., March 14, 1863, for $26,000. The firm 
name was afterward changed to McKnight, Porter 
<fe Co. They j^urchased a considerable additional 
quantity of land containing ore and coal. Embar- 
rassment caused them to suspend operations at the 
furnace, in 1875, and their property, including 
sixty-eight dwelling-houses for their operatives, 
was subsequently sold by their assignees. This 
furnace was in almost constant operation from its 
completion until it went out of blast, and afforded 
employment in all its departments to a large num- 
ber of employes, at times to about two hundred. 
Its product aggregated 60,000 tons of pig-iron, 
which found a market in Pittsburgh and Kittan- 
nlng. Between 1866 and 1874 20,000 tons of Lake 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



375 



Superior ore were mixed with the native ores in 
this region, producing a superior quality of neutral 
iron, well adapted to the manufacture of nails, 
hoop-iron and tool-steel. 

Guthrie's run, which empties into the Allegheny 
at the railroad station, was named after a- teamster 
by the name of Guthrie, whose team of four mules 
slipped on the ice over the precipice at its mouth, 
years ago, causing his and their death. The dis- 
mal hollow along this run has, until within a few 
years, been a terror to the superstitious who had 
occasion to pass it after night. Some have remained 
away from their homes all night i-ather than pass 
it in the dark. 

The patent for Monticello Island, opposite the 
mouth of Limestone run, in the Allegheny river, 
was granted to John Q. Sloan, March 2, 1814, 
which he devised to William Q. Sloan, by his will, 
dated January 18, 1816, who conveyed it to Samuel 
Hutchinson, November 19, 1833, and he con- 
veyed it to Robert E. Brown, August 28, 1849. It 
once contained between four and five acres, which 
were cultivated as late as 1874. The last tree on 
it, with several feet of the soil around its roots, 
was swept away by the ice in March, 1875. A 
large sandbar is now the only vestige of that once 
beautiful island. 

The Monticello postoffice, kept at the furnace 
store, was established July 15, 1864, William Ache- 
son, postmaster, and was discontinued February 15, 
18Y6. The Allegheny Valley railroad was ex- 
tended to this point, and the Cowanshannock sta- 
tion was established here in the latter part of 1865 
or the fore part of 1868. 

Next below " Monticello " was the John Nichol- 
son tract, coveied by warrant No. 5163, 400 acres, 
dated February 15, 1794. He conveyed it, March 
9, 1797, to James Buchanan, and he to Alexander 
Craig and Robert Patrick, February 6, 1 798. They 
conveyed it to John Patrick, March 18, 1811, for 
five shillings. Patrick agreed in his lifetime to sell 
thirty-nine acres and seventy-one perches of the 
northwestern part of this tract to Robert Brown, 
but died without executing a deed, which necessi- 
tated the proof of the contract after his death, in 
the proper court. The residue and 100 acres cov- 
ered by application No. 632, made by William 
Elliott, and adjoining the Nicholson tract on the 
east, which Elliott conveyed to Patrick, December 
25, 1807, for five shillings, was subsequently 
divided into three purparts in proceedings in par- 
tition in the orjjhans' court of this county. The 
one marked " A," extending to the Allegheny 
river, contained 191 acres and 150 perches, which 
William Coulter, the administrator, by order of the 



court, sold to Josejjh Patrick, an heir of John 
Patrick, on the second Monday of May, 1841, for 
$1,051.15, which he conveyed to James W. Coulter, 
November 10, 1846, for $600, who conveyed it to 
Rev. B. B. Killikelly, J. E. and R. E. Brown, May 
3, 1847, for the last-mentioned sum. From a re- 
cital in the deed from Jeremiah Bonner to Daniel 
Fish, September 17, 1849, thirty acres of this pur- 
part appears to have been conveyed by Joseph 
Patrick to Jeremiah and James C. Bonner, Novem- 
ber 10, 1846. The latter conveyed this parcel to 
Fish for $121. It was conveyed by John Mech- 
ling, then sheriff of this county, to Philip Temple- 
ton, December 12, 1850, for $230, who conveyed it 
to James G. Henry, Samuel G. W. Brown and 
Robert B. Brockett, January 3, 1873, for $2,000. 
Brown conveyed his undivided moiety to his co- 
purchasers, April 25, for $1,000. This parcel con- 
tains several stone-quarries — it abounds in the 
Pottsville conglomerate sandstone — it used to be 
called Templeton's " stone farm." The jiresent 
proprietors laid out upon this property the town 
of Brockettsville, which has not yet grown into 
magnitudinous proj)ortions ; it is still a hamlet 
of four or five buildings, in which lots have 
been laid out. The principal street is named 
Modoc avenue. 

Brockett & Henry conveyed two of these lots, 
Nos. 16 and 17, situated on that avenue, to Matilda 
A. McAnulty, November 5, 1873, for $150. 

James Patrick purchased the purpart marked 
" B," adjoining "A" on the east, containing 196 
acres and 110 perches, for $1,303.05, second Mon- 
day of May, 1841, which he conveyed to Abraham 
Fiscus, October 14, 1842, for $1, and 124 acres and 
99 perches, part of the Henry Reed tract, which he 
still owns and occupies. Fiscus entered into an 
agreement with James Galbraith, February 2, 1858, 
to convey the major part of this parcel to him for 
some real estate in the borough of Kittanning, and 
in Paulding county, Ohio, but having died, the 
following summer, without executing a deed, his 
administrator, by order of the proper court, exe- 
cuted one for 144 acres and 75 perches to Gal- 
braith, the present owner. Fiscus had in his life- 
time conveyed the residue of that purpart to his 
sons, Christopher and James, who subsequently 
conveyed the same to Jackson Boggs, in exchange 
for other parcels of land in Kittanning township. 

John Patrick's administrator sold purpart " C," 
160 acres and 30 perches, to Peter Boyers, June 22, 
1841, for $488.57, which included the tract covered 
by warrant to William Elliott, No. 632, 100 acres, 
and which Elliott conveyed to Patrick, December 
25, 1807, for "five shillings specie," that being the 



376 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



only consideration expressed in the deed. It was 
in the sharp bend of the Cowanshannoek on this 
Elliott tract that Patrick built his sawmill, in 1819, 
and with which he was assessed from 1820 till his 
death in 1826. It was assessed for two years there- 
after to Margaret Patrick. It was a very substan- 
tial structure. James Thompson, father of Robert 
and Henry Thompson, of Pine township, settled 
here in 1815, and was assessed the next year as a 
millwright. James Patrick, a brother of John 
Patrick, settled here in 1816, and was first assessed 
as a single man the next year. They did the work 
in the erection of that mill, in which considerable 
quantities of oak, poplar, hemlock, cherry and black- 
walnut boards were sawed, some of which were 
three feet wide. Boyers conveyed this entire pur- 
part to Alexander Colwell, June 1, 1843, for $310, 
and the latter to Jeremiah Bonner, June 16, 1851, 
in pursuance of a previous agreement, for $600, 
on which, at or near the site of the sawmill, 
he erected the Cowanshannock furnace, in 1845, 
and with which he and his brother, James C Bon- 
ner, were first assessed in 1846. It was thereafter 
assessed to the former until 1850, John Hudson 
paying the taxes on it in 1849. It was assessed to 
James E. Brown, and to Brown and McConnell, 
and operated by Brown and Barr from 1850 till 1853, 
when the assessment list indicates it was " not in 
blast." It was a charcoal, cold blast, quarter stack 
furnace, eight feet across the bosh, and produced 
two and a half tons a day. 

Jeremiah Bonner erected a large frame gristmill 
with three runs of stone and a corn crusher near 
that furnace, in 1845-6, which he conveyed, some 
years since, to James S. Quigley, its present ownei'. 

Next below that Nicholson tract along the river 
was the one covered by warrant No. 5847, 216 
acres and 18 perches, granted December 8, 1803, to 
Robert Patrick, who had probably settled on it 
soon after the Indian hostilities ceased. The 
patent to him is dated February 28, 1816. He was 
a brother of the above-mentioned John Patrick. 
Both of them served as militia men and scouts in 
different terms along the valley of the Allegheny 
river in 1791-2-8. Robert served one term of two 
months under Capt. John Craig, and another of 
two months under Capt. William Donahue, in 1791; 
two months in 1792 under Capt. Joseph Dilworth, 
and two months as a volunteer under Capt. Elliott 
in 1793. The fact of his having rendered those 
services is verified by his own affidavit, October 21, 
and he is corroborated by the affidavits of Col. 
Robert Walker and Capt. John Craig, October 31, 
1837. Furthermore, the writer obtained a land 
warrant for his widow, Barbara Patrick, to which 



she was entitled under the act of Congress passed 
September 28, 1850. By his will, dated February 
2, 1841, and probated February 16, 1846, he pro- 
vided that his land should be sold after his wife's 
death, and the proceeds, after paying certain lega- 
cies, be equally divided among his children. The 
executor, James Galbraith, having filed his declina- 
tion to serve, Jonathan E. Meredith was appointed 
administrator, cum testainento annexo, who, by vir- 
tue of an order of the proper court, sold that tract, 
less 24|^ acres, to Gen. Robert Orr, June 4, 1859, 
by public outcry, for $4,100, to whose estate it still 
belongs. The eastern terminus of the Helms 
Ferry was near the center of the western or river 
line of this track. The above-mentioned 24^ acres 
are a part of a trapezoidal portion of the southern 
part of the tract which seems, on the connected 
drafts of this and the tract next below it, to pro- 
ject into the latter, 13 acres and 102 perches of 
which Patrick conveyed to James Watterson, May 
7, 1829, for $64.28, on which the latter operated a 
distillery for several years. Patrick, by his deed, 
dated September 29, 1830, granted to Watterson, 
in common with all others, the right to travel on 
a road which he had opened from the Allegheny 
river, beginning at a corner at the intersection of 
the Glean road with his line; thence by out-lots of 
Daniel Lemmon north 88 degrees east 38 perches 
to a white-oak corner called for in his survey ; 
thence south 2 degrees west by Lemmon's and 
James Gibson's lots to the premises which he had 
granted to Watterson, over which all persons were 
to enjoy the right of way with equal rights and 
privileges with himself and without molestation 
or hindrance on his part. Watterson agreed to 
sell this parcel to James Stewart, who afterward 
agreed to sell his interest in it to Daniel Lemmon, 
to whom Watterson conveyed it, March 28, 1840, 
for $150. It afterward became vested in his son, 
Thomas McC. Lemmon, from whom it was pur- 
chased, as containing 14 acres, by the Catholic 
Cemetery Company of St. Mary's church, Kittan- 
ning, May 5, 1873, for $3,000. Eight acres have 
been laid out for the cemetery into five sections, 
subdivided into 596 lots, 10X20 feet, valued at 
from $25 to $50. Four lots, 40 X 40 feet, each 
valued at $100. The Main or Central avenue and 
the Grand avenue around the entire grounds are 
each 40 feet wide. The rest of this company's 
premises consists of two green plats, one on each 
side of the central avenue and west of the above- 
mentioned sections, with a picnic ground in the 
southwestern corner of the southern plat; of a piece 
of woodland and ground for building lots west of 
the green plats, through which a serpentine road 30 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



377 



feet wide extends from the western line of these 
premises to the foot of the central avenue. Eleven 
buildinsj lots have been laid out, each of which, 
except a triangular one, is 50X100 feet. Seven of 
them have been sold at $150 each. The proceeds 
of their sales are applied toward paying the pur- 
chase money for the entire premises. This tongue 
of the Patrick tract on which these premises are 
situated has been considerably improved by the 
Cemetery Company since it come into their posses- 
sion. It was naturally a piece of rough, stony, 
hilly ground, so much so that it was probably pur- 
posely surveyed around and excluded from the 
adjoining tract. Patrick also sold 10 acres and 
138 perches adjoining this cemetery parcel on the 
south to John Mosgrove. 

Next below the Robert Patrick tract was the 
tract* granted to Col. John Armstrong by virtue 
of " a proprietary letter to the secretary, dated May 
29, 1771," surveyed November 5, 1774, and the 
patent was granted by John Penn, March 22, 1775. 
The major part of this tract lay north of the pur- 
chase line of 1768, in territory which was not 
purchased from the Indians until thirteen years 
after the inception of Armstrong's title, which, 
however, has never been invalidated. The north- 
ern end of " Victory," as this tract was called, 
seems to be penetrated by the above-mentioned 
trapezoidal portion or tongue of the Robert Patrick 
tract, as they are presented on connected drafts. 

Gen. Armstrong's executors, James Armstrong 
and Thomas Duncan, were authorized by his will 
to sell all his personal and real estate that might 
remain after the payment of his debts and a legacy 
of £50. The first sale made by them of any part 
of " Victory," after the laying out of Kittanning, 
was of " three triangular lots at the northeast cor- 
ner" of that town. May 19, 1808, for $100. If they 
were "at the northeast corner," they would include 
a part of the new cemetery. But one of them is 
the triangle, formed by a line drawn from the 
southeastern corner of out-lot No. 27 to the south- 
eastern corner of Mulberry street, which appears to 
have been divided into nineteen small " coal lots," 
or " coalbank lots," as surveyed many years ago by 
Robert Orr, Jr., one of which. No. 5, Beatty con- 
veyed to Matthew Kern, September 10, 1815, for 
$28. Divers other persons became possessed of 
the rest. No. 16 was conveyed by Richard Graham 
to James McCullough, Sr., in 1829, which the lat- 
ter conveyed to Anderson & Marshall, March 26, 
1873, for $60. Coal lot No. 17 was conveyed by 
Beatty to John Donaldson, September 15, 1815, for 
$17. Beatty conveyed another of those " triangular 

*See its boundaries in general sketch of the county. 



lots," " adjoining to Mulberry and McKean streets," 
to David Reynolds, September 15, 1817, for $20, 
whose executors, Alexander and Absalom Rey- 
nolds, conveyed it to John Scott, April 23, 1849, 
for $845. BeS,tty conveyed the other or lowest of 
those three "triangular lots," "beginning at a 
hickory," the southernmost corner of "Victory," 
" on the bank of the Allegheny river; thence up 
said river 53 perches to the end of Walnut street," 
etc., containing 6J acres, to George Crawford, Sep- 
tember 2, 1813, for $270, which the latter devised 
to his daughter Sarah, wife of John A. Patterson, 
of Westmoreland county, which, with in-lotNo. 169 
and the half of in-lot No. 175, in Kittanning, they 
conveyed to Jonathan H. Sloan, and he conveyed 
that triangular lot below Walnut street to Alex- 
ander Colwell, William F. Johnston and Horatio 
N. Lee, trustees of the Kittanning Iron Works 
Company, 5f acres, August 4, 1847, for $2,600, on 
which stands the rolling-mill. Now the question 
is, who erred in describing these " three triangular 
lots " as lying " at the northeast corner of Kittan- 
ning ?" Was it the person who drew the deed 
from Armstrong's executors to Beatty, or Paul 
Morrow's clerk who recorded it ? 

Dr. James Armstrong conveyed two other par- 
cels, containing respectively 2 aci'es more or less, 
and 2 acres and 16 perches, to Robert Brown, Octo- 
ber 18, 1809, for $130. A part of the description 
of the former is "up the river to where the road 
from Kittanning to Helms' ferry strikes the same." 
Brown conveyed the other to Robert Stewart, Jan- 
uary 1, 1813, who ofierated on it the first brickyard* 
in this part of the county. 

The next sales of parcels of " Victory " were by 
Dr. James Armstrong, October 25, 1810 : To Rob- 
ert Brown 12 acres, "beginning at a post in the 
northeasternmost part of the town of Kittanning," 
for $25; and another parcel contiguous thereto, to 
David Lawson, 10 acres and 130 perches for $48.75. 
Both parcels are described as adjoining out-lots in 
Kittanning. Brown conveyed 7 acres and 80 
perches, December 30, 1811, and 6 acres and 14 
perches, July 19, 1817, to Matthias Bowser, 7 acres 
of which, parts of both parcels. Bowser conveyed to 
David Reynolds, April 19, 1823, for $150, which, 
with 8 acres and 4 perches of the 61 acres which 
the latter purchased from the Armstrongs, August 
13, 1821, make the parcel which Franklin Reynolds 
conveyed to the Kittanning cemetery.f 

Lawson conveyed the above-mentioned 10 acres 
and 130 perches to Matthias Bowser, January 1, 
1812, for $82, which, with the residue of his pui-- 



* See sketch Kittanning borough, 
t See sketch of Kittanning borough. 



378 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



chase from Brown, Bowser's widow and heirs con- 
veyed to Thomas McConuell, March 23, 1849, for 
$845.62, and which the latter conveyed to James 
E. Brown, the present owner, September 12, 1851, 
for the last-mentioned consideration'. 

Dr. James Armstrong conveyed 22 acres and 102 
perches, " contiguous to Kittanning," on the east, 
to Paul Morrow, October 25, 1810, for S226, which 
the latter conveyed to Thomas Hamilton, February 
19, 1818, for $550. "Doubts having arisen " as to 
whether Dr. Armstrong alone " could legally and 
effectually convey " this parcel to Morrow, he and 
his brother John Armstrong, for the purpose of 
assuring Hamilton's title, subsequently conveyed 
it to him. Thomas McConnell's administrators 
conveyed " 4 or 5 acres " of it and Kittanning 
out-lots Nos. 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, in pursuance of an 
ai'ticle of agreement dated May 28, 1831, to David 
Reynolds for $1,000. These 4 or 5 acres — 5 acres 
and 3 perches, as ascertained by a recent survey — 
are mentioned in that agreement as " woodland." 
This parcel, now owned by Absalom Reynolds, in- 
cludes the Reynolds grove. The remainder of 
these 22 acres and 102 perches was devised by 
Thomas Hamilton to Miss Margaret Lemmon, now 
Mrs. Margaret Nulton. It extended southwardly 
between the borough line and the eastern line of 
" Victory," across the old state road and the hollow 
back of the present court-house, to a point in Mrs. 
Margaret Colwell's orchard, where the intersection 
of these two lines forms an acute angle. The tri- 
angular parcel of it south of the hollow, containing 
60 perches, more or less, was conveyed by John F. 
and Margaret Nulton to Mrs. Colwell, November 
24, 1869, for $500. The reservoir of the Kittan- 
ning water-works is in the northeastern part of the 
parcel north of the hollow. This parcel was trav- 
ersed diagonally by the Anderson creek road, from 
a point a few rods north of the present jail, before 
the opening of the Clearfield turnpike. That road 
was opened and laid out by virtue of the act of 
assembly of January 27, 1819, and extended from 
Kittanning to Anderson's creek to intersect the 
road from Belle Fonte to Erie, Pennsylvania, with 
a bearing of 58:|-° east through Valley township. 
That creek flows from the northwestern part of 
Clearfield county and empties into the west branch 
of the Susquehanna, a short distance above Cur- 
wensville. The sum of two thousand five hun- 
dred dollars was appropriated by the act of April 
26, 1821, for opening that road, to be expended 
in Clearfield, Jefferson, Indiana and Armstrong 
counties, in proportion to the distance it extended 
through each. For the amount expended in this 
county the governor was authorized to draw his 



warrant in favor of James Hannegan and Joseph 
Marshall. 

The other portions of " Victory" were not sold 
by the Armstrongs until the lapse of a decade 
from the last of their above-mentioned sales. 
They, however, leased parts of it in the meantime, 
for instance, to Michael Mechling, that part be- 
tween what they had sold along the northern line 
of Kittanning and the parcel since occupied by 
Rev. B. B. Killikelly, and still higher up between 
the present bed of the Allegheny railroad • and the 
base of the hill. The lessee had the use of what 
he cleared and fenced, for five years, according to 
Philip Mechling's recollection. The part near the 
hill was covered principally with white-oak tim- 
ber and the portion westward to the river, with 
hickory, black-walnut, chestnut, beech, buttonwood 
and some maple. The trees were thrifty. The 
annual yield of white and black walnuts, of a large 
size, was abundant. Before and after 1805 a 
wagon road extended from the stone quarry along 
the base of the hill, over which the stone obtained 
from the hillside, back of where Quigley's sawmill 
now is, for building the first jail of this county, 
was hauled. When it became badly cut up it was 
abandoned and another one substituted near where 
the railroad track now is, which continued to be 
used until the Olean road was laid out along the 
river bank. 

General Armstrong's devisees, his sons James 
and John, in the course of the interval during 
which they made no sales of parts of " Victory," 
laid out two ranges of lots or parcels, exclusive of 
what they had sold, " above and adjoining the 
town of Kittanning," and between the river and 
the hill, which were surveyed by Adam Elliott. 
The first range contained thirteen and the second 
seventeen of those parcels. The original draft of the 
first one is not accessible to the writer. Its date is 
not given in any of the recorded conveyances of the 
parcels contained in it. The two parcels, conveyed 
to Brown October 18, 1809, are mentioned in the 
deed as "fragments." Were they fragments of 
parcels that had already been laid out ? Had that 
first range been laid out before the date of that 
deed? The date of the second range is given 
on the draft: "Surveyed for Doctor Armstrong, 
November the 21st, 1818, by Adam Elliott." 

The sales of the unsold portions of " Victory " 
were brisk during a few days in August, 1821. On 
the day of that month James and John Arm- 
strong conveyed to Robert Brown parcel No. 1, in 
first range, lying along the northwestern part 
of the borough of Kittanning and the Allegheny 
river, containing 9 acres and 65 perches, including 



I 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



379 



the 2 acres, more or less, which James Armstrong had 
conveyed to Brown, October 18, 1809, for $470, on 
which he resided from 1821 — in which year he 

built his frame house — until his death in ; to 

Robert Stewart, 14th, 2 acres and 16i3erches which 
Brown had conveyed to him, and in addition 
thereto 24 perches, making 2^ acres, for 87.50, 
which was, of course, the consideration for the 
last-mentioned 24 perches adjoining the northwest 
side of the parcel to which they were annexed. On 
the 13th the Armstrongs conveyed parcel No. 2, 
adjoining the last-mentioned one on the northwest, 
containing 5 acres and 25 perches, to Samuel S. 
Harrison for about $213, which he conveyed to 
David Reynolds, December 31, 1829, for $350, 1 acre 
and 144 perches of which Franklin Reynolds con- 
veyed to George H. Fox and Valentine Neubert, 
March 28, 1872, for $3,800, and two days later 
Ross Reynolds conveyed to them 4 acres and 108 
perches for $9,350, the aggregate quantity contain- 
ing 1 of the 2 acres and 24 j)erches which Isaac 
Scott purchased August 1, 1831, off the east end 
of the parcel next above this, and conveyed this 
acre to David Reynolds. Fox and Neubert laid 
out the land thus purchased by them into 66 build- 
ing lots April 1, 1872. The shape of the plot is 
nearly that of the letter L, and it contains 6 acres 
and 90f(T perches, as surveyed by Wm. E. Roe. 
The areas of the lots vary somewhat, all of them 
being, respectively, less than one-quarter of an 
acre. Four of them are trapezoidal, the rest are 
parallelogramic, 37 being rectangular. Chestnut 
street, 60 feet wide, extends through the center of 
the stem part of the letter L from the public or 
Olean road to the ground contiguous to the Alle- 
gheny Valley Railroad, which is intersected, diago- 
nally, by alleys 12 feet wide, about 7 rods from 
each of its extremities, between which are other 
alleys 10 feet wide, skirting the northern and 
southern extremities of the lots on each side of 
that street. An alley 12 feet wide extends from 
Chestnut street along the western extremities of 
the lots in the foot or lower f)art of the letter L, 
the upper or northern one of whicli is skirted by 
an alley of the same width. Forty-eight of those 
lots have been sold, a few of which the vendors 
were obliged to take back because of the inability 
of the vendees to pay for them. Twenty-one 
dwelling-houses have been erected on this plot. 
All, except two substantial brick ones, are frame, 
varying in size and quality. The proprietors have 
not given this town a name, but others call it 
Germantown and Dutchtown. Philij) Mechling re- 
members that he cultivated tobacco on this parcel 
before its first sale by the Armstrongs. 



Parcel No. 3 adjoined the last-mentioned one on 
the north, which the Armstrongs conveyed to 
Samuel Matthews, as containing 5 acres and 35 
perches, August 14, 1821, for $208.75, whose execu- 
tor, John R. Johnston, conveyed it to Robert 
Brown, August 2, 1831, of which the latter con- 
veyed the 2 acres and 94 perches above mentioned 
to Isaac Scott, September 24, who obtained there- 
from the clay which he used at his pottery in Kit- 
tanning. This tract, at least the western end of it, 
is noted as the seat of an institution of learning, 
established by Rev. Bryan B. Killikelly, May 1, 

1837, under the name of the Doanville Seminary, 
designed chiefly for the education of females. It, 
with twenty-two other similar institutions, was 
incorporated by act of assembly, passed April 16, 

1838, by a typographical error as Deanville Fe- 
niale Seminary. The trustees therein named were 
B. B. Killikelly, Joseph Buflington, Alexander 
Caldwell (Colwell), Robert E. Brown, George W. 
Smith, William P. Rupp and William F. Johnston 
of this, Charles C. Gaskill of Jefferson, and Dan- 
iel Stannard of Indiana county. Among the neces- 
sary corporate powers granted, the teachers or a 
majority of them were authorized to enforce the 
rules and regulations adopted by the trustees for 
the government of the pupils, and to grant, by the 
order of a quorum of the board of trustees, such 
degrees in the arts, sciences or other branches 
thereof to such pupils and others who, by their 
proficiency in learning, or by other distinction, they 
might have thought were entitled to them, that is, 
to such as were usually granted at other similar semi- 
naries, or which the trustees or quorum of them 
might have thought right and proper, and to grant 
to the graduates their certificates under the com- 
mon seal. 

This seminary having come within the provis- 
ions of the fourth section of the Act of April 12, 
1838, namely, of having at least two teachers and 
forty pupils, it received the annual state appro- 
priation in quarterly payments, as provided by that 
section of that act, until the close of the summer 
session of 1839, by which it was also provided that 
that appropriation to each of the female seminaries 
thus incorporated should continue for only ten 
years. The principal of Doanville Female Semi- 
nary, Rev. B. B. Killikelly, relinquished his charge 
of it at the close of that session, with sixty-two 
pupils, includingboardingand day scholars, agoodly 
number of whom were from adjoining counties, and 
spent several years as a missionary in the West. The 
school edifice was the present brick mansion, which 
Robert Brown, Mrs. Killikelly 's father, had erected 
in 1836. Mrs. Eliza Warren and her daughters 



380 



HISTORY Of AKMSTRONG COUNTY. 



had charge of this institution from 1839 until the 
spring or summer of 1843, without the benefit of 
.the state appropriation. 

Rev. B. B. Killikelly, having returned from the 
West, reopened a school in the same edifice in the 
fore part of April, 1849, which he named the Min- 
nesota Point Seminary, the charter of the former 
one having expired by limitation in 1848. The 
present frame annexes were erected at different 
times thereafter. Aided by competent assistants, 
he continued his principalshij) until Aj)ril 4, 1855, 
when the number of boarding and daj' pupils was 
160. It was then at different times for a few years 
under the charge of Revs. Hall and Carter. After 
filling the rectorship of two Episcopal churches and 
the principalship of a female seminary. Paradise, 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, Rev. Killikelly re- 
turned, and, by the request of various residents of 
Kittanniug, reopened his school at this point, 
which he then named Glen Mary, May 2, 1863. 
His last term closed November 28, 1865, with 110 
pupils on the roll. His chief assistant. Miss Bech- 
ton, continued to take charge of the school on her 
own account until her death. She was succeeded 
by Miss Lena Hughes, and she by B. B. Killikelly, 
Jr., the present assistant rector of Emanuel Episco- 
pal church, Boston, Massachusetts,* until it was 
transferred to the control of Lambeth college, Kit- 
tanning. 

Parcel No. 4 lay next above No. 3, and contained 
4 acres and 40 perches, which the Armstrongs con- 
veyed to James Reichart, August 14, 1821, for $150. 
They also conveyed, the same day, parcel No. 5, 
4 acres and 15 perches, adjoining No. 4 on the east, 
to John Reichart for 1156.40, who conveyed it to 
Archibald Dickey, December 29, 1827, and Dickey 
to James Reichart, April 28, 1828, and the latter to 
David Reynolds both 4 and 5, March 8, 1835, for 
$700, whose executors conveyed the same to James 
Mosgrove the present owner, November 14, 1863, 
for $1,863, on which a race course has recently 
been prepared. 

Passing for the present James Monteith's pur- 
chase in this first range, the Armstrongs conveyed 
3 acres and 30 perches of parcels Nos. 10 and 11, 
lying in the eastern tier of parcels, to David John- 
ston, August 14,^1821, for $139.87^, and the same 
day to Alexander Col well the half of Nos. 10, 11, 
12 for 1318.75. Johnston conveyed his portion, 
January 3, 1824, for |160, and Colwell his, August 
24, for 1338.75, to David Reynolds, to whom the 
Armstrongs conveyed as follows : Parcel No. 13, 
12 acres and 44 perches, adjoining parcel No. 1 on 



* Since assistant minister of Trinity cliurcli, Boston, on tlie Green 
foundation. 



the west and the present road along the northern 
line of the borough of Kittanning to the new 
cemetery, and a larger parcel, 61 acres and 7 
perches, northeasterly of the last-mentioned one, 
August 13, for $980; the next day, 3 acres and 30 
perches, parts of parcels Nos. 11, 12, for $159.37-J-; 
and. May 10, 1822, in pursuance of a previous 
agreement, 155 acres adjoining " Sloan's old im- 
provement" on the east and the Robert Patrick 
tract on the north, being the residue of " Victory " 
"after selling to sundry persons in small parcels" 
all then unsold for $1,031.67. This and the above- 
mentioned 61-acre parcel he called his " Federal 
Spring farm," which, with the adjoining parcels 
which he had purchased from the Armstrongs, he 
devised to his sons, Franklin and Ross Rey. 
nolds, the greater portion of which they have 
devoted to agricultural purposes. The latter, in 
April, 1866, erected a stone limekiln at a point on 
the face of the hill fronting the river, on his 
purpart, about one hundred and fifty rods in 
an airline nearly north from the northeastern 
corner of the borough of Kittanning. It is 80 
feet in length and 25 feet in hight, and 15 or 
20 feet in width, containing four kilns, with a 
capacity for burning 800 bushels of lime a day. 
The material used is the ferriferous limestone, 
which is quarried along the brow of the hill down 
around and beyond the point, at the residence of 
Franklin Reynolds, facing what was formerly 
called the " Bowser's Hollow," from which to the 
kiln and thence to the Allegheny railroad extends 
a narrow railway. Pittsburgh is the market for 
nearly all the lime made here. The usual number 
of employes is twenty-five. 

James Monteith purchased the following parcels 
of " Victory " from the Armstrongs : Nos. 6, 7, 8, 
9, lying in a tier between the above-mentioned No. 

5, now between the railroad and the hill, 15 acres 
and 40 perches in the first range, and parcels Nos. 
1, 2, 3, 4, 21f acres, in the second range, lying on 
the south side of the road or lane extending east- 
wardly from the river, August 11, 1821, for 
$1,197.50. The Armstrong county fair-ground and 
Camp Orr, heretofore mentioned, were located on 
the southern and major part of No. 1, in this second 
range. The dwelling-house on the upper part of 
this parcel was the one in which Monteith resided 
in Kittanning, whence it was removed. Mrs. Mary 
M. Johnston, widow of Gov. Johnston, was born 
in it. 

Adjoining the upper side of that road or lane 
was another tier of parcels, second range, Nos. 5, 

6, 7, 8. No. 5 was next to the hill and No. 8 next 
to the river. The Armstrongs conveyed Nos. 7, 8, 




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VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



381 



11 acres, to James Pinks, August 13, 1821, for 
$330, wliich he conveyed to Monteith, July 29, 1825. 

No. 6, 4 acres and 2 perches, was conveyed 
to Robert Speer and Hugh Rogers the same montli 
for $135, equal moieties of which they conveyed to 
Henry Roush and Matthias Bowser. Roush's in- 
terest became vested in Alexander Colwell by 
sheriff's deed. William F. Johnston, who was 
elected governor of Pennsylvania in 1848, and Dr. 
John Gilpin were Monteith's sons-in-law. After 
they became tenants by courtesy of the parcels 
vested in him, they purchased this parcel from 
Colwell and from Bowser's heirs, and other parcels, 
as will be seen. No. 5, four acres and two perches, 
was conveyed to Samuel S. Harrison, August 13, 
1821, for about $130, which he conveyed to 
Matthias Bowser, April 19, 1823, for $115, whose 
heirs conveyed it to Johnston & Gilpin. One of 
the Valley township schoolhouses is located in the 
southeastern corner of this parcel. 

Next above that tier was No. 9, 9f acres, conveyed 
to Thomas Hamilton, August 13,forf 195, whose sur- 
viving executor, James Hamilton, of Carlisle, Penn- 
sylvania, in pursuance of an agreement of Thomas 
McConnell, his co-executor, deceased, conveyed it 
to John Mechling, April 3, 1837, for $400, who, 
after clearing it, conveyed it to Robert Orr, Janu- 
ary 12, 1842, for $600, by whom it was conveyed 
to Gilpin & Johnston, March 4, 1843, for $1,000. 
They also purchased and sold two other parcels 
further up in this range, so that now the northern 
limit of the Gilpin & Johnston farm is No. 9. 
This farm was leased to John Donaldson for a 
term of eleven years, which has been extended. 
The lessee in his lifetime planted upon it, on por- 
tions above and below the lane extending through 
it, and on both sides of the railroad, a varied and 
extensive nursery of different kinds of fruit, ever- 
green and shade trees, the culture of which has 
been continued in the interest of his heirs since 
his death. This nursery consisted, in the centen- 
nial year, of 300,000 trees of different kinds, over 
2,000 plants, three hot-houses, and 100 sashes of 
hot-beds. The annual sales are about 20,000 trees 
of all kinds, among which are those yielding the 
leading varieties of the best fruits, which find a 
market not only in this county and state, but in 
New York, Michigan, Indiana and other states ; 
25,000 greenhouse plants ; 2,000 of various species 
of roses, and a general assortment of vegetables. 
The number of employes engaged in the packing- 
seasons, spring and fall, is about twenty, and at 
other times fourteen. 

Next above lay No. 10, 9 acres. No. 11 (its south- 
east corner being the southwest corner of the tongue 
24 



in tlie Robert Patrick tract), 3^ acres. No. 1 2, 3| acres, 
which were conveyed, to John Mosgrove, August 
11, 1821, for $700.50, which became vested in 
Joseph Mosgrove, who purchased 10 acres and 
138 acres oft' the lower end of the tongue of the 
Robert Patrick tract, the four parcels aggregating 
27 acres and 18 perches, of which he conveyed to 
Ross Reynolds a portion off the lower side of No. 
10, and on which the latter erected, in 1870, a clay- 
mill, with a steam engine of eighty horse-power, 
in which thirty tons of fire-clay are daily crushed, 
ready for the Pittsburgh market, and four small 
frame cottages for employes on that part of this 
strip between the railroad and the river. 

Joseph Mosgrove and Andrew Arnold some time 
prior to 1854, agreed upon the purchase and sale 
of these last-mentioned parcels, and the latter 
erected the present large frame cottage on No. 10, 
but had not quite completed it when an arrange- 
ment was made between them by which Mosgrove 
conveyed to Frederick G. Creary 25 acres and 128 
perches, including that cottage. May 11, 1860. 
Creary took possession in 1855, and commenced 
the erection of a steam sawmill and gristmill on 
the I'iver bank, about 50 rods above the lower line 
of No. 10, which cost $30,000, with which he was 
assessed only once and then in 1858. Both mills 
had probably been in operation a year or more 
when, on the very night after the finishing touch 
had been given to their fine machinery, they were 
destroyed by fire, supposed by Creary to have been 
the work of a spiteful incendiary who had been 
seen about the premises that day. Creary conveyed 
all of what had been thus conveyed to him, except 
a small parcel sold to John A. Colwell, to James 
S. Quigley, the present owner,* January 2, 1869, 
for $6,500, who, the next spring, erected a shingle- 
mill which saws 12,000 shingles in twelve hours; 
his steam sawmill in 1870, in which he saws from 
6,000 to 10,000 feet of all kinds of bill lumber a 
day, and his cooper-shop in 1873, in which when in 
full operation the daily production of kegs was 
250 ; all three are situated on and near the sites of 
the burnt mills. Nearly opposite these woi-ks, on 
the brow of the hill included within the limits of 
this Quigley property, is a chalybeate spring of 
considerable strength, whose water has not yet 
been analyzed. So far as the writer can judge from 
its taste, it resembles that of a similar spring at 
Stoneboro, Mercer county, Pennsylvania. Along 
the base of the hill are several one-and-a-half-story 
frame dwelling-houses, erected by Quigley for his 
employes. 



* Quigley conveyed the cottage and 1 acre and U3 perches to Rev. 
T. D. Ewlng, July 31, 1878, for ?4,000. 



382 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Above No. 12 were Nos. 13, 14, 15, each 3| acres, 
wliicli the Armstrongs conveyed to James Gibson, 
August 13, 1821, for $112.50, which he subsequently- 
conveyed to Gilpin and Johnston, they to Jackson 
Boggs, and he to Edward S. Golden, the present 
owner. 

The remaining parcels of " Victory " were Nos. 
16-17, north of No. 15, which became vested in 
Daniel Lemmon and which are now owned by his 
son, Thomas McC. Lemmon. 

The second range contained, according to El- 
licott's survey, 86 acres. 

Adjoining "Victory" on the northeast was a 
tract, 190 acres, that once belonged, according to 
the map of original tracts, and the list of warran- 
tees and owners, to David Lawson and Samuel S. 
Harrison. But it does not appear to have been 
assessed to them. James Patrick remembers hav- 
ing heard that it was conveyed, or it was agreed 
that it should be conveyed, to his father, John 
Patrick, by Alexander Craig ; that it was claimed 
by George Ross, who brought either an ejectment 
or an action of trespass qucere clausum fregit, 
which was tried after his father's death, and re- 
sulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. John Donald- 
son was assessed with 200 acres of it in 1822, and 
afterward with 100 acres, until 1887. His right 
was founded on settlement and improvement. 
There appears to have been no granting of title 
thereto by the commonwealth until June. 10, 1836, 
when a warrant was granted to Robert Donaldson, 
on which a survey was made by J. E. Meredith, 
June 24, for 123 acres and 11 perches. It was 
thereafter assessed to Thomas Donaldson, who 
conveyed it to James Mosgrove, Jime 9, 1863, for 
$4,760. A portion of this tract on the ridge was 
traversed in the early part of this century by the 
old Helms' ferry road, which crossed the purchase 
line a short distance from the late residence of 
John Reichart, the Sloan tract near where James 
Sloan, Jr., settled on the parcel now owned by 
Simon Truby, that part of the Reed tract and of 
James Patrick's farm, now used as a German 
Catholic cemetery, across the Donaldson tract, the 
northeastern corner of " Victory," and the Robert 
Patrick tract, to the Allegheny river. There were 
no guide-boards in these early days. Initials were 
in some instances cut on trees to indicate the direc- 
tions to certain points. It is remembered that the 
initials "D. H. F." for "David Helms' Ferry" 
were cut in several trees at different points along 
that road. It is related that a traveler, not know- 
ing their significance, observed these on a tree out 
toward Christopher Onry's place. Looking at 
them a few moments, he concluded, at least so he 



said, that they stood for " Devil-Hell-Fire," de- 
clared he wouldn't travel that road any further, 
and changed his course. 

Adjoining that on the east was the Henry Reed 
tract, 286 acres, traversed by the Cowanshannock, 
with several curves diagonally from the southeast 
to the northwest, dividing it nearly into equal por- 
tions. The patent to Reed is dated February 21, 
1786. He devised it to his children. It became 
vested by release, September 12, 1812, in Robert 
Brown and Nathaniel Stewart. It was sold for 
taxes by Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, to 
Robert Brown. Stewart's interest passed by sher- 
iff's sale, June 19, 1817, to Thomas Blair, who, 
seven days afterward, conveyed" it to Henry Jack, 
and he to Brown, August 7. Brown conveyed the 
entire tract to Andrew Arnold, January 24, 1833, 
for $3,000. Reed's administrator having released 
the interest of all the heirs to Brown, January 5, 
1836, the latter reconveyed this tract to Arnold 
ten days afterward, who had conveyed 100 acres to 
James Watterson, April 16, 1833, for $1,000, which 
Watterson conveyed to Abraham Fiscus, April 4, 
1842, for $1,500, and which Fiscus exchanged with 
James Patrick as before mentioned, 72 acres and 
80 perches of which the latter conveyed to Jere- 
miah and James C. Bonner, June 19, 1845, for 
$700, and 6 acres and 94 perches to Frederick 
Biehl and seven other German members of St. 
Mary's Catholic church, Kittanning, January 30, 
1875, for $1,000, three acres of which they con- 
veyed, April 16, to the Rt. Rev. M. Domenec for 
$1, " in trust for laying out, holding and using the 
same under such rules and regulations as the 
bishop of Pittsburgh or his successors may, from 
time to time, make and prescribe, as and for a 
Catholic burial place, to be known and designated 
as the ' German St. Joseph's Cemetery.' " 

Indians must have encamped or had a small vil- 
lage. on that part still retained by Patrick, where 
his orchard now is, for among the relics found 
here were many beads, arrowheads, gunflints, sev- 
eral tomahawks, stone bullet-molds, three pipes, 
and an ovate net-sinker with two transverse grooves. 

Arnold conveyed 222 acres and 66 perches of 
this Reed tract to Jeremiah Bonner, December 9, 
1845, for $2,000, which, with what he purchased 
from James Patrick and some other contiguous 
land, aggregating 388 acres and 156 perches, Bon- 
ner conveyed to Benjamin Glyde, July 2, 1853, for 
$500, which, having become vested, through the 
intervention of a third party, in Mrs. Annie Glyde, 
she conveyed 46 acres and 61 perches to John Fair- 
ley, February 28, 1861, for $940; 63 acres and 101 
perches to Mrs. Nancy R. Bowman, November 18, 



\ 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



383 



1864, for $1,717.87; and 44 acres to Mrs. Jane B. 
Finlay, November 9, 1875, for $800, and portions 
to Henry Bush. 

Adjoining the purchase line on the north, "Vic- 
tory" on the east, and the Reed and Donaldson 
tracts on the south, was the Sloan tract, 400 acres, 
with which James Sloan, Jr., a son of one of the 
trustees and one of the first commissioners of this 
county, was first assessed in 1807 at 50 cents an 
acre. His title was gained by settlement and im- 
provement. He probably settled on it in 1 805-6 — 
on that part, now on the north side of the Clear- 
field turnj)ike, heretofore owned by John F. Nutting 
and wife, but now by Simon Truby, where he built 
a house, cleared the land around it, and planted an 
orchard. In 1808 he was assessed with the same 
quantity of land as in the previous year at $1 an 
acre, and one horse and one cow at |16; total, $416. 

Sloan conveyed three contiguous parcels between 
the purchase line and the old state road in the 
south westei'n part of this tract to Robert Beatty: 
2 acres, April 7, 1809, for $14 ; 1 acre, June 6, for 
$4 ; and 13| acres, April 5, 1810, for $39. 

" Wood-lots " are occasionally mentioned in the 
records as being " near the borough," of which 
Nos. 1, 5, &5 9, 15 belonged to Robert Brown, Sr., 
prior to and after June, 1822. One of the boun- 
dary lines of the hereinafter-mentioned parcel 
conveyed by him to James' E. Brown, April 3, 
1835, is given thus: "Thence by sundry wood- 
lots," etc. On iijjper margin of the copy of the 
plan of Kittanning, printed by James Alexander, 
in the county commissioners' office, is the plan of 
34 lots, made with pen and ink, 18 of which are, 
seemingly, south, and the rest north of the hollow 
back of the present court-house. There are two 
alleys, each 12 feet wide, intersecting each other 
at right angles in those on the southern side, and 
two streets, each 20 feet wide, crossing each other 
at right angles on the northern side of the hollow. 
The whole seem to adjoin the eastern line of the 
borough of Kittanning, from the southeastern part 
of out-lot No. 19 to a point 66 feet below the south- 
eastern corner of out-lot No. 27. The writer can- 
not ascertain that any such lots were ever laid out 
on any jsart of the Armstrong tract. They were 
probably laid out in the southwestern part of the 
Sloan tract, and although they appear in the above- 
mentioned pen-and-ink plan of them to be on both 
sides of that hollow and the " old state road," they 
may have all been on the south side, and were per- 
haps on the three parcels conveyed by Sloan to 
Beatty, which parcels subsequently became vested 
in Alexander Colwell, to whose estate they still 
belong. These lots undoubtedly adjoined the east- 



ern line of "Victory," for, in 1839 and for a few 
years afterward, John Donaldson was assessed with 
4^ acres, which the entry in the pioper column of the 
assessment lists indicates to have once belonged 
partly to the Armstrong tract, and partly to land 
at some time theretofore owned by Beatty. Those 
34 lots were probably laid out by the latter about 
the time he laid out his heretofore-mentioned coal- 
lots. James Patrick remembers having, when he 
was a young man, hauled wood from and plowed 
the one owned by Donaldson. The foregoing is 
the only knowledge respecting those lots which 
the writer has been able to glean from records and 
the oldest inhabitants. 

Sloan conveyed 17 acres to Paul Morrow, July 1, 
1809, for $56, and agreed to sell to him 180 acres, 
more or less, the residue of the tract on which he 
then lived and which he held " by virtue of his 
actual residence thereon," May 5, 1810, both of 
which parcels Morrow conveyed to Robert Brown, 
November 28, 1815, for $300, on which the latter 
planted a small orchard near where the reservoir 
of the Kittanning water-works now is. Brown, 
having purchased from James Buchanan "by his 
articles of sale" 200 acres contiguous thereto, con- 
veyed 300 acres to John Brodhead, July 14, 1817, 
for $1,800, which subsequently became revested in 
Brown by sheriff's sale. He conveyed 29 acres 
and 75 perches bordering on the purchase line to 
Robert Brown, Jr., December 10, 1831, for $300, 
who conveyed the same to Rev. Joseph Painter 
and Darwin Phelps, September 18, 1838, for $350. 
Robert Brown, Sr., in accordance with an agree- 
ment made between him and Alexander Colwell, 
March 27, 1819, conveyed to the latter 150 acres, 
part of the "tract settled by James Sloan, Jr.," 
" including Sloan's improvement," " surveyed by 
R. Orr, Jr.," June 17, 1828, for $900. 

This tract appears on the map of original tracts 
as having belonged, when the map was made, to 
Robert Brown, Sr., and the heirs of Thomas H. 
Sloan — the southern part to the former, and the 
northern to the latter. The commonwealth granted 
a patent to the former for the southern part, Janu- 
ary 31, 1828, and for the northern part, November 
9, 1831. He conveyed 150 acres southeast of the 
present route of Walker road, lying on each side 
of the Clearfield turnpike, to James E. Brown, 
April 3, 1835, for $300. Thirteen acres arid 83 
perches of this tract, embraced in the last-men- 
tioned patent, on the northwest side of the Walker 
road, became vested in Mrs. Mary M. Killikelly, 
which she conveyed to Jam^s G. Henry, in pursu- 
ance of a previous agreement, September 19, 1873, 
for $4,055.63. He, Daniel A. Daugherty, Fred- 



384 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



erick Hague, Marshall B. Oswald and Robert G. 
Curren conveyed all the coal therein to George B. 
Daugherty, December 23, 1875, for $700. 

Troy Hill is the name given to the town laid out 
on this parcel by its proprietors. It is a pentagon, 
yet almost a parallelogram in shape. Its twenty- 
eight lots, with alley and avenues, were surveyed 
by Robert S. Slaymaker, in 187-. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 
varying.from 250 to 260 feet in length, and from 
82.5 to 82.91 feet in width, constitute the northern 
tier of lots fronting south on Dogwood avenue. 
Fronting that avenue on the north are Nos. 5, 6, 
each 144 by 82.5 feet. Adjoining No. 6 on the 
west are Nos. 7, 8, each 115 by 72 feet, fronting 
west on Wabash avenue — the north side of No. 7 
adjoining Dogwood avenue. South of 5, 6, 8 are 
Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, each 280 by 
100 feet, fronting west on Wabash avenue. No. 17 
adjoining Spring on the south. South of Spring 
avenue — between it and Kentucky avenue — is an- 
other tier of lots, Nos. 18, 19, 20,21, 22, trapezoidal, 
their sides varying in length from 145 to 216 feet, 
and their ends from 56 to 57.2 feet. South of 
Kentucky avenue, and between it and Cemetery 
avenue, is another tier of lots, Nos. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 
all trapezoidal except 24, which is nearly a scalene 
triangle. Their sides vary in length from 165 to 
221.10 feet, and their ends from 50 to 58.25 feet. 
No. 24's sides are respectively 170, 165 and 58J 
feet long. No. 23 is a rectangular triangle, its 
perpendicular being 80, and its base 50 feet, on 
the southeastern side of Cemetery avenue. No. 1 
sold for $255; No. 4, $265; Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8 (aggre- 
gated), $425; No. 9, $175; No. 13, $225; No. 15, 
$250; No. 16, $250; No. 17, $265 ; No. 24, $300 ; 
No. 25, $300; No. 26, $300; Nos. 27 and 28, $690; 
and No. 23, the little triangle on the outside of 
Cemetery avenue, $100. Wabash avenue extends 
from the northwestern end of Kentucky avenue 
along the western side of the town, north 2f de- 
grees west l778f feet to the western end of Dog- 
wood avenue. Cemetery avenue extends from the 
southwestern corner of the town north 88 degrees 
east 330 feet along the southern end of the town, 
thence its course is about northeast between Nos. 
23 and 24. The alley is 20, and each of the 
avenues is 60 feet wide. 

Vestiges of the old state road are still visible on 
the southwestern part of this tract. The laying 
out of this road was authorized by the act of 
assembly of April 4, 1805. By the act of March 
31, 1806, the sum of $5,000 was appropriated for 
■opening and completing it. It extended from 
Blair's gap, then in Huntingdon county, through 
the towns of Ebensburgh, Indiana, Kittanning, 



Butler, to the western boundary of this state at or 
near the place where the Mahoning branch of the 
Big Beaver creek crosses that boundary. The 
amount appropriated was apportioned among the 
counties which it traversed, according to its length 
or distance in each. The amount thus apportioned 
to this county was $1,040. Although the law re- 
quired one of the three viewers to be a practical 
surveyor, that road must have been, at least along 
some parts of the route, laid out on very unfavor- 
able ground, respecting which loud complaints 
went up to the legislature, whereupon the act of 
March 26, 1808, was passed, authorizing the courts 
of quarter sessions of Armstrong and Cambria 
counties to appoint six disinterested and reputable 
freeholders to view such parts as passed through 
these two counties, and if their report should make 
alterations in the route they were to be confirmed 
by the courts. 

Portions of the territory of the Sloan tract be- 
came historical before the purchase line, its 
southern boundary, was run; before the inception 
of his title to it, and before the boundaries of any 
other tract in what is now this county were indi- 
cated by the surveyor's compass and chain. At 
early dawn on the 8th of September, 1856, the 
minor portion of Col. Armstrong's force, which 
had not then been " brought over the last preci- 
pice," when the front had " reached the river Alle- 
gheny, about 100 perches below the main body of 
the town," was ordered to march along the top of 
the hill from its end, "at least 100 perches and so 
much further, it being daylight, as would carry 
them opposite the upper part, or at least the body 
of the town," that is, across the western part of 
the Davidson-Buflington tract and the purchase 
line, to that part of this tract a few rods north of 
the old state road hollow, where it halted, whence 
it and the main force below "the last precipice," 
were simultaneously, from their respective points, 
to attack the town.* Philip and John Mechling 
remember seeing Jeremiah Lochery, soon after 
they came to Kittanning, from their father's door 
on the north side of Market near Water street, 
point out the hollows down which, he said, Arm- 
strong's force, separated into three detachments, 
descended. He was reputed to have accompanied 
Armstrong in his expedition to Kittanning. 
Whether he did or not, he was evidently mistaken 
as to there having been three detachments and as 
to their having reached the town through the 
ravines in the adjacent hill. His statement does 
not accord with Col. Armstrong's rej)ort, written at 
Fort Littleton six days after the action. Such would 

* See general sketcli of tlie county. 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



385 



have been an unwise order for any commandant 
to make, because of the danger of one or more of the 
detachments being hemmed in and captured or 
destroyed, if, as it was jjossible might have been 
the case, the enemy should become aware of 
their approach. It may, then, be reasonably pre- 
sumed that the detachment on the hill descended a 
few rods north of the ravine back of the court- 
house, through what is now Mrs. Nulton's field, 
which would be the direct coui'se to "the body of 
the town." Capt. Hugh Mercer was taken to "the 
top of the hill " immediately after he was woiinded. 
It is not stated in Armstrong's report whether his 
company was one of the three on the hill. If so, 
he may have been taken to that part of the hilltop 
north of the ravine. If, however, his company was 
one of those that descended "the last precipice" 
and made the attack upon and through the corn- 
field, as he was wounded " early in the action," he 
was probably taken to a point not far north or 
south of the purchase line, on either this or the 
Davidson tract, whence some of his men repre- 
sented they could take him " into the road a nigh 
way." Col. Armstrong proceeded, after the houses 
were fired, probably to the hill part of this tract 
north of that ravine, " to have his wound dressed 
and blood stopped." It may be presumed that, as 
he beheld from this point the landscape below, he 
conceived the idea of adding " Victory " to his 
acquisitions. At this point he received informa- 
tion from the English prisoners, who had escaped, 
that twenty-four warriors had started eastward the 
night before, which intelligence induced him and 
his force to proceed instantly to the relief of 
Lieut. Hogg and his detachment at Blanket Hill. 
Adjoining that tract on the east was one called 
"Roan," 531-^ acres, for which a lottery warrant 
No. 109 was granted to Maj. Isaac Craig, May 17, 
1785, and the patent May 5, 1789. He was born of 
respectable Protestant parents near Hillsborough, 
County Down, Ireland, whence he emigrated to 
Philadelphia in 1767, where he followed his trade 
of house-joiner until the beginning of the revolu- 
tionary war. Having been appointed a captain of 
marines by the authorities of Pennsylvania, he 
sailed in the sloop-of-war Andrew Doria, Capt. 
Nicholas Biddle, in Commodore Hopkins' squadron, 
to the island of New Providence, in the West 
Indies, where they seized and brought home a large 
quantity of much-needed arms and munitions of 
war. Craig was appointed, soon after his return, 
a captain in Col. Thomas Proctor's artillery regi- 
ment, and participated in the capture of the Hes- 
sians at Trenton, and in the battles of Princeton, 
Brandywine and Germantown. He accompanied 



Gen. Sullivan's expedition up the Susquehanna 
against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations, and 
was afterward ordered to Port Pitt, then unrler the 
command of Col. Brodhead. After the close of 
his military service he made Pittsburgh his per- 
manent place of residence, and the historical writ- 
ings of his son, Neville B. Craig, are regarded as 
standard authority respecting early events in and 
about that place. 

Dewalt Mechling, of Greensburgh, Pennsylvania, 
must have settled on that part of "Roan" a short 
distance, perhaps twenty or thirty rods, west of 
the run which flows northeasterly past the western 
side of Merganthaler's, formerly Taylor's, grove, 
into the south side of the Cowanshannock, and 
about seventy-fi-ve rods southwesterly from that 
creek, on the line of the old road which intersected 
the old state road at the head of the ravine back of 
the present court-house. He must have settled 
here very earlj^ perhaps between 1784 and 1790 — 
the precise time cannot now be ascertained. He 
erected a shanty and cleared a patch of the level 
ground, respecting which he repeatedly inquired of 
his grandson, Philip Mechling, on the latter's occa- 
sional visits to Greensburgh after his removal to 
Kittanning. It was probably the' first imjjrove- 
ment made north of the purchase line in this county. 
Whether he 'abandoned it because of Craig's better 
title, or because of the dangerous proximity of the 
Indians, the writer's informant has never learned. 

Craig conveyed all of " Roan " to Jacob Lowery, 
September 15, 1791. Lowery on the one part, and 
Thomas Taylor and Alexander Blair on the other 
part, entered into an agreement for the sale and 
purchase of this entire tract, March 19, 1816, at $6 
per acre. Blair, three days afterward, released all 
his interest therein to Taylor. The latter by sev- 
eral articles of agreement, dated, respectively, 
March 29 and April 17, 1816, and January 10, 1818, 
agreed to convey three parcels, aggregating 317 
acres and 30J perches to David Reynolds for 
$2,227. 15|-, and, March 25, 1826, authorized the 
deed therefor to be made by Lowery to Reynolds. 
Lowery conveyed 208 acres to Taylor, March 1, 
1828, for $4,132.89, so that Lowery seemingly re- . 
ceived $3,172.54 more than the price agreed upon 
between him and Taylor and Blair, while the 
quantity of land ultimately conveyed by him to 
Reynolds and Taylor was 14 acres and 9f perches 
less than the patent calls for. Taylor conveyed 6 
acres and 142 perches to Thomas Hamilton, March 
7, 1829, for $165.30. He agreed, January 2, 1833, 
to sell 103 acres on the south side of the Cowan- 
shannock to his son John, but having died in- 
testate, without executing a deed, a specific 



386 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



performance of his agreement by liis administrator 
was subsequently decreed by the proper court. 
John 'Baylor conveyed this parcel to Thomas and 
Matthew Montgomery, March 26, 1857, for $2,000, 
on which the manufacture of grain-cradles was car- 
ried on for nine years. They conveyed this parcel 
to George W. Nulton, the present owner, July 21, 
1863, for $2,800, at the forks of the roads, on which 
he recently erected a two-story frame house for a 
hotel. The rest of " Roan," which Thomas Taylor, 
Sr., purchased from Lowery, became vested by pro- 
ceedings in partition in his daughters, Esther and 
Martha Taylor, and Isabella Merganthaler, the last- 
named now owning the whole purpart. 

A large, pleasant grove, now called Mergantha- 
ler's, remains on this last-mentioned parcel, be- 
tween the Cowanshannock and the Kittanning and 
Clearfield turnpike, in which a Methodist camp- 
meeting was held about the middle of June, 1833, 
the Sabbath day exercises of which were somewhat 
interrupted by a swarm of bees alighting on one of 
the trees, which Thomas Taylor, Sr., persisted in 
capturing. The Grangers have erected one of their 
halls in this grove. 

The portion of " Roan " purchased by David 
Reynolds has been disposed of since his death by 
his executors : To Alexander Colwell 93 acres 
and 109 perches, south of the Cowanshannock, 
February 25, 1856, which he conveyed to Dr. T. K. 
Allison, the present owner, April 7, 1863, for $3,000, 
and 129 acres and 77 perches to John and John H. 
Burleigh, March 23, 1857, for $2,530, which' the 
latter, after his father's death, and after having 
erected a two-story frame dwelling-house and made 
other improvements, conveyed to Judge BuflBng- 
ton, January 18, 1869, for $8,000. 

Next east of " Roan " was " Williamsburgh," 
807 acres, on both sides of the Cowanshannock, and 
adjoining the purchase line on the south, " in line 
of districts Nos. 1 and 2 in the late purchase." 
The warrant was granted to William Amberson. 
He was appointed commissary of purchases for 
Westmoreland county early in the summer of 1780. 
President Reed wrote to him August 5, among 
other things : " Having already quota'd the coun- 
ties within the state, we must do the same by yours, 
and do therefore direct you to supply the garrison" 
(at Pittsburgh) " with 50 barrels of flour, iOO 
bushels of Indian corn and 100 gallons of whisky 
per month. After the plentiful harvest which has 
been gathered in that county, as we are informed, 
we hope no difficulty will occur to jjrevent you 
getting this supply ; but if there does, you must 
impress it. We have no other means of efliecting 
it, and we trust we shall stand both excused and 



justified in taking this measure, if indolence and 
avarice interpose their baneful influence." 

Amberson conveyed his interest in "Williams- 
burgh " to William Tirrnbull, to whom the patent 
issued, July 17, 1793. He conveyed this entire 
tract and " Pine Grove "* to Wm. Peart, Septem- 
ber 7, 1806, for $4,000, who thereafter occupied it 
for a number of years. Dr. Abner Bainbridge, 
who, after Peart's death, married his widow, re- 
sided on it in 1814-15-16. Peart conveyed it, in 
pursuance of an article of agreement, to Philip 
Mechling and Simon Torney, September 19, 1826, 
for $3,944. George Wilt was assessed with it 
from 1829 till 1832. Tornej^ having released his 
interest to Mechling, November 11, 1830, the latter 
conveyed 201 acres and 19 perches to AVilliam 
Cunningham, June 7, 1836, for $2,900, which the 
latter's executors subsequently conveyed to James 
K. Tittle, the present owner. Mechling conveyed 
the residue of " Williamsburgh," 136 acres, to John 
Hood, April 14, 1837, for $1,500. 

Next east of " Williamsburgh " was the tract 
called "Hickory Grove," 302 acres, covered by war- 
rant No. 496, to Robert McClenechan, May 17, 
1785, to whom the patent issued, August 7, 1787. 
Peter Richards settled on this tract in 1806, and 
was first assessed with 150 acres, and two horses 
and one cow, $150, in 1807. He was commissioned 
by Gov. Snyder a justice of the peace, March 3, 
and was sworn April 15, 1809. His district was 
designated both in his commission and oath as No. 
3, and "composed of Kittanning and Middlesex 
townships." John Davidson, who then resided in 
the town of Kittanning, was at the same time 
commissioned and sworn as a justice of the peace 
for the same district and townshijas, and William 
Kirkpatrick, who then lived on the Pickering & 
Co. tract No. 25, in what is now Cowanshannock 
township, was commissioned a justice of the peace, 
and sworn May 10, 1813, and his district was 
designated as No. 3, " composed of the township 
of Middlesex." Nowhere else in the records of 
this county has the writer seen a mention of that 
"township of Middlesex." 

McClenechan conveyed " Hickory Grove " to 
Samuel and Michael Mechling, August 17, 1814, 
for $1,500. The latter's share became vested in 
his son Philip, who conveyed it — 155 acres and 51 
perches— to John Hood, April 10, 1837, for $2,040. 
The former built the two-story brick mansion on 
the north side of the turnpike opposite the deep 
southern bend in the Cowanshannock in 18 — . He 
died intestate, and his share of " Hickory-Grove " 
was divided into three purparts, one of which, " C," 

*See sketch of Pine township. 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



387 



48 acres and 148 perches, was conveyed by his ad- 
ministrator to .James Douglass, December 9, 1857; 
"A," 81 acres and 68 perches, was taken at the 
appraisement, 820 per acre, by decedent's son Sam- 
uel, and "B," 72 acres and 49 perches, $18 per 
acre, by decedent's son Daniel, both of whom have 
since disposed of their interests therein to others. 

Hood conveyed 53 acres and 53 peixhes to Rev. 
Joseph Painter, November 5, 1851, for $400, and 
100 acres and 68 perches to Robert Dougherty, 
March 13, 1851, for $800; Dougherty to Robert 
McFarland, March 16, for $1,100, and McFarland 
to John Robinson, March 20, 1854, for $2,000, who 
made valuable and substantial improvements before 
his death. 

Southeast of " Hickory Grove " was a triangular 
ti'act covered by warrant to William Elliott, No. 
74, 143 acres and TO perches, with which Henry 
Schrecongost was first assessed in 1834-5. 

Adjoining that Elliott tract on the east was one 
occupied by Jacob Bumgardner as early as 1806 ; 
he was first assessed with 300 acres in 1807. He 
agreed, March 10, 1814, to convey his improvement 
right to 250 acres, which he warranted to be va- 
cant, to Henry Schrecongost for $300, for which' the 
latter obtained a patent January 17, 1831, and con- 
veyed 100 acres to Peter Schrecongost, April 1, 
1835, for $500. 

The Collins lands consisted of nine contiguous 
tracts, each containing 440 acres, covered by war- 
rants to Stephen Collins of Philadelphia, some, if 
not all, of which are dated July 3, 1795. Collins 
was one of the number of citizens of that city who 
took the oath of allegiance to Pennsylvania and 
the United States June 25, 1778. Tract No. 3804 
lay between "Monticello" on its southwest and 
the Sample-Brown tract on its north, fronting 
along the central part of the eastern bend in the 
Allegheny river between Cowanshannock and Pine 
creeks. It became vested in Henry Chapman. 
John Campbell settled on it in 1824. It was sold 
by Chambers Orr, sheriff, on a judgment against 
George Cadwallader, ChajJman's administrator de 
bonis non, and conveyed by him to Thomas Cad- 
wallader, September 20, 1833, being then occupied 
by Campbell, with 15 acres cleared and a cabin 
and stable erected on it. Cadwallader conveyed 
125 acres and 129 perches to John Campbell, 
December 11, 1833, for $251.50; 101 acres and 15 
perches to Joseph Campbell, January 5, 1834, for 
$202.06; to Samuel S. Harrison, Robert Robinson, 
James E. Brown and Thomas McConnell, 73 acres 
and 27 perches for $146.30, on which, about 200 
rods below Hays' run, two salt-wells were bored by 
spring-poles about 800 feet deep. Considerable oil 



was brought up in the sand-pumj) from between 
700 and 800 feet, as stated by James Campbell, 
who bored the upper one, which btxi-ned nicely on 
the surface of the water collected in a trough. No 
salt was made from the upper one until it was 
tubed. The lower well was bored by AVilliam 
Burns and produced aboxit seven barrels daily for a 
few years. These " salt works " were first assessed 
to F. Rohrer & Co. in 1838, and to Robinson & 
Harrison in 1839. Portions of the machinery used 
in manufacturing the salt were on the ground long 
after the wells were abandoned. 

Cadwallader conveyed 25 acres and 39 perches 
of this tract to William S. Campbell June 4, 1840, 
for $50, and 37 acres and 23 perches to H. N. Lee, 
January 30, 1854, for $94. Other portions were 
occupied by Thomas Irwin, Sr. (weaver), and 
Thomas Irwin, Jr., from and after 1836-7. 

Tract No. 3805, called "Darby," adjoined the 
preceding one on the south and the Reed tract on 
the east, on which Alexander Schrecongost settled 
in 1812-13. Collins having transferred his interest 
in it and in Nos. 3806 and 3807 to Jeremiah Parker 
of Philadelphia, the j^atents for them were granted 
to the latter July 10, 1799, and subsequently de- 
vised by him to his son, William Parker, who con- 
veyed 170 acres off the northern part of "Darby" 
to Thomas B. Erwin, June 1, 1829, for $405, which 
he conveyed to Jacob Millison, Sr., April 16, 1846, 
for $1,600. After the latter's death a fiortion of 
it became vested in James Walker, who exchanged 
it to Joseph Starr for the farm, heretofore men- 
tioned, over toward the mouth of Pine creek. 
That devisee conveyed other portions of Darby: 
To William Burns, May 12, 1830,62 acres and 139 
perches for $156.06; 129^ acres to Thomas Wal- 
lace, January 31, 1834, for $323.12. Thos. Taylor 
conveyed 13 acres and 152 perches to Archibald 
Marshall in trust for Thomas Taylor Marshall, 
November 21, 1839, for $1 and "natural love and 
affection." 

Adjoining "Darby" on the east was tract No. 
3806, of which and of No. 3807, Parker conveyed 
202 acres and 35 perches to James Moorehead, 
August 6, 1829, for $306 ; all but about 8 acres be- 
came vested in Samuel Black, who conveyed to 
John F.Ross, May 29, 1857, for $3,900, and Ross, 
after making valuable improvements, conveyed the 
same to Robert Banks, April 4, 1876, for $11,500 ; 
141 acres and 78 perches to Archibald Marshall, 
September 7, 1836, for $350. 

No. 3807, called " Chester," lay north and north- 
east of 3806, which, as above stated, became vested 
in William Parker, who conveyed portions of it : 
To David White, Jr., 126 acres and 25 perches, 



388 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



June 1, 1S29, for $7,200 ; White to Alexander Col- 
well, and Colwell to Jacob Millison, October 3, 
1846, for $1,200; Parker to Hugh Speaoe, 136 
acres and 138 perches, February 16, 1831, for $429. 
Three hundred and forty acres were assessed to 
Anthony Schrecengost in and for a few years after 
1815. 

No. 3808 lay east of 3804 and north of " Chester," 
and with 8804 passed by sheriff's sale to Thomas 
Cadwallader, and was described in the writ on 
which it was sold as occupied by George Forsyth, 
with 30 acres cleared, and a cabin, house and stable 
on it in September, 1833. Forsyth was first assessed 
with 25 acres, probably of this tract, in 1815. 
Thomas Cadwallader's executrix, Mary Cadawal- 
lader, conveyed 109 acres and 65 perches to Robert 
and William McCutcheon, October 19, 1846, for 
$275. Her executor, George Cadwallader, to Dan- 
iel L. Forsyth, 185 acres and 19 perches, April 11, 
1854 ; for $370, 18 acres and 15 perches of which 
Forsyth conveyed to Joseph Starr, August 81, 1855, 
for $181. Dr. W. A. Burleigh was assessed with 
the residue of what Forsyth purchased, from 1859 
until 1861, during which time he operated on it a 
distillery. Forsyth's interest passed by sheriff's 
sale to Thomas McConnell and Andrew J. Faulk, 
who conveyed it to James B. Walker the present 
owner, July 8, 1865, for $2,000. Mrs. Cadwallader's 
executor to James L. Cunningham, 89 acres and 45 
perches, January 8, 1860, for $223. 

No. 3809 lay north and east of " Chester," south 
of which lay No. 3810, and west of that, No. 
3811. Patents for these three were granted to 
Zaccheus Collins, July 8, 1795. His only child, 
Anne, mai-ried Gen. Daniel Parker, and died 
before her father, leaving two children, Charles 
Collins and Sarah Ann Parker, in the latter 
of whom, by her father's intestacy and her broth- 
er's devise, these tracts became vested. She 
married Clement Hill, of Upper Marlborough, 
Marjdand, and with her husband conveyed parcels 
of these tracts as the records show : 123-| acres of 
allotment 1 of subdivisions of Nos'. 3809-10-11 to 
George Wilt, August 22, 1850, for $795 ; 116 acres 
and 123 perches, "lot No. 8 of the subdivisions of 
tracts Nos. 3809-10-1 1," to Anthony Sc.hrecongost, 
August 22, ] 850, for $ — 



The first schoolhouse 
in what is now Valley township was erected on 
his farm. The place for holding elections has 
been at his house on this parcel ever since the 
erection of this township ; 48 acres and 150 perches 
of No. 3809 to A. Colwell, December 9, 1852, for 
$196 ; 41-^ acres of 3810 to Emanuel Schrecongost, 
July 11, 1854, for $240 ; 160 acres and 12 perches 
of the same to Joseph Harris, August 16, 1857, for 



$835; and 84J acres of 3811 to George Miller, 
August 1, 1861, for $427. 

Henry Schrecongost probably settled on No. 
3810 in 1811, for he was assessed the next year 
with 1 horse and 1 cow at $11 ; in 1813 with 40, 
and afterward with 440 acres of this tract. Sam- 
uel Schrecongost was assessed with 1 horse and 2 
cows in 1826, with 138 acres in 1827, and 440 of 
No. 3811 in 1828. The parcels now owned by 
Joseph Mosgrove and Patrick McAfee, belonged to 
Henry Schrecongost's estate. 

Tract No. 3812 lay between 8809 on the south 
and " Amherst " and " Mexico " on the north. James 
Hall was first assessed with it in 1829. It was 
conveyed by sheriff's deed along with 3804 and 
8808, which lay between it and the Allegheny 
river, September 20, 1833, to Thomas Cadwallader, 
occupied by David Hall, 30 acres cleared, with a 
square log house and daub barn, who conveyed 16 
acres and 146 acres of it to Henry Cunningham, 
May 15, 1834, for $84 ; 140 acres and 96 perches to 
Alexander Colwell, April 11, 1888, for $307.20 ; his 
executrix to James McClure, 52 acres and 16 perches 
for $130 ; and her executor, 100 and 105 acres and 
19 perches to William Croyle, June 12, 1854, for 
$370. 

The Pine Creek Baptist church is the outgrowth 
of occasional itinerant preaching in this region 
before and regular preaching after 1836. There 
were occasional supplies by Revs. Thomas and 
Wilson. The church was organized with ten mem- 
bers in 1830, on which occasion Revs. Wilson, 
McCumber and Scott officiated. The first church 
edifice, frame, 24X32 feet, was erected on the last- 
mentioned Collins tract in 1841. The present one, 
a n eat frame, 3 8 X "1 5 feet, has been erected on the site 
of the old one during this centennial year. The 
original members of this church were Joseph Davis, 
Daniel Hepler, Sarah Hepler, James Hall, Nancy 
Hall, Margaret Walker, Harriet Peartf" Robert 
Walker and Tabitha Walker. 

There was quite a large body of vacant land, as 
presented on the map of original tracts, extending 
from the southern line of the eastern portion of 
" Mexico " between the Collins lands and the Elliott 
tract No. 74 on the west and the Holland lands 
covered by warrants Nos. 3047, 3032, 3023, 3003 to 
the purchase line. The southwestern part of it 
borders on the eastern side of 74 and the south- 
western part of Collins' 3810, and is theBumgard- 
ner-Schrecongost parcel above mentioned. Adjoin- 
ing that parcel on the east and north lay one 
containing 400 acres, with which and three horses 
and two cattle Conrad Schrecongost was first 
assessed in 1807 at $810, which, in pursuance of an 



I 





J>& 



O^^ii^iX^yit, c::^:^>^-^^'^f\^ 



WILLIAM DEVERS. 

William Devers, the oldest man living in South 
Bend township, is one of the few who still remain 
of a fast decreasing circle of pioneers. 

He is one of the men who witnessed and partook 
in the work of planting civilization in the wilder- 
ness, and is more blessed than some of them in 
being allowed to remain and enjoy an old age of 
ease, contemplate the country in its condition of 
peace, prosperity and plenty, which he helped to 
bring about. 

His residence in this county antedates its ju- 
dicial organization. Born in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, September 26, 1798, he came with 
his parents to South Bend township, and to the 
very farm on which he now lives, in the year 1802. 
He grew up inured to hard labor, and by his own 
exertions cleared and brought into cultivation a 
large part of the property which he now owns. 
He was in the prime of his manhood, a man 



possessed of a rugged constitution and great 
physical strength, and was better qualified than 
many to bear the toil and hardship of a life in the 
woods during the early part of the century. He 
married in early life (1825) Miss Nancy Henry, 
born in Indiana county in 1801, and, like himself, 
the child of pioneers. It was not destined, how- 
ever, that the wife of his young manhood should 
be his helpmeet in old age, for she died in 18.35. 
She was the mother of four children, Henry, James, 
Joseph and Martha Jane. Mr. Devers' sons, Hen- 
ry and Joseph, live on farms in the township, and 
his son James upon the old homestead. Mr. Devers 
has followed farming all his life, and is universally 
respected in the community in which he lives, 
having always exhibited the qualities of a good 
man and useful citizen. He is of Scotch-Irish 
descent, his grandparents having been natives of 
Scotland, and those upon his mother's side of 
Ireland. 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



389 



agreement made in his lifetime, his heirs conveyed 
to Daniel Schrecongost, September 6, 1844, for 
$500, on which the latter erected a tWo-story brick 
house, which for several years he kept as an inn, a 
few rods east of which is one of the public school- 
houses of this township. In 1872-.3, a company 
consisting of twenty members sunk a well for oil 
on the southern part of this tract to the depth of 
1,920 feet, which proved to be a dry one. A large 
vein of gas was struck at the depth of 1,005 feet. 
The well after it was abandoned was plugged. In 
1875, an attempt was made to clean it for the pur- 
pose of piping the gas to Kittanning, to be used as 
fuel in the iron-works and water- works. So much 
matter of one kind and another had been thrown 
into the well, it was so much clogged up that, after 
the expenditure of |10,000, including the expense 
of drilling the well, the attempt was abandoned. 
A diminished quantity of gas is still emitted. ' 

Frederick Yockey settled on that vacant land 
north of the last-mentioned tract, in 1807, and 
was first assessed with 200 acres at $.75, and one 
horse and one cow at $16, in 1808. He obtained a 
warrant for 383 acres and 103 perches February 
22, 1836, on which the survey was made April 9. 
Military musters were occasionally held on his 
premises. The seventh battalion of volunteers, 
Findley Patterson, Major, was notified by James 
McCullough, Sr., of Kittanning, adjutant, to meet 
at Yockey's house at 10 o'clock a. m., on Wednes- 
day, September 10, 1834, completely armed and 
equipped for training. The German Reformed 
Church edifice is located on this Yockey tract. It 
is a frame structure, 36X40 feet, which was erected 
in 1850. This church, called the Moimt Union, 
was organized by Rev. L. B. Leberman in 1851. 
Its pastors have been: Rev. F. Wire from 1853 till 
October, 1853; Rev. E. Shoemaker in 1860; Rev. 

R. R. Duffenbosker from May 30, 1862, till ; 

Rev. J. F. Snyder in 1865; Rev. J.J. Pennypacker 
from 1867 till 1872, and Rev. D. S. Dufi'enbosker 
since June 1, 1873. Its membership is 83; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 60. 

Another portion of that vacant land, north of 
Yockey's, was settled by George Waugaman in 
1811, with 40 acres of which, with one horse and 
cow, and as a weaver, he was first assessed the next 
year at $34. His warrant for 201 acres and 113 
perches is dated February 22, and the survey 
March 3, 1836. 

Patents for some other portions were granted: 
To John Davis, March 29, 1827, for a tract includ- 
ing the parcel now owned and occupied by Daniel 
Davis, at whose house the Davis postofiice, he 
being the postmaster, was established July 14, 



1857; the portion now owned and occujjied by 
Daniel Slagle, at whose house the West Valley 
postoffice, he being the postmaster, was established 
April 22, 1861, to which the Davis oflice was then 
changed; and the parcel of 5 acres and 8 perches 
conveyed by Daniel Davis to Levi Davis in March, 
1868, for $225. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church edifice, frame, 
was erected in 1873 on that part of that vacant land 
now owned by George Boringer, who conveyed an 
acre to the "Trustees of the Pine Creek Methodist 
Episcopal Church, July 22, 1873, for $1. The 
church was organized in 1846, and until the com- 
pletion of the present edifice services were held in 
the house about 75 rods northeast of it, which was 
built for both church and school purposes, and 
known as the Furnace schoolhouse, which is 
situated in the southeastern part of " Mexico." 

Another portion of that vacant land was in- 
cluded in the patent to Alexander Colwell, June 
14, 1836, and which, with a portion of the parcel 
which he had purchased from the Holland Land 
Company, he conveyed to Jacob Sleese, Sr., aggre- 
gating 196 acres and 27 perches, April 18, 1848, 
for $508.50, 126 acres and 38 perches of which the 
latter conveyed to his son Jacob November 25, 
1851, for $100. 

A warrant for 116 acres and 80 peixhes, in the 
northwestern part of that vacant land, was obtained 
by Joseph Davis March 27, on which the survey 
was made July 3, 1837, adjoining " Mexico " on the 
north, Sleese on the east, Waugaman on the south, 
and the Collins tracts, Nos. 3809 and 3812, on the 
west. He sold it to Peter Mobly. 

That belt of vacant land was bounded on the 
north by a narrow strip of " Mexico " south of 
Pine creek. In the west end of that part of Val- 
ley township north of Pine creek, near the junc- 
tion of the Pine Creek & Dayton Railroad, 
Daniel Hepler settled in 1828, and was assessed 
the next year as a blacksmith and with one cow at 
$81. William White conveyed to him 40 acres 
and 58 perches, on which his blacksmith shop was 
erected, January 21, 1839, for $120. 

James E. Brown and James Mosgrove erected 
Pine Creek Furnace in the east end of the part of 
this township north of Pine creek in 1845-6, hot- 
blast, steam, charcoal, ten feet across the bosh-stack 
and thirty-three feet high; made its first pig-metal 
in July, 1846; used charcoal until 1863, when the 
hight of the stack was increased to forty feet and 
the fixtures were improved; commenced making 
iron with coke in 1865.* The capacity of this 



»It continued with coke until June, 1S79, when it went out of 
blast, the price of pig-iron feeing then S16 to *17 per ton. 



390 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



furuace is fifty-six tons of forge metal out of 
limestone ore from beds in the coal measures for 
miles around. In 1869 Brown & Mosgrove built a 
three-foot-gauge railroad from the north of Pine 
creek to the furnace, a distance of four miles, for 
transporting ore and metal from and to the Alle- 
gheny Valley Railroad, which lias proved to be 
very successful. It is designated on the township 
map the Pine Creek & Dayton Railroad, so named 
because the people of the borough of Dayton, in 
this county, and of the valley of Pine creek, have 
evinced considerable interest in its extension to 
Dayton, but as yet without securing the requisite 
pecuniary means. Subscriptions reaching $30,000, 
one-half the required amount, were made for this 
purpose in 1871. 

Allotment No. 3 of the tract covered by the 
Le Roy & Co. warrant. No. 8036, was in the north- 
east corner of this township, which was occupied 
first by Adam and Thomas Beer, Daniel Guld and 
George Williams in the latter part of the first de- 
cade of this century. Martin Kneas, a volunteer 
in Capt. James Alexander's company, followed the 
last named and occupied the cabin which he had 
built. Benjamin B. Cooper conveyed 153 acres 
and 121 perches of that allotment to James Han- 
negan, the first court-crier in this county, June 7, 
1819, for $191.84, with which and two horses and 
two cattle, he was first assessed in 1816. It is the 
same land which his heirs released to William 
Peart, March 18, 1850, which point the latter 
named Oscar, where the Oscar postoffice, Francis 
Martin, postmaster, was established, July 25, 1881, 
and where a store had been opened several years 
before. 

Cooper conveyed 160 acres of allotment 2, same 
warrant, to Hannegan, April 4, 1817, for $192.10, 
and Wilhelm Willink et ah, 174-|- acres of allot- 
ment 4, same warrant, December 19, 1827, for $98. 

The portion of the Le Roy & Co. tract. No. 
8047, south of Pine creek, was in what is now 
Valley township. Parts of the parcels conveyed 
to Alexander and James White border on the south 
side of this stream, which were mentioned in the 
sketch of the southeastern part of Pine township. 
Alexander White erected a gristmill in 1828 and a 
sawmill in 1831, with which he was assessed from 
1829 and 1832, respectively, until 1838. He and 
William Love entered into an agreement for the 
sale and purchase of these mills and 180 acres of 
adjacent land, September 11. Love went into pos- 
session soon after and was first assessed with that 
property in 1839. After Love's death White exe- 
cuted a deed therefor to William McCain, executor 
in trust for Love's heirs, devisees and legal repre- 



sentatives, March 1, 1849, for $2,000. Joseph 
Barker, miller, Thomas McConnell and Joseph L. 
Reed acquired an interest in this property in 1845-6, 
and Barker was assessed with the mills for several 
years froui 1846. He and McConnell and Reed 
acquired from Noah A. Calhoun a grant of one- 
half the water-power used in running these mills, 
October 21, 1847. Barker conveyed the one-half of 
the 48 acres and 13 perches on which these mills 
are situated, March 31, 1857, for $500. The mills 
were assessed to Secrist from 1861 till 1868, since 
which time they have been assessed to Francis 
Martin, by whom they are still operated. 

James White — distinguished on the assessment 
list by the title of Major from James White, of 
David — erected in 1837 a carding-machine and 
fulling-mill some distance below the grist and saw 
mills erected by his brother Alexander on the par- 
cel of 3047 purchased by him on the south side or 
left branch of Pine creek. After operating them 
for about a year he employed William Gillis, 
skilled and experienced in these branches of busi- 
ness, who advertised in the Kittanning papers. May 
9, 1839, the "Pine Creek Woolen Factory," in 
which "carding and spinning" were done, and 
" wool manufactured into cloth, satinet, flannels, 
blankets, cassimeres," and other articles. Before 
these works were started the people of this region 
had their carding and fulling done in the southern 
part of Indiana county. 

James White conveyed 157 acres and 92 perches, 
allotment 5, tract 369, warrant 3047, to John Adair, 
May 2, 1845, for $1,700 ; Adair conveyed the same, 
" together with machinery for a waolen factory, 
carding machine, two spinning jennies, one power 
loom, picker, shearing machine, one stove, fulling 
stock, press power, one hand loom, and other ma- 
chinery," to James E. Brown, February 25, 1846, 
for $100, who reconveyed the land to White, April 
14, 1847, for $1. James White died intestate, 
leaving only as next of kin his full brother, Alex- 
ander, who conveyed those 157 acres and 90 perches 
to Brown & Mosgrove, the present owners. May 

13, 1853, for $1,106. 

Adjoining allotment 5 on the west was allotment 
4, 112^ acres of which became vested in John W. 
McLinn, which, excepting ten acres and the water- 
right in Pine creek between them and the eastern 
boundary of McLinn's parcel, his administrator, by 
virtue of an order granted by the proper court for 
their sale, conveyed to James E. Brown, October 
3, 1846, for $325. McLinn had agreed, September 

14, 1841, to convey those ten acres and that water- 
right to William Gillis, which that administrator 
conveyed to him when he conveyed to Brown. 



VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



391 



Gillis has, since his purchase from McLinn, carried 
on his woolen factory on that part of these ten 
acres a few rods below the mouth of Dill's run. 

Other parcels of allotment 4 consisted of a part, 
the west end of that allotment, of the 86 acres and 
42 perches which Willink & Co. conveyed to Alex- 
ander Colwell March 23, 1835, and included in the 
latter's conveyance to Jacob Sleese ; and 112 acres 
to George W. Meohling, May 30, 1836;: for $56.15. 

Passing to the southeastern part of this town- 
ship is the territory covered by the warrant No. 666 
to William Findley, 328^ acres, a strip of which 
is in Cowan shan nock township, the patent for 
which was granted to him May 24, 1796. Mrs. 
Mary Black, one of his devisees, conveyed 200 
acres of it to Isaac Rhea, April 9, 1833, for $600, 
with which he was first assessed in 1840. 

The rest of the territory of what is now Valley 
township was covered by Holland Land Company 
warrants : No. 3003 extended west from the Find- 
ley tract No. 666 along the purchase line to the 
southeastern part of the above-mentioned belt of 
vacant land, and contained 990 acres. It will be 
readily identified by the following : B. B. Cooper 
conveyed iTl acres and 131 perches of allotment 
3 to George Gravenor, April 8, 1817, for $199, he 
having been first assessed with 211 acres in 1812 ; 
Willink & Co. to Daniel McAfoos, 118 acres and 
117 perches, April 19, 1827, for $59.37 ; to Richard 
Gravenor, 110^ acres, September 19, for $55 ; to 
William Mclntire, 151;^ acres adjoining the Find- 
ley tract, September 17, 1828, for $25.90, which 
Mclntire conveyed to George Somers, April 12, 
1836; to Benjamin Schrecongost, 188 acres, Octo- 
ber 1, 1830, for $70, and to Findley Patterson, 149 
acres and 25 perches of allotment 5, March 19, 1833, 
for $87.50, on which he was that year assessed with 
a sawmill. He soon after erected the pj esent grist- 
mill with two runs of stone, in which was made the 
first flour shipped from this county to Philadelphia 
and Baltimore, which, with this parcel of land, 
passed by sheriff's deed, June 21, 1848, to Thomas 
Sturgeon, who conveyed the mills and land to John 
Kammadinier, March 7, 1855, for $4,000. The 
expense which the latter incurred in attempting to 
operate the gristmill by steam embarrassed him so 
that this property again passed under the sheriff's 
hammer, when David Patterson became the pur- 
chaser, to whose estate it now belongs. The 
public schoolhouse No. — is on this allotment. 
The Greendale postofiice, George Bowser, post- 
master, was established here February 7, 1867. 

While Findley Patterson resided at this point, 
then in Pine township, he was elected county com- 
missioner in 1837, one of whose duties it then was 



to view, value and grade all the unpatented lands 
in the county. He was elected state senator in 
1838 ; appointed revenue commissioner in 1843 ; 
elected member of assembly in 1844 and 1845, and 
was elected and re-elected speaker of the house of 
representatives; and in 1847 he was again appointed 
revenue commissioner to represent this and Indiana 
counties, and was chosen president of the board. He 
was also a member of the board of school directors, 
first of Kittanning and then of Pine township dui-- 
ing the greater part of his residence in this county, 
and was captain of the Wayne township artillery 
company and major of the regiment, and was 
appointed in 1857 receiver in the land office, Kan- 
sas, for four years. His maternal grandfather was 
William Findley, a native of the north of Ireland. 
He came to this state when he was a young man ; 
served in the American army during the revolu- 
tion ; after its close he settled in Westmoreland 
county; was elected a member of the legislature of 
this state, of the constitutional convention of 1790, 
and was a member of congress 1791-9 and 1803-17. 
To distinguish him from Gov. William Findley, 
who was cotemporaneous with him in public life, 
he was called " Congress Findley." He was the 
author of " A Review of the Funding System," 
published in 1794, "History of the Insurrection of 
Western Pennsylvania," 1796, and " Observations " 
vindicating religious liberty. He was the warrantee 
and patentee of various tracts of Findley lands, 
mentioned in the sketch of Cowanshannock town- 
ship, the one in Valley and of several on the west 
side of the Allegheny river in this county. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract was the Le 
Roy & Co., No. 3023, 1,000 acres, of which B. B. 
Cooper conveyed 207 acres and 70 perches, allot- 
ment 6, to Philip Gravenor, April 8, 1817, for $275; 
103-|- acres to George Gravenor, December 21, 1818, 
for $240. Willink & Co. conveyed 126 acres, allot- 
ment 3, to John Howser, July 2, 1827, for $63.25, 
which was subsequently purchased and occupied by 
George Leighley; 113 acres, allotment 5, to George 
D. Shaeffer, March 7, 1830, for $56, with which and 
as a blacksmith he was first assessed in 1831 ; 74 
acres and 141 j^erches, allotment 4, to Jacob Mc- 
Afoos, March 24, 1831, for $37.50, with 111 acres 
of that allotment he was first assessed in 1811, and 
on which he had probably resided since 1806, and 
74 acres 141 perches, December 23, 1835, for 
$37.50, and he to George Schrecongost, February 3, 
1841, for $300; 1 26 acres and 64 perches, allotment 
1, to Jacob King, January 19, 1835, for $63.25, 110 
acres of which were subsequently owned by Andrew 
and then by Joseph Mosgrove, who conveyed the 
same to Aaron Black, January 24, 1855, for $800, 



392 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and tlie latter to Joliu Rutter, except 10 acres, Jan- 
uary 24, 1866, for $1,800. 

The next tract to the north was Le Roy & Co., 
No. 3032 ; 1,000 acres was parceled: B. B. Cooper 
to Alexander McElwain, 100 acres, allotment 8, Oc- 
tober 7, 1819, for $200, and Willink & Co. 55 acres 
and 24 perches, June 20, 1827, for $28 ; B. B. 
Cooper to Francis Dill, 155 acres and 98 perches, 
allotment 2, September 20, 1820, for $311.16, and 
Willink & Co. 112 acres, allotment 1, June 1, 1832, 
for $56, both of -which parcels Richard Dill con- 
veyed to Charles Moore, Jr., March 3, 1868, for 
$4,000; Willink & Co. 162^ acres to Jacob Howser, 
July 3, 1827, for $81.25, subsequently occupied by 
George Howser; 167 acres and 52 perches to George 
StifEey, October 7, 1828, for $83.75. 

East of No. 3023 lay the western portion of Le 
Roy & Co. tract No. 3022 of which Willink & Co. 
conveyed 120 acres of allotment 2 to William 
Powers, September 12, 1831, for $255; 97 acres and 
154 perches of allotment 1 to Jacob McAfoos, 
March 8, 1837, for $90; 176 acres and 110 perches, 
allotment 5, to Abraham Beer, August 7, 1842, for 
$126.50, which he had occupied since 1826. 

STATISTICS. 

The peoj)le of this township voted, February 28, 
1873, on the question of granting license to sell 
intoxicating liquors: Against, 103; for, 41. 

The mercantile appraiser's list shows four stores 
in the fourteenth and one in the eleventh class in 
1876. 

Occupations other than agricultural, according 
to the assessment list for 1876: Furnace managers, 
2; laborers, 102; miners, 5; teamsters, 4; carpen- 
ters, 3; shoemakers, 3; blacksmiths, 2; hucksters, 
2 ; millers, 2 ; bookkeeper, 1 ; bricklayer, 1 ; butcher, 
1; clerk, 1; coker, 1; cooper, 1; grocer, 1; harness- 
maker, 1; marble-cutter, 1; pit-boss, 1; printer, 1; 
school-teacher, 1; sexton, 1. 

The population in 1860: White, 1,551; colored, 
1. In 1870: Native, 1,665; foreign, 156; colored, 
0. Number of taxables in 1876, 460, giving about 
2,116 of a population. 

Schools, 1860 : Number schools, 9 ; average 
number months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 5 ; fe- 
male teachers, 4; average monthly salaries of male 
teachers, $16.60; average monthly salaries of female 
teachers, $16; male scholars, 210; female scholars, 
156; average number attending school, 246; cost 
of teaching each scholar per month, 42 cents; tax 
levied for school purposes, $674.10; tax levied for 
building purposes, $421.32; received from state 
appropriation, $104.64; from collectors, $561; cost 
of instruction, $572; fuel, etc., $62; repairs, $10. 



1876 : Number schools, 13 ; average number 
months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female teach- 
ers, 8; average salaries of male teachers per month, 
$28.60 ; avei-age salaries of female teachers per 
month, $26.75; male scholars, 316; female scholars, 
305; average number attending school, 240; cost 
per month, 61 cents; tax levied for school and 
building pm-poses, $3,309.12; received from state 
appropriatidn, $412.92; from taxes, etc., $2,160.57; 
cost of schoolhouses, $210.70 ; paid for teachers' 
wages, $1,785; fuel, etc., $284.24. 

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. 

The uplands have a thin covering of lower 
barren rocks. These are the measures which make 
the summit of the ridge which the Anderson 
Creek road traverses. The lower productive meas- 
ures are exposed along the Cowanshannock and 
Pine creeks throughout the entire township. The 
hills skirting the river from Kittanning borough 
to the mouth of Pine creek and beyond consist 
mainly of these rocks. The Pottsville conglom- 
erate, sixty feet thick, rises to the day over an area 
extending from Quigley's mill nearly to the mouth 
of Hays' run, and this rock makes the sandstone 
bowlders along the river's edge. The upper Free- 
port coal and limestone, the lower Freeport coal, 
the upper and lower Kittanning coals, the fireclay 
underlying the lower Kittanning coal, the ferrifer- 
ous limestone and the fireclay underlying it, have 
all in tarn been developed. The ferriferous lime- 
stone is above the Cowanshannock from John C. 
Rhea's property nearly to below the Hague school- 
house, between it and the Robinson farm, and is 
above the waters of Pine creek a like distance and 
extending to Pine Creek furnace, and supports 
here the buhrstone ore; along the river front it is 
continuous above water-level from the southern to 
the northern end of the township. The structure is 
somewhat complicated by the gradually diminishing 
force of the anticlinal axis, which crosses the river 
near the site of the old Allegheny furnace. This 
gradual decline of the axis gives to the rocks a 
southwest dip down the river rather than the usual 
and normal incline toward the northwest and south- 
east. Another and well-developed anticlinal crosses 
the Cowanshannock near Greendale, where it lifts 
the Pottsville conglomerate to daylight, and it 
crosses Pine creek near Oscar postoflice. — W. G. 
Piatt. 

A slight undulation is suspected to pass from 
the neighborhood of Scrubgrass creek through the 
neighborhood of Allegheny Furnace, crossing local 
northwest dips. — Rogers. 

The ferriferous limestone is seen on Reynolds' 





ROBEfiT T0W)MSE)4d, 



JvlP^S. F^OBEF^T 



ROBERT TOWNSEND. 

Tlie man whose name heads this sketch, until late 
years a resident of South Bend township, was born in 
this county, Decem'ber 3, 1796. The lady whom he after- 
ward married, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Eva 
B. (Miller) Hine, was born August 27, 1797. They were 
joined in wedlock by Squire Paul, in the year 1816. 
After their marriage they lived near the river in South 
Bend township for three years, and then went to 
Westmoreland county. After remaining there seven 
years they returned to this county, where Mr. Town- 
send spent the remainder of his days. In 1837 Mr. 
Townsend purchased a farm of 386 acres of land, all 
timbered except a few acres which had been cleared by 
its former owner. When they went upon the farm they 
lived for a year in a small, rough log cabin, but after- 
ward moved into a better one, made partly of hewed 
logs, which they could not have at first, as it was rented. 
The farm on which Mr. and Mrs. Townsend lived was 
commonly known to the hunters for miles around as 
" The Bucks Farm," for the reason that it abounded at 
an early day in deer, which came there to feed on the 
acorns. During the first years of their housekeeping 
they were obliged to grind their corn in what was then 
known as the "Pint Mill," owned by a Mr. Johnson. 
Mrs. Townsend did most of her cooking at the fireplace, 
but baked bread in an outdoor oven, built for the pur- 
pose. She obtained her first cook-stove in 1845. She 
used the spinning-wheel to make linen for clothing from 
the flax they raised upon the farm. To keep her family 
properly clothed she was often compelled to weave until 
midnight, after being busy all day with other domestic 



duties. Having no mill to clean their wheat, they used a 
bed-slieet, which was handled as a huge fan by husband 
and wife, separating the chaff from the grain. As time 
passed the disadvantages under which household and 
farm labor was performed were lessened, and work done 
with more ease and rapiditj'. Mr. Townsend kept 
abreast of the times in agriculture, and in the matter of 
fruit-growing was far ahead of his neighbors, having the 
greatest variety and choicest fruit in the township. 
Upon December 28, 1874, Robert Townsend passed away, 
after a long, useful and honorable life. He was a mem- 
ber of St. Jacob's church, near South Bend. His widow 
is a faithful communicant of this church today. She 
is in a remarkable state of health, and as active in her 
movements as a woman of fifty, although in her eighty- 
sixth year. 

Mr. and Mrs. Townsend have been blessed with ten 
children, all of whom are now living. Their names, 
with dates of birth, are as follows : Isaac, born February 
23, 1817 ; Anna Margaret, March 15, 1819 ; Susannah, 
December 13, 1821 ; Henry, October 15, 1823 ; Simon P., 
March 19, 1826 ; Rachel, August 12, 1829 ; Elizabeth E., 
November 23, 1831; Robert, August 28, 1834; Sarah, 
October 6, 1837 ; John L., July 16, 1840. 

John L. Townsend lives upon the old homestead. He 
was married in 1864, to Miss Jemima D. Wherry, born 
January 31, 1847. She died July 20, 1867, leaving one 
child, Annie, born July 22, 1867. On April 17, 1871, Mr. 
Townsend married as his second wife Mary Jane, widow 
of William Robertson, whose maiden name was Barr, 
and she was born January 19, 1836. She has one son, 
William, a child of her first husband. 



i 



Ai(.,'-»*'^\»«S{W/SUSBaBj»ai tiistittjmi >- >. *vi 



or 




VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 



393 



farm, one mile nortli of the borough, where the 
Kittanning coal is twenty feet above it; on Nul- 
ton's land, north of the court-house, it is four feet 
thick, and is divided by a thin slate about one foot 
from the top. — 'Rogers. 

The following is an analysis of a piece of per- 
forated red ore, obtained from John C. Rhea's 



farm, the above-mentioned part of the Findley 
tract No. 666, by F. A. Genth, Jr., of the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania: 

Ferri oxide, 77.10; ferrous oxide, 0.43; manga- 
nous oxide, 1.02; alumina, 2.47; silicic acid, 7.17; 
phosphori acid, 0.38 ; carbonic acid, 0.47 ; water 
and organic matter, 11.23.= 100.27. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



SOUTH BEND. 



Organized in 1867 from Territory in Kiskiminetas and Plum Creek — The Tliirty-flve Original Land Warrants — 
The Pioneers and First Owners of the Several Tracts — Transfers of Property — "Captain Tom's Hunting 
Camp" — A Political Meeting of 1810 — "Woodward's Jlills — Postoifice — Blockhouses Built by the Early 
Settlers — Churches — Primitive Schoolhouses and Pioneer Pedagogues — Later Schools — Miscellaneous 
Items — Census and Other Statistics — Mechanical Industries. 

ON the I7th day of April, 1S67, the petition of 
divers inhabitants of Kiskiminetas and 



Plum Creek townships — that is, of those within 
the boundaries of the then proposed new town- 
ship, — setting forth that they labored under great 
inconvenience for the want of a new township to 
be composed of parts of those two townships, was 
presented to the court of quarter sessions of this 
county. Whereupon, after considering the same, 
the court appointed Reuben Allshouse, James Y. 
Jackson and John Smith viewers or commissioners, 
to inquire into the propriety of granting the prayer 
of the petitioners. This report in favor of erect- 
ing the new township, to be called South Bend, as 
prayed for by tlie petitioners, accompanied by a 
draft thereof, was presented to the court, and or- 
dered to be filed June 4, 1867. Three days after- 
ward, June 7, the court ordered that an election of 
the qualified voters of those parts of Kiskiminetas 
and Plum Creek townships, within the boundaries 
of the proposed new township, be held at the usual 
place of holding elections in the former, on Friday, 
June 28, then instant, and to be conducted as other 
township elections, on fifteen days' notice to be 
given by the constable of Kiskiminetas township. 
The returns of that special election were made by 
the election officers, and filed July 1, then next en- 
suing. The vote was, for dividing those two old 
townships and erecting the new one, 152, and against 
the same, 90. The court thereupon ordered and 
decreed that the township of South Bend be erected 
according to law and the lines of division reported 
by the viewers, and appointed James Fulmer, 
judge, and James Armstrong and Jonathan Crum, 
inspectors, to hold and conduct the then next 
general and spring elections. 

The boundaries reported by the viewers or com- 
missioners are : Beginning at a corner of Burrell 
township, on land of Jacob Hart ; thence south 
29 degrees east 1 mile and 120 perches to A. Walk- 
er's ; thence south 2 miles to the top of a hill on I. 
Horn's land ; thence south 34 degrees east 1 mile and 



108 perches to the Indiana county line, on or near to 
land of Robert Elder ; thence by Indiana county line 
north 37^ degrees east 6 miles and 172 perches to a 
point on land of John Ramsey ; thence north 40 de- 
grees west 220 perches on the bank of Crooked creek, 
near Reuben Allshouse's (Idaho) mill ; thence 
down said creek north 80 degrees west 1.50 perches ; 
thence across said creek north 50 degrees west 3 
miles on land of Isaac Rowley, deceased ; thence 
south 87 degrees west 1 mile and 97 perches, on 
land of M. Davis ; thence by the line of Burrell 
township south 15 degrees east 1 mile and 258 
perches to Linsbigler's run ; thence down said run 
south 70 degrees west 110 perches; thence south 
56 degrees west 64 perches to Crooked creek ; 
thence 31 degrees west 1 mile and 308 perches to 
the place of beginning, containing about 23 square 
miles, to be called South Bend. The name is de- 
rived from a great southern bend in Crooked 
creek, the extreme southern part of which is in the 
southeastern part of the township, about 75 rods 
from the Indiana county line. Along that portion 
of that creek in this township some of the earliest 
settleinents by the whites in this county were 
made. 

The warrants for some of the thirty-five original 
tracts, as they are indicated on the ancient county 
map, are dated as early as 1773. Those tracts are: 
James Gray, 364^ acres, partly in Indiana county; 
Abraham Hunt, mostly in Kiskiminetas township, 
301.9 acres, seated by Samuel Hancock ; James 
Elder, 168^ acres, partly in Indiana county, seated 
by James Smith ; Robert Lettis Hooper (of North- 
ampton county, an assistant deputy commissary of 
purchases in 1779), 321 acres, partly in Kiskimine- 
tas ; William Forbes, 335.3 acres, partly in Kiski- 
minetas ; Stephen Duncan, 322.3 acres ; Joseph 
Speer, 352 acres, partly in Indiana county ; Ann 
Kirk, 346.6 acres, seated by Samuel Fleming ; 
Daniel Drinker, 322^ acres, seated by Charles 
Hancock ; Alexander Todd, 319.8, partly in Kiski- 
minetas, seated by Andrew Cunningham ; John 



SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP. 



395 



Bringhurst, 285.3 acres, partly in Kiskiminetas, 
seated by Jacob Snow ; Walter Finney, 390^ acres, 
seated by Peter Henry ; Samuel Sloan, 314|- acres ; 
Samuel Massey, 321.6 acres, seated by Wm. Hef- 
felfinger and Christopher Miller, the latter 160 
acres; Joseph Saunders, 326.4 > acres, partly in 
Indiana county ; John Finney, 337.7 acres, seated 
by Henry Allshouse ; Matthew Irwin, 360 acres, 
seated by Jacob George, now owned chiefly by 
John and James Wherry ; John Walker, 374.2 
acres, seated by John Householder ; James Davis, 
Sr., 421.4 acres; James Davis, Jr., 422 acres; 
Erasmus Beatty, 428^ acres, partly in Kiskiminetas 
and Burrell, seated by Nicholas Fulmer ; John 
Righter, 163.2 acres, seated by William Eakman ; 
George Woods, 297.3 acres, seated by H. and Geo. 
Rupert; John Levering, 316- acres, seated by 
Peter and Christopher Rupert ; Samuel Dixon, 
315^ acres; James Skullknot, 334 acres, seated by 
George Smith; Robert Dick, 159 acres ; Elizabeth 
Pile, 346.3 acres, seated by Widow Smith ; Han- 
nah Gregory, 346 acres, seated by Rankin ; 

John Sloan, 201 acres, 69 perches ; David Todd and 
William Wason, 570 acres, seated by Philip 
Rearigh, 170, Joseph Lowrey, 107, and Alexander 
George ; Rowland Chambers, 225f acres, seated by 
Joseph Lowrey ; Hugh Neely, 267 acres, 146 
perches, mostly in Indiana county, seated by An- 
thony Montgomery. Another tract, making the 
thirty-iifth, covers territory within the great bend 
of Crooked creek above mentioned, which origi- 
nally contained 299 acres, for which a warrant was 
issued to John Ladd Howell, dated February 8, 
1776. As a part of this tract has for many years 
been a prominent point in this region, its various 
transfers may not be without interest to the 
reader. By deed dated May 22, 1776, Howell con- 
veyed his interest in the entire tract to John Van- 
deren, of Philadelphia (miller), for fice shillings. 
Vanderen's executors, being so authorized by the 
will of their testator, conveyed it to Charles 
Campbell by deed dated July 18, 1795, for £59 4s. 
Campbell, by deed dated May 17, 1813, con- 
veyed it to James Clark for |2,000 ; Clark, by 
deed dated May 20, 1813, conveyed it to Jacob 
France, or, as spelled in later times, Frantz, for 
$3,000, who by his will, proven April 28, 1832, de- 
vised it to his children, from whom David Ral- 
ston, at divers times from 1837 until 1855, bought 
portions including the mill, aggregating 75 acres, 
which, with the mill, he conveyed for $13,000 to 
Chambers Orr, by deed dated June 14, 1859, who, 
by deed dated May 22, 1865, conveyed it to the 
present owners, Robert and Henry Townsend, for 
$14,000. In the deed from Howell to Vanderen a 



mill-seat is mentioned as included in the tract. A 
grist and saw mill must have been erected thereon 
while it was owned by Campbell, for as early as 
1805, James and William Clark were assessed 
in Allegheny township, in which this territory 
was then included, with one of each kind. For 
many years afterward Frantz's mill was resorted 
to by settlers from the lower part of the county, it 
being then the nearest to them. By act of March 
16, 1819, Crooked creek was declared a public 
highway from its mouth to that mill. 

The names given to some of these tracts are as 
follows : The Samuel Dixon tract was called 
" Partrenship " — so it is spelled ; the Hannah Greg- 
ory tract "Pised"; the Elizabeth Pile tract, 
" Pha?nicia ; " the Matthew Irwin tract, " Trux- 
illo ; " the Rowland Chambers tract, " Cha — ; " 
the John Shaw tract, " Brabant ; " the Abraham 
Hunt tract, " Hunt's Forest ; " the William Forbes 
tract, "Franconia;" the John Bringhurst tract, 
" White Oak Plains ; " the Alexander Todd tract, 
" Todd's Plains ; " the Daniel Drinker tract, 
" Hickory Ridge ; " the Samuel Sloan tract, " Long 
Meadow ; " the Samuel Massey tract, " Limestone 
Runs ; " the Josepih Saunders tract, " Desart Sin ; " 
the James Davis, Jr., tract, " Slephenton ; " the 
Alexander Craig tract, a very small portion of 
which is in this county, " Craig's Farm." As de- 
scribed m the deed from Absalom Woodward to 
Robert C. Peebles, dated April 20, 1815, this last- 
mentioned tract was " situate on a large run empty- 
ing into Crooked creek, opposite to a place known 
by the name of Capt. Tom's Hunting Camp, in 
Plum Creek township." That " large run " must be 
the one that empties from the southeast in Crooked 
creek about eighty rods northeast from the lowest 
point in its great southern bend, so that " Capt. 
Tom's Hunting Camp " must have been on the 
John Ladd Howell tract, about a hundred rods 
southeast from the " mill-seat," mentioned in the 
deed from Howell to Vanderen, the present site of 
the Townsend mills, on the right bank of that creek. 
Who Capt. Tom was, or whence he came, the 
writer has not yet ascertained. He probably made 
annual hunting excursions to this region from one 
of the older and more densely settled counties. 
The writer has not yet met with anyone who can 
correctly inform him concerning the exact locality 
of that "hunting camp," which was one of the old 
landmarks. Strange it is, that none of those born 
and raised in its immediate and more remote vi- 
cinity, of whom he has inquired, had ever heard 
of it ! One who has resided in its neighborhood 
for more than forty years thinks it was about 
three miles below, on the farm now owned by 



396 



HISTORY OF AEMSTEONG COUNTY. 



Jared McCandlers, which is a part of "Phoeni- 
cia." Another, who has passed his four score and 
ten years, and who in early life was familiar 
with this region, thinks it must have been at the 
mouth of " Horny Camp Run," which is in the 
southwest corner of Kittauning township, sevei'al 
miles still further down the creek. The writer 
has, to his own satisfaction at least, ascertained 
its locality by putting together certain facts, points 
and boundaries, mentioned in several old deeds for 
difEerent tracts. 

AN EARLY POLITICAL DELEGATE MEETING. 

The following is from the Western Eagle of 
September 20, 1810: 

At a meeting of the delegates appointed by the 
democratic-republicans of Armstrong and Indiana coun- 
ties, for the purpose of consulting and recommending a 
proper person to represent this district in the legislature 
of this state, and when met agreeably to appointment at 
the liouse of Samuel Sloan [on the John Sloan tract next 
below the John Ladd Howell tract], near Crooked creek, 
on Thursday, the 9th day of August last, John Brandon, 
Esq., of Armstrong county, was chosen chairman, and 
Alexander Tayler, Esq., of Indiana county, secretary, 
eleven delegates from the two counties being present. 

The following resolutions were adopted by the meet- 
ing: 

" 1st. Resolved, with the exception of one dissenting 
voice, That James Sloan, Esquire, of Armstrong county, 
be and is hereby recommended to our fellow-citizens to 
represent the counties of Armstrong, Indiana and Jeffer- 
son in the legislature of this commonwealth. 

" 2nd. Resolved, That a committee of three members 
be appointed to prepare and send forward copies of these 
resolutions to the editors of The Commonwealth in Pitts- 
burgh and of the Farmers' Register in Greensburgh for 
publication, and that Jonatlian King, John Davidson and 
John Brandon, Esquires, compose the aforesaid com- 
mittee. 

" 3rd. Resolved, That when the tickets are printed 
for the ensuing election, 1,000 shall be delivered to John 
Brandon, of Kittauning, and 1,000 to Alexander Tayler, of 
Indiana, who are hereby requested to have the same dis- 
tributed in their respective counties previous to the 
election. 

" 4th. Resolved, That the above resolutions be signed 
by the chairman and attested by the secretary, and that 
the original copy thereof be lodged with John Brandon, 
in the town of Kittauning. 

"John Brandon, Chairman. 
"Attest: 

" Alexander Tayler, Secretary." 

That nominee was not elected that year: James 
McComb was. 

woodward's mills. 
Absalom Woodward was first assessed with grist 
and sawmills in 1811, which he had erected on the 
southeastern part of the William Cowden tract, on 



the south side of Plum creek, near its junction with 
Crooked creek, in the northeastern part of the pres- 
ent township of South Bend, where he resided for 
many years, and where he died in August, 1833. 

These mills were, for a long time after their 
erection, a noted point in this region of country. 
He devised the William Cowden tract, including 
these mills and various other tracts, to his son 
Absalom. The mill property has been subse- 
quently and successively owned by Stacy B. Bar- 
croft, George S. Christy and Reuben Allshouse, the 
present proprietor, who has changed its name to 
that of " Idaho," to which name he is probably 
partial on account of the valuable mineral acquisi- 
tions which he had the good fortune to make in the 
Territory of Idaho. 

Hugh Brown's store was located two miles below 
this point more than seventy years ago. He was 
assessed as a "store-keeper" in 1805. How many 
years before that he opened his store there, the 
writer has not been able to learn. 

POSTAL. 

The only postoffice between Kittanning and In- 
diana sixty years ago was at Absalom Woodward's. 
The record of its establishment having been de- 
stroyed by the burning of the postoflice building in 
Washington, in 1836, there is but little knowledge 
of it left. A postoffice was kept there in 1817-18, 
when Josiah Copley carried the mail from Indiana 
to Butler. He presumes that Absalom Woodward 
was then the postmaster, because he opened the 
mails. That office was probably discontinued when 
the one either at Elderton or Shelaota was estab- 
lished. In this connection, though not in the 
chronological order of events, it may be stated that 
the Frantz's Mill postoffice was established Febru- 
ary 21, 1843. James Mitchell, Jr., was the first 
postmaster, and the South Bend postoffice was es- 
tablished April 6, 1848, at the same point, and its 
first postmaster was James Johnston, Jr. ; the 
Olivet postoffice was established April 10, 1850, 
and John McGeary was its first postmaster. 

BLOCKHOUSES. 

Prior to 1'795, or to the time when the Indians 
ceased to be troublesome and dangerous in this 
region, there was a blockhouse on the John Shaw 
tract, on what is now called Jones' hill, about a 
mile a little east of south from the junction of 
Crooked and Plum creeks, or Idaho. According 
to a tradition which has come down from the ear- 
liest settlers, there was, in those times, another 
blockhouse, called by some a fort, at or near the 
present site of the Townsend mills and the South 
Bend postoffice. Abraham Frantz and others for- 





^ j^^^i^?>7^. ^4^ 



'^'l^ S^A 



j^ /yf-&^f^i^ 



JAMES D. WILSON. 

The Wilson family, to which the subject of this 
sketch belongs, was one of the earliest settled in 
Washington county, Pennsylvania. His grand- 
parents on his mother's side (the Hendersons), 
were from Lancaster and Chester counties, and set- 
tled at an early day in Washington county, and his 
grandparents on his father's side were from Frank- 
lin and Adams counties. The father of James D. 
Wilson, Hugh M. Wilson, married Mary Hender- 
son, a granddaughter of the Rev. Matthew Hen- 
derson, the pioneer of Washington county, and 
prime mover in the establishment of Jefferson 
college. It is not out of place to state here (and 
it may be of interest to some readers who have 
hitherto been ignorant of the fact), that at a little 
meeting held under a tree in the pioneer settle- 
ment of Washington, Pennsylvania, the college 
we have named had its inception. Rev. Hender- 
son labored zealously for the establishment of that 
useful educational institution, and it is a worthy 
monument to his memory. 

James D. Wilson was born, of the marriage of 
which we have spoken, in Allegheny county, No- 
vember 5, 1818. He remained at home until 1847, 
in which year he was united in marriage with 
Nancy, daughter of Robert and Abigail Wray, 
who was born in this county, August 11, 1825, 



by Rev. Alex. Donaldson, D.D., March 24, 1847. 
In April following Mr. and Mrs. Wilson moved 
to the farm where they now reside, and which was 
purchased by his father in 1838. The farm, con- 
taining 120 acres, was deeded to Mr. Wilson by 
his father some time after his marriage. He has 
at different times since purchased land adjoining, 
till the farm now contains about 180 acres. Mr. 
Wilson has followed farming all of his life except 
four years, when he was engaged in milling. He 
owns about 180 acres of good land, situated near 
Olivet Village, South Bend township. He is a 
director of the Apollo Savings Bank, and has held 
that position for about ten years. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born six 
children, viz. : Robert H., born July 9, 1851 ; 
studied engineering at the Western University of 
Pittsburgh, county surveyor, married December 
5, 1878, to Miss Emma L. Blakely, of West Leb- 
anon, Pennsylvania ; they have two children, 
Florence and Karl ; Mary L., June 5, 1854 ; Abigail, 
September 18,1856; Hattie, April 27, 1864; and 
Hugh and Sarah, born respectively in 1849 and 
1860, both of whom died in infancy. 

James D. Wilson and wife, together with all 
their children, are members of the United 
Presbyterian church at Olivet. He is the last one 
remaining of the original members of this 
congregation. 



SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP. 



397 



merly found many bullets in the ground thereabout. 
Numerous flint arrow-lieads of various sizes are 
still found on the Hugh Neely tract, now Alexan- 
der J. Montgomery's farm, and elsewhere in the 
vicinity of those blockhouses. 

The general, especially the early, history of this 
township is nearly identical with that of Plum 
Creek and Kiskiminetas townships; the dangers, 
hardships and inconveniences of its early settlers 
were similar to those of those two townships. It 
was along that part of Crooked creek in this town- 
ship that the earliest settlements by the whites 
were made in this county. Early settlers, as indi- 
cated by the assessment list of Allegheny township 
for 1805, within whose limits the present territory 
of this township was then included, Avere Hugh 
Brown, James and William Clark, Barnard Davers 
(mason), George and Henry Hoover, John House- 
holder, John and Adam Johnston, Samuel George, 
George King, Daniel Linsinbigler, Peter Rupert, 
Sr., Peter Rupert (weaver), Samuel Sloan, John 
Sloan, Joseph Thorn (blacksmith), David Todd, 
and Absalom Woodward (?). It may be that the 
last-named then resided on the George Campbell 
tract, nearly two miles above Idaho, on Plum 
creek. 

Twenty years or so later, Henry Allshouse, on 
the John Finney tract, Samuel Fleming, on the 
Ann Kirk tract, Nicholas Fulmer, on the Erasmus 
Beatty tract, Jacob George, on the Matthew Irwin 
tract, William Heflfelfinger, on the Samuel Massey 
tract, Nicholas Jordan, on the John Levering tract, 
Joseph Lowry, on the Rowland Chambers tract, 
Anthony Montgomery, on the Hugh Neely tract, 
John McCain, on the John Levering tract, George 
and Henry Rupert, on the George Woods tract, 
James Smith, on the James Elder tract, Jacob 
Snow on the John Bringhurst tract, were residents 
in those parts of Allegheny and Plum Creek town • 
ships now included in Soij,th Bend township. 
Among the residents, eight or nine years later, 
were John and Peter Dice, Alexander Lowry, John 
and Robert Smith, Robert Townsend, James and 
John Wherry in the Kiskiminetas portion ; Jacob 
Allshouse, John and Jonathan Crum, Jacob, John, 
Samuel and Abraham Frantz, Peter, Samuel and 
Jacob George, Thomas Kinnard, Joseph Lowry, 
Frederick and Peter Rupert, John Shoup, Robert 
W. Smith — not this writer, — Samuel Sloan, Sr. 
and Jr., John Windgrove, William Wilkison, and 
Absalom Woodward, Jr., in the Plum Creek por- 
tion of South Bend toAvnship. There may have 
been others in both sections of the township, and 
it is possible that some of the above-mentioned 
were at the time residents of Plum Creek town- 
25 



ship. The writer has formed his judgment as to 
their residence chiefly from the assessment lists of 
those various periods. 

RELICS. 

Ten or fifteen years ago Robert Townsend, as 
related by his son, S. P. Townsend, found a mat- 
tock on his farm, near Whiskey run. It was struck 
by the plow, at the depth of about ten inches, in 
good soil. Several bunches of oxide of iron, about 
the size of hen's eggs, were on it. Its ends were 
steel, which he had sharpened at the blacksmith's. 
It is still extant on that farm, on the ridge or 
watershed from which the runs flow into Crooked 
creek and the Kiskiminetas. From six to ten 
inches below the surface, in a gravelly soil, on the 
same farm, various Indian relics have been found : 
A stone implement, shaped somewhat like a wedge, 
with one end sharp like the bit of an ax, while near 
the other end was a groove, probably for holding a 
strap, used, probably, for skinning animals; several 
very hard stone utensils, some of which were a foot 
in diameter, the interior of which was somewhat 
like an apothecary's moi'tar, some holding a quart 
and others two quarts of water, which were pro- 
bably used for breaking and grinding corn; nu- 
merous flint arrow-heads; a mound of stones, which 
must have been brought some distance, as the field 
in which it is is clear of stone, about twenty feet 
in diameter, and two feet high, its shape being 
circular, and under which no bones have been 
found. 

There is on that farm a white-oak tree, which is 
twenty-one feet in circumference. 

CHUECHES. 

For many years after the first settlement of this 
township and region, there was no church edifice 
in what is now this township, except the log one, 
mentioned in the sketch of Plum Creek township. 
Clergymen of different denominations, who were 
itinerant missionaries rather than pastors, con- 
ducted religious services in private houses, barns, 
and groves. 

The St. Jacob's Evangelical Lutheran and the 
St. Jacob's Reformed churches occupy the same 
edifice, a commodious frame structure, about two- 
thirds of a mile nearly north of the South Bend 
postoflice and mills. 

Zion's -Valley Reformed church was organized 
June 20, 1868. The edifice owned by the society 
is frame and of adequate dimensions for the pres- 
ent wants of the congregation. Members, 64 ; Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 50. This church was incor- 
porated by the proper court, March 14, 1873, and 
William G. King, Absalom Klingensmith, H. G. 



398 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Allshouse and Joseph Heisley were named trustees 
in the charter, to serve until the first election. 
The meeting-house is situated one mile east of the 
most western point or angle of the township, on 
the right bank of a large run emptying into 
Crooked creek, in " Barrel Valley." The pastor is 
Rev. John McConnell. His predecessors were 
Revs. James Grant and H. N. Hoffmeir. 

The United Presbyterian church, at Olivet, on 
the Robert Lettis Hooper tract, one mile and a 
fourth from the eastern southern angle of the 
township, was organized as a settlement of the 
Associate Reformed church, in April, 1840. There 
had, however, been occasional preaching since 
1836, in a tent near the site of the present meet- 
ing-house. The congregation, at the time of its 
organization, took the name of Olivet, from which 
the name of this point or locality was derived. 
The original number of church members was 
twenty. The pastors have been Revs. Alexander 
McCahan, from 184-3 until 1846 ; M. H. Wilson, 
from 1848 until 1857 ; Samuel Anderson, from 
1859 until 1867, and John C. Telford, the present 
one. This church has borne the name of United 
Presbyterian since the union of the Associate and 
Associate Reformed churches. The present num- 
ber of members is 67; Sabbath-school scholars 50. 
The church edifice is frame, 40X40 feet, built in 
1842. 

During the war of the rebellion there was a 
Soldiers' Aid Society which consisted of members 
of the Olivet U. P. and Elder's Ridge Presbyterian 
congregations. Says a correspondent :* " No 
records exist of the contributions of this society, 
but it is believed that its disbursements were not 
less liberal than those of sister congregations." 

SCHOOLS. 

For awhile after the first settlement of this re- 
gion, pay or subscription schools were taught in 
private houses in different parts of the then set- 
tled part of the township, which was chiefly along 
and in the vicinity of Crooked creek. The first 
schoolhouse, a primitive log one, was erected prob- 
ably about 1803, near the present site of St. Jacob's 
Lutheran and Reformed church edifice, in which 
the first teacher, or at least one of the earliest, was 
James Allison. Mrs. Nancy Kirkpatrick, widow 
of James Kirkpatrick, remembers that school- 
house, and that before its erection schools were 
taught here and there as above stated. 

In the earlier settlement of the southern part of 
the township there was an ancient schoolhouse 
about 200 rods southwest of Olivet, on the present 



* Robert H. Wilson, 



farm of Joseph Coulter, and another about a mile 
and a half a little west of north from Olivet, on 
the present farm of David Finlay. The first 
schoolhouse at Olivet was built in or about 1820, 
on ihe present site of G. W. Steer's blacksmith 
shop, and was known as the " Big Run school- 
house," which continued to be used until 1834-5. 

About a mile distant from Olivet, across the In- 
diana county line, is Elder's Ridge Academy, 
whose beneficent influence in promoting educa- 
tional interests in this region has for many years 
been effective. 

The slight opposition which the common school 
system encountered in this part of the county was 
readily overcome by its more numerous friends, 
prominent among whom were William Davis, 
Joseph and Alexander A. Lowry, Anthony Mont- 
gomery and John Wherry, as the writer is in- 
formed. The further preparation of the history of 
that system, except some statistics, belongs to the 
school department. 

The first school year in which this has been a 
distinct school district was 1868. Its first an- 
nual report was for 1869, when the number of 
schools was 6 ; average number months taught, 4 ; 
male teachers, 4 ; female teachers, 2 ; average sal- 
aries of male per month, $38.25 ; average salaries 
of female per month, $35 ; male scholars, 288 ; fe- 
male, 244 ; average number attending school, 433 ; 
cost of teaching each per month, 64 cents ; amount 
levied for school jjurposes, $902.84 ; minimum oc- 
cupation, 211; total amount levied, $1,113.84; 
received from collectors, unseated land, etc., 
$1,200.44 ; cost of instruction, $892 ; fuel and 
contingencies, $152.72 ; repairing schoolhouses, 
etc., $55.66 ; balance on hand, $100.06. 

In 1876 the number of schools was 6; average 
number months taught, 5; male teachers, 6; aver- 
age monthly salaries, $35 ; number male scholars, 
182; number female scholars, 179; average number 
attending school, 298; cost per month, 64 cents; 
amount levied for school and building purposes, 
$1,179.30 ; received from state appropriation, 
$237.15; received from taxes and other sources, 
$1,233.71; paid for teachers' wages, $1,050; paid 
for fuel and contingencies, collectors' fees, etc., 
$196.25. 

The settlement of the lower or southern part of 
the township occurred much later than that of the 
northern part. Robert Townsend remembers that 
at and around the pleasant hamlet of Olivet, on 
the Robert Lettis Hooper tract, there were but 
few settlers in 1833. It had then the appearance 
of a wilderness rather than of a settled region. 
He remembers that a primitive log schoolhouse 




^c:^ 



<i2^,^^-^</ 



'3MU'^3<2<2 




e^\. 



(2yfli^. ^/ntJ t^utm^Jo. 



JAMES FULMER. 

James Fulmer was born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, June 12, 1810. When he was a year 
old his parents, Nicholas and Tenna Fulmer, came 
to this county and located near where he now lives, 
in South Bend township. He grew to manhood 
here, enjoying the limited educational and other 
advantages afforded at that time, and about the 
time he attained his majority, April 19, 1831; mar- 
ried Miss Sarah Smith, who was born November 5, 
1806. She was the daughter of Michael and Eliza- 
beth (Shidler) Smith, who were early settlers of 
South Bend township. They had eight children — 
Jacob, Isaac, Michael, Abram, Conrad, Annie, 
Sarah and Margaret, of whom the first and the 
last named are dead. 

Ml. and Mrs. Fulmer were the parents of ten 
children, namely, Labauna W., Silas, Diana, Syl- 
vester, Ralston, George W., Elizabeth Jane, Tea- 
nan, Margaret and Robert S. These children are 
all living except Diana, George W. and Margaret. 

During the first few years of their married life, 
Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer resided upon a rented farm 
in this township. The first eight years that they 



lived on their present farm it was leased. Mr. 
Fulmer then purchased 120 acres, and to that origi- 
nal farm he has added lands from time to time, 
until now he has about 350 acres, which is well 
improved. When he bought his land it was all 
heavily timbered, and it has been cleared and 
brought to its present beautiful condition chiefly 
by his own hard labor. His progress from com- 
parative poverty (if that state can be called pov- 
erty in which a man has health, energy and industry 
as capital) to his present independence has been 
slow but sure, the result of well-directed toil and 
thrift. Just after he bought h'is first 120 acres of 
land he built upon it a plain log cabin and a small 
stable. Twenty years afterward, when he had 
become able to do so through industry and econ- 
omy, he erected his present homelike frame house 
and improved outbuildings. In the spring of 
1878 Mr. Fulmer purchased the Maysville flouring 
and saw mill, :which he carried on successfully for 
four years. He sold them, however, in tlie spring 
of 1883, and now devotes his whole attention to 
farming. 



SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP. 



399 



was there in 1834, which had the appearance of 
having been erected a few years. The only wagon 
in the neighborhood in 1833 belonged to John 
Smith. The nearest gristmill was that at South 
Bend. The people packed their grists to mill on 
horseback. There were no wagon-roads except the 
one from Saltsburgh. The state road was not 
opened until 1843. A year or two before then 
emigrants from Washington county, the Ewings 
and others, settled here. 

POPULATION. 

The generally good farming land in this town- 
ship has steadily attracted to it increasing numbers 
of those engaged in agricultural pursuits, together 
with an adequate number engaged in other branches 
of business incident to and usual in an agricultural 
community. According to the census of 1870, the 
only one taken since the organization of this town- 
ship, its population was then: White, 1,126; col- 
ored, 1; native, 1,116; foreign, 11. The number 
of taxables this centennial year is 2*73, making its 
present population 1,255, the great mass of which 
are farmers and their families. 

Besides the sawmills at Idaho and South Bend, 
there are four others, viz., one a short distance 
west of Olivet, one on Craig's run, about 50 rods 
from its mouth, one on the most westerly run 
emptying into Crooked creek about 250 rods above 
its mouth, and the other on the same run, or its 
eastern branch, a mile or so higher up. 

In 18*75 James MoNees & Co. commenced the 
manufacture of stone crocks at their pottery, on a 
run 220 or 230 rods east of the second angle in 
the western boundary line below the northwest 
corner of the township, the daily product being 
200 gallons, and in the spring of 1876 the manu- 
facture of stone pumps and j)ipes. Twelve pumps 
and 200 feet of pipe have been made in a day. 
The capacity of the works is such that the daily 



product of the latter can be increased to 1,000 
feet. The building is 90 X 28 feet, and the 
machinery is worked by horse-power. 

The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of South 
Bend township was incorporated by the proper 
court December 15, 1875. According to the origi- 
nal charter the members and insurers were to be 
persons owning land in and adjoining this town- 
ship, but that limiting clause was subsequently 
stricken out by an amendment to the charter 
granted by the court. The object of this com- 
pany, like that of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance 
Company, of Plum Creek township, seems to be to 
effect insurance on such property as is peculiar to 
farmers, and at a lower rate than in other com- 
panies, for the charter provides that its officers are 
to be-paid only for such services as are necessarily 
rendered, and no dividends are to be made. The 
passing remark may here be made that disastrous 
fires have not been frequent in this township. The 
most serious one, perhaps, occurred November 29, 
1836, by which the house of Anthony Montgomery 
and its contents, including about $200 in money, 
were destroyed. 

Official. — Sheriff, Alexander J. Montgomery. 

The stores assessed this year are five in the four- 
teenth and one in the thirteenth class. 

The assessment list for this year shows: Laborers, 
27; blacksmiths, 7; shoemakers, 4; carpenters, 2; 
millers, 2; wagon-makers, 2; teachers, 2; invalids, 
2; preacher, 1; agent, 1; clerk, 1; cooper, 1; ap- 
prentice, 1; and 26 single men. Will they all be 
single at the close of this leap-year? 

The geological features of this township are 
generally similar to those presented in the sketches 
of Plum Creek and Kiskiminetas townships. There 
is a vein of bituminous coal in the southeastern 
part of the township on the Townsend farm which, 
including three feet of slate, is fifteen feet thick — 
twelve feet of pure coal of excellent quality. 



CHAPTER XIX 



FREEPORT. 



Probable Presence of the French in this Locality 1750-60 — Adventures with the Indians — Craig's Blockhouse — 
Eeed's Station — An Indian Attack — Capture and Escape of Massy Harbison — Murder of Her Children — 
William and David Todd — "Toddstown" — Origin of the Name Freeport — The Early Settlers — Reminis- 
cences of Old Times — Boat-Building — Salt Wells — Irish Settlements in 1828 — Transfers of Property — The 
Town Incorporated — Freeport Ambitious to be a County Town — The Professions — Dr. Altar's Discoveries — 
Industrial Interests — Churches — Schools — Societies — Military — Soldiers' Aid Society — Cemeteries — 
Eoads — Statistics. 



IT is premised, at the outset of this sketch, that 
it is inferrible from various traces of the past, 
which have come to the vrriter's knowledge, that 
the territory constituting the forks of the Alle- 
gheny river and Buffalo creek was quite anciently 
occupied by human beings. Their presence here, 
centuries since, appears to be indicated by at least 
one of those traces. But what kind of jseople they 
were is hidden by the veil of obscurity which one 
or more of those traces may, perhaps, enable some 
antiquary to penetrate. 

Passing from what is now conjecture to a blending 
of theknown and hypothetical, the reader's attention 
is here directed to known occurrences late in the 
atitumn of 11 5S. The French were then occupy- 
ing Fort Du Quesne with a force of about 400 men, 
exclusive of Indians. On the approach of the 
British army, under the command of Gen. Joseph 
Forbes, " the head of iron," which the Indians, who 
had watched its movements, reported to the French 
commandant to have been "as numerous as the 
trees of the forest," the latter during the night of 
November 24 evacuated and burned that fort. 
From what Forbes and his officers and men learned 
on their arrival at their objective point, the French 
had left in three detachments. They seem to have 
made the impression, or endeavored to have made it, 
that one of those detachments had proceeded down 
the Ohio to near its mouth, another by land to 
Presqu' Isle, and the other under M. de Lignery, the 
commandant of Fort Du Quesne, up the Allegheny 
to Venango. 

It is at least doubtful whether the detachment 
that started down the Ohio proceeded so far as it 
was intimated it would. There was a small French 
post at Kushkuskee on the southwest side of the 
Mahoning river, four miles above its junction with 
the Shenango, in what is now Lawrence county, in 
this state. Did the detachment that was ostensibly 
destined for Presqu' Isle stop there? Another 



question arises just here. Did all of the detach- 
ment under M. de Lignery proceed directly by the 
Allegheny river to Venango? This question 
occurs here because early settlers in the forks of 
the Allegheny and Buffalo and vicinity thought, 
from what they had traditionally learned and from 
their observation of certain vestiges, which will 
be presently mentioned, that either all or a part of 
that detachment halted at the mouth of the Buf- 
falo, where Freeport now is, and proceeded thence 
up that stream and Rough run to a certain point 
where they encamj^ed for the winter. If the 
weather had become cold enough, as it sometimes 
does at that season of the year, to make ice rapidly 
in the uj^per Allegheny, their course up that stream 
may have thus been impeded, and they may there- 
fore have diverged, taking the Indian path or trail 
along or near the Buffalo to and beyond the Con- 
noquennessing, the same which David Moorehead 
and James Karns followed when, in 1798, they 
proceeded to what is now a part of Mercer county, 
where they commenced a settlement and improve- 
ment on a tract of land which they, however, soon 
after abandoned. That trail intersected one or 
more others leading to Venango, which was osten- 
sibly De Lignery's immediate objective point. 
He may, however, have feigned that to have been 
such, while he really designed to post the whole or 
a part of his force at an intermediate point for the 
purjiose, it may be, of collecting supplies of pro- 
visions for the intended spring campaign against 
the English. 

The reader's attention is now directed to some 
known facts: In or about 1840, William S. Ralston 
found a French rifle at the foot of High street, 
Freeport, which was laid bare by hauling sawlogs 
out of the Buffalo by James Bole to Joseph Ken- 
niston's boat-yard, and which had been, before be- 
ing thus brought to light, embedded about three 
feet below the surface. There is a considerable 



PREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



401 



western bend of the BuflFalo about a mile and a 
half above its mouth, the foot of which is twenty- 
five or thirty rods west of the county line in But- 
ler county, and is embraced in Depreciation tract 
No. 35, which is now owned by Peter S. Weaver. 
At or near the foot of that bend is a ravine ex- 
tending westward from the right bank of the 
creek, on each side of which rude stone terraces, 
about 30X40 feet, fronting the creek, were noticed 
by two of the writer's informants* forty or more 
years ago, when they appeared to be quite ancient. 
The high jDoints or bluffs on each side of the 
ravine had evidently been cleared of all trees when 
the terraces were made. There are but a very few 
on them even now. There is a clear view from 
the tops of those bluffs to the river and a consid- 
erable distance up the creek. The terraces appear 
to one of those informants to have been prej^ared 
for planting artillery upon them. Andrew Ral- 
ston and other early settlers who noticed them and 
the cleared bluffs in the early part of this century 
could not conceive what their purpose was unless 
for a French outpost. The late George Armstrong, 
of Greensburgh, was another who entertained that 
opinion. Among the relics found along Buffalo 
creek were two brass implements, one of which, it 
was thought, belonged to a compass, and the other 
was used for measuring angles. Because Hoover's 
vendees and other Gei-mans resorted in pleasant 
weather on Sundays to these terraces to enjoy 
their wine and music, some have supposed that 
they had made them and cleared those bluffs. 
That is not probable, for the appearance of those 
works indicated their construction long before the 
advent of those persons to this region. Why 
would they denude those bluffs of all their shade- 
trees ? 

About three miles above the mouth of Rough 
run, a western tributary of Buffalo creek, in the 
southwestern part of Clearfield, and the north- 
western part of Winfield township, Butler county, 
is a parcel of territory which, like other similar 
parcels in various other localities in this state, was 
in early times called " the clearfields," and such as 
were in Western New York called the "open 
fields." That on Rough run contained about 200 
acres. It may possibly have been a glade. The 
opinion of the early settlers who saw that open 
place before it had been cultivated is that what- 
ever work had been bestowed upon it was done by 
white men, or at least not by the Indians. Whether 
it was a glade or an artificial clearing, several 
strong springs on the side hill evinced at an earlier 
period, if they do not now, that they had been ar- 

* James S. Bole and Wm. S. Ralston. 



tificially, though not very mechanically, walled 
with stone. Another fact is, there was an abun- 
dance of deer and various other kinds of game in 
the circumjacent region in early times. Still an- 
other fact is, that open place was on the Indian trail 
from the mouth of Buffalo creek to the Conno- 
quennessing, as the writer is informed. Now, 
keeping in mind the foregoing facts, as judges do 
when the law and the evidence are not altogether 
clear and certain, it is to be queried: Did Monsieur 
De Lignery station all or a part of his detachment 
on those "clearfields," for the purpose of securing 
army stores or provisions for the contemplated 
campaign in the spring, or as a piece of strategy to 
avoid the pursuit by the English, which Forbes in 
his messages and Post in his conferences had inti- 
mated would be made? Be that as it may, the 
design of the French to recapture Fort Du Quesne, 
though -not attempted in the spring, was not aban- 
doned. 

After the battle of Niagara Charles Lee was 
ordered out on a scout with one officer and fourteen 
men to discover, if possible, what had become of 
the remains of the French army which had escaped 
from the battle. They ultimately reached Fort Du 
Quesne. It is probable that after leaving Venango 
they went across the country to the head waters of 
Buffalo creek, and then down that stream to the 
Allegheny, or, as it was then called, the Ohio. If 
so, they were among the earliest white men who 
visited the site of Freeport. 

Later, during the revolutionary and the Indian 
wars, scouting parties of the whites occasionally 
traversed, and perhaps encamped in the forks of 
the Buffalo and Allegheny. During the one or the 
other of these wars a scouting party of sixty men 
crossed the Allegheny over the first shore above 
the mouth of the Buffalo. John Guld, elsewhere 
mentioned,* and two other men by the name of 
Carnahan and Jack, as related to the writer by onef 
of Guld's descendants, being its vanguard, ad- 
vanced to Buffalo creek, ascended it a short dis- 
tance, where they crossed to the opjiosite side, and 
there observed eight Indians and a Frenchman. 
Either Carnahan or Jack was in advance of the 
other two. When he saw the Indians dodging 
behind trees, he ran toward the point near the 
mouth of the Kiskiminetas, where the rest of the 
party had halted. The other one followed him. 
Guld approached the chief of the Indian party, 
leveled his flintlock rifle at him, which missed fire. 
He then ordered Carnahan and Jack to come to 
his aid. They refused. He then attempted to 



* Kittanning town.ship. 
t Capt. William C. Beck. 



402 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



follow them, but was overtaken by the Indians, 
one of whom advanced near to him with an up- 
lifted tomahawk. Guld dropped his gun and 
held up both his hands. Then the Indian whom 
he attempted to shoot said something to his as- 
sailant, which induced the latter to change his 
tomahawk to his left hand, seize Guld's right arm, 
and force him violently toward the chief and the ■ 
Frenchman. All of the Indian party except those 
two pursued Carnahan and Jack. Guld, under- 
standing the French language well enough to con- 
verse with the Frenchman, informed him that 
there was a large body of men a short distance 
ahead of his fleeing comrades, fearing that a fight 
might ensue and he be scalped. The chief having 
been informed of that fact, signaled the pursuers 
to return, which they did, two of them wearing 
Carnahan's and Jack's hats, which the latter had 
lost in their flight. The Indians, after a brief par- 
ley, separated into two squads, one of which 
advanced up the" right, and the other the left bank 
of the creek, one of them taking Guld along as a 
prisoner. The two squads kept nearly opposite 
each othef, by means of signals, as they proceeded 
up the creek, and united during the night. When 
they encamped, they confined their prisoner by a 
stake at each shoulder and one at his feet, and an 
Indian as guard on each side of him. He was thus 
kept and guarded about two weeks en route to the 
lakes and Detroit. Having remained a prisoner 
about three years, one day while the party that 
had charge of him were out hunting, he had a 
quarrel with a squaw who attempted to tomahawk 
him, escaped, and traveled about eighty miles the 
first day and night; and subsisting on a small quan- 
tity of dried venison which he had taken with 
him, and crab-apples and roots which he gathered 
by the way, he finally succeeded in reaching his 
friends east of the Allegheny i-iver. 

Some time prior to the establishment of perma- 
nent peace by Wayne's victory over and treaty with 
the Indians, a blockhouse was erected on the Alle- 
gheny, about 120 rods above the mouth of the 
Buffalo, which is now on Water, below Fifth 
street, Freeport. Its commandant was Capt. John 
Craig, whose command consisted of forty or fifty 
men, most of whom were inexperienced soldiers, 
" raw recruits," and were addicted, before they had 
been tried, to boasting how easily they could de- 
feat the Indians. They were " brave in words," 
and continued to be until they were tried. Gordon 
and Mehaffey, two old rangers, determined to test 
their pluck. With the consent of the command- 
ant, they were marched one day to the spring on 
the hillside north of the blockhouse. Gordon and 



Mehaffey, disguised as Indians, having posted 
themselves among some rank iron-weeds just below 
the spring, yelled and whooped and shook those 
weeds, which so frightened those raw soldiers that 
they hastily threw their guns down in the road 
and rushed pell-mell into the blockhouse, to which 
Gordon and Mehaffey returned in the evening by 
the way of the " eddy " and over the river bank, 
and were refused admittance by those soldiers be- 
cause they feared the presence of Indians below 
the bank, who would rush into the blockhouse if it 
were opened. The commandant finally ordered 
Gordon and Mehaffey to be admitted. When those 
soldiers learned from them that they were the only 
Indians in those iron-weeds near the spring — when 
they realized how readily they had allowed them- 
selves to be alarmed by that piece of " bushwhack- 
ing " — that they had so needlessly proved them- 
selves " cowards in the field," they hurriedly left 
the blockhouse. Craig said a regiment couldn't 
have kept them there after they saw how easily 
they had been scared. 

On a certain occasion Craig ordered a scouting 
party to make a tour of observation as far up the 
country as the mouth of Red Bank. They went, 
and on their return reported that they had not dis- 
covered any Indians. One of them, however, while 
on his death-bed, many years afterward, sent for 
Craig and confessed to him that, while on that 
tour, he and his comrades had captured an Indian, 
and after obtaining all the information possible 
from him, and not wishing to have the trouble of 
taking him as a prisoner to the blockhouse, they 
concluded to keep his capture a secret, and to dis- 
patch him by tying him to a tree and each one 
shooting him, so that, all being equally guilty, 
there would be no danger of anyone disclosing their 
dread secret. Others of that scouting party, hav- 
ing been questioned about that affair, acknowl- 
edged to finding the Indian, but averred that John 
Harbison, who had just cause for a deadly hate 
toward all Indians, tomahawked him while he was 
conversing with another one of the party who un- 
derstood the Indian language, and that they all 
agreed to keej} that deed secret on Harbison's 
account.* 

In those early war times there was a place of 
refuge on John Reed's farm on the left bank of the 
Allegheny, about two and a half miles below the 
mouth of the Kiskiminetas, called "Reed's Sta- 
tion," which was named after "Uncle Johnny 
Reed," as the owner of the ground on which it was 
situated was called. He was much addicted to 
trapping and fishing, in which he became quite 

* Communicated to the writer tiy a descendant of Capt. Craig. 






CAPT.JAMts P, jViJi^PH^ 



CAFT, SA^lbtL iv(lJF<PriY: 



CAPTAIN SAMUEL MURPHY— CAPTAIN JAMES 
P. MURPHY— THE MURPHY FAMILY. 

The progenitor of the Murphy famil}' of this county 
was Capt. Samuel Murphy, a native of Frederick county 
Virginia, born in 1756. He led a remarkable career, one 
full of adventure, vicissitude and usefulness, and was 
famous both as soldier and pioneer. Left an orphan at 
an early age, he was reared by a Col. Stinson, a 
revolutionary patriot. He accompanied the forces of 
Lord Dunmore in their expedition into the region now 
Southern Central Ohio, in 1774, and joining the Conti- 
nental army (the 8th Pa. regt.), served through the 
revolutionary war. In the fall of 1781 he was captured 
by the Indians, on the north fork of Salt river, in Ken- 
tucky, and taken by Simon Girty to an island in the St. 
Lawrence river, sixty miles above Montreal. He per- 
formed valiant and valuable service on the frontier 
dm-ing the revolutionary war and the subsequent Indian 
wars, and Major Denny said that he was "the best 
soldier he ever knew." He was intimately acquainted 
with Gen. Washington, and on one occasion, while a 
boy, at the suggestion of Col. Stinson, he perpetrated 
upon that great man a practical joke which so pleased 
Gen. Washington that he gave young Murphy a silver 
coin. Shortly after the close of the revolutionary 
struggle, Murphy removed with his family to what is 
now Sharpsburg, where he remained, with the exception 
of some brief absences, until 1798. He assisted in the 
laying out of the town of Erie, and was a lieutenant in a 
company of rangers in 1794. In 1798 he removed to that 
part of Armstrong county now known as South Buffalo 
township, and settled upon the farm which is still in the 
possession of the Murphy family. He remained here, 
following the quiet vocation of farming, until his de- 
cease, which occurred in 1850. He was a fine type of the 
Armstrong pioneer, six feet two inches in stature, mus- 
cular, well formed, and possessing great courage and 
endurance.* 



* Other facts concerning 
chapter on South Buffalo. 



Capt. Muiphy will be found in the 



Capt. Murphy's wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- 
beth Powers, was a native of Maryland, and ten 3'ears 
his junior. She died in 1820. Their children were : 
William, Thomas, Mary, James, Elizabeth, Margaret, 
Samuel, Benjamin, Nancy, Susan, John and George, all 
of whom are living except William, Thomas, Elizabeth 
and Samuel. William, who was a farmer, removed to 
Washington county, Ohio, about 1818, and died there in 
his eighty-third year. Thomas died in Mississippi, and 
Samuel in California, in the year 1872. The others are 
all living in this county. 

Mary married James Patterson. 

James, or Capt. Murphy, as he is more familiarly 
known in this part of the state, was born in Sharps- 
burg, September 10, 1796, and reared in Armstrong 
county. He remained under the parental roof until he 
was twenty-five years of age, when he became a river 
man, which occupation he followed in various capacities 
for about twentj' years. He ran the first steamboat 
which ascended the Allegheny river, in 1828. In 1850 he 
went to California by the overland route, walking the 
greater part of the distance. He remained on the Pacific 
coast about a year, during which time his father died, 
and on his return he went on to the farm where he has 
since resided. He possesses many of the distinguishing 
characteristics of his father, and is widely known for his 
integrity of character and marked social qualities. 

Margaret, Nancy, James and John are unmarried, and 
live upon the homestead farm acquired by their father. 

Susan became Mrs. AVilliam Truby. Elizabeth mar- 
ried Benjamin King, one of the prominent citizens of 
Freeport ; both are deceased. Benjamin was born ilay 
10, 1815, and reared on the old home farm, a portion of 
which he owned and tilled, until his removal to Freeport, 
where he now lives, in 1879. He married Miss Jane, 
daughter of James Green, of North Buflalo township. 
They have reared a family of eleven children : James, 
Elizabeth, Rebecca, Samuel, Margaret, Emily, AValter P., 
Isabella, Theodore, Sarah and Lovina. Samuel died in 
the service. Walter P., one of the prominent business 
men of Freeport, is the only son living. 



PREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



403 



notable. Mrs. Gibson, mother of William Gibson, 
Freeport, who in the last quarter of the last cen- 
tury resided not far from Reed's, and had authentic 
knowledge of some of the incidents of his life, 
used to relate that he was accustomed to set his 
traps in the mouth of the Kiskiminetas. He found, 
on going there one evening to examine them, about 
1782--3, that they had been robbed. He then at- 
tempted to remove them to and set them in another 
place. While thus engaged he perceived an In- 
dian coming down to examine his traps. He soon 
saw others coming from an Indian camp in that 
vicinity. Not having his rifle, he was compelled 
to run for his life, the Indians pursuing him to 
within gunshot of the blockhouse, or Reed's sta- 
tion, which was situated a few rods up the river 
from McKean's run, the stone chimney and fire- 
place of which can still be seen from the cars on 
the A. & P. R. R. He was of course thoroughly 
frightened, and said it was "the fastest time he 
had ever made in his life." His fleetness on that 
occasion may have rivaled John Guld's. 

John Harbison was a soldier in St. Clair's army. 
Having been wounded, he was, after his recovery, 
employed as a spy to watch the movements of the 
savages. In the spring of 1792, his family resided 
in a house near Reed's station. While he was 
absent on duty, his house, about 200 yards distant 
from the blockhouse, was entered by Indians on the 
morning of May 22, and his wife and children were 
captured. Before proceeding with the account of 
their capture, the reader's attention is directed to 
what William Findley wrote to A. J. Dallas, sec- 
retary of the commonwealth, June 1 : " I was but a 
few days at home until the Indians broke into the 
settlement by Reed's station. It was garrisoned 
by rangers under Cooper. They had never scouted 
any. They had been drinking and were surprised, 
in want of ammunition, and the officer was absent 
from the station. However, the Indians fired only 
a few rounds upon the blockhouse, with which they 
killed one man and wounded another, and went 
away without any exertions being made by the 
rangers. They then killed and took Harbison's 
family in sight of the station. Harbison was one 
of the spies, and was reported as having relaxed a 
little in his duty. Indeed, the duties of the spies 
in this county is [are] too hard, and they are not 
assisted by the troops as was designed at laying the 
plan. The alarm was quickly spread; indeed, they 
themselves (the Indians) promoted the news of 
their coming by burning some of the first houses 
they came to. This occasioned the country to fly 
before them with the greatest rapidity, and being 
about forty in number took the country before 



them, keeping nearly the course of the Kiskimi- 
netas, going in small parties from five to seven, as 
far as has been observed." 

Two spies, Davis and Sutton, having lodged at 
Plarbison's house, left the next morning, Sunday, 
May 22, when the horn at the blockhouse was 
blown, leaving the door open. Several Indians 
soon afterward entered, and drew Mrs. Massey 
(corrupted from Mera) Harbison and her two 
eldest children by their feet from their beds, the 
third or youngest one, about a year old, being in 
bed with her. While these dusky burglars were 
rummaging the house and scrambling to secure 
whatever each one could of her clothing and other 
articles, she went out/doors and hallooed to the 
men in the blockhouse. One Indian then ran up 
and stopped her mouth, another rushed toward her 
with his raised tomahawk, which a third one seized, 
calling her his squaw and claiming her as his own. 
Fifteen Indians then advanced toward and fired 
upon both the blockhouse and the storehouse, kill- 
ing one and wounding another of the soldiers, one of 
whom, by the name of Wolf, was returning from 
the spring and the other either coming or looking 
out of the storehouse. When Mrs. Harbison told 
the Indians who remained with her that there were 
forty men in the blockhouse, each having two 
guns, those who were firing were brought back. 
Then they began to drive her and the children 
away. Because one of her boys, three years old, 
was unwilling to leave and was crying, they seized 
him by his feet, dashed his brains out against the 
threshold of the door, and then stabbed and scalped 
him. Her heart rent with agony, almost bereft of 
sight and all her other senses, still keeping her in- 
fant in her arms, she gave a terrific scream, and for 
that one of her savage captors dealt a heavy blow on 
her head and face, which restored her to conscious- 
ness. She and her two surviving children were 
then taken to the top of a hill, where they all 
stopped, and while the Indians were tying up their . 
booty, she counted them, their number being thirty- 
two, among whom were two white men painted 
like Indians. Those were probably the " treacher- 
ous persons among us " mentioned in another part 
of Findley's letter to Secretary Dallas. Several of 
those Indians could speak English. Mrs. Harbi- 
son knew three or four of them very well ; two 
were Senecas and two were Munsees, whose guns 
her husband had repaired almost two years before. 
Two Indians were detailed to guard her, and the 
rest then went toward Puckety. When she, her 
children and their guards had advanced about 200 
yards, the latter caught two of her uncle John 
Currie's horses, and then placing her and the 



404 



HISTORY OF ABMSTRONG COUNTY. 



youngest child on one and one of the guards and 
the remaining child on the other, proceeded 
toward the Kiskiminetas to a point opposite the 
upper end of Todd's island, where in descending 
the steep river hill the Indian's horse fell and 
rolled more than once. The boy fell over the 
horse's back, receiving a slight injury, and was 
taken up by one of the Indians. On reaching the 
shore the horses could not be made to swim, so the 
Indians took the captives across to the head of that 
island in bark canoes. After landing, the elder 
boy, five years old, complaining of the injury he 
had received from his fall and still lamenting the 
death of his brother, one of the guards toma- 
hawked and then scalped him, the other guard 
having first ordered the mother to move on ahead 
of them, actuated, perhaps, by a slight assertion of 
humanity, to save her the pain of witnessing the 
murder of another of her children. When she be- 
held that second massacre of her offspring she fell 
senseless to the ground with her infant in her arms 
beneath her with its little hands about her head. 
She knew not how long she remained in that insen- 
sible condition. The first thing she remembered 
on recovering her consciousness was raising her 
head from the ground and being overcome by an 
extreme, uncontrollable drowsiness, and beholding 
as she looked around the bloody scalp of her boy in 
the hand of one of these savages. She then invol- 
untarily sank again to the earth upon her infant. 
The first thing which she remembered after that, 
was the severe castigation that her cruel guards 
were inflicting upon her, after which they aided 
her in rising and supported her when on her feet. 
Why they did not massacre her she attributed to 
the interposition of Divine Providence in her be- 
half . There must have still been a little streak of 
humanity lingering in their ferocious breasts, for 
they concealed the scalp of her boy from her sight. 
Having restored her dormant senses by leading 
her knee-deep into the river, all proceeded to a 
shoal near the head of the island, between it and 
the mainland or "Indian side of the country," 
where her guards forced her before them into and 
through the water breast deep, she holding her child 
above the surface, and by their assistance she with 
her child safely reached the opposite shore. They 
all moved thence as fast as they could across the 
forks to the Big Buffalo, which, being a veryraj>id 
stream, her guards were obliged to aid her in cross- 
ing. Thence they took a straight course " to the 
Connoquennessing creek, the very place where 
Butler now stands." (The narrator probably wrote 
or the compositor printed to for toward.) Thence 
they advanced along the Indian trail, heretofore 



mentioned, to the Little Buffalo, which they crossed 
at the very place where B. Sarver's mill stood when 
her narrative was written, and there ascended the 
hill. Having become weary of life she fully de- 
termined to make these savages kill her, to end her 
fatigue and the prospective miseries and cruelties 
which she conceived awaited her. They were 
then moving in single file, one guard before and 
the other behind her. She stopped, withdrew from 
her shoulder a large powderhorn which, besides 
her child, they compelled her to carry, and threw 
it to the ground, closing her eyes and momentarily 
expecting to feel their deadly tomahawks. But, 
contrary to her expectations, they replaced it on her 
shoulder. She threw it off a second time, ex- 
pecting death. But they, looking indignant and 
frightful, again replaced it. She threw it down a 
third time as far as she could over the rocks. 
While the one that had been engaged in that little 
contest was recovering it, the other one who had 
claimed her as his squaw and who had witnessed 
the affair, approached and said : " Well done, you 
did right and are a good squaw, and he is a lazy 
son of a b — h ; he may carry it himself." That 
would-be husband of hers had evidently z, penchant 
for at least somie of the polite language which he 
had heard some of the white men use. The guards 
having changed their positions, the latter taking 
the rear probably to prevent the other from injur- 
ing her, they proceeded until they reached, shortly 
before dark, without refreshment during the day, 
the Salt Lick on the Connoquennessing, nearly two 
miles above the present site of Butler, where there 
was an Indian camp made of stakes driven into 
the ground sloping, covered with chestnut bark, 
long enough for fifty men, appeared to have been 
occupied for some time, was very much beaten, 
and from which large beaten paths extended in 
different directions. 

Mrs. Harbison was taken that night from that 
camp into a large dark bottonr, about -300 rods up 
a run, where they cut away the brush in a thicket, 
placed a blanket on the ground and permitted her 
to sit down with her child, which it was difficult 
for her to manage, as they had pinioned her arms 
so that she had but slight freedom of their use. 
There, without refreshment, thus pinioned, with 
those two savages who had that day massacred in 
her presence two of her boys, one of those guards 
on each side of her, she passed the first night of 
her captivity. 

The next morning one of the guards left to 
watch the trail they had traveled, and ascertain 
whether any of the white people were in pursuit. 
During his absence the other, being the one who 










JCHN GF^AHAM. 



VI f-^ 6- , ci O H ^: & r\ A h t- M , 



THE GRAHAM FAMILY— JOHN GRAHAM. 

Josepli Graham, father of John Graham, the 
well-known uitizen of South Buffalo township, was 
born in Scotland in 1768, and reared in Ireland, 
where he married a Miss Mary Ralston. In 1803 
he and his wife and three children came to America 
and located in Baltimore, and thence in 1808 they 
immigrated to Buffalo township, Armstrong coun- 
ty, and settled upon the farm where Philip Kepple 
now lives. Both Mr. and Mrs. Graham were mem- 
bers of the Slate Lick Presbyterian church, and 
numbered among its founders. Joseph Graham 
died in 184'7, and his widow in 1862. Their chil- 
dren were: Jane (Ralston), Ann (Moorehead), Rob- 
ert Joseph, Rebecca (Keenear), Mary, John, Sarah 
(Mateer) and Elizabeth (Smith). Of these all are 
deceased except Joseph, who lives in West Vir- 
ginia; Mary, a resident of Allegheny City; Mrs. 
Smith, who lives in North Buffalo, and John, the 
subject of our sketch. 

He was born October 18, 1814, and reared a 
farmer. June 20, 1844, he was married to Miss 
Margaret B. Smith, daughter of John B. and Mary 
(Bell) Smith, who was born January 8, 1825. Her 
parents were, like Mr. Graham's, early settlers 
of the township. John B. Smith was born east of 
the mountains, November 13, 1790, and came to 
Westmoreland county with his parents when two 
years of age. The family was driven back by the 



Indians, but in 1800 came to Armstrong county 
and effected a settlement. Prior to this time John 
B. Smith's grandfather, Joseph Brown, liad been 
killed by the Indians east of the mountains. Mr. 
and Mrs. Smith reared a large family of children, 
their names being: John, George H., Joseph B., 
James G., Margaret B., A. Wilson, S. H., R. M. 
and Richard N. Of these the two first named are 
deceased. Joseph B., who now lives in North 
Buffalo township, was a member of the 78th regt. 
Pa. Vols., as were also his brothers Richard N. 
and R. M., who are both now in the West. A. 
Wilson Smith was in the 8th Pa. Reserves, and 
subsequently in the 78th regt., and died from 
disease contracted in the service. S. H. Smith 
died in the Sandwich Islands. James G. Smith 
is a well known farmer of West Franklin town- 
ship. 

Returning to Mr. and Mrs. Graham, we will add 
that both are members of the Slate Lick Presbyte- 
rian church, and among the most respected resi- 
dents of their township. They have no children 
of their own, but have adopted a son, John D. 
Graham, who lives upon a farm near them. They 
have reared several others, and particularly during 
the war period were friends of the little ones whose 
fathers were in the field, taking several of them 
into their home. 

Mr. Graham, like his father, has been in politics 
a democrat. 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



405 



claimed her as his squaw, and wlio had that daj- 
killed her second boy, remained with her and took 
from his bosom the scalp which he had so hu- 
manely concealed from her sight on the island, and 
stretched it upon a hoop. She then meditated re- 
venge, attempting to take the tomahawk which 
hung by his side, and deal a fatal blow, but 
was, alas ! detected. Her dusky wooer turned, 
cursed her, and called her a Yaxikee., thus inti- 
mating that he understood her intention, and 
to prevent a repetition of her attempt, faced 
her. The feigned reason that she gave for hand- 
ling his tomahawk was, that her child wanted 
to play with its handle. The guard that bad 
been out returned from his lookout about noon, 
and reported that he had not discovered any 
pursuers, and remained on guard while the other 
went out for the same purpose. The one then 
guarding her, after questioning her res23ecting the 
whites, the strength of their armies, and boasting 
of the achievement of the Indians in St. Clair's 
defeat, examined the plunder which he had brought 
from her house, among which he found her pocket- 
book, containing llO in silver and a half-guinea in 
gold. All the food that she received from her 
guards on that Sunday and Monday was a j)iece of 
dried venison, about the size of an egg, each day, 
for herself and her child, but by reason of the 
blows which they had inflicted upon her jaws she 
could not eat any of it, and broke it up and gave it 
to her child. The guard who had been on the look- 
out in the afternoon returned about dark. Having 
been removed to another station in the valley of 
that run, that evening, she was again pinioned, 
guarded, and kept without either fire or refresh- 
ment, the second night of her captivity, just as she 
had been during the first one. She, however, fell 
asleep occasionally and dreamed several times of 
her arrival at Pittsburgh. 

Her ears were regaled the next morning by the 
singing of a flock of mocking-birds and robins that 
hovered over her irksome camp. To her imagina- 
tion they seemed to sing, " Get up and go off ! " 
One of the guards having left at daybreak to watch 
the trail, the remaining one appeared to be sleep- 
ing, on observing which, she began to snore and 
feigned to be asleep. When she was satisfied that 
he had really fallen asleep, she concluded it was 
her time to escape. She would then have slain or 
disabled him, but for the crying of her child when 
out of her arms, which would of course awaken 
him and jeopardize her own life. She, therefore, 
was contented to take a short gown, handkerchief, 
and child's frock from the pillow case contain- 
ing the articles which the Indians had brought 



from her house, and escape, about half an hour 
after sunrise. Guided by those birds, and wisely 
taking a direction from instead of toward her 
home, in order to mislead her captors she passed 
over the hill, reached the Connoquennessing, about 
two miles from the point at which she and they 
had crossed it, and descended it through thorns and 
briers, and over rocks and precipices, with bare 
feet and legs. Having discovered by the sun and 
the course of the stream that she was advancing 
too far in her course from her home, she changed 
it, ascended the hill, sat down till sunset, deter- 
mined her direction for the morrow by the even- 
ing star, gathered leaves for her bed, without food, 
her feet painful from the thorns that were in them, 
reclined and slept. 

About daybreak the next morning she was 
awakened by that flock of birds which seemed to 
her to be attending and guiding her through the 
wilderness. When light enough to find her way, 
she started on her fourth day's trial of hunger and 
fatigue, advancing, according to her knowledge of 
courses and distances, toward the Allegheny river. 
Nothing unusual occurred during the day. It 
having commenced raining moderately about sun- 
set, she prepared to make her bed of leaves, but 
was prevented by the crying of her child when she 
sat him down. Listening she distinctly heard the 
footsteps of a man following her. Such was the 
condition of the soil that her footprints might be 
discerned. Fearing that she was thus exposed to 
a second captivity, she looked for a place of con- 
cealment and providentially discovered a large 
fallen tree, into whose thick foliage she crept with 
her child in her arms, where, aided by the dark- 
ness, she avoided detection by the Indian whose 
footsteps she had heard. He having heard the 
child's cry, came to the sjjot whence the sound 
proceeded, halted, put down his gun, and was then 
so near to her that she distinctly heard the wiping- 
stick strike against his gun. Fortunately the 
child, pressed to her bosom, became warm and lay 
quiet during the continuance of their imminent 
peril. That Indian in the meantime, amidst 
that unbroken stillness, stood for nearly two hours 
with listening ears to again catch the sound of the 
child's cry, and so profovmd was that stillness that 
the beating of her own heart was all she heard, and 
which seemed to her to be so loud that she feared her 
dusky pursuer would hear it. Finally, answering 
the sound of a bell and a cry like a night-owl's, 
signals which his comj^anions had given, and giv- 
ing a horrid, soul-harrowing yell, he de2:)arted. 
Deeming it imprudent to remain there until morn- 
ing, lest her tracks might be discovered in day- 



406 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



light, she endeavored, but found it difficult, by 
reason of her exhaustion, to remove, but compelled 
by a stern necessity and her love of life, she threw 
her coat around the child, with one end between 
her teeth, thus carrying the child with her teeth and 
one arm, with the other she groped her way among 
the trees a mile or two, and there sat in the damp, 
cold air till morning. 

At daylight the next morning, wet, hungry, ex- 
hausted, wretched, she advanced across the head- 
waters of Pine creek, not knowing what they 
were, and became alarmed by two freshly indented 
moccasin tracks of men traveling in the same 
direction that .she was. As they were ahead of 
her she concluded that she could see them as soon 
as they could see her. So she proceeded about 
three miles to a hunter's camp at the confluence of 
another branch of the creek, in which those who 
preceded her had kindled a fire, breakfasted, and 
leaving the fire burning, had departed. She after- 
ward learned that they were spies, viz., James 
Anderson and John Thompson. Having become 
still more alarmed, she left that path, ascended a 
hill, struck another path, and while meditating 
there what to do, saw three deer advancing toward 
her at full speed. They turned to look and she, 
too, looked intently at their pursuers, and saw the 
flash and heard the instanttoeous report of a gun. 
Seeing some dogs start after the deer, she crouched 
behind a large log for shelter, but fortunately not 
close to it, for, as she placed her hand on the 
ground to raise herself up, that she might see the 
hunters, she saw a large mass of rattlesnakes, her 
face being very near the top one, which lay coiled 
ready to strike its deadly fangs into her. With a 
supreme effort she left that dangerous spot, bear- 
ing to the left, reached the headwaters of Squaw 
run, which, through rain, she followed the rest of 
the day, her limbs so cold and shivering that she 
could not help giving an occasional involuntary 
groan. Though her jaws had sufiiciently recov- 
ered from the pain caused by the blows inflicted 
upon her by the Indians, she suffered from hunger, 
procuring grapevines whenever she could and chew- 
ing them for what little sustenance they afforded. 
Having arrived at eveningtide within a mile of 
the Allegheny river, though she did not know it, 
at the root of a tree, holding her child in her lap 
and her head against the tree to shelter him from 
that night's drenching rain, she lodged that fifth 
night since her capture. 

She was unable for a considerable time the next 
morning to raise herself from the ground. Hav- 
ing, with a hard struggle, gained her feet, with 
nature so nearly exhausted and her spirits so 



completely depressed as they were, her progress 
was very slow and discouraging. After proceed- 
ing a short distance, she struck a path over 
which cattle had passed, following which for 
about a mile, she reached an uninhabited cabin on 
the river bottom. Not knowing where she was, 
and overcome with despair, she went to its thresh- 
old, having resolved to enter it and then lie down 
and die. But the thought of the suffering to be 
endured in that event nerved her to another des- 
perate effort to live. Hearing the sound of a cow- 
bell, which awakened a gleam of hope in her ex- 
treme despondency, she followed that sound until 
she reached a point opposite the fort at Six-Mile 
Island, where, with feelings which can be more 
readily imagined then expressed, she beheld three 
men on the left bank of the river. They appeared 
to be unwilling to come for her when she called 
on them, and requested her to inform them who she 
was. When she told them that she was the one 
who had been taken prisoner up the Allegheny on 
the morning of the 22d — in the narrative it is 
Tuesday morning — and had escaped, they requested 
her to walk up the bank of the river for awhile 
that they might see whether or not the Indians 
were making a decoy of her. When she told them 
her feet were so sore that she could not walk, 
James Closier came over for her in a canoe, while 
the other two stood on the river bank with cocked 
rifles, ready to fire in case she proved to be a decoy. 
When Closier approached the shore and saw her 
haggard and dejected appearance, he exclaimed: 
"Who, in the name of God, are you?" So great 
was the change wrought by her six days' sufferings 
that he, one of her nearest neighbors, did not 
recognize either her face or voice. When she ar- 
rived on the other side of the river she was unable 
to move or to help herself in any way. The people 
at the fort ran to see her. Some of them took her 
child and others took her from, the canoe to Mr. 
Carter's house. Then, all danger being passed, 
she enjoyed for the first time since her capture the 
relief which comes from a copious flow of tears. 
Coming too suddenly to the fire and the smell of 
the victuals, she fainted. Those hospitable people 
might have killed her with their exuberant kind- 
ness, had not Maj. McCulley, who then commanded 
the line * along the Allegheny river, fortunately 
arrived. When he saw her situation and the 
bountiful provision those good people were making 
for her, he immediately ordered her out of the 
house, away from the heat of the fire and the smell 
of the victuals which were being cooked, and pro- 
hibited her from taking anything but the whey of 

* Manor township. 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



407 



buttermilk, in very small quantities, which he 
himself administered. By that judicious treat- 
ment she was gradually restored to health and 
strength of mind and body. Sarah Carter and 
Mary Ann Crozier — whether single or married is 
not stated — then began to extract the thorns from 
her feet and legs, to the number of 150, as counted 
by Felix Negiey, who watched the operation, and 
who afterward resided at the mouth of Bull creek, 
Tarentum. Many more were extracted the next 
evening. Some of the thorns went through and 
came out on the top of her feet. The skin and 
flesh were excruciatingly mangled and hung in 
shreds to her feet and legs. So.tnuch exposure of 
her naked body to rain by night and heat of the 
sun by day, and carrying her child so long in her 
arms without relief, caused so much of her skin to 
come off that nearly her whole body was raw, and 
for two weeks her feet were not siiflBciently healed 
to enable her to put them to the ground to walk. 

The news of her escape spread rapidly in various 
directions, reaching Pittsburgh the same evening 
of her arrival at the fort at Six-Mile Island. Two 
spies proceeded that evening to Coe's — now Taren- 
tum — and the next morning to Reed's station, 
bearing the intelligence to her husband. A young 
man employed by the magistrates at Pittsburgh 
came for her to go thither for the purpose of mak- 
ing before one of them her affidavit of the facts 
connected with her captivity and escape, as was 
customary in early times, for publication. Being 
unable either to walk or ride on horseback, she was 
carried by some of the men into a canoe. After 
arriving at Pittsburgh she was borne in their arms 
to the ofiice of John Wilkins, a justice of the peace 
and a son of the late Judge Wilkins, of the United 
States court, before whom she made her affidavit. 
May 28, 1192. The facts which she thus stated, 
being circulated, caused a lively sensation in and for 
twenty miles around Pittsburgh. Her husband 
arrived there that evening, and the next morning 
she was conveyed to Coe's station. That evening 
she gave to those about her an account of the mur- 
der of her boy on Todd's Island, whither a scout 
went the next morning, found and buried the 
corpse, which had lain there unburied nine days. 

From her above-mentioned affidavit and her sub- 
sequent and more elaborate narrative, prepared 
from her statement by John Winter, the writer 
has condensed the foregoing facts, credited by the 
early settlers who were her neighbors, and which 
were made during those six terrible days of her 
life. 

She resided during several subsequent years at 
Salt Lick, a mile and a half north of Butler, on 



the Connoquennessing, at or near the site of the 
Indian camp mentioned in her affidavit and narra- 
tive. The last years of her life were passed in a 
cabin on the lot on the northeastern corner of 
Fourth street and Mulberry alley, Freeport, oppo- 
site the Methodist Episcopal church, being the 
same lot now occupied by William Murphy, where 
she died on Saturday, December 9, 1837. 

THE TODD PURCHASE. 

Among the earliest sales of depreciation lands 
northwest of the Allegheny, within the limits of 
Armstrong county, was one to William Todd, "of 
Unity township, Westmoreland county, esquire," 
and David Todd, of Armstrong township, and 
county aforesaid, " farmer," as they were described 
in their early conveyances of parcels of land. 
David Todd resided on the ti-act called "Brabant," 
on the eastern side of that part of Crooked creek 
called the South Bend.* They, having taken the 
necessary preliminary steps, obtained patents, Sep- 
tember 16, 1786, for lot No. 70, called "Union," 
348|- acres, and lot No. 71, called "Friendship," 
302 acres, both of them in Elder's district. No. 5, 
and in the forks of the Allegheny and the Buffalo, 
further mention of which is deferred for the 
present. 

The following entries are among the minutes of 
the proceedings of the supreme executive council, 
at Philadelphia, Friday, February 26, 1 790 : " Upon 
application of William Todd, Esquire, of the right 
of pre-emption to a certain island in the river Alle- 
gheny, nearly opposite to and above the mouth of 
Buffalo creek, containing 25 or 30 acres, upon 
which he has made a small improvement, it was 

" Hesolved, That the said island be granted to 
the said William Todd upon his paying for the 
same at the rate of 25 shillings per acre in certifi- 
cates of this state, interest to be computed from 
this date," which has since borne the name of 
Todd's Island. 

Todd conveyed one-half of his interest to 
Francis Johnson the same day for £5, and the 
patent was issued to them as 'tenants in common, 
January 15, 1795, and on April 1, 1796, Johnson 
reconveyed his interest to Todd. 

William Todd conveyed an undivided half part 
of "Union" and "Friendship" to Francis John- 
ston, of Philadelphia, September 16, 1786, for £300, 
which he reconveyed to Todd, April 5, 1796, the 
latter having conveyed an undivided half to David, 
March 9, 1794. Thus it was that these Todd 
brothers became seized of " Friendship " and 
" Union " as tenants in common. 



■ See South Bend township. 



408 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



A man by the name of Edmonson kept a ferry 
here across the Allegheny as early as, if not earlier 
than, 1795, for the writer is credibly informed by 
an eye-witness that one Sunday evening in Febru- 
ary, 1796, he skillfully ferried a young surveyor of 
eighteen, through much ice, from a point about 95 
rods above what is now Garver's ferry, to some 
point on the above-mentioned parcel or tract called 
"Friendship," who tarried over night at the house 
of Robert Thornburg, who was then almost the 
sole, if not the sole, head of a family in the forks. 
That young surveyor was then migrating from 
Franklin county to seek some profitable field for 
the exercise of his knowledge of and skill in the 
art of surveying, which he thereafter practiced 
extensively and for many years within what is now 
Butler county. 

In the summer or autumn of 1796 William and 
David Todd laid out a town, the plan of which is 
recorded in Allegheny county, on parts of " Friend- 
ship " bordering upon the Allegheny and the 
Buffalo, extending up both of those streams from 
their confluence. The streets parallel to the river 
were Water and Market, and those intersecting 
them at right angles and nearly parallel to the creek 
were First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth. 

The lots were numbered from 1 to 135, and were 
chiefly 66 feet, fronting on the first-named streets, 
by 159 feet between those streets and the alleys. 
This place may have been thereafter " for a long- 
time known as Toddstown,"* but that is not the 
name given to it by its proprietors. David Todd 
declared, as related to the writer by Peter E. Wea- 
ver, that all the ground between the houses on 
Water street and the river' should be free to all the 
lot-owners, and that boats, rafts and other river 
craft landing here should be free of wharfage. 
This has been ever since the laying out of the 
town a yVee ^jorif for all the river craft. So this 
town was christened by the proj)rietors, and it has 
ever since been called Freeport. The eddy, one 
of the best on that river, formed by the mouth of 
Buffalo and Todd's island, it was expected would 
make this a very important point. 

The records of this county and Allegheny county 
show that William and David Todd conveyed 27 
of their Freeport lots, January 10, 1797, for $24 
each : to James Armstrong, No. 19, north side of 
Water street, and Armstrong to Thomas Robinson, 
July 29, 1829, for $200 ; to James Bole, No. 2, north 
side of Market street ; to Thomas Campbell, No. 
35, south side of Market street, and his administra- 
tors, in pursuance of an agreement before his death, 
to Henry S. Weaver, August 5, 1829, for $55 ; to 

"Appendix to Early History of Western Pennsylyania, p. 344. 



James Cooper, No. 130, north side of Market street, 
he to James Ross, December 30, 1797, for $50, and 
Catherine Ross, of Carlisle, to Henry S. Weaver, 
December 6, 1829, for $90 ; to William Crawford, 
Nos. 1, 116; to William Cunningham, No. 93, west 
side of Sixth street; to Nicholas Day, No. 87, 
north side of Market street ; and he to Jacob 
Weaver, March 13, 1811, for $20; to James Dun- 
lap, No. 50, south side of Market street, and he to 
William F. Smith, September 18, 1829, for $20 ; to 
Thomas Dunlap, No. 45 ; to Thos. Graydon, No. 
99 ; to Robert Hill, No. 103, west side of Fourth 
street, and he to James Hill, October 14, 1812, for 
$10 ; to Robert Hunter, No. 55, south side of Mar- 
ket street; to Alexander Hunter, No. 13; to 
David Hutchinson, No. 9, north side of Water 
street, and he to Henry S. Weaver, March 18, 
1829, for $100 ; to William Jamison, No. 75, north 
side of Market street, his heirs to John Karns, 
April 15, 1816, and April 1, 1829, and he to Stephen 
Furlong, August 21, 1833, for $225 ; to Benjamin 
Lodge, No. 43, south side Market street, and he to 
Joseph Lyon, May 24, 1827, for $100; to John 
Mehaffey, No. 27, north side of Water street, 
and he to Henry S. Weaver, March 23, 1827, for 
$50 ; to John Miller, No. 62, north side of Market 
street, and he to Stephen Furlong, April 3, 1835, 
for $300 ; to John Craig Miller, No. 115 ; to Will- 
iam Morrison, No. 75 ; to Samuel Murphy, Nos. 2, 
96, 104 ; to Sarah McDowell, No. 95, west side of 
Sixth street, and she one-half to Dr. Chas. G. Snow- 
den, December 5, 1859, for $1,000, probably in pursu- 
ance of a previous agreement ; James McCormick, 
Nos. 2, 3, 7, 23, 60, 106; to Alexander McKinney, 
No. Ill, west of Second street ; to Robert Parker, 
No. 6, north side of Water street, and No. 2, north 
side of Market street ; to Thomas Powers, No. 83 ; 
to Hamilton Robb, No. 127, and he to Alexander 
Hunter, December 13, 1799, "for a valuable con- 
sideration to me in hand paid ; " to" Samuel Robb, 
No. 73, north side of Market street, and he to 
Jacob Weaver, March 23, 1812, for $5 ; to same. 
No. 26 ; to Charles Rogers, No. 132, east side of 
Sixth street ; to George Smith, Nos. 4, 66 ; to 
Thomas N. Sloan, No. 67, north side of Market 
street ; to Abraham Walker, No. 14, north side of 
Water street, and he to George Ross, November 5, 
1810, for $30 ; to Hugh Wasson, No. 102, west of 
Fourth street ; to Benjamin F. Weaver, No. 86, 
north side of Market street, and he to Henry S. 
Weaver, June 2, 1832, for $200 ; to Eliza Weaver, 
No. 58, south side of Market street ; and to Jacob . 
Weaver, No. 94. 

"The first house was built by Andrew Patterson, 
adjoining the old blockhouse. 



FEEEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



409 



James McCormick, the second sheriff of this 
county, settled here, probably in 1'797, and opened 
a hotel, and established a ferry. By the act of 
April 4, 1798, such jmrts of Allegheny county as 
were then within Elder's district, being part of 
Deer township, were made an election district, and 
the place fixed for holding the elections was " at the 
house of James McCormick, in the town of Free- 
port," which was the first house built on Water street. 
It was situated on lot No. 23, below Fifth street. 

Some time during that year Charles Dufliy and 
his family arrived here from Ireland and stopped 
at McCormick's, where his daughter Barbara, then 
in her eleventh year, remained several months. 
Her father located on the headwaters of one of 
the western tributaries of Buffalo creek, then 
in the wilderness. Barbara, as she advanced 
in vears, evinced, like many other pioneer 
women of this region, great force of character and 
a generous patriotic spirit. She married, quite 
early, Neil Gillespie, and removed to a small par- 
cel of land that belonged to him north of the 
" Gillespie tract," that is, the one owned by his 
father, John Gillespie. Her husband responded to 
the call for men to serve in the war of 1812, and 
was elected first lieutenaut of his company. She 
and her young son, James, who is now one of the 
oldest citizens of Freeport, were left alone. Dur- 
ing his absence in the service, she, with a yoke of 
young cattle, did all the j^lowing required on their 
place, and cultivated their little cleared patch so 
successfully that on her husband's return she had a 
bountiful supply of provisions as well as a cordial 
welcome for him and his men when they returned 
from "the lines and tented field." Their farm in 
the course of time proved to be too small for the 
maintenance of their family, so they removed to 
Freeport and oj^ened a hotel on what is now the 
Gillespie homestead, on Water, above Second, 
street, Freeport. Her son, Charles B. Gillespie, 
was captain of Company " F " in the 78th regiment 
of Pennsylvania volunteers in the war of the 
rebellion. She read much, had a very retentive 
memory, could entertain attentive listeners with 
her correct presentations of early scenes and 
events, and of the personal chai'acteristics of 
pioneer settlers. Generous, warm-hearted, she 
was also charitable in all things " to the Jew and 
Gentile, so they did the good work." So appre- 
ciative was she of the protection of the beneficent 
government of her adopted country that she per- 
sistently declined to apply, when often urged, for 
a pension as the widow of an officer in the war of 
1812. To the close of her life, eighty-seven years, 
she retained all her mental powers. 



Among other later arrivals at this place were 
those of Jacob Mechling, formerly of Greensburgh, 
and afterward of Butler, and his co-commis- 
sioners, Hamilton, Lane, Morton and Weaver. 
Mechling, in his "journal of proceedings to fix the 
seats of justice in the counties of Armstrong," 
etc., notes their arrival ut the mouth of Puckety, 
June 3, 1802, and then "eleven miles to Freeport, 
where we lodged that night," which is all he noted 
in his journal respecting this town, in which there 
were then but a very few log houses, besides 
McCormick's tavern, where he and the other com- 
missioners probably lodged. 

In 1805 there were, as related to the writer by 
Peter E. Weaver, only eight indifferent houses of 
hewn logs. The first one was McCormick's tavern ; 
the second one, built by Thomas Johnston, ad- 
joined MoCoi-mick's ; the third, by one of the 
Thornbnrgh's on or near Water, above Fifth 
street ; the fourth, by Henry A. Weaver, on lot 
No. 24, on the north side of Market street; the 
fifth on the second lot above the last-mentioned 
one ; the sixth, by Alexander Hunter, on Water, 
between Second and Third streets ; the seventh, 

by Porterfield, on Water, between Third 

and Fourth streets; the eighth, on Water, near 
Fifth street. 

The assessment list of Buffalo township for 1805 
shows the valuation of lots, personal property and 
occupations in Freeport to have then been : Alex- 
ander Hunter, one house, one lot and four cattle, 
$102 ; the next year, $96 ; Thomas Johnston, one 
house, one lot, two horses, two cattle and 400 acres • 
elsewhere in the township, $262 ; the next year, 
$150; James McCormick, one house, five lots, one 
horse, one cow and one ferry, $216 ; the next year, 
$222. Jacob Weaver was first assessed here in 
1806, with one house, one lot, one horse, one cow, 
and as storekeeper, at $111. Some persons have 
the impression that Henry A. Weaver settled here 
before Jacob Weaver did; that he had a French- 
man as a partner in trade, and who was an inter- 
preter to the Indians ; that, as Peter Clawson, who 
was raised near Greensburgh, lived for years on his 
father's farm at Rumbaugh's ferry on the Kiski- 
minetas, and was well versed in earlj' events, 
used to relate that, about 1806, a considerable 
quantity of wheat and flour was transported from 
Greensburgh or Hannahstown to Rumbaugh's ferry, 
thence to Freeport, and shipped thence by Weavei- 
and his partner to Blennerhasset's island for the 
use of the expedition fitted out by Aaron Burr, 
and that Weaver in consequence of being engaged 
in that shipment was obliged to be absent for a 
while. If Henry A. Weaver had lived here before 



410 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



that time, and lie was living and doing business 
here then, he was overlooked by the assessors of 
Buffalo township for several years, for the first 
time' that the name of any Henry Weaver appears 
on the assessment list of 'that township in which 
Freeport then was is on the one for the year 1812, 
when there were assessed to " Henry Weaver " two 
horses and two cattle, cows probably, at $44, though 
Joseph Morrison had been the assessor for 1807, 
John Matthes for 1809, John Smith for 1810, and 
David Reed, with John Galbraith and Samuel 
Murphy assistants, for 1811. He was assessed the 
next year (1813) by Samuel Murphy, with two 
horses, one cow, one house and one lot, at $109, 
and the next year by Adam Maxwell, with John 
Craig and John Smith assistants, with 300 acres of 
the land " formerly occupied by Thomas Johnston." 
At the first term of the court of quarter sessions 
in this county, December, 1805, the petition of 
sundry inhabitants of Buffalo township was pre- 
sented, setting forth that they labored under great 
inconvenience for want of a public road from 
James McCormick's ferry, at the town of Free- 
port, to intersect the state road at Robert Brown's 
ferry. The court appointed James MeCormick, 
Casper Barley, Samuel Murphy, Adam Ewing, 
John Young and John Painter, viewers, whose re- 
port in favor of opening the road was presented 
June 16, 1806, and considered under advisement 
until December IV, when it was disapproved by 
the court. 

POSTOFFICE. 

The exact day on which the Freeport postoffice 
was established cannot be ascei'tained, for the rea- 
son elsewhere given,* but it must have been in the 
fall of 1806, as Jacob Weaver, the first postmaster, 
began to render his quarterly accounts January 1, 
1807. 

MeCormick, having been elected sheriff in 1809, 
retired from the hotel, in which he was succeeded 
by James Bole, Jr., to whom he conveyed it. May 
8, 1813. The eddy and free wharfage made this a 
good point for raftsmen to stop at. Among the 
many who stojjped with Bole was one who wanted 
some liquor, but had no money to pay for it, and, 
as he could not obtain it on credit, he offei'ed to ex- 
change an ax for it. His offer was accepted, and 
the liquor and ax were exchanged. It happened, 
some time after the raftsman had left, that an ax 
was needed, but could not be found. Bole, being 
apprised of the fact, handed over the one which 
the raftman had left, remarking that there was one 
which he had bought. Pie soon discovered that he 
had parted with his liquor, for he had bought his 

*See borough of Kittanning. 



own ax, and laughed heartily as he occasionally re- 
fated the affair to his guests. Many years ago, 
when the Stockbridge Indians dwelt along the 
Oneida creek, in Madison county. New York, one 
of that tribe, after graduating creditably at Dart- 
mouth college, returned to his peoj)le, became the 
slave of "fire water" and a sot, and resorted to 
various ingenious expedients to obtain the poison- 
ous beverage. Jacob Konkerpot was his name. 
His brother was the chief of the tribe who, before 
their departure to the west, had erected a large 
frame mansion, in which the writer resided during 
several j'ears of his boyhood. One day, Jake was 
in the adjoining town of Augusta, and asked the 
landlord for liquor, but not having money to pay 
for it was refused. " Well," said he, " there's a 
man over here that owes me, perhaps I can get 
some money from him." After a short absence he 
returned to the inn and told the landlord that the 
man was absent, so he couldn't get his money then, 
but he had got a duck which he would pawn until 
he could get his money. The duck was taken and 
the liquor furnished, and Jake didn't stay long. 
After he had left, the landlord took the duck back 
to his yard, when he was surprised to find that 
Jake had pawned to him one of his own flock. It 
is presumed he bore Jake's sharpness and the loss 
of his liquor with a cheerful fortitude. 

Returning to soberer facts, that first tavern site in 
Freeport was conveyed by Bole to Peter Eichart, 
April 1, 1816, for $1,500, who agreed, February 17, 
to sell it to John Drum for that amount, who soon 
after took possession, and to whom Eichart's execu- 
tor conveyed it in pursuance of that agreement, 
September 7, 1832. Drum conveyed it to Robert 
Lowry, September 25, for $2,000, and Lowry to 
John Keever four days afterward for the same 
amount, who conveyed it, September 7, 1837, to 
Jacob Weaver, Thomas B. Williamson and James 
Bole in trust for his creditors. A correspondent of 
the Commercial Gazette says that Bole's successor 
was a man by the name of Stoeffer, a brother-in- 
law of Jacob Weaver, and father-in-law of Henry 
S. Weaver, and kept a very orderly house. But 
his name is not found in the conveyances of this 
property, or on the assessment lists. 

The public records show that Robert Loughrie 
was assessed with 2 acres, 1 house, 2 horses <ind 1 
cow, and he and James Loughrie (single mafl), 
with a tanyard, in 1816, at $245. The land, house 
and tanyard were sold by Philip Mechling, sheriff, 
on Vend. Ex. No. 21, December term, 1818, common 
pleas of this county, as the property of James 
Loughrie to Andrew Arnold and Henry Jack for 
$178. This parcel of land was described as adjoin- 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



411 



ing the town of Freeport, lands of Henry S. 
Weaver, James Armstrong and other land of Ar- 
nold. This tanyard was assessed to Arnold until 
he and Jack conveyed it with the 2 acres and 
dwelling-house to Thomas Robinson, September 21, 
1S30, for $650, who was not thereafter assessed 
with that tanyard, which was the first one operated 
in Freeport. On that parcel of land " Robinson's 
Row " was laid out, in which John and William L. 
Trimble were afterward assessed as tanners from 
1846 until 1853, and from then until 1860 that 
tannery was assessed to William Crow, when he 
conveyed the property to David Tajdor, since when 
there has been no tannery in Freeport. 

Freeport, notwithstanding the great expectations 
of its founders, based upon its natural advantages, 
increased very slowly during the first two decades 
of its existence. One who was born and raised on 
the opj)Osite side of the river, says it was in 1812 
a mere village, with a liquor store and blacksmith 
shop. Benjamin Harbison remembers that in 1816 
its southwestern part, that part west of Fifth 
street, was covered with a bountiful crop of wheat, 
and there were only five houses then on Water 
street. 

James Armstrong's wife, an heir of William 
Todd, instituted proceedings in partition to No. 8, 
of September term, 1817, in the common pleas of this 
county. After the issuing and service of the 
summons to William Todd and the other children 
and heirs of David Todd, deceased, George Arm- 
strong appeared as attorney for all the defendants, 
and on September 17 confessed judgment that par- 
tition be made, and agreed that the writ of parti- 
tion be executed on the then next first Monday of 
October, which was accordingly done, and on De- 
cember 16, on motion of Eben S. Kelly, judgment 
that the partition remain firm and stable forever 
was ordered by the court. Thus James Armstrong, 
the plaintiff, became vested with a large portion of 
the land in and around Freeport. 

In that partition, in-lots Nos. 39, 41, 44, 47, 53, 
63, 117, 118, 121 and 125, and the strip between 
Water street and the river were allotted to Will- 
iam Todd and his sisters, Barbara, afterward inter- 
married with Jesse Martin, Elizabeth, with David 
Shields and Sarah, with John Thrush. They, with 
their husbands, released their interests in these 
lots, except No. 41, to their brother William, April 
29, 1834, for $112.50. The latter conveyed that 
strip to the borough of Freeport September 18, 
1839, for $100. They all conveyed their interest in 
in-lotNo. 41 to Hugh Kirkland December 24, 1829, 
for 1209. 

Josiah Copley remembers that when he carried 



the mail, in 1818, from Indiana via South Bend or 
Woodward's, Kittanning and Butler, to Freeport, 
there were only ten or twelve log houses in it. 
Jacob Weaver, who was still postmaster, was the 
only merchant. John Drum's was the only tavern, 
and that was where he .stopped over night. This 
being then a river town from which no important 
highway extended into the country, the chief pat- 
ronage to that house was derived from the I'iver 
men, who liberally patronized the bar. A large 
proportion of the lumbermen in those days, says 
Copley, were rough fellows. One of those that he 
met here was superlatively so. His looks, actions 
and language were perfectly hideous. He uttered 
the most horrible oaths and imprecations before 
and after retiring for the night. On his renewal 
of them in the bedchamber, Copley requested 
him to cease. He became more furious and re- 
volting, until Copley went to the door and called 
the landlord, who he knew didn't hear him. Then 
that fiersonification of hideousness and profanity 
succumbed, as noisy, cowardly blusterers generally 
do, and all was quiet there the rest of the night. 
Copley further states,' that he has never seen a 
place in which there was so much drunkenness, 
swearing, cai-dplaying, quarreling and fighting as 
there were in and about that public house, not, 
however, chargeable to the then permanent inhab- 
itants of Freeport, most of whom were not at all 
addicted to those vices, but to those who resorted 
thither from the river and the surrounding country, 
whose highest idea of manhood was to drink, fight 
and mingle the grossest profanity with nearly all 
their talk, whose bad example was caught and fol- 
lowed by at least one young lad whom he heard 
pouring out a torrent of the wickedest kind of 
oaths, and seemingly in the angriest mood, upon a 
man on horseback, at which that man and the by- 
standers grinned like idiots, as if they really 
enjoyed that shameful display of juvenile de- 
pravity. 

BOATBUILDING. 

There was, however, a brighter, a lovely s2>ot in 
the picture. About that time, during that year, 
the hum of a new branch of useful industry began 
to be heard in this town. Edward Hart, of Boston, 
Massachusetts, who had been a sea captain, brought 
hither a small number of New England mechanics, 
of gentlemanly, decorous and correct deportment, 
who persisently refrained from profanity. They 
boarded at Drum's tavern, where Copley became 
well acquainted with them, and occasionally visited 
the yard where they were constructing a boat of 
different shape from those built now, but had, he 
thought, "sufficient depth for a seagoing vessel," 



^ 



412 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



which he saw launched early in December. An- 
other correspondent, who was present, relates: 
When all the blocks were taken from under the 
keel and the boat rested on the skids or timbers, on 
which it was to descend to the river, it was kept 
in its place by a stay at each end, at each of which 
a man was placed with instructions to knock out 
the stay with the hatchet which each had in 
his hand, on a signal being given by the captain, 
whose son Edward was one of the persons on 
wliom that duty devolved. The stay where the 
other man was placed was discovered to be in such 
a position that it could not be knocked out, but 
must be cut. After a few strokes of the ax it 
yielded suddenly to the pressure, and the boat 
moved at that end. The captain then shouted to 
his son, who then gave the blow, the stay yielded 
and the boat descended suddenly, sideways, into 
the river, amid the cheers of the interested specta- 
tors. She was neither side nor stern wheeled. 
There were two openings, separated by timbers, 
for the wheels several feet forward from the stern. 

EBLI6I0US. 

There were then no churches here. Rev. John 
Redick, pastor of the Slate Lick and Union Pres- 
byterian churches, and clergymen of other denomi- 
nations occasionally preached here in private 
houses. Copley was present one evening at a 
meeting held at the house of a widow lady, about 
opposite the foot of Todd's Island, on Water 
street, on which occasion an itinerant clergyman 
preached a rather poor and rambling sermon, if it 
was intended for and could be called a sermon, at 
the close of which he invited any present to speak 
if so inclined. Capt. Hart, who was imbued with 
an ardent and cheerful piety, who had here become 
a favorite with all who came in contact with him, 
and^ho was then soon to leave, rose and delivered 
what might be called his farewell address in so 
pious a strain, and which was so touching and elo- 
quent as to bring tears and sobs from his hearers, 
who deeply lamented that they would soon see him 
no more. 

SALT WELLS. 

About 1820 a well for salt water was sunk on the 
left bank of the Allegheny, opposite Freeport, by 
a man of the name of Fleming. A vein of oil 
was struck at the depth of 114 feet, which, increas- 
ing subsequently, became so troublesome as to 
cause work to be abandoned at the depth of 416 
feet. The well, as far down as the rock, which 
was twenty feet below the surface, was eight feet 
square and walled with timber. The people in the 
vicinity, hj means of a ladder, descended to where 



the water rose Jn that square part of the well and 
with woolen blankets collected the oil on the sur- 
face, which they used for illuminating and medi- 
cinal purposes. About IBS'? James A. McCulloch 
and William S. Ralston purchased that property. 
In cleaning out that well they collected a consid- 
erable quantity of oil, which they sold for $1.50 a 
gallon. They then pumped for oil and obtained 
daily half a barrel, which Ralston refined for burn- 
ing in lamps, and thus became the pioneer oil 
refiner. He met with no difiiculty in distilling, 
but he did in treating it with chemicals and deo- 
dorizing, which, he says, he at length overcame. 
The gravity of the oil when pumped from the rock 
was 36, when refined, 42, a safe oil for illuminating. 
There was a residuum of four per cent of tar, 
which was equal to pine tar for lubricating wagon 
axles. 

In 1830 commenced the business of taking ice 
from the mouth of Buffalo creek, from the basin 
above the Kiskiminetas, and from the river below 
the town for the southern market. Some seasons 
between then and 1855 several large cargoes of it 
were transported in barges down the Mississippi. 

IRISH SETTLEMENTS OE CANAL TIMES. 

While the canal was being made there were two 
Irish settlements of Irish laborers, called Garry 
Owen and Mullengan, one above and the other below 
Freeport. The inhabitants thereof occasionally 
came to patronize, at least they did patronize, the 
three taverns which then flourished here, and sel- 
dom failed to enliven the town with their boister- 
ous hilarity. There was a racecourse on the lower 
flat on which some of the best blooded horses from 
Kentuckv and Virginia evinced their wonderful 
speed. Jumping and foot-races were common. . 
■ Betting was brisk, and large sums were won and 
lost on the quadruped and biped racers. John 
Karns on a certain occasion jumped from one side 
of the canal lock to the other, a distance of sixteen 
feet. It is related that Simon Shields won $50 by 
jumping three " stand-and-jumps." Other noted 
jumpers were Elliott and Samuel D. Karns and 
Henry Gass. On St. Patrick's day, 1828, the Irish 
from Garry Owen and Mullengan had a large pro- 
cession. They were decked vnth pine and laurel 
to represent the shamrock. After marching 
through town regaled by strains of music, they 
closed their celebration with real Irish joviality at 
Neil Gillespie's tavern. There were then about 
thirty houses in Freeport. 

EAELT ASSESSMENTS. 

Benjamin, probably meant for Benjamin F. 
Weaver, was first assessed here as a single man in 



I 



"^ 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



418 



1814 ; Henry, probably meant for Henry A. Wea- 
ver, witb lot No. 128, one house, one borse, one 
cow, at $132, besides the 300 acres heretofore men- 
tioned; Benjamin King, single man, carpenter, 
one lot and one house, in 1819-20, at $150 ; John 
Woods, single man, in 1819-20; Henry S. Wea- 
ver, with 72 acres and a distillery in 1818, at $222. 
David Putney says there were only two weather- 
boarded houses here in 1820, one of which was frame 
and the other log. Thos. O'Neil, No. 13, one 
house, $200 ; Boyle, No. 15, one house, $200 ; 
Johnston Canaan, No. 14, one house, one cow, $131; 
David H. Potts, shoemaker, No. 34, one house, one 
cow, $136 ; David Scott, No. 3, one house, one 
cow, $26 ; Henry Drum, one cow, $8 ; Andrew 
Glenett, one horse, one cow, $28 ; H. G. Bethune, 

; David Calkin, shoemaker, No. 57, one 

house, four oxen, one cow, $176 ; Wm. Painter, 
No. 126, one house (transferred from Thos. Ryan), 
$50. The only occupations noted on that list are 
those above mentioned. 

The first separate assessment list for Freeport 
was in 1826, when Philip Bohlen was assessed 
with lot No. 13, one house and one horse, at $210, 
in the occupancy of Hugh Gillespie ; John Drum, 
lot No. 22, one house and two cows, $308 ; John 
Fullerton, No. 25, one house, one cow, $156 ; Mat- 
thias Folcake, No. 1 5, one house, formerly to Will- 
iam Gibson, two cows, $200 ; William Gibson, 
No. 17, one house, two cows, $346 ; George Helter- 
brand. No, 14, one house, $50 ; William Painter, 
tailor. No. 2, one house (Andrew Stenett), one 
horse, one cow, $298 ; Thomas Regan, No. 126, one 
house (John Dougherty), $50 ; James Cain, No. 34, 
one house (Dugan & Co.), $50 ; Patrick Pree, 
No. 68, one house (Hugh Carson), $50 ; Jacob 
Weaver, No. 24, one house, $150 ; widow of Henry 
A. Weaver, No. 128, one house, two horses, two 
cows, $206 ; Henry S. Weaver, No. 26, one house, 
$150 ; John Wodison (absent), one house. 

Returned as unseated lots the same year, from 
No. 30 to 135 inclusive, of which, however, the 
following were, according to the corrected list, 
seated and assessed as follows : No. 52, by M. 
Moorehead, including one cow, $238 ; No. 54, by 
same, $200 ; No. 55, sold to A. Ralston, $214 ; 
No. 57, by M. McGraw, $206 ; No. 59, by H. G. 
Bethune and occupation, $256 ; No. 60, by William 
Haggerty, $200 ; by H. S. Weaver, No. SO, $80, 
Nos. 86, 87, each $150 ; No. 83, by J. Canaan, $150; 
No. 88, by B. F. Weaver, $50; No. 91, by John 
Fullerton, $50 ; No. 92, by Jacob O'Donnell, $116 ; 
No. 131, by N. P. Lang, carpenter, $100. The 
corrected list also shows : No. 4, assessed to An- 
drew Bradley, $286 ; No. 8, to Mrs. Rachel Elliott, 
26 



$280 ; No. 11, and one cow, to Esq. Bohlen, $286; 
No. 12, sold to William Porter, $280; No. 10, 
seated by Gibson ; No. 21, by J. L. Easton, $342 ; 
Nos. 27 and 29, to H. S. Weaver, each $280. 

TEANSFEE.S OF PEOPEETY. 

Armstrong disposed of but few, if any, of 
his lots for more than a decade after the partition. 
He was of course benefited by the impetus given to 
the growth of the toAvn by the making of the Penn- 
sylvania canal. Its excavation above, through and 
below the town, the construction of the canal-lock 
here, and of the aqueducts across the Allegheny 
and the Buffalo, the commercial facilities offered 
by the canal, and the boring of several salt-wells 
in its vicinity, made Freeport a brisk business cen- 
ter. The work on the canal commenced here in 
the summer of 1827, and boats made their first 
trips on it in 1828-9. The Benjamin Franklin was 
the first packet-boat, said to have been a very neat 
one, that plied regularly between Freeport and 
Pittsburgh. Her first trip was on February 6, 
1829, with about thirty passengers. Her speed 
was five miles an hour.* 

An improvement meeting, similar to the one held 
at Kittanning, except that it was of a more local 
character, was held here January 23, 1828, of which 
Jacob Weaver was president, and William W. Gib- 
son and Henry S. Weaver were secretaries. 

About May 27, 1829, a part of the aqueduct 
across Buffalo creek fell down. 

Armstrong's sales of his lots appears from the 
records to have commenced about the time of the 
completion of the canal. He made several addi- 
tions to the town. The first was from the land 
immediately adjacent to the original plot, by which 
the number of in-lots was increased to about 
200. His other additions are the " Hill Plot," the 
"Buffalo Plot," and those dated respectively No- 
vember 30, 1841, October 21, 1846, and December 
4, 1847. 

His sales of town lots and other parcels, " Union " 
and " Friendshij)," extended through a period of 
twenty-eight years, which the records show to have 
been : 

In 1829, to John Patterson, out^lot No. 12, Jan- 
uary 23, for $100 ; to James Bole, William W. 
Gibson and James White, " in trust for the three 
denom.inations of christians worshiping or to wor- 
ship in the meeting-house near Freeport, the 
Episcopal, Associate or Seceder, and the Presby- 
terian," 1 acre and 36 perches, " including the 
burial-ground, which is to be considered a general 
interest by the citizens of Freejiort and vicinity," 

* Culumbian of Saturday, September 12, 1829. 






414 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



January 24, for $100 ; to Benjamin King, out-lot 
No. 3, 1 acre and 18^ perches, same day, for $90 ; 
to Andrew Arnold, his interest in '■A acres and 16 
perches, "near the town of Freeport," July 13, 
for $35 (and he to Thomas Robinson, January 30, 
1839 for $150) ; to Rev. Hugh Kirkland, out-lot 
No. 13, 2 acres and 13 perches, for $147; to 
Thomas Robinson, in-lot No.- 19, July 29, for $200 ; 
to Michael Moorehead, one-eleventh of in-lot No. 51, 
July 30, for $9.55 ; to Henry S. Weaver, in-lots 
Nos. 30, 123, 124, 125, December 21, for $500. In 
1830, to Francis Anderson, out-lot No. 2, July 25, 
for $130 ; to Andrew Farley, in-lot No. *?, July 
29, for $61. 

In the summer or autumn of this year a slight 
breeze of intestine discord disturbed this commu- 
nity, which originated from the erection of a house 
on the strip between the river and Water street, a 
short distance below Fifth, by Hugh Kirkland and 
John Patterson for their own use. Some of the 
good citizens resisted such a use and occupancy of 
any part of that strip (A free land. William Mar- 
tin, Joseph Shoop, Benjamin, Henry and Peter E. 
Weaver and William Younkius went to the build- 
ing, after its completion, with the intention of 
throwing it into the river. Hence arose the action 
of trespass vi et artnis brought by Kirkland and 
Patterson against them to No. 34, December term, 
1830, in the common pleas of this county. After 
the narr. and the pleas were filed the case was 
compromised, before which the defendants had 
proceeded to carry out their intention. Patterson, 
having become aware of their purpose, entered the 
building and, armed with an adz, bade them stay 
out. After a brief altercation he agreed that the 
building should be removed, which was accordingly 
done. If a trial of the case had been reached, the 
defendants were prepared to prove David Todd's 
declaration, that that strip of land should always 
he free to the lotowners and rivermen.* 

In 1831 Armstrong conveyed to Jacob Weaver, 
in-lot No. 48, January 9, for $139 ; to William W. 
Gibson, in-lot No. 136, January 26, for $159 ; to 
David and James Murry, out-lot No. 4, January 28, 
for $60 ; to James McCuUough, in-lot No. 154, 
January 29, for $34 ; to William Younkins, in-lot 
No. 143, January 31, for $38 ; to John Kerns, out- 
lot No. 9, 1 acre and 8-^ perches the same day, for 
$75 ; to Isaac Bole, in-lots Nos. 146, 147, same day, 
for $199 ; to James E. McDonald, in-lot No. 144, 
same day, for $50 ; to Joseph McKee, in-lot No. 51, 
February 1, for $105 (which McKee afterward con- 
veyed to Alexander Armstrong for $200, and the 
latter to John McGinler, March 10, 1838, for $200); 

* Peter E. Weaver's statement to the writer. 



to Andrew Ralston, in-lot No. 142, same day, for 
$39 ; to William Miller, in-lot No. 157, February 3, 
for $50 ; to Nathaniel Miller, in-lot No. 149, same 
day, for $60 ; to James Bole, out-lot No. 5, June 
31, for $35 ; to John Bole, in-lots Nos. 138, 139, 
January 31, for $93. 

Armstrong was first assessed as a resident here, 
in 1832, with in-lot No. 18, 1 house, 1 horse and 1 
cow, at $828. He conveyed to David Putney 3 
acres and 106 perches, adjoining Putney's lane, on 
Franklin street on the south, Fifth street on the 
west, and an alley on the north, April 6, for $400. 
Putney removed about that time from Bole's mill 
to Free23ort, where he was that year first assessed 
with out-lot No. 14, 1 house and 1 cow, at $43. 
He soon after started a brickyard and was the 
pioneer in building brick houses in Freeport. 

In 1833 Armstrong conveyed to John Miller in- 
lot No. 62, June 21, for $43. 

In 1837, to William P. Rupp and Thomas B. 
Williamson, wardens, and Jacob Mechling, Jr., 
James D. Torbett, John S. Weaver, Peter S. Wea- 
ver and Samuel L. Weaver, vestrymen of the 
Trinity Episcopal church, a part of in-lot No. 131, 
March 29, for $200 ; to Charles J. Kenley, part of 
out-lot No. 18, September 4, for $1,000. 

In 1838, to Thomas B. Williamson, in-lots Nos. 
189, 190, November 17, for $47 ; to James Carna- 
han, in-lots 179, 180, December 16, for $53, and 
three-fourths of an acre of " Union," beginning at 
a post in Baker street, for $100. 

In 1839, to William Bohlen, in-lot No. 191, 
August 23, for $40. 

In 1840, to Margaret Stewart, part of out-lot No. 
18, i.e. out-lot No. 2, from No. 15 to No. 18 inclu- 
sive, February 18, for $40. 

In 1841, to Samuel Maxwell, in-lots Nos. 186-7- 
8, " recently laid out," January 23, for $77 ; to Jas. 
E. Griffin, in-lot No. 131, February 6, for $300; to 
John Kerns, out-lot No. 15, 1 acre, 98 perches, 
April 19, for $230 ; to Jacob Shoop and Peter E. 
Weaver, in-lot No. 88, May 17, for $550. Weaver 
released to Shoop, and he conveyed one-half to 
Jas. Carnahan, June 5, for $53; to James Carnahan, 
December 18, three-fourths of an acre in j)lot of 
November 30, 1841, for $100; to Isaac Coyte, out-lot 
No. 16, 1 acre and 111 perches, October 20, for 
$200 ; to Samuel D. Karns, in-lots Nos. 178, 184, 
November 15, for $58 ; to Washington Bales, De- 
cember 18, Nos. 2, 3, in plot of November 30, 1841, 
for $76. Bales to Alexander Bales and Jane Rowen, 
November 14, 1857, for $300, and Mrs. Rowen to 
Martha Miller, March 15, 1859, for $2,000. 

In 1842, to John Johnston, June 16, Nos. 10, 11, 
plot of November 30, 1841, for $140; to John Arnold, 




JVl. E . CHUFxCH, 



FREEPOT^T, PA. 



FEEEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



415 



June 19, No. 12, ditto, for |60 ; to Dr. David Alter, 
June 29, No. 4, ditto, for |50 ; to Polly Rowley, 
Nos. 20, 21, ditto, for $60 ; to James Carnahan, 
July 11, Nos. 16, 17, 18, ditto, for $80 ; to Robert 
McKee, same day, Nos. 32,33, ditto, for $11 9; David 
Wilson, Nos. 28, 29, ditto, October 13, for $136; 
to John Johnston, 36^ perches out of in-lot No. 18, 
October 3, for $90 ; to Andrew McGinniss, No. 1, 
south side of Buffalo creek, June 29, for $55. He 
advertised, August 9, in the Freeport Columbian^ 
20 building-lots in the borough " and suburbs " 
for sale, and two excellent coalbanks for lease, from 
which were " delivered thousands of bushels of 
stone coal every year." 

In 1844, to Lewis Brenneman, January 3, No. 25, 
plot November 30, 1841, for $94, and, same day, 
in-lot No. 85, for $1,000. 

In 1845, to John Arnold, May 3, parcel adjoining 
plot November 30, 1841, for $1 ; he to Robert 
Carnahan, same day, for $63; to Peter Bowers, 
No. 1 Armstrong's plot, December 8, for $100. 

In 1846, to Asa Rowley, September 9, No. 24, plot 
November 30, 1841, for $101. 

In 1847, to Richard Armstrong, in-lots Nos. 
164-5, August 19, for $400. 

In 1848, to David Callen, in-lot No. 184, April 4, 
for $35; to Rev. E. M. Miles, September 12, No. 
42, plot December 4, 1847, for $33.50; to I. Smith 
Bole, same day, No. 40, ditto for $36 ; to Conrad Nulf, 
a parcel adjoining the river on the south and in-lot 
No. 1 on the north and Buffalo creek on the west, 
October 12, for $50; to Frederick Kayler, same 
day, Nos. 22-3, plot December 4, 1847, for $50 ; to 
Joseph Kenniston, the only one of Capt. Hart's 
employes who remained here, in-lot No. 120, De- 
cember 16, for $35. 

In 1849, to John W. Redpath, a parcel partly in 
Freeport and South Buffalo township, March 14, 
for $200 ; to Abner W. Lane, a parcel adjoining 
northeast side of Stewart street and Lane's line, 
between the creek and the public road from the 
west end of Market street, April 2, for $100 ; to 
James Hoaks, November 26, No. 4, plot December 
4, 1847, for $50; to William Bates, same day, Nos. 
13, 35, plot November 30, 1841, for $60. 

In 1850, to Robert Morris, December 10, No. — , 
plot November 30, 1841, for $150. 

In 1851, to Bridgett Torbett Nos. 5, 6, "Buffalo 
plot," September 6, for $100; to AVilliam Phillips, 
October 18, Nos. 14-15, plot December 4, 1848, for 
$100. 

In 1853, to James Gillespie and John McCue, 75 
acres and 129 perches, beginning at a post on 
Washington street, etc., June 9, for $6,000. 

In 1855, to Dr. David Alter, No. 19, Armstrong's 



plot, December 21, for $120 ; to Robert Morris, 
same day, No. 5 plot October 21, 1846, for $100. 

1858, to John L. Churchill, one-fifth of an acre 
between Second street and the creek, also the 
island in the creek, but without warranty of title 
to the latter, December 20, for $100, which seems 
to have been the last sale made by him before his 
death. Lots Nos. 4 and 8 of the "Hill plot" re- 
mained unsold as a part of his estate until after 
proceedings in partition, when they were conveyed 
by George B. Sloan, trustee, to Jacob Shoop, June 
5, 1862, the former for $44 and the latter for $55, 
who conveyed them, December 21, to William A. 
Long, the former for $100 and the latter for $150. 

He also left in-lot No. 108, which was retained 
by his widow. She conveyed it to Charles E. 
Shaw, February ,9, 1866, for $500. Shaw conveyed 
the western half of it to Henry S. Ehrenfeld, April 
13, 1867, for $250, and he to Archibald M. Shaw, 
June 21, 1870, for $1,000. Charles E. Shaw con- 
veyed the eastern half of this lot to Milton E. 
Shaw, February 1, 1874, for $500, and Archibald 
M. Shaw the other or western half to him, June 7, 
1875, for $1,100, and the latter conveyed the whole 
lot to Samuel Hepworth, June 10, for $1,300. Thus 
passed to others the title to the last parcel of the 
real estate within the present borough limits which 
had been, more than half a century ago, allotted to 
James Armstrong, an heir of one of the original 
proprietors of the town of Freeport. 

Todd's Island having become vested in the heirs 
of David Todd, they by their attorney, Thomas 
White, conveyed it to John O'Neil, May 1, 1830. 
In April, 1831, O'Neil laid it out into twenty-one 
lots, fifteen of which contained 1 acre each; No. 21, 
6 acres; No. 1, 139^ jjerches; No. 10, 112 perches ; 
No. 11, llOi perches; No. 12, 99^ perches, and No. 
13, 100 perches. A street 33 feet wide extended, 
with a bearing north 59 degrees east, through the 
central part of the island. On the 30th of May, 
1833, the sales of lots were quite brisk. On that 
day O'Neil conveyed No. 20 to John Karns for 
$90.50; Nos. 12, 13, to John Keever, for $51; Nos. 
21, 22, to Benjamin King, for $66; to David Scott, 
No. 17, for $— ; No. 18 to John Shoop, for $51; No. 
3 to Henry Weaver, Jr., for $55. June 14, No. 9 to 
Jacob Williams for $71.50. Doubts having arisen 
as to whether this island was within the limits of 
this county, it was declared to belong thereto, and 
was annexed to the borough of Freeport by the 
act of March 19, 1840. It has been previously 
claimed by Westmoreland county. Edward H. Day, 
Henry Eichert and Peter Weaver acquired an in- 
terest in Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, which passed from them by 
sheriff's sale, March 21, 1846, to Robert M. Porter, 



416 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



wliioli he conveyed to Samuel B. Porter, April 22, 
1847, for $"700, from whom the northern part of 
No. 1 — the southern part being then vested in A. 
Col well and P. Templeton — passed by sheriff's 
sale to Hiram Neyman, March 5, 1855, for $1,500, 
and which Neyman conveyed to Thomas Magill in 
May, 1866, for $975. 

A company, consisting of John and Thomas 
Magill and McCandless, Jamison & Co., was organ- 
ized March 1, 1868, who erected a woolen mill on 
O'Neil's lot No. 2 and a dye-house on No. 3, known 
as the " Freeport Woolen Mills," with which 
Thomas Magill has been since assessed.* 

Others appear to have been conveyed, the deeds 
for which are not on record. 

David Scott conveyed No. 17 to James Milligan, 
December 9, 1833; Milligan to John Boyd, Janu- 
ary 10, 1837 ; Boyd to Conrad Nolf, May 6, 1843 ; 
Nolf to Fr. and Samuel Sheldon, October 27, 
1860, for $300; they to Ann E. Sheldon one-third 
of the eastern portion, June 8, 1867, for $100, and 
she to Magill, January 15, 1869, for $100. 

Sheriff Hutchinson conveyed No. 6 to Wm. H. 
Richardson, March 21, 1838; the latter to Peter 
Ford, March 30, 1841, who, by his will dated Jan- 
uary 17, 1852, devised it to his daughter, Nancy 
L. Ford, who, with her husband, John Turner, con- 
veyed it to Elizabeth Shaner, March 12, 1864, the 
eastern part of which she conveyed to Magill, 
March 30, 1867, for $625. Charles Vantine con- 
veyed Nos. 21 and 22, lying " east of a cut through 
the island," to Thomas Magill, December 1, 1868, 
for $150. 

Samuel B. Porter leased the " southwestern part 
or termination" of this island, including lot No. 
1, to Robert Cooper, Jr., and Matthew Henderson 
for six years from April 1, 1849, at an annual 
ground rent of $10, the lessor to have the privi- 
lege of taking, at the end of the term, the sawmill 
thereon erected at a fair valuation, or sell it at a 
fair price. The lessees transferred one-third of 
the lease and buildings to Robert M. Porter, Feb- 
ruary 2, 1850, to whom Cooper transferred all his 
remaining interest, June 5, and Porter conveyed 
all his interest to Henderson, February 8, who, 
having acquired the entire interest, conveyed it to 
James Milligan, June 4, for $3,250, which included 
the steam sawmill, erected by Cooper and Hender- 
son in 1849, with which Milligan continued to be 
assessed and which he operated until 1854, when 
it was purchased by Colwell and Templeton at 
sheriff's sales. 

Alexander Anderson and Edward S. Grolden, 
having acquired an interest in a portion of No. 1, 

* Until 1877, and J. R. Magill and others thereafter. 



conveyed a part of it, 100 feet on Main street and 
extending back to the eddy, to John J. Long, 
March 30, 1866, for $200, and 106| perches, 
previously, to A. V. McKim, on which a distillery 
had been erected by John Moyer in 1858, and with 
which Rhey & Bell were assessed in 1859, and 
McKim in 1862-3. For the purpose of removing 
all conflict of title, John S. Bole and Thomas 
Magill purchased McKim's interest, January 23, 
1866, for $250, and Long's October 24, 1868, for 
$256. Magill, March 18, 1870, subdivided Nos. '4 
and 5 of O'Neil's plot into twenty lots, each thirty- 
three feet wide, ten of which are 110, six are 100, 
and the rest vary from less than 100 to 75 feet in 
length, and are traversed by Short street, thirty 
feet wide from north to south, and by an alley, 
fifteen feet wide from east to west. 

CORPORATE HISTORY. 

The town of Freeport was incorporated into a 
borough by the act of April 8, 1833, which pre- 
scribed its boundaries thus : Beginning at a chest- 
nut on the bank of the Allegheny river at the 
mouth of Buffalo creek ; thence up the river north 
14 degrees east 120 perches to the mouth of the 
eddy opposite the town ; thence up the river north 
53 degrees east 67 perches to the corner of Thomas 
Robinson's survey; thence north 19 degrees west 
66r^ perches to a white oak on Robinson's land; 
thence south 72^ degrees west 74rTr perches to a 
black oak on the bank of Buffalo creek ; thence 
down the creek south 28 degrees west 44t'V perches 
to a chestnut ; thence down the same south 20 
degrees west ISrV perches ; thence south 12 degrees 
west 47 perches to a maple; thence 21 degrees 
east 24r% perches to the eastern abutment of the 
aqueduct over the creek ; and thence south 49 de- 
grees east 22 perches to the beginning. It was 
provided by the same act that all voters of what is 
now South Buffalo township residing below a line 
beginning at Walker's ferry on the Allegheny 
river and extending thence to the Armstrong and 
Butler county line should vote at general elections 
at Freeport, which was made a separate election 
district, the elections to be held in the school- 
house. The first election was directed to be held 
on the first Friday of May, 1833, and Benjamin 
King and Dr. J. B. Williamson, or either of them, 
were to publish and superintend it, and the annual 
borough elections were to be held on the first 
Monday of May thereafter, until, by act of March 
7, 1840, it was changed to the second Friday of 
March, and is now, under the new constitution, on 
the second Friday of February. 

At the first borough election. May 3, 1833, Jacob 



FEEEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



417 



Weaver was elected burgess ; James McCall, assist- 
ant burgess ; Andrew Earley, James Milligan, 
William Moorehead, William Painter, David Put- 
ney and Plenry Weaver, town councilmen ; David 
McCall, high constable ; John Drum, street com- 
missioner ; James Ralston and Joseph Shoop, over- 
seers of the poor; Jacob Alter, assessor; William 
Painter and James Ralston, assistant assessors. 

The first meeting of the burgess and town coun- 
cil was held May 10, when William W. Gibson 
was appointed clerk. 

At the meeting. May 31, the council determined 
the dimensions of each square to be 333 feet and 
3 inches, including the alleys, the width of the 
sidewalks 8 feet, increased to 10 feet by ordinance 
of May 29, 1868, but directed at a meeting held on 
the 1st to remain at the old width until repairs 
should be made. 

The valuation of property in the borough in 
1833 was $48,078, and the rate Y>er cent of tax 
thereon was six mills. According to the charter 
it could not exceed one and a half per cent in any 
one year. The amount of tax collected, that year, 
was $192.31. 

At a meeting of council, held June 7, ordinances 
were passed prohibiting public bathing, swimming, 
or washing by nude persons in the river and canal 
between sunrise and 8-j o'clock p. m., which made 
the penalty for each offense $1 ; running or driving 
horses and carriages and other vehicles at a faster 
gait than a slow trot, penalty $5 ; and firing guns 
within the borough limits, penalty |2 ; the obstruc- 
tion of any of the lanes, streets or alleys, penalty 
$10 ; swine running at large, penalty 25 cents ; 
riding or driving horses on pavements, penalty |1 ; 
and providing for grading streets and sidewalks 
by an assessment of one-half a cent on the dollar 
of the valuation of the property in the borough. 
These ordinances, although passed then, were not 
recorded, were recognized by the burgess and were 
subsequently repassed. 

The council adopted a resolution May 12, 1824, 
requiring the pond on the low ground in the bor- 
ough to be drained along the old route of the drain 
into Buffalo creek ; and December 22, levied a 
tax of six mills in addition to the $44.38 assessed 
by the delegate meeting of school directors, held 
at Kittanning, November 4, and adopted by a meet- 
ing of the citizens of Freeport school district, 
according to the act of assembly then in force pro- 
viding for a general system of education within 
this Commonwealth. 

At a meeting of council, held June 19, 1835, 
assent on part of the borough was given to the 
compromise of the suit brought by Kirkland and 



Patterson against Martin, Shoop and others, to 
test the title of the strip of free land between 
Water street and the river. A resolution was 
adopted, June 20, imposing a fine of 25 cents for 
each absence of a member of council or other bor- 
ough officer for absence from a meeting of council, 
which became obsolete and was rescinded, June 
23, 1838. 

The privilege was granted to the Weigh Scale 
Company, April 7, 1836, to use that part of Market 
street then opposite Robert Lowther's, now John 
W. Redpath's store, nearly half-way between Fourth 
and Fifth streets. Those scales were afterward 
removed to that part of Market between Fifth and 
Sixth streets, and they are now on Fourth between 
High and Market streets, opposite John R. Shir- 
ley's lot. The council resolved, July 23, to ap- 
point two fence-viewers, whose duty was to view 
all fences when called on in cases of damages and 
report the same to any of the justices of the peace 
of the borough. A contract was made, August 12, 
to purchase a fire-engine, which was then here, for 
$250 ; the council, August 30, directed an engine- 
house to be erected on the south side of Market, at 
the intersection of Fourth street, and that not less 
than twenty yards of rope or cable, with requisite 
cross-bars, be attached to the engine. It was de- 
termined, September 10, that the engine-house 
should be frame, twelve feet square and twelve 
feet high. 

It was ordained, July 10, 183*7, to impose a tax 
on all dogs within the borough. 

A resolution was adopted, May 26, 1838, to level 
Fifth street from the canal bridge to the foot of 
the hill ; and, June 23, that a bridge should be 
built over the ravine at the north end of Second 
street. 

A resolution was adopted by the council, March 
3, 1843, turning over the fire-engine, engine-house, 
ladders, fire-hooks and other equipments to the 
Allegheny Fire Company in consideration of their 
organization and the services rendered and to be 
rendered, which in the course of time vanished, so 
that now there is no fire company, no engine, no 
means of extinguishing fires, except water buckets, 
and what may be called a water brigade, impro- 
vised as fires occur. 

The council resolved, September 3, 1846, that 
Fourth street should be located and opened from 
its then termination to the public road from Free- 
port to Butler, as provided by the Act of April 17, 
1841. 

The proposal of Peter Ford to build the eddy 
bridge for $4,500 was accepted October 2, 1849. It 
was swept away by a high flood, and two or three 



418 



HISTOEY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



otliers were afterward erected on its site, where 
there is now a foot bridge from the mainland to 
the island. 

An agreement was made, May 4, 1868, between 
the burgess and town council and John McCue 
and James McGonigle to furnish the stone for rip- 
rapping Water sti'eet, the quantity amounting 
to 1744.10. 

The assessment list for 1833 shows that the 
borough contained the year its charter was granted 
107 taxables. The only occupations given in that 
list were: Merchants, 4; carpenters, 3; blacksmiths, 
2; tailor, 1; laborers, 2; hatters, 2; shoemakers, 4; 
innkeepers, 3 ; tanner, 1 ; mason, 1 ; limner, 1 ; 
teacher, 1; joiner, 1 ; wagonmaker, 1. 

ADDITIONS TO THE TOWN PLOT. 

Additions to the town or town plots were laid 
out by several of the purchasers of out-lots fiom 
Armstrong. Rev. Hugh Kirkland subdivided out- 
lots Nos. 11 and 18 into smaller parcels, some of 
his conveyances of which were: To the Presby- 
terian Association of Freeport, April 4, 1832, 70 
feet square, part of out-lot No. 11, "on the emi- 
nence on the west end of said lot," for $50; to Da- 
vid M. Alter, October 29, 1836, lot No. 1, being a 
part of out-lot No. 13, for $150, which Alter con- 
veyed to the " Reg. Baptist Church of Freeport," 
November 6, 1847, for $175; to William H. Queere, 
33 feet along the Kittanning road by 99 feet along 
an alley, part of out-lot No. 13, February 7, 1839, 
for $75; to Alexander Anderson, No. 6, part of out- 
lot No. 13, January 12, 1840, for $80; his assignees 
to John Keener, No. 21, part of out-lot No. 11, 
March 29, 1836, for $210; to Peter Ford, No. 13, 
part of out-lot No. 13, December 16, 1837, for $49. 

In the latter part of 1831 or early part of 1832, 
David Putney laid out a plot of twelve lots on that 
part of the three acres which he purchased from 
Armstrong, adjoining Putney's lane, afterward 
Franklin street, on the north, an alley on the east, 
an alley on the south and Fifth street on the west. 
The western ends of the first three front on Fifth 
street. No. 1 being 44X1553 feet, Nos. 2 and 3 each 
40X152 feet. The northern ends of all the others 
front on Putney's lane, and their southern ends on 
the alley, Nos. 4 to 11 inclusive being 33X124 
feet, and No. 12, 38 X 124 feet. The lane and alley 
are respectively 12 feet wide, and the bearing of 
each north 72^ degrees east, and the bearing of Fifth 
street north 1 7^- degrees west. Putney lived in a 
small house on the west side of the lane, opposite 
No. 3, until he built his brick house. He sold his 
lots, March 26, 1832: To Robert Haughton, No. 1, 
for $300; to David Robeson, No. 2, for $103; to 



John Keever, No. 4, for $50; to Peter Weaver, No. 
5, for $40 ; to William Miller, No. 6, for $40 ; to 
Joseph Shoop, No. 7, for $40; to same, No. 8, for 
$40 ; to John Johnston, No. 9, for $50 ; to John 
Robeson, No. 10, for $53; to George Syphax, No. 
11, for $60; to James Milligan, No. 12, for $60. 

Pneuman's row consists of eight lots, each 35 X 
160 feet, adjoining Second street, being out-lot No. 
3, which Armstrong conveyed to Benjamin King, 
January 4, 1829; King to Samuel De Graif, March 
10, 1832; De Graff to James Pneuman, Nove^iber 
15, 1833. Pneuman, who was assessed as a teacher 
that year, sold some, perhaps most, of those lots at 
public sale^ November 1. He conveyed No. 4 to 
James Milligan, September 14, 1835, for $75; Nos. 
2 and 5 to John Thompson, November 3, for $81. 

Rowley's addition consisted of subdivision of 
out-lot No. 10 into nine lots, surveyed July 26, 
1833, for Robert Lowrey, agent for Asa Rowley. 

The Anderson plot was also an extensive addi- 
tion. 

Those additions, when made, were without the 
borough limits, but were included within them by 
the annexation thereto by act of March 24, 1851. of 
the territory included within the following boun- 
daries: From the extreme point of the then borough 
line at the head of Todd's island, thence by a di- 
rect line running in a northwestern direction to the 
eastern end of what was then Abner W. Lane's 
milldam on Buffalo creek; thence down the east- 
ern margin of the creek to the then borough line. 
By the same act the burgess and town council 
were authorized to widen Putney's lane and con- 
vert it into a street 40 feet wide, to be opened 
from Fifth street to the line separating the out- 
lots in Armstrong's plot from Henry S. Weaver's 
heirs' land. It was then named Franklin street, 
but it is still known by its original name. 

NEW COUNTY PEOJECT WITH FEEBPOET AS THE SEAT 
OF JUSTICE. 

In the early part of 1842 the people of Freeport 
and vicinity were very active in attempting to 
form a new county out of the circumjacent por- 
tions of Armstrong, Allegheny, Butler and West- 
moreland counties. A bill for the erection of 
Madison county was reported to the house of rep- 
resentatives February 27, 1842, but was lost by a 
vote of 58 to 15. If that bill had passed, the hope 
of the founders of Freeport that it would be a 
county town might have been realized, unless 
Tarentum had grasped the prize. Whether that 
bill ought to have passed or not, Freeport has at 
times enjoyed the unenviable notoriety of furnish- 
ing so many cases for the court of quarter sessions 



FEEEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



419 



as to provoke the remark that she ought to be a 
county by herself. Such a state of affairs has not 
been attributable, it should in justice be said, to 
the mass of the people so much as to a few liti- 
gious spirits among them. 

PROFESSIONS. 

The first resident clergyman appears to have 
been Rev Hugh Kirkland, who, as is elsewhere 
noticed, engaged extensively in buying and selling 
town lots, and who was first assessed here in 1830, 
and was the first pastor of the Associate church. 
Rev. William Galbreath was first assessed here in 
1843 for the next year, though not as a clergyman 
until a year or two later. He was pastor of what 
is now the First United Presbyterian church from 

then until . Following on the assessment list 

of 1846 was Rev. McKee, who occupied lot No. 2, 
Rev. Hawkins in 1849, and others at subsequent 
times, as mentioned in connection with their re- 
spective churches. 

Dr. Charles G. Snowden was the earliest resi- 
dent physician, who was first assessed as such for 
1832. Dr. J. B. Williamson was first assessed here 
the next year; Dr. D. M. Borland 1841; Dr. David 
Alter in 1843; Dr. Henry Weeks in 1844; Drs. 
Thomas Galbreath and Samuel T. Redick in 1849 ; 
Dr, James A. Donaldson in 1850; Dr. N. E. 
McDonnell in 1851 ; Dr. Wm. P. McCulloch in 
1859 ; Drs. Charles B. Gillespie and Thomas Ma- 
gill in. 1860; Dr. Robert L. McCurdy in 1862; 
Dr. Christopher Krunpe, in 186*7 ; Dr. A. G. 
Thomas in 1868 ; Dr. William Plank in 1871 : Dr. 
W. L. Morrow in 1872 ; Dr. A. M. Hoover in 1876. 

Dr. Alter's scientific discoveries deserve in this 
connection a special notice, for it was here in 
Freeport that they were made. In the latter part 
of the summer or in the early part of the autumn 
of 1847 he invented the method of manufacturing- 
bromine in large quantities. He obtained a patent 
for his apparatus used in making it July 5, 1848, 
and soon afterward commenced its manufacture in 
company with Edward and James Gillespie, whose 
works were situated on the right bank of Buffalo 
creek opposite the upper part of the island, or 
about 120 rods above the mouth of the creek. 

In the latter part of 1853 and fore part of 1854, 
he discovered the bands in the spectrum of the 
elementary bodies, which was the foundation of 
spectrum analysis, and published some of his 
observations in the numbers for July, 1854 and 
1855, of Silliman's American Journal of /Science. 
Within a year after their publication he met in 
Pittsburgh a graduate of the university of Munich, 
who showed him a number of a journal published 



in Europe containing the first of his articles that 
had been published in Silliman's Journal. Pro- 
fessor G. Kirchoff's researches on the solar spec- 
trum were not published until 1862, in Cambridge 
and London. 

Dr. Alter has an excellent spectroscope, which 
was presented to him by Hageman, of Sweden. 

A signal service station was established here 
April 16, 1873, under the charge of Dr. Alter, 
which has for awhile been in chai-ge of his son, 
Dr. Myron H. Alter. The present mode of making 
monthly reports, showing the relation between the 
quantity of rain and the rise in the river, is the 
woi'k of the latter. High water here, March 17, 
1865, reads 31.42 feet. Ice, February 20, 1875, was 
17-|- inches thick in the river. 

The earliest resident lawyer assessed here was 
James Stewart, United States commissioner inbank- 
ruptcy, in 1848. The next were James Donnelly 
and J. Noble N esbitt, in 1846 ; Lawrence S. Cant- 
well, in 1848 ; James B. Fullerton, in 1849 ; James 
A. McCulloch, in 1850 ; J. G. D. Findley, in 1869 ; 
Thomas N. Hathaway and George G. Ingersoll, in 
1871. 

INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS. 

The number of tradesmen, mechanics and inn- 
keepers increased adequately with the increase of 
the population. Several other industrial interests, 
not incident to all towns, sprang up here thus : 
In 1835, J. N. Nesbitt was assessed with a fulling- 
mill and carding-machine ; Joseph Clark and Will- 
iam Laugher, as turners ; William Todd, chair- 
maker ; F. M. Thompson, with a sawmill, in-lot 
No. 123 ; David O. Walker, a sawmill, in-lot No. 
60. With salt wells : Peter Weaver, in-lot No. 97 ; 
Jacob Weaver, in-lots Nos. 24 and 54 ; II. S. Wea- 
ver's estate, in-lot No. 30; Benjamin F. Weaver, in- 
lot No. 128; J. B. Williamson, in-lot No. 129; 
Andrew Wilson, in-lot No. 143 ; Samuel Walker, 
in-lot No. 60, also with sa-wmill, assessed to Benja- 
min King, in 1843. 

In 1836, Lowery & McCain, sawmill ; Robert 
Morris, joiner ; Jamison Hendricks, lumber mer- 
chant ; David Scott, tanyard. 

In 1837, John Fritzman, sawmill, in-lot No. 1; 
Alexander Anderson, with " occupation," whatever 
it was. 

In 1838, Henry Hellerick, potter; William Mc- 
Kee, factory ; Robert Martin, weaver ; John Row- 
an, plowmaker. 

In 1839, George McCain, gristmill, in-lot No. 123, 
to Robert Lowery 's estate in 1843, to Lowther, 
Beele & Bole in 1849, and now to Iseman & 
Patterson. 

In 1840, T. P. & S. C. Williamson, foundry, in- 



420 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



lot No. 122 ; John R. Magill, foundry, in-lot No. 
122, in ISeV, now J. & J. R. Magill. 

In 1841, Samuel and William P. Fullerton, Hope 
Woolen Mills, in-lotsNos. 25 and 91, which are still 
in operation ; Jacob K. Rupp, windmill maker. 

In 1842, Charles Bills, barber ; John W. McKee, 
and William Lowerj^'s estate, and Patrick Sheny, 
cord winders ; Robert Porter, brickmaker. No. 1 1 
Robinson's Row, the next year, in-lot No. 136 ; 
David Putney had a brickyard elsewhere in Free- 
port ten or eleven years previous. 

In 1846, S. A. Marshall, dentist ; Charles Tow- 
ser, coachmaker, succeeded by G. Shamburg in 1857, 
and James H. Douglass in 18*72. 

In 1848, John King, oysterman ; William Gib- 
son, oyster merchant ; Morrison & Mcllwain, boat 
and stage men ; afterward Mcllwain & White, 
whose partnership business was ultimately closed 
by a protracted suit at law, an action of account 
render. Their stage routes extended from Free- 
port via Kittanning to Brookville, and via Worth- 
ington and Brady's Bend to Clarion. Their suc- 
cessors were Lightcap & Piper until travel was 
diverted from these routes by the Allegheny Val- 
ley railroad. 

In 1849, Thomas J. Clawson, foundryman. 

In 1850, J. B. Atkinson, tanyard, in-lot No. 187. 

In 1851, William Bates, foundryman. 

In 1852, Johif Morgan and John Wallace, gun- 
smiths ; Henry Teishaupt, tobacconist. 

In 185-3, Ilugh Reed, druggist. The first route 
of the Northwestern Railroad was laid out on the 
eastern pai't of High street to Sixth, thence north- 
westerly across the northern parts of Fifth, Fourth 
and Buffalo streets, and thence northerly along 
Buffalo creek. 

In 1854, John Woods, bakery. 

In 1857, A. S. Barnett, messenger (telegraph, 
probably). 

In 1859, John Ralston, merchant tailor; C. H. 
Smyth, bookseller ; Ventrel Cantine, restaurant. 

In 1861, Kreitz, brewery, and distillery in 1862. 

In 1863, Leonard Billkeffer, basket-maker. 

In 1866, J. P. Stubengen, brewery, still operated. 

In 1867, Lewis Rosenthall, grain merchant. 

Gluckenheimer Bros' distillery, which was start- 
ed in 1855, by "Williamson & Rhey, was begun to 
be operated by the present owners in August, 1866. 
The buildings are : the distillery, brick, three sto- 
ries ; grain-house, frame, one story, and holds 
80,000 bushels ; ice-house, one story, above ground, 
holds 150 tons ; malt-house, three stories, brick, 
100 bushels malted per day ; cooper-shop, frame, 
two stories, daily production 50 ban-els ; bonded 
warehouse, brick, three stories, capable of storing 



8,000 barrels ; employes, in all the departments, 25. 
The average daily consumption of grain is 250 
bushels, the capacity of the distillery being equal 
to the consumption of 500 bushels. The daily 
product of whisky is 22 barrels, 42 gallons each. 
The number of cattle fattened annually is 100, and 
of hogs, 500. Under the present national revenue 
law the services of a United States storekeeper 
and gauger are here required. 

In 1868, J. D. Stewart, photographer; Albert 
Hawk, livery stable. 

In 1869, Thomas H. Maher, banker ; John R. 
Magill, cashier of Freeport Savings Bank, now the 
First National Bank. The latter was first assessed 
with part of in-lot No. 95, in 1876. 

In 1871, William Rowen, manufacturer, proba- 
bly planing-mill, on Buffalo street, near the creek, 
built by him and Bole, which was burned ; Patrick 
Cosgrove, planing-m^ill on Second street, near the 
creek. In this or the next year a portion of the 
Heagy land was laid off into lots which are known 
as the Heagy Extension. 

In 1874, the gas well on the property of the 
Freeport Planing-Mill Company, corner of Buf- 
falo and Mill streets, was drilled to the depth of 
1,904 feet — the drilling having ceased at 12 m. 
October 16 ; the present vein of gas was struck at 
the depth of 1,075 feet. 

The Freeport Planing-Mill Company was incor- 
porated in 1875 with a capital of $20,000, divided 
into shares of $100 each. The incorporators were 
J. W. Ralston, R. F. Turner, W. H. Hyde, M. E. 
Miller, James P. Murphy, Samuel Turner, J. S. 
Morrison, R. S. Sproul, John Hilt, John Shoop, 
J. E. Hoak, J. R. McGill, A. M. Shoup, E. G. 
Lighthold, E. A. Helmbold, E. F. Muder, H. G. 
Muder, Addison King, W. J. Sproul, "W. J. Vann, 
John Ralston, A. D. Weir, R. L. McCurdy, D. E. 
Jackson, O. J. Sarver, David McCormack, John 
L. Brioker, W. P. Murphy, J. G. D. Findley, Annie 
Lawall, M. Coward, J. M. Norris, Mary Boyd and 
Annie Boyd. This company erected the building 
now occupied — a substantial brick structure, 50 X 
100 feet, with engine-house attached — upon the 
site of one owned by W. P. Murphy & Co., 
but burned down in 1875. The establishment was 
leased in 1879 by Murphy, McCain & Co., and 
is now carried on by them. They run, in con- 
nection with their planing-mill, and sash and door 
factory, a sawmill, and in the two are handled 
annually between five and seven million feet of 
lumber. They have also a wai-ehouse two stories 
in bight and 30X60 feet in dimensions. The 
fuel under the boilers in the planing-mill is natural 
ffas from a well near at hand. 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



421 



The Buffalo Milliug Company, composed of a 
majority of the original stockholders of the Free- 
port Planing-Mill Company, and some others, was 
incorporated in 1881, and commenced business in 
September, 1882, in a building erected for the 
purpose, which is 40X65 feet, and three stories 
and basement high. There is an engine-house 
attached, of which the dimensions are 25X40 
feet. The manufacture of flour is by the Hunga- 
rian roller process, and the mill has an exclusively 
merchant patronage. Its capacity is about 125 
barrels of flour per day. The incorporators were 
Samuel Turner, W. M. Lowther, William Nolf, 
James Spargo, 0. J. Sarver, J. W. Craig, M. Cow- 
ard, W. G. McCain, T. J. Douglass, W. P. Murphy, 
W. H. Hyde, D. S. Wallace, James Jones, F. P. 
Brown, J. N. Patterson, Myers & Yenney, William 
Jones, Isaac Jones, J. N. Chamberlain, Thomas 
Patterson, G. W. Iserman, Robert Morris, J. G. D. 
Findley, John Walters, Mary E. Patterson, S. E. 
Patterson, Miss Celia J. Thomas, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Hill, C. G. L. PeflCer, J. H. McCain, James P. 
Murphy, H. S. Syphax, John Maxler, John Heil- 
man. The present officers of the company are : 
president, W. G. McCain; treasurer, T. J. Doug- 
lass; secretary, J. G. D. Findley; manager, John 
Turner; directors, W. G. McCain, T. Patterson, 
W. P. Murphy, M. Coward, D. S. Wallace. 

FEEEPOET JOUENAL. 

About the first of May, 1876, Messrs. Rev. J. J. 
Francis, W. J. Murphy and Thomas C. Nicholson 
formed a copartnership under the name of the 
Journal Printing Company, for the purpose of pub- 
lishing a weekly paper in Freeport, to be called the 
M-eeport Journal. W. J. Murphy, the only one of 
the three who had any knowledge of the business, 
was to have charge of the mechanical department, 
and T. C. Nicholson was to do the writing, keep 
the books, solicit, collect and have the general 
management of the paper, while Rev. J. J. Francis 
was to render assistance in case of emei-gency. 
The first number was issued on May 19, and was a 
neat seven-column folio, independent in politics 
and purely local in character. 

The paper was measurably successful during the 
summer, but in the fall it began to show evidences 
of going the way of all its predecessors. The rea- 
sons for this it is not necessary to state, but on the 
4th day of November, 1876, Rev. J. J. Francis 
bought out the interest of T. C. Nicholson and 
assumed the duties of editor-in-chief, while W. J. 
Murphy cared for the local department. 

From this time on the Journal prospered, adding 
daily to its circulation, and having its columns full 



of good paying advertisements. In the issue of 
December 8, same year, it announced that Frank 
Shoop had become a partner, and we find his name 
associated with Murphy's as local editor. On 
February 16, 1877, F. K. Patterson became identi- 
fied with the Journal as business agent, in which 
position he continued for several years. Toward 
the close of the first year Rev. J. J. Francis deter- 
mined to retire from the active management of the 
paper and suggested that a stock company be 
formed for the purpose of running it. R. B. Mc- 
Kee, at that time in the grocery business, took 
hold of the matter, and in a few days raised the 
amount of stock, which was $1,200, in $25 shares. 
The new company organized by electing J. R. 
McGill president and George M. Hill manager and 
local editor. Messrs. Shoop, Francis and Patter- 
son still remained members of the company, Mur- 
phy retiring. About the 1 st of July George Hill 
resigned, and W. J. Murphy was elected manager, 
and in the following October, 1878, Murphy again 
retired and R. B. McKee was elected to succeed 
him, and still remains in charge as editor and busi- 
ness manager. Of the twelve who were original 
stockholders at the organization of the company, 
but four are now connected with it. J. R. Magill 
is still president, and George M. Hill secretary. 
The paper has doubled in circulation under its 
present management, having now near a thousand. 
Its ijrospects for the future are good and it bids 
fair for a long lease of life and continued j)ros- 
perity. 

CHUECHES. 

The Presbyterian is said to have been the first 
religious organization in Freeport. The congre- 
gation appears to have existed prior to 1825, for 
in that year they, the Associate and Episcopal 
congregations jointly erected a church edifice on 
the parcel of ground adjoining the old cemetery on 
the southwest appropriated for that purpose. The 
most active and prominent member of the Presby- 
terian congregation in that work was James Bole. 
His, Isaac Bole's, Andrew Arnold's, John Drum's, 
Washington Beale's, Elliott's, Mrs. Girt's, Al- 
exander Given's, William Hill's, Michael Moore- 
head's, Andrew and James Ralston's and John 
Weir's families were the first members of this 
congregation. The first sacrament was adminis- 
tered by Rev. John Redick on the second Sabbath 
of May, 1828. On the morning of that day there 
was snow here six inches deep. The peach-trees 
blossomed in March. The fruit was blasted. The 
church was organized July 3, 1833.* Mrs. Arm- 



* Historical sketch of churches in Kittanning Presbytery, by Rev. 
A. Donaldson, D. D., p. 22. 



422 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



Strong, formerly Mrs. Given, and James Ralston, 
both over eighty years of age, are the only two sur- 
viving heads of those families. William Hill 
and Michael Moorehead were elected and ordained 
its first elders. Its pastors have been Rev. Samuel 
Caldwell, who resigned in 1847; Rev. W. F. Keau, 
from 1850 until 1867; Rev. John J.Francis, from 
October 22, 1869.* 

The Presbyterian church edifice, brick, was 
erected in 1828, and is situated on lot No. 149, on 
the north side of High street, between Fourth and 
Fifth. The church was incorporated by decree of 
the proper court June 26, 1847. The trustees 
named in the charter were Isaac Bole, James Hill, 
William Hughes, W. M. Lowther and John Wood- 
burn, who were to serve till the second Tuesday 
of May, 1848. The corporate name of this body 
politic is the Presbyterian church of Freeport. 
Nearly a quarter of a century after the granting 
of the charter certain amendments were proposed, 
namely, changing the number of trustees from five 
to six, and making the quorum four instead of three, 
and adding section 9, which provides that the con- 
gregation should elect six trustees and two suitable 
persons as choristers on June 29, 1871, and annu- 
ally thereafter. The latter, with two members of 
the session, are authorized to select a sufficient 
number of competent singers. The decree making 
these amendments is dated March 16, 1871. The 
number of church members in 1876 is 228, and of 
Sabbath-school scholars, 200. 

The Associate Presbyterian — commonly called 
Seceder — church was organized about 1826. The 
original families of the congregation were the 
Brewers, Colmers, W. W. Gibsons, Millers, Patter- 
sons and Painters. Rev. Dickey, pastor of 

the Rich Hill and Slate Lick churches, preached 
here occasionally, before the labors of the first 
pastor, Rev. Hugh Kirkland, began. His suc- 
cessors have been Revs. William Galbraith, R. B. 
Robertson. Its church edifice is situated on out- 
lot No. 11, on the south side of Fourth street, 
about fifteen rods below the public schoolhouse. 
It was incorporated by the proper court April 15, 
1866. The trustees named in the charter were 
John S. Dimmitt, Robert A. Hill, Thomas Magill, 
Joseph B. Miller, William Moorehead and James 
Ralston, who were to . serve until the first annual 
election on the first Monday of January, 1867. 

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian — com- 
monly called Union — church was organized about 
1850. The first pastor was Rev. John Jamison. 
His successor was Rev. E. N. McElree.f 



* He resigned in 1879. 

1" Until 1878, when lie was sncceeded by Rev. A. E. Linn. 



The first place of worship of this congregation 
was the hall above Peter S. Weaver's store, on the 
southeast corner of Market and Fifth streets, and 
their present one is in the second story of the 
large brick edifice on the southeast corner of Mar- 
ket and Fourth streets. The membership of these 
two churches is 154, and of the Sabbath-school 
scholars, 100. 

The St. Mary's Catholic church was organized 
about 1826. The original families of this congre- 
gation were Philij) Bohlen's, Patrick Blacke's, 
Donnelly's, Andrew Farley's, Neil Gillespie's, 
Magrand's, McKenna's, O'Reiley's, Patrick Shara's, 
and others. The first pastor was Rev. Patrick O'Neil, 
who was educated in France and came to this 
country as a missionary. He was fond of athletic 
sports, an expert hunter and horseman, and self-pos- 
sessed. One evening, as he was passing down the 
lane on what is now known as C. Dufliy's grade oil, 
reading his prayers, a large buck chased by several 
dogs leaped the fence just before him, and fell. 
O'Neil caught him by the hind legs and held him 
firmly until assistance came from the house and 
the buck was dispatched. The succession of 
priests after Father O'Neil included Revs. Patrick 
RafEerty, Joseph Cody (neither of whom were 
resident pastors), M. J. Mitchell, R. Phelan, J. 
Hackett, James Holland, A. A. Lambing, W. A. 
Nolan, G. S. Grace, Frederick Eberth, C. McDer- 
mott, James Canivan, P. M. Garvey and James 
McTighe. The church edifice or chapel is situated 
on in-lots Nos. 132-3, southwestern corner of High 
and Sixth streets, was among the first brick struc- 
tures built by David Putney, after his removal to 
Freeport in 1832. A portion of the ground on 
which this chapel stood was devoted to burial 
purposes until a new cemetery was elsewhere laid 
out. 

The Baptist church was organized December 
11, 1880, by the Revs. William Shadrack and 
George I. Miles, with the following members : 
Samuel Logan, Robert Lowiy, Rhoda Lowry, 
William Critchlow, David Robinson, George 
Montgomery, John Robinson, Silas Ramsey, Ben- 
jamin Harbison, Daniel Howe, James Harbison, 
James McWilliams, Jacob Robinson, Elizabeth 
Bowser, Hannah Longwell, Margaret Given, Sarah 
Evans, Harriet Critchlow, Julian Hickenlooper, 
Rachel Myler, Martha J. Leonard, C. G. Snow- 
den, Sarah C. Snowden, John Congiiton, Samuel 
Foreman, John Haney, Andrew Wilson, Elizabeth 
XJlam, Abigail Howe, Adaline Rowley. The 
house of worship of this congregation was built in 
1849. The succession of pastors has been as fol- 
lows : Revs. William Shadrach, George I. Miles, 



FRKKPORT TOWNSHIP. 



423 



William Pennj^ John Thomas, W. Rockat'ellow, 
Benoni Allen, J. A. Davis, Edward M. Miles, 
William A. Barnes, Peter M. Weddell, Thomas J. 
Penny, L. L. Still, D. W. 0. Hervey, J. G. Penny, 
David Williams, J. E. Dean, J. P. Jones, F. 11. 
Jones, J. W. Ewing and S. Drummond. 

Rev. Moses P. Bennett, a missionary of the 
Protestant Episcoi^al church, resided at Greens- 
burgh in the early part of the second decade of 
this century. In 1823 he reported the church con- 
vention at Philadelphia, having made one visit to 
Freeport. In 1833 Rev. William Hilton reported 
having held three services, one in every six weeks, 
and in 1834 regular services every six weeks, 
and a parish organization here, the date of which 
is November 1, 1833, but gave no particulars. He 
was succeeded by Rev. B. B. Killikelly as mission- 
ary, whose first report was made in May, 1835, in 
which he stated that he had been able to devote 
only one-fifth of his time to this congregation, 
which then consisted of 18 families, 81 persons ; 
there were 4 adult and 6 infant baptisms, 2 mar- 
riages, 1 burial, and a Sunday school just organized. 
In 1836, 19 families, 82 persons ; baptized 6 adults 
and 19 children; 14 persons confirmed, 15 added 
to the communion list, which then numbered 27 ; 
2 marriages, 2 burials, 8 Sunday-school teachers 
and 40 pupils ; cash collections, $52.45 ; and that 
the congregation had secured a lot on which to 
build a church edifice for |225, and had collected 
a few hundred dollars for that object. Lay read- 
ing and the Sunday-school had been zealously sus- 
tained, and a sewing-circle organized. In 1837, 
24 families, 95 persons, 11 communicants added, 
the whole number then being 38 ; 5 adult and 7 
infant baptisms, 13 Sunday-school teachers and 
55 pupils, and missionary contributions |20. Im- 
mediately after the convention of that year the 
missionary _went on a collecting tour to New 
York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and collected 
in money and material $1,141.04, of which |897.- 
91* was paid over to T. B. Williamson and W. 
P. Rupp, wardens, to be used in the erection 
of a church edifice, and obtained from Mrs. E. 
Stott, of Grace church, Philadelphia, a heavily 
plated chalice and patten, a handsome desk bible, 
prayer-book, and a copy of D'Oyley and Mants' 
commentary, three volumes in leather, worth $20. 
The report to the convention in 1838 shows that 
he resigned Trinity parish, Freeport, and St. 
Peter's, Butler, because they and the other two 
east of the Allegheny, St. Paul's, Kittanning, and 
St. Michael's, Wayne township, being so far apart 



*The residue was appropriated to St. Micliael's eliurch, Wayne 
townsliip. 



the four charges were too laborious for each to 
have as frequent services as were desirable for 
their spiritual improvement. During that part of 
1837 prior to his resignation, there were fourteen 
public services, four communicants added, and one 
infant baptized in Trinity parish. The church 
edifice, brick, on in-lot No. 31, was covered, floored, 
and otherwise advanced toward completion. He 
was succeeded by Rev. William White, under 
whose charge and that of Rev. William Hilton it 
has since chiefly been. 

The Methodist Episcopal church of Freeport 
was organized about the year 1833. Services 
were at first conducted in a schoolhouse on what 
is now High street, between Second and Third 
streets ; afterward in a currier's shop which stood 
somewhere near the present intersection of Market 
street and the old Pennsylvania canal ; and still 
later near the place where the West Pennsylvania 
Railroad station now stands, the Baptist congre- 
gation kindly granting the use of their church at 
communion seasons and on other S23ecial occasions. 
A church edifice was erected in 1840 on in-lot No. 
10], on the southeast corner of Fourth street and 
Mulberry alley. Especial honor is due to Peter 
Ford and Wesley Bowman for the energy and 
self-sacrifice with which they j)ushed the under- 
taking to success. This church was incorporated 
by the proper court December 26, 1846, the trustees 
provided for and named in the charter being Jacob 
Alter, John Atkinson, Wesley Bowman, Peter 
Ford, Leonard Leidy, Daniel Richards, John A. 
Stearns and Robert C. Williamson. In 1877 the 
old building gave place to the present elegant and 
commodious structure, of which a view appears in 
this work. This enterprise was undertaken and 
carried almost to completion during the pastorate 
of the Rev. M. McK. Garrett, the lecture-room 
being used for services during part of his pastoral 
term. The architects were Bailey & Anglin, of 
Allegheny City, and the building committee ap- 
pointed by the quarterly conference consisted of 
the Rev. M. McK. Garrett and Messrs. John Ral- 
ston, John Turner, J. H. Douglass and D. E. Jack- 
son. The plan of the first floor embraces the 
lecture-room, capable of seating about 250, with 
four class-rooms adjoining. The main audience- 
room is seated with carved pews of ash trimmed 
with walnut, and will accommodate about 500 
people. The building was formally dedicated to 
the worship of God, July 27, 1879, by the Rev. 
Bishop Matthew Simpson, D. D., LL. D. Among 
the earliest pastors of this church were the Revs. 

Bradshaw, P. M. McGowan, Joseph Ray, 

C. G. Best, J. Murray, B. F. Sawhill, J. Phillips, 



424 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



M. L. "Weekly and D. IIess,but it is to be regretted 
that a complete list, in the order of their service, 
cannot be given with the data now at hand. 

The following pastors served in the order 
named: Wm. Cooper, A. G. Williams, A. H. 
Thomas, J. W. Shiver, R. Morrow, E. M. Wood, 
E. B. Griffin, J. B. Uber, N. P. Kerr, M. McK. 
Garrett, S. T. Mitchell, M. M. Sweeny and C. W. 
Miller. The membership of the church as re- 
ported at the conference of 1882 is 190 ; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 172. 

The first Lutheran church here was organized 
about 1835. Its edifice is situated on in-lot No. 
150, on the northwest corner of High street and an 
alley. It was incorporated as the Evangelical 
Lutheran church by the proper court, June 19, 
1851. The number of trustees prescribed by, but 
not named in, the charter is five, to be elected 
annually on the first Monday of April. Members, 
48 ; Sabbath-school scholars, 50. 

There are two other Lutheran churches, one 
English and the other German, both of which be- 
long to the General Council. 

St. John's English Lutheran church of Freeport 
was organized prior to 1840, but just when it is 
impossible to state, as there are no records in 
existence bearing date anterior to 1841. Follow- 
inf is a list of the pastors: 1839-43, John H. 
Benheim; 1845-48, G. B. Holmes; 1848-51, G. F. 
Ehrenfeld; 1852-56, S. M. Knhns ; 1856-60, Jacob 
Wright; 1861-64, J. H. Brown; 1865-71, J. K. 
Melhorn ; 1871-81, J. H. A. Kitzmiller ; 1882, the 
present pastor. Rev. H. K. Shanor. The church 
was incorporated in 1851, the charter bearing date 
of September 17. The present officers are : Elders, 
J. R. Gai-ver, Henry Petzinger and William 
Wolf ; deacons, J. H. Long, M. L. Vandyke and 
Conrad Wolf, Jr. About sixty persons are com- 
municants of the church. 

The German Lutheran church was incorporated 
by the proper court April 28, 1862, as the German 
Evangelical Lutheran Zion's church of the borough 
of Freeport. Its charter officers were Rev. Ga- 
briel A. Reiohert, pastor; George Epiler and 
David Kraft, elders; John Mangold and George 
PfafE, deacons. The charter requires " the German 
language to be used forever in preaching the doc- 
trines of the church among this association." 

There has been for many years past a strong 
temperance element in this community. Here, as 
in other places, temperance organizations have 
risen, flourished, done much good and drooped. 
On the petition of many inhabitants of Freeport 
and its vicinity the act of April 11, 1866, was 
passed, which prohibits the granting of any 



license " to sell spirituous, vinous, malt or brewed 
liquors for drinking purposes," within the limits 
of this borough, or within two miles of it in this 
and Allegheny county, and within three miles in 
Butler county, but not to apply to Westmoreland 
county, not to affect those having licenses until 
after their expiration, and does not prohibit the 
manufacturers of domestic wine from selling their 
own product in quantities not exceeding one pint. 
The penalty for violating this act is a fine not less 
than $50 and not exceeding |200, and for a second 
offense the additional penalty of imprisonment not 
over three months. This act is still in force, and 
appears to be sustained by a majoiity of the people 
in the sections of the three counties affected by it. 
The vote of this borough, February 28, 1873, was 
72 for and 144 against granting license to sell in- 
toxicating liquors as beverages in this county. 

SCHOOLS. 

There was no school within the limits of Free- 
port for nearly a quarter of a century after it was 
laid out. The most accessible educational facili- 
ties to its inhabitants were then afforded at the 
Hall school, about half a mile distant. P. R. 
Bohlen is said to have taught the first school here, 
in a log dwelling-house on Water street. Accord- 
ing to Peter E. Weaver's recollection the first one 
was taught by a man of the name of Woodford in 
a house on Market street, above Fifth. The next 
teacher was of the name of Lee, who taught but 
one quarter. Those were what used to be termed 
"pay schools," in which some of the conimon 
English branches were taught — arithmetic, read- 
ing in the Testament, spelling and writing. 

In 1832-3, James Pneuman, reputed to be a good 
mathematician, taught a pay-school on High street, 
between Fourth and Fifth. Such schools were 
more or less liberally patronized until the adoption 
of the common or free school system a few years 
later. Dr. Thomas Galbraith was the first teacher 
here under this system. A frame schoolhouse was 
erected soon after its adoption on in-lot No. 101, 
the southwest corner of Fourth and High streets, 
fronting on the former, which was of adequate di- 
mensions, while the school consisted of only one 
department. The writer distinctly remembers his 
first official visit to this school in the winter of 
1857-8, when there were two departments and two 
teachers in one room, and the great confusion that 
resulted from the two teachers' different classes 
reciting at the same time and the immoderate 
loquacity and playfulness of the pupils. It seemed 
to him impossible that any degree of desirable 
progress in study could be made. After quietly 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



425 



observing matters for awhile, he called to him a 
few of the ringleaders in that vice of schoolrooms, 
whispering, loud talking and other mischief, and 
made this agreement with them: That, if their 
teachers would give them and all the other pupils 
a few minutes between the opening of school and 
recess, and between recess and the closing of the 
school, forenoon and afternoon, for talking, they 
would agree to refrain from whispering and talking 
at all other times during schoolhours. They 
promised to do so. The writer was afterward 
gratified to notice considerable improvement in the 
order of that school, his next visit to it being after 
it was transferred to the new brick, two-story 
schoolhouse, which was erected the next season on 
the south side of Fourth street, adjoining the old 
cemetery on the south, which, with tlie lot, cost 
more than $3,000. It was at first adapted to a 
school of four grades, but it has since been enlarged 
sufficiently for eight grades, that is, the number of 
rooms is increased to eight, which are each about 
33-^X23^ feet, with ceilings about 16 feet, well 
ventilated and supplied partly with patent cherry 
and partly with pine furniture. The halls are 10 
feet wide, in the shape of the letter T, like that of 
a house. This is at present a school of six grades, 
with a principal and five assistants. The belfry is 
in the center of the building, in which a new bell 
has been recently suspended. 

1860 — Schools, 4 ; average number of months 
taught, 4 ; male teacher, 1 ; female teachers, 8 ; 
monthly salary of male, $30; monthly salary of fe- 
male, $18 ; male scholars, 170 ; female scholars, 
168; average number attending school, 267; cost of 
teaching each scholar per month, 28 cents; levied 
for school purposes, $674 ; levied for building 
purposes, $674.60; received from state appropria- 
tion, $108.10; received from collectors, $1,136; 
cost of instruction, $836 ; fuel, etc., $40 ; cost of 
schoolhouse, etc., $1,100. 

1876 — Schools, 6 ; average number of months 
taught, 7; male teacher, 1; female teachers, 5; av- 
erage salaries i>er month — male, $80; female, $40 ; 
male scholars, 201 ; female scholars, 173 ; average 
number attending school, 322 ; cost per month, 85 
cents ; levied for school and building purposes, 
$2,318.28 ; received from state appropriation, 
$418.50 ; received from taxes, etc., $1,900.25 ; cost 
of schoolhouse, etc., $35.52 ; paid for teachers' 
wages, $1,680; .paid for fuel, etc., $691.48. 

Rev. Hugh Kirkland, soon after his advent here 
in 1830, erected an academy at the corner of High 
and Fourth streets, in which the classics and the 
common and higher English branches were taught 
by him and Samuel Wallace, where William S. 



Ralston and other Frecport youth of that period 
acquired their education, imbibed from the Pierian 
spring, and slaked their thirst at the Mahantango. 
Though the latter is a Delaware word meaning 
devil, it ought not to be inferred that those youth 
became devilish by their copious drafts from a 
fountain bearing so devilish a name. 

Rev. William Galbraith's academy was opened 
in 1843. 

SOCIETIES. 

The Armstrong Lodge of Ancient York Masons, 
No. 239, was constituted here in 1852, when its 
charter officers were William F. Logan, W. M.; 
Alexander Anderson, S. W.; Charles G. Snowden, 
J. W.; George W. Syphax, treasurer; Reuben 
Mickel, secretary. This lodge meets in Anderson's 
hall on the fourth Monday of each month, and 
numbers about seventy-five members. 

Freeport Lodge, I. O. O.F., No. 379, was organ- 
ized October 1, 1849, at Freeport. The charter 
members were the following, who were also officers: 
Samuel Shafer, N. G.; J. D. Torbett, V. G.; J. W. 
Redpath, secretary; J. Welshaus, assistant secre- 
tary; Henry White, treasurer. Number of mem- 
bers at present time, 84. 

MILITARY. 

The Freeport Blues was the first military com- 
pany raised here. It was organized in 1818, and 
its officers: John Drum, captain; James Patterson, 
first, and Benjamin F. King, second lieutenant. 
The uniform consisted of wool hats, trimmed with 
white cord, white j)lumes tipped with red, blue 
jackets trimmed with red tape and bullseye buttons, 
white pants, and red sash; and the arms of the rank 
and file were rifles and shotguns. That company 
was reorganized about 1831. William W. Gibson 
was then major of the battalion to which it be- 
longed. The company officers then were: Benja- 
min F. King, captain; William Rupp, first, and 
Henry Weaver, second lieutenant. Its uniform : 
Leather hats trimmed with buttons, cord and tas- 
sels, white plumes tipped with red, blue coats 
trimmed with light-blue braid, white pants, white 
gloves, and ruffled shirt-bosoms. Arms: State mus- 
kets and accouterments. 

The Freeport and Leechburgh Dragoons were 
organized about 1832 — James T. McKaig, captain; 
Alexander Scott, first, and Alexander Sharp, second 
lieutenant; Bruce Sutherland, first sergeant. Uni- 
form : Leather caps tipped with bear skin, blue 
coats faced with yellow, blue pants with yellow 
stripes, and saddle-cloth bordered with yellow tape. 
Arms: Swords and horse-pistols. 

The Freeport Ai-tillery Company was organized 



426 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



about 1850 — William F. Logan, captain ; Samuel 
Lane, first, and J. D. Torbett, second lieutenant. 
Its uniform was in accordance with the United 
States army regulations. Arms : Cannon, swords 
and muskets. 

"Washington Guards, 1849. Alexander Ander- 
son, captain ; John J. Long, first, and William S. 
Ralston, second lieutenant ; James White, first, 
Joseph Johnston, third sergeant. Its uniform was 
that of the regular army. It was reorganized in 
1854, Lieut. Ralston acting as captain. Anderson 
was promoted to brigadier-general. The members 
of his staff were : James A. McCulloch, colonel ; 
A. D. Ambrose, major ; Addison Leech, adjutant, 
and Thos. C. McCulloch, surgeon. William 
Sirwell was then brigade inspector ; Addison 
Leech, major, and John M. Orr, adjutant of bat- 
talion. 

The Freeport Zouaves were organized in 1860. 
Charles B. Gillespie, captain; William B. McCue, 
first, and Henry Torbett, second lieutenant; Jona- 
than Murphy, first, and Absalom Weaver, second 
sergeant. This company's name appears to have 
been changed to Freeport Cadets. It entered 
Camp Orr in September, 1861, was assigned to the 
YSth regt. Pa. Vols., in which it served creditably 
during the war of the rebellion. 

Two companies were raised here during the con- 
tinuance of that war, the members of which went 
some into the 103d, some into the 139th, some into 
the 14th and loth cavalry, some into the 5th and 
0th regiments of heavy artillery, and others into 
Mississippi Marine Brigade. A company of Home 
Guards was organized, of which the late Abner W. 
Lane was captain. 

Since the war an independent company, the 
Dune. Karns Rifles, has been organized, which was 
uniformed and equipped by S. D. Karns. 

A large number of both sexes here participated 
in the humane and patriotic work of furnishing 
material aid for the wants and comfort of the men 
in the service. Much was done in this way before 
any regular organization for that purpose was 
effected, of which no record was kept, the value of 
which cannot of course be stated. 

THE soldiers' aid SOCIETY 

was organized January 31, 1863, and its officers 
were : President, Mrs. Mary Galbraith ; secretary. 
Miss Mary Kennedy ; treasurer, Mrs. Anna B. 
Weaver ; committee on work and expenditures, 
Mrs. Mary Murphy, Misses Selima Gibson, Hannah 
McClelland and Fannie Woods, and seventy-three 
members, beside eighty-four " gentlemen who were 
always at hand in any emergency." The records 



of that society are lost, so that a full and accurate 
statement of its noble work cannot be obtained. 
The treasurer has kindly furnished the following 
facts from some private papers in her jjossession : 
Cash, taken in dues and collections, $5 ; from chil- 
dren's exhibition at Baptist church. May 27, 1868, 
la? ; from exhibition at Presbyterian church, in 
March, 1864, $160.20. Total, $192.20. 

Articles sent to Pittsburgh branch of the Sani- 
tary commission during the fourteen months end- 
ing May 18, 1864: Shirts, 239; sheets, 28; pairs 
of drawers, 89 ; pillows, 33 ; pillow-cases, 109 ; 
towels, 47 ; ha,ndkerchiefs, 47 ; lint, 6 pounds ; 
pads, 112 ; pairs of hose, 86 ; rolls of bandages, 
164; cans of fruit, 85; dried peaches, 6 bushels; 
dried berries, 6 bushels ; dried apples, 1 bushel ; 
onions, I- bushel ; books, 135 volumes ; pamphlets, 
40 ; packages of papers, 14 ; Elderberry wine, 15 
gallons. 

Tbe society continued its good work for some 
time after the collapse of the rebellion, in filling 
large orders for arm-slings, the material for which 
having been furnished by the Pittsburgh branch 
of the sanitary commission.. 

BURIAL-GROUND. 

The first white person buried within the limits 
of Freeport was Miss Faits, who was drowned in 
crossing Buffalo creek in 1794, where Harbison's 
mill was afterward erected. Her grave was the 
first one in the old cemetery. David Todd gave 
half an acre for burial purposes which, with an 
additional quantitj^ circumjacent thereto, Arm- 
strong afterward conveyed to certain persons in 
trust to be used as a burial-ground by the people 
of Freeport and its vicinity. It in time became 
filled with graves, so that a new one became neces- 
sary. Hence originated a company styled " The 
Freeport Cemetery," which was organized in the 
winter of 1864, and incorpoi'ated by the proper 
court March 16 following. The charter provides, 
among othei- things, that the business of the com- 
pany shall be conducted by five managers, elected 
annually by members of the corporation, and that 
all persons who contributed not less than $20 each 
to the capital stock on or before April 1, 1864, 
should be members. The managers named in the 
charter were Dr. David Alter, Samuel Fullerton, 
Robert Morris, John Ralston and John Turner, 
who were to serve until the first annual election 
and until others were chosen. Dr. David Alter 
was chosen president and John Turner secretary 
of the board of managers. The other charter 
members' of the company besides the managers 
were John W. McKee, Conrad Nolf and Jacob 



FREEPORT TOWNSHIP. 



427 



Shoop. Arrangements were soon made for the 
purchase of suitable ground, which culminated in 
Rev. William Galbraith's conveying to the com- 
pany, May 18, 1864, for $1,900, nine acres and 
twelve perches, reserving to himself the coal-right 
and lot No. 1 in section C, being a part of the tract 
which belonged to the heirs of Mrs. Mary Weaver, 
deceased, situated on the hill in South Buffalo 
township overlooking Freeport from the northeast, 
and which he had purchased in proceedings in par- 
tition to No. 34, September term, in the common 
pleas of this county. The grounds were soon 
tastefully laid out in sections, lots, walks, streets 
and alleys, and so decorated as to have become one 
of tlje most beautiful and appropriate cities of the 
dead in this region of country. Many lots have 
■ been sold, though deeds for only six of them are 
as yet on record, which perhaps fairly indicate the 
average prices : On June 4, 1864, to William 
Ewing, lots 1 9 and 20, 400 square feet, for $40 ; to 
Robert Miller, No. 21, section C, 480 square feet, 
for §60 , on December 24, to Thomas Harbison, 
lots Nos. 98 and 121, section A, 320 square feet, for 
$30 ; to James Harbison and Jacob Hilyard, lots 
Nos. 99 and 120, section A, 320 square feet, for 
$23 ; to Conrad, Anthony and William Nolf and 
Lewis Foster, No. 12, section C, 480 square feet 
(sometiiiie during that year), for $80 ; on Septem- 
ber 8, 1873, to Barbara A. Neff, No. 51, section E, 
200 square feet, for $40. 

EOADS. 

The state road from Kittanning via Freeport to 
Pittsburgh was authorized by an act of the 
legislature, and its route, as laid out by the com- 
missioners, was, with a slight exception, west of an 
airline from Kittanning to Freeport, along and 
near which then resided Barnett, Boney, older 
and younger, McLenaghan, Sipe and Shrader. A 
review of that part of it in this county being 
authorized by the act of March 30, 1824, the court 
of quarter sessions of this county, June 21, ap- 
pointed Thomas Blair, David Lawson, Robert 
Robinson, James Douglass, Samuel McKee and 
James E. Brown to review that part of it between 
Kittanning and Freeport, and lay out the same on 
such ground as would not at any place exceed an ele- 
vation of five degrees from a horizontal line. The 
confirmation of their report, substituting the river 
route, so called because the major part is along the 
right bank of the Allegheny, was resisted by those 
who preferred the other, or back route, perhaps on 
account of its location as much as for any other 
reason. Hence followed remonstrances against 
the report of the reviewers, and affidavits pro and 



con, the partisans of both routes stating facts and 
expressing opinions favorable to the one which 
they respectively favored, in regard to suitable 
ground, average elevation and expense of con- 
struction. The report was confirmed September 
22, 1825, and the road ordered to be opened. It 
extended to the eastern line of the town of Fi-ee- 
port, which was then between Andrew Arnold's 
tannery and Benjamin King's house. The only 
other public road extending to Freeport from the 
north was the Bear creek one, which must have 
been laid out before this county was organized for 
judicial purposes. For many years past the most 
usual through route from Freeport to Kittanning 
has been via Center Hill in North, and Slate Lick 
in South Buffalo township, both for stages, when 
they were running, and for private conveyances. 

By the act of April 14, 1834, the Butler and 
Freeport Turnpike Company was incorporated. 
The commissioners named in the charter were 
William Ayres, John Bredin and Jacob Mechling, 
and others, of Butler, and James Bole, John 
Drum, William W. Gibson, Samuel Murphy, J. 
Noble Nesbett, Thomas Robinson, Jacob Weaver 
and Henry S. Weaver, of Armstrong county. It 
was to be commenced within five and completed 
within ten years, and if not, the legislature could 
resume the rights, privileges and franchises granted 
by the charter. 

On June 22, 1813, the petition of divers inhabit- 
ants of Buffalo township was presented to the 
proper court, praying for a -road beginning at the 
Butler county line on the west side of Buffalo 
creek, at or near the dwelling-house of George 
Weaver, and thence past Jacob Weaver's mill, to 
intersect the great road leading from Freeport to 
Erie. John Craig, Wm. Sloan, Charles Sipe, 
Nicholas Best, Nicholas Eiseman aad Samuel 
Murphy were appointed viewers, whose report in 
favor of a road from Weaver's mill to the Free- 
port and Erie road was presented and read Sep- 
tember 21, and approved December 22, and the 
road ordered to be opened twenty feet wide, and, 
March 22, 1814, the court directed that it be 
opened as a public road, which was soon done. 

STATISTICS. 

The population of Freeport in 1840 was 72*7; in 
1850, white, 1,064; colored, 9; in 1860, white, 
1,688 ; colored, 13 ; in 1870, white, 1,632, of whom 
165 were foreign ; colored, 8. In 1876 the number 
of taxables is 493, which ought to represent a 
population of 2,037. 

The assessment list for the last-mentioned year 
shows : Resident clergymen, 6 ; physicians, 7 ; 



428 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



dentist, 1 ; lawyers, 4 ; editor, 1 ; justices of the 
peace, 3 ; druggists, 4 ; refiner, 1 ; tailors, 2 ; 
clothiers, 4 ; shoemakers, 8 ; broom-makers, 2 ; 
lumberman, 1 ; merchants, 25 (according to mer- 
cantile appraiser's list, 42 ; in 14th class, 35 ; in 
13th class, 5 ; in 12th class, 2) ; carpenters, 22 
laborers, 96 ; boss, 1 ; butchers, 4 ; agents, 4 
coopers, 5 ; stone-masons, 4 ; stone-cutters, 2 
constable, 1 ; tinner, 1 ; foreman, ] ; barbers, 2 
flagman, 1 ; clerks, 4 ; oil-merchant, 1 ; edal- 
miners, 6 ; machinist, 1 ; marble-cutters, 2 ; paint- 
ers, 4 ; conductors, 2 ; wagonmakers, 2 ; teamsters, 
1 1 ; bankers, 2 ; quarryman, 1 ; plasterers, 2 ; 
hotel-keepers, 3 ; w^ter-hauler, 1 ; blacksmiths, 5 ; 



auctioneer, 1 ; confectioner, 1 ; baker, 1 ; lime- 
dealer, 1 ; lumber merchant, 1 ; contractors, 2 
clerks, 4 ; peddler, 1 ; measurer of lumber, 1 
sawyer, 1 ; stationer, 1 ; foreman railroad, 1 .; 
vineyard keeper, 1 ; engineers, 3 ; livery stable, 1 
tobacconist, 1 ; boss cooper, 1 ; bricklayer, 1 
watchmakers, 2 ; weaver, 1 ; bi'akeman, 1 ; tinner 
1 ; flour merchant, 1 ; photographer, 1 ; dyer, 1 
lumber merchant, 1 ; miller, 1 ; eating-houses, 2 
insurance agent, 1 ; car inspectors, 2 ; foreman at 
acidworks, 1 ; cabinetmaker, 1 ; baker and con- 
fectioner, 1 ; furniture dealer, 1 ; oil merchant, 1 ; 
saddler, 1 ; Freeport Planing-mill Company ; and 
last, but not least, old gentlemen, 4; gentlemen, 17. 



CHAPTER XX. 



SOUTH BUFFALO. 



Tlie "Depreciation Lands" Described — Earl}' Owners of the Soil and Transfers of Title — The Famous Soldier 
and Pioneer, Samuel Murphy — First School House and Early Teachers — Benjamin Franklin as a Land 
Owner in South. Buffalo — Archibald. McCall — Relics of Antiquity — Clinton's First Masonic Lodge in the 
County — Blue Slate Church — Slate Lick Congregation, from which Originated the First Presbyterian 
Church in the County — United Presbyterian Church of Slate Lick — Srader Grove Presbyterian Church — 
Academy and Other Schools — Temperance — Census Statistics —Geology. 

the scale of the depreciation of these bills of credit 



THE DEPEECIATION LANDS. 

THE major part — about tbree-fonrtbs — of tbat 
part of this county on the north and western 
side of the Allegheny river consists of deprecia- 
tion lands, a large tract appropriated by the act 
,of assembly of March 12, 1783, for the redemption 
of depreciation certificates. Its boundaries, as 
specified in that act, were : Beginning where the 
western boundary of the state crosses the Ohio 
river, thence up that river to Fort Pitt, thence up 
the Allegheny river to the mouth of Mogulbuoh- 
lilon (Mahoning) creek, thence by a west line to 
the western boundary of the state, thence along it 
south to the beginning, of which three thousand 
acres opposite Fort Pitt and an equal quantity on 
both sides of Beaver creek, including Fort Mac- 
intosh, were reserved for the use of the state. 
The surveyor district assigned to Joshua Elder 
consisted of the territory between the Allegheny 
river and a line extending due north from or near 
the mouth of Bull creek to the northern boundary 
of the depreciation tract, a portion of which, 
under a previous allotment of surveyor districts, 
had been embraced in Stephen Gapen's district. 

The bills of credit issued both -by congress and 
by this commonwealth depreciated between 17*77 
and 17S1 from one to nearly one hundred per cent. 
The difference of opinion as to the degree of de- 
preciation and the consequent cash value of those 
bills of credit, the chief portion of the money 
then in circulation, caused much confusion in the 
settlement of accounts between both individuals 
and public officers. The act of assembly of De- 
cember 18, 1780, pi-ovided that the hereinafter 
mentioned certificates of depreciation, given to 
the oflicers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania line 
in the army of the United States in payment for 
their services, should be receivable at the land 
office of this state, equal to gold and silver, in pay- 
ment of, if they should wish to purchase, unlo- 
cated lands, and the act of April 3, 1781, adjusted 



at from one and a half to seventy-five per cent, 
varying each month from 1777 to 1781, and in 
accordance with that scale certificates, called cer- 
tificates of depreciation, were issued to those 
officers and soldiers for the indebtedness of the 
state to them. The above cited act of March 13, 
1783, also provided that the unreserved portion of 
the tract of depreciation lands should be laid out 
thus: The surveyor-general, in accordance with 
such directions as should be given him by the 
supreme executive council, should cause it to be 
laid out into lots of not less than 200 and not more 
than 3-50 acres each, numbering them in numeri- 
cal order. As soon as the whole tract, or a hun- 
dred lots of it, were surveyed, the surveyor-general, 
secretary of the land office and receiver-general 
were directed to sell them, in numerical order, at 
such times and places, and under such regulations, 
as should be presei-ibed by the supreme executive 
council. The amounts bid at these sales were to 
be paid into the receiver-general's office either in 
gold or silver or in those certificates; whereupon, 
and on the payment of the expenses of surveying 
and the fees of the different offices, patents should 
be issued to the vendees, and whatever specie the 
receiver-general thus received he was to pay into 
the state treasury for the purpose of redeeming 
such of those certificates as remained unsatisfied at 
the close of these sales. Three pounds and ten 
shillings, including the wages of chain-bearers 
and markers, were allowed for laying out and 
returning the survey of each lot into the surveyor- 
general's office, to be paid in specie before the 
patent could be issued. But very few lots or par- 
cels of that depreciation tract were sold until 
after the passage of the act of April 3, 1792, re- 
specting the provisions of which enough has 
already been given in the sketch of the Holland 
Land Company. (See Madison Township.) 

Settlements on this side of the Allegheny river 



J"! 



430, 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



did not begin to be rnpidly made until the latter 
part of 1795. Although the settlers were then 
safe from Indian hostilities, there was danger of 
intestine troubles, disturbances and conflicts among 
the settlers themselves in their eagerness to acquire 
inchoate titles to favorite tracts of land. Hence it 
was that Judge Addison wrote to Gov. Mifflin, 
March 11, lldG: "The idea of a new county ought 
to be fixed and prosecuted as soon as possible. I 
dread the consequences of the flood of mad people 
who have gone over the Allegheny and Ohio to 
mak^ settlements ; their number is inconceivable, 
and they will, perhaps, be dangerous, unless law 
can be brought in among them. The establish- 
ment of a new county and a seat of justice there, 
with the additional number of officers that would 
be occasioned by that, would awaken and keep up 
a sense of submission, and have a good influence 
on conduct and tempers which otherwise may give 
rise to some apprehensions." All the territory be- 
tween those rivers and the western line of the 
state up to Lake Erie, the reader will remember, 
was then included in Allegheny county. In a pre- 
vious letter to the governor, February 3, Judge 
Addison had intimated: "Indeed, I should think 
that in all the unsettled parts boundaries of coun- 
ties and sites of county towns ought to be ascer- 
tained beforehand and purchases made of 600 or 
1,000 acres to be laid out in in-lots and out-lots, and 
the profits to be applied to academies." Thus it 
will be seen the question of organizing a new 
county or new counties out of that territory had 
then begun to be agitated. That agitation may 
have awakened in David and William Todd the 
hope that the town, which they laid out a few 
months later, might become the seat of justice of 
some one of those prospective counties. 

The reader's attention is now directed to a com- 
paratively small part of that territory, to the com- 
paratively small remnant of Old Buffalo, now 
embraced within the limits of South Buffalo town- 
ship. Passing near to and above the northeasterly 
boundary line of Freeport, on the map of original 
tracts or lots as they are termed in the deprecia- 
tion district, is a portion of No. 71 or "Friend- 
ship," 72 acres of which David Todd agreed, August 
30, 1810, to sell to Jacob Weaver for |360. That 
written contract and payment of part of the pur- 
chase money in Todd's lifetime having been satis- 
factorily proven before the court of common pleas 
of this county, Henry A. Weaver, administrator of 
Todd's estate, in accordance with the provisions 
of the act of March 31, 1792, executed a deed to 
the purchaser, January 2, 1815. Jacob Weaver 
established a distillery on this parcel in 1812. 



Hugh Brown, the early merchant at South Bend, 
on Crooked creek, near whose store David Todd 
had resided, having obtained a judgment against 
the latter before a justice of the peace, on which 
was issued a scire facias qucere executioneni non to 
No. 16, September terra, 1813, in the court of com- 
mon pleas of this county, to Henry A. Weaver, 
Todd's administrator, on which judgment was con- 
fessed. The debt was $20.98, and the costs $8.93. 
A writ oifi. fa. or execution having been issued and 
no goods and chattels belonging to the defendant's 
estate having been found. Sheriff McCormick levied 
on his interest in No. 71, or "Friendship," in the 
hands of the administrator, and sold the same to 
Jacob Weaver for |500, his deed being dated 
December 22, 1814. The real quantity which 
Weaver acquired by that purchase appears from 
his subsequent conveyances to have been 65 acres, 
which and the 72 acres he had agreed to purchase 
from Todd in his lifetime, as above mentioned, 
amounted to 136 acres of " Fi'iendship," which be- 
came vested in him in his own right, except an un- 
divided half part of the 72-acre parcel which he 
held in trust for the wife and children of Henry A. 
Weaver, to which he applied $262.62 of the. $400 
which Peter Hobach, of Green sburgh, had de- 
posited with him to invest for their use in such 
property as he should deem fit, having invested the 
remaining $137.78 in the purchase of fn-lots Nos. 
87, 93, 94 and 128 in Freeport. He afterward, 
April 6, 1818, conveyed his own undivided half 
that 72-acre parcel, except 2 acres conveyed to 
James Loughrie, to Henry Smith Weaver for $700, 
and all of the 65-acre parcel for $600. Thus it was 
that all of the latter and one-half the former be- 
came a part of Henry S. Weaver's estate, and the 
other half of the former a part of the estate of the 
wife and children of Henry A. Weaver, together 
with one-half of the profits arising from the dis- 
tillery which Jacob Weaver had established there- 
on in 1811 or 1812 — he was first assessed with itin 
the latter year — and which continued to be assessed 
to Henry S. Weaver for several years after his 
purchase. That distillery was situated six rods 
below the Fifteen-mile point, on the river route of 
the road from Kittanning to Freeport. The first 
point after that Fifteen-mile one, mentioned in the 
report of the viewers, dated September 21, 1824, 
is " continued six perches to stillhouse," which 
was 147 rods above the then eastern line of the 
town of Freeport. All of the 65-acre parcel be- 
came vested in Mrs. Emily White, who, with her 
husband, John White, conveyed it to James B. and 
John Heagy, April 1, 1859, for $4,000. The other , 
parcel remained undivided; proceedings in partition 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



431 



No. 34, September term, 1860, in the court of com- 
mon pleas of tliis county, were had. This portion 
of real estate embraced in that partition was found, 
on a more accurate survey than had before been 
made, to contain 79 acres and 138 perches; not hav- 
ing been taken by any of the heirs, it was ordered to 
be sold. Sheriff Sloan conveyed it to Rev. Will- 
iam Galbreath, June 5, 1862, for !Si2, 875.05, of 
which the latter conveyed 2 acres and 107 perches 
along the Kittanning and Freeport road and ad- 
joining the Protestant cemetery to Bishop Dominec 
and his successors in trust for St. Mary's church 
of Freeport for the purposes of a cemetery, Decem- 
ber 1, 1863, for $621, on which has since been laid 
out an appropriate and beautiful city of the dead. 
He conveyed 9 acres and 15-t perches between the 
W. P. R. R. and the river and adjacent to the 
southeastern part of the borough of Freeport to 
Patrick Meenan, January 16, 1864, for $1,000, on 
which the latter has since laid out the town of 
Meenanville, which, according to the assessment 
list in 1876, contains nine taxables. The last con- 
veyance of a portion of "Friendship" appears to 
have been of 4-^ acres on the Freeport and Kit- 
tanning road and Heagy's line to John Prager, 
April 20, 1866, for $325. 

North of " Friendship" lay "Union," or No. 70, 
which extended westwardly to BuflEalo creek. 
David Todd's undivided half of it. having become 
subject to the liens of two judgments, one in favor 
of John Donaldson, for $9, and the other in favor 
of Francis Harbison, for $4.89, was sold in the 
hands of the administrator by sheriff McCormick 
on writs of vend, ex., and conveyed by him to 
George Armstrong, of Greensburgh, December 21, 
1813, for $140. Armstrong's interest in it became 
subject to the lien of a judgment in favor of the 
Westmoreland Bank, for $2,350, passed under the 
sheriff's hammer, and was conveyed by Jacob 
Mechling, the then sheriff of this county, to Will- 
iam W. Gibson, September 12, 1827, for $260, who 
for the same consideration transferred it, January 
1, 1828, to Andrew Arnold and James Bole, and 
they, the same day, conveyed 120 acres and 42 
perches of the west end to William Painter, for 
$400, and 91 acres and 128 perches of the east end 
to James, John and Lindsay Patterson, for $400, 
an instant gain of $540. The other half of 
"Union" became vested in Mrs. Armstrong, an 
heir of William Todd, and was sold in parcels by 
her and her husband, as heretofore mentioned. 

Adjoining " Union " on the west was deprecia- 
tion lot No. 35, called " Plombiers," which origi- 
n.ally contained 201 acres, partly in Butler county, 
the patent for which was granted to Claudius An- 



tonius Bertier, December 14, 1786, whose widow 
and heirs conveyed it to James Bole, April 12, 
1815, for $700. Bole conveyed 101 acres of the 
east end to Thomas W. Carrier, October 27, 1815, 
for $562, having previously conveyed. 100 acres of 
the west end, on which a sawmill was then ei'ected, 
to William Girt. The eastern part of " Plom- 
biers " must have become reinvested in Bole, 
though the records do not show how, for he con- 
veyed it, together with 60 acres and 17 perches of 
depreciation lot No. 34, which Archibald McCall 
had conveyed to Daniel McBride, and the latter to 
Bole, November 26, 1818, and the undivided half 
of 107 acres and SOj-V perches, of "Union," which 
Armstrong had conveyed to Bole, January 27, 
1829, to John A. Stearns, July 24, 1834, for $5,000, 
on the latter parcel of which James Bole, Jr., was 
first assessed with a sawmill, in 1816, and with a 
gristmill in 1819. Those three parcels were con- 
veyed by Stearns to Benjamin F. King, April 30, 
1840, and which King conveyed to Abner W. Lane 
as containing 150 acres, more or less, January 1, 
1842, for $8,500, except the quantity that had been 
conveyed to James and Peter Clawson, on which 
were their salt-works, which were first assessed in 
1837, and, including the grist and sawmills erected 
by Bole, Lane conveyed two acres of the McCall- 
McBride-Bole parcel to John M. Orr, July 30, 
1858, for $600; portions of the three parcels which 
he had purchased from King, partly in Butler 
countjf, about 55 acres, including the mills, to John 
Hilnes and Samuel Kurtz, May 20, 1862, for $4,000; 
and a small quantity, excepting the ground on 
which the public schoolhouse No. 10 is situated, to 
A. & C. Mardorff, August 19, 1867, for $400, on 
which their tannery is located, with which they 
were first assessed in that year. Lane having died 
intestate, about December 29, 1868, letters of ad- 
ministration were granted to his widow, to whom 
an order was granted by the court to sell three 
small parcels, aggregating 6 acres and 76 perches, 
for the j^ayment of debts, two of which, containing 
2 acres and 65 perches, she sold for $325, and ob- 
tained an alias order for the sale of the other. Her 
letters of administration having been vacated, 
March 6, 1871, John Boyd was appointed adminis- 
trator de bonis non, who laid out the town of Lane- 
ville on such portions of the decedant's estate as 
remained unsold, April 14, Thomas Magill and J. 
G. D. Findley, surveyors, consisting- of 53 lots of 
various shapes and dimensions, skirted on the east 
by the Butler branch of the West Pennsylvania 
Railroad, on the west by the Freeport and Butler 
turnpike, and traversed from north to south by 
Main street, and a public alley west of the street. 



432 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



which are intersected by an unnamed street about 
42 rods north of the southern end of the plot of 
the town. Two several orders having been granted 
by the court to the administrator to sell those lots 
for the payment of debts, the first sale, May 28, 
aggregated $3,844, and the second one, July 13, 
12,502. 

The creek is spanned by an iron bridge at the lower 
or southern end of Laneville, it having been pre- 
ceded by one or two wooden ones, which were swept 
away. By the act of January 13, 1840, the com- 
missioners of this county were authorized to appro- 
priate $500 out the county funds to aid in building 
a bridge across this stream where the Butler and 
Freeport road crosses it. The present is a county 
bridge. 

The first separate assessment list for Laneville 
was in IS*?!, when it contained about a dozen tax- 
ables, one tannery, one miller and four laborers. 
The number of taxables in 1876 is nearly 40; labor- 
ers, 26; tanners, 2; carpenter,!; cooper, 1; miller, 
1; old man, 1; tinner, 1. Michael Conrad was 
this year first assessed with his brickyard on what 
is known as the brickkiln lot, about forty rods 
above the Freeport flouring-mill. This mill, with 
63 acres of circumjacent land, became vested in C. 
M. Bird, after Lane's sale to Hilnes and Kurtz, 
from whom it passed by sheriff's sale, March 5, 
1873, to Joseph B. Way for $5,300, who conveyed 
it the same day to Adolph Fisher, the present 
owner, for $5,500. It was then a three-story frame 
steam and water mill, with three runs of stone. 

'Next north or above " Plombiers " lay "Mount 
Joy," a tract containing 400f acres, partly in But- 
ler county, for which a patent was granted to John 
Harbison, December 11, 1807. He had resided 
there before 1805, for in that year he was assessed 
with a sawmill, 200 acres of land, two horses and 
two cows, at $250. His gristmill was erected after- 
ward, and was first assessed to him in 1812, with 
which he continued to be assessed until 1815. He, 
like other pioneer settlers, was dependent on his 
neighbors to aid him in erecting his mills, other 
buildings and dam. He was wont to say, in invit- 
ing them, that he wished they would bring their 
own provisions, except whisky, which he probably 
obtained from William Hazelett's distillery, which 
was not far distant, which was first assessed at $20 
in 1807. His wife Massy frequently tended the 
mill. He conveyed 50 acres, including these mills, 
to Aaron Dyer, Jr., May 6, of that year, for $1,600, 
which Dyer, two days afterward, conveyed to 
Thomas W. Carrier, of Broome county. New York, 
for $2,500, with which he was assessed for several 
years, until the same were conveyed by Philip 



Mechling, sheriff, to William Ayres, of Butler, 
March 21, 1820, for $281, having been sold on a 
judgment in favor of John Harbison. Ayres 
leased this property for several years : To David 
Kirkpatrick from 1820 till 1824; to John Kelty 
from 1824 until 1832; to John Hoover from 1832 
until 1833, and on October 2 conveyed it, with other 
50 acres of "Mount Joy," which Wm. Colmer had 
conveyed to him February 1, 1832, to Joseph 
McLaughlin and Samuel Thompson as tenants in 
common, for $500. Those 100 acres, and the grist- 
mill were assessed to McLaughlin until 1843. He 
conveyed his undivided half of the land and mill 
to Asa Rowley, April 1, 1845, for $1,000. It was 
last known as the Rowley mill, but a few vestiges 
of which now remain, and only 36 acres of the 
land are now (1876) assessed to Rowley at $860. 
The old Pittsburgh and Kittanning road crossed 
the creek a short distance above that mill. Other 
portions of "Mount Joy" on the west side of the 
eastern bend in the Buffalo are now owned by 
Samuel Hepworth and L. Johnston, the former 
being assessed with 52 acres at $1,040, and the 
latter with 50 acres at $1,000. Massy Harbison 
released her dower for $30, and Benjamin, James, 
John and Thomas Harbison their interiasts for $30 
in 18 acres of that part of "Mount Joy" east of 
the Buffalo, March 8, 1833, to James Patterson. 

The southern one of the two tracts which skirted 
" Mount Joy " on the east was depreciation lot No. 69, 
called " Bar-le-Duc," 277' acres, the patent for which 
was granted to Claudius Antonius Bertier, Decem- 
ber 14, 1786. This tract was named after an 
ancient and important town in France — Bar-le- 
Duc, or Bar-sui--Ormain, which is the chief town 
of the dei^artment of the Meuse. It is situated at 
the base and on the declivity of a hill, on the I'iver 
Ormain, a tributary of the Marne, 125 miles east 
of Paris, and consists of an upper and lower town, 
the latter being the more modern and respectable 
of the two. Long after this tract was named from 
it, it became a railway station on the Paris and 
Strasburg line, and not far from which is the 
Marne and Rhine canal. A college, a normal 
school, an agricultural society, a society of the arts 
and a public library are some of its educational 
facilities. Its only building of mark is the half- 
decayed body in marble which originally formed a 
part of the Rene of Chalons, Prince of Orange. 
The castle which was the nucleus of the upper 
town was built by Frederick I, duke of Lorraine, 
in the tenth century. Louis XI got possession of 
the town and caused it to be fortified in 1474. It 
was dismantled under Louis XIV in 1670, but it 
still i-etains a few relics of its ancient works. An 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



433 



extensive traffic is there maintained in wines, wood 
and wool, and its manufactures of cotton stuffs, 
hats, hosiery, leather and confections are very 
extensive — its confections being especially noted. 
Its population in IS^-i was 15,175. From 959 till 
1354 the district of Bar was governed by a series 
of counts, and was then raised to a duchy, which 
was ceded to Rene of Anjou in 1419, and thereafter 
followed the fortunes of Lorraine. The motto of 
the dukes, which has been adopted by the town, 
was I'lits penser que dire. Their coins were usually 
distinguished by two barrels. 

Bertier's widow and heirs, by their attorney-in- 
fact, conveyed "Bar-le-Duc" to Jacob Weaver, 
April 10, 1815, for $1,500, 97 acres and 103 perches 
of which he conveyed to Andrew Patterson, De- 
cember 23, 1816, for $529.25, and 155 acres to Jacob 
Mechling, September 4, 1823, for $750, which the 
latter devised to his son Jacob, and he conveyed 
175 acres and 86 perches to Andrew R. Stewart, 
October 20, 1863, for $5,000. Near the center of 
" Bar-le-Duc " is tlie junction with Big run of one 
of its northwestern tributaries, which is about 25 
rods west of the division line between the Mech- 
ling and Patterson parcels of that depreciation lot 
No. 69. 

There was a vacant tract extending from a point 
opposite the mouth of the Kiskimiuetas up the 
right bank of the Allegheny, nearly to the foot of 
the bend ; thence westerly along the John Craig 
tract and depreciation lot No. 72 to the southwest 
corner of the latter, and thence by various courses 
and distances along " Bar-le-Due " and " Union " 
to the place of beginning, which contained 95 acres 
and 31 perches, to which Andrew Patterson 
acquired title by settlement and improvement, 
probably made prior to 1800. He was a carpenter, 
and built the first dwelling-house in Freeport, ad- 
joining the old blockhouse on Water street. The 
earliest assessment list for Buffalo township acces- 
sible to the writer is for the year 1805, when he 
was assessed as a wheelwright with 95 acres, at 25 
cents per acre, and two cattle, amounting to $55.75. 
It is not clear to the writer just when he bored the 
salt-well about 225 rods above the Kiskiminetas, on 
this tract. An agreement was entered into be- 
tween James, John and Lindsey Patterson with 
John and Thomas Robinson, April 26, 1825, by 
which the latter, as lessees of that well, agreed to 
put one pan in operation immediately, and a second 
one if there should be sufficient water, by January 
1, 1826, and to pay as annual rent 100 bushels of 
salt for each pan, if the water yielded 20 bushels 
to each pan every 24 hours, and more or less in 
proportion to the yield. If the well should not 



produce daily 15 bushels to each pan, the lessees 
were immediately to bore to the depth of 75 feet 
if necessary, and if there were not then sufficient 
water they were to bore 125 feet deeper, with the 
privilege of quitting at the end of that or any 
future year, and remove the apparatus belonging 
to well and works. If the well should not yield 
more water than would be sufficient for one pan, the 
lessees were to pay as rent every fourteenth bushel 
of salt so made. They do not appear to have 
operated the well more than a year or two. By 
his will, dated February 4, and registered Septem- 
ber 19, 1832, he devised to his sons Andrew and 
John, respectively, the " undivided one-half of the 
land lying between the salt-works land and Craig's 
line." These works were assessed for the first time 
to "J. J. & L. Patterson," in 1838, at $750, and to 
John and James for several years afterward, and 
were for awhile operated by Thomas Donnelly; 
111 acres, partly of this tract and partly of " Bar-le- 
Duc," were not devised or disposed of by Andrew 
Patterson's last will, for the division of which a 
writ of partition was issued at No. 19, June term, 
1852, in the common pleas of this county, which 
the inquest divided into four allotments, and, not 
having been taken at the appraisement, were sold 
by sheriff Watson, under an order of the court, 
December 6, 1852. "A," opposite the mouth of 
the Kiskiminetas, 35 acres and 80 perches, its 
lower line extending 108 and its upper line 
123 perches back from the river, was appraised 
at $20 per acre and purchased by Rev. Wm. 
Galbraith for $561. " B," next above "A," 
34 acres and 70 perches, its lower line extending 
123 and its upper 136 perches back from 
the river, was appraised at $30 per acre, and pur- 
chased by John Patterson for $799. "C,"uext 
above " B," 34 acres and 20 perches, its lower line 
extending 136 and its upper 144 perches back from 
the river, was appraised at $40 j^er acre, and was 
purchased by Lindsey W. Patterson for $995. 
"D," 25 acres and 94 perches and salt-works, 
its lower line extending 34 and its upper 40 
perches back from, and 102 perches by various 
courses and distances up, the river, was appraised 
at $5,500, and was purchased by John Patterson 
for $2,540. The Keystone Company located their 
two oil-tanks* near that salt-well in 1875, their 
capacities being, respectively, 8,000 and 3,000 bar- 
rels, into whiiih oil was pumped from St. Joe, in 
Butler county. 

Northeast of the Patterson tract and east of No. 
72 lay the John Craig tract, 394 acres and 30 
perches, to which he acquired title by the purchase 



'= Since removed. 



434 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of Samuel Paul's interest in it, October 2, 1794, for 
$90, and by settlement and im2>rovement wbicli be 
commenced in the summer of 1795. It probably 
attracted his attention while he was commandant 
of the blockhouse at Freeport. He brought witli 
him that summer a two months' supply of provi- 
sions and built a cabin near a spring on the parcel 
now owned by L. W. Patterson. Craig, while re- 
turning to his home in Westmoreland county, met 
Charles Sipes, who was moving his family to this 
region. Not having a cabin of his own, he asked 
for and obtained leave to occupy Craig's until he 
could build one. On the arrival of Craig %vith his 
family, the next spring, Sipes declined to give up 
his possession of the cabin and survey. Craig en- 
camped his family and built another cabin on the 
opposite side of the spring, and prosecuted Charles 
Sipes, Sr., No. 3, June sessions, in the court of 
quarter sessions of Allegheny county, and Charles 
Sipes, Jr., No. 4, same sessions, for forcible de- 
tainer. Those cases were tried at the next Sep- 
tember sessions, and there was a verdict of guilty 
against the elder, and of not guilty against the 
younger Sipes. Still that litigation cost Craig about 
$100, which in the then great scarcity of money 
was a heavy burden to a pioneer in the wilderness. 
The war between those claimants of that tract was 
a very civil one, for they were, during the whole 
of their contest, on friendly terms, used the same 
springhouse for their milk, and their families 
shared with each other such rarities and delicacies 
as either obtained. Sipes removed soon after that 
trial on to another tract of land. Craig was as- 
sessed with two distilleries from 1808 till 1810. 
In his younger days he had belonged to what was 
then called " the flying camp." He was taken 
prisoner by the Indians, and was confined in a 
guardhouse on an island, sixty miles above Mon- 
treal, from which he was released after the surren- 
der of Cornwallis. He was one of the earliest 
justices of the peace in this county, and resided 
upon and improved that tract of land until his 
death, in 1845, on which he was buried, being then 
almost a centenarian, with failing mind and 
memory. 

Contiguous to the John Craig tract on the east 
was " Sugar Bottom," 109 acres, which became 
vested in Samuel Murphy, adjoining which on the 
east was " Bellemons," 205 acres, depreciation lot 
No. 76, the patent for which was granted to Joshua 
Elder, October 18, 1786, which Elder conveyed to 
William Todd, March 27, 1795, and which Todd 
conveyed to Samuel Murphy, April 18, 1798, for 
"£57 current money," on which the latter, with 
his family, soon after settled. His farm consisted 



of "Bellemons" and "Sugar Bottom." On the 
former, nearly opposite the foot of Murphy's 
island, in the field above the private road from the 
public road to the river, were vestiges of a circum- 
vallation, which were quite distinct for many years 
after his settlement. Its shape was nearly circular, 
with an opening to the river. The distance from 
one lune to the other was five or six rods. The 
parapet consisted chiefly of gravel and sloped from 
the top to the base, the latter being eight or ten 
feet wide, and enclosed about half an acre on which 
a tree of considerable size had grown up. Pieces 
of crockery and copper kettles were found in the 
adjacent fields, and a tomahawk about thirty rods 
below it. An iron instrument, hollow, about 
eight inches long and one in diameter, probably 
a whistle, for it had an aperture for blowing in the 
middle, was exposed about forty years ago by the 
caving-in of the river bank at a depth of eighteen 
inches below the surface, not very far from the 
site of that circumvallatiou. The northwestern 
part of "Bellemons" and the central part of 
" Sugar Bottom " are traversed by Knapp's run, so- 
called from John Khapp, who built a cabin and 
resided on the upper part of it from 1822 until 
183V, in single blessedness all those fifteen years. 
Whether it had anj^ other name before it was thus 
christened is not manifest to the writer. James 
Mehaffey kept a store about seventy-five rods above 
the mouth of that run on the river bank, near the 
southeast corner of "Sugar Bottom," in 1792-3-4, 
in the vicinity of which old coins have been occa- 
sionally exhumed. "Bellemons " and " Sugar Bot- 
tom " have in later years been known as "Mur- 
phy's Bend." 

Samuel Murphy conveyed 52 acres and 40 perches 
of "Bellemons" to Benjamin Murphy, April 20, 
1839, for $1 and " natural affection." By his will, 
dated January 26, 1844, and registered November 
4, 1851, he devised the residue of "Bellemons" 
and " Sugar Bottom " to his other sons, George P., 
James P., John and William, share and share alike, 
except the quantity of the latter tract which he 
had approjDriated for a burying-ground, and for 
which he had executed a deed. Thej' made parti- 
tion among themselves and released to one another. 

Samuel Murphy was born at BuUskins, Frederick 
county, Virginia, in 1756. As he informed Dr. 
William Denny, a son of Major Denny, who visited 
him a few years b-efore his death, he first came to 
Pittsburgh to get a saddle which had been lent to 
Dr. Conolly, where he first met Major Denny, and 
passed the night with him at " Granny Myers'," at 
Turtle creek. He accompanied the Earl of Dun- 
more's expedition as far as it proceeded in 1774. 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



435 



(The Earl, he said, was "a large, full, red-faced 
man, who looked as if he lived high; was near 
him when, on foot among the men, lie came to 
Hocking; saw him step into the water and wade the 
river with the unconcern of an Indian, rejecting 
the offer of a young sergeant to carry him over.") 
He served in the 8tli Pa. regt. through the 
revolutionary war. He was captured by the In- 
dians on the north fork of Salt river, in Ken- 
tucky, and takeu by Simon Grirty to an island in 
the St. Lawrence river, sixty miles above Montreal, 
in the fall of 1781. The Indians who had cap- 
tured Col. Archibald Lochery, Capt. Robert Orr 
and Samuel Craig wore there. John Craig used 
to relate, that Murphj^ one quiet morning, jumped 
to the ceiling of the guard-room and gave the war- 
whoop, being incited to do so by the sentinel 
informing him, that if he would not mention it, 
he would tell him something that would make him 
very glad. Murphy having promised to keep the 
secret, the sentinel slowly whispered in his ear — 
" Cornwallis is taken ! " Murphy then told the 
sentinel that he had dreamed it three nights in 
succession. When that event became known to 
the prisoners, that night, there was a boisterous 
jubilee among them. 

Murphy rendered much and valuable service 
in defense of the frontier after the close of the 
revolutionary war and during the succeeding Indian 
war. In accordance with the act of assembly, 
passed January, 1792, providing for the defense of 
the frontiers of this commonwealth. Gov. Mifflin, 
on the 29ih of that month, issued his circular to 
the lieutenants of Allegheny, Fayette, Washington 
and Westmoreland counties, directing three de- 
fensive companies to be raised, which were to con- 
sist of not more than 228 non-commissioned officers 
and privates, each company to consist of one cap- 
tain, one lieutenant and one ensign, to be ap- 
pointed and commissioned by the governor, four 
sergeants, four corporals, two musicians and 
sixty privates, for the term of six months, unless 
sooner discharged, to commence on the 1st of 
March. Murphy was appointed ensign of the 
third company, which was directed to "be sta- 
tioned at the Kittanning, ranging thence up 
and down the river." When the capture of 
Massy Harbison and her children became known, 
he and a squad of his company pursued the captors 
to the Kiskiminetas, but did not overtake them. 
The act of assembly of February 28, 1794, having 
provided for the defense of the frontiers, a com- 
pany was raised in Allegheny county, of which 
Eben Denny was appointed captain, Thomas Bell 
Patterson, lieutenant, and Samuel Murphy, ensign. 



Patterson resigned and recommended the appoint- 
ment of his brother James in liis place. Murphy 
.was, however, appointed to fill that vacancy, and 
James was appointed ensign, March 1. Gov. Mifflin 
in his circular to them directed them to apply to 
their captain " for instructions to raise your com- 
plement of non-commissioned offlcers and men ; and 
I rely upon your rendering all the assistance in 
your power in that respect, as well as upon your 
zeal and spirit in executing the other duties of your 
commission." Capt. Denny wrote to the governor 
May 2, 1794, from Pittsburgh : " Lieutenant Mur- 
phy and Ensign Patterson have been about three 
weeks away endeavoring to find men for the Alle- 
gheny company. Patterson has been tolerably 
successful. I have not heard from Murphy — he is 
in Fayette county. They must both be here in a 
few days," and they were. In his military journal, 
April 4, he states that Murphy had " been out 
since the 24th of March." 

Captain, afterward Major, Denny, as stated by 
his son, was wont to say that " Samuel Murphy was 
the best soldier he ever knew." Often for several 
years after his discharge, he plowed the bot- 
tom portion of " Murphy's Bend " with a rifie on 
his shoulder. Dr. William Denny presents him as 
he saw him in August, 1849, thus : "I was taken 
by his two maiden daughters to the original cabin, 
a rod or two detached from the present family dwell 
ing, where he sat on a chair in the middle of the 
puncheon floor, with his hat on, in his Sunday suit, 
which hung loosely upon him. It was evident that 
the noble and gigantic form was wasting away 
with age." 

Adjoining "Bar-le-Duc" on the north was the 
Kincaid tract, 440 acres, on which, James Kincaid 
made an improvement, November 14, 1793, and 
which was surveyed by Stephen Gapen on the 21st. 
Kincaid conveyed his interest in it to Samuel Kin- 
caid, November 21, 1794, for $40; the latter to Col. 
Charles Campbell and John Denniston, July 16, 
1795, for $80; they to Samuel Denniston and his 
wife, to whom the warrant was granted, August 
25, 1796; and they to John B. Alexander, February 
10, 1818, for $1,000. This tract having become 
vested in the Westmoreland Bank of Pennsylvania, 
which, under its corporate seal, conveyed it to Hugh 
Y. Brady, John Kuhns and Morrison Underwood 
in trust for its creditors, who conveyed 318 acres 
of it to John Atkinson, April 27, 1831, for $1,470.75, 
of which he conveyed 100 acres to James B. 
Atkinson, February 24, 1848, for $2,000, and which 
the latter conveyed to James Ralston, November 
29, 1855, for $3,000. John Atkinson died intestate 
in March, 1853. By subsequent proceedings of 



436 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



partition in the orphans' court of this county, the 
156 acres and 103 perches which he had not dis- 
posed of in his lifetime Avere divided into two pur- 
parts. "A," containing 95 acres and 145 perches, 
was appraised by the inquest at 138.33 per acre, 
and taken thereat by James B. Atkinson, the eldest 
son. "B," containing 60 acres and 118 perches, 
appraised at $55.92, was taken by Robert Morris, 
of Freeport, in trust for his ward, George Atkin- 
son, the second sou. The western part of the latter 
purpart is traversed by Big run, on which the saw- 
mill was erected by John Atkinson in 1842, and 
which, with 13 acres, was first assessed to Joseph 
Atkinson in 1859 at $239. 

The assignees of that bank conveyed the other 
portion of the Kincaid tract as containing 205^ 
acres to George Keener, January 23, 1833, for 
$1,007.47, who subsequently conveyed the same to 
James Hill and William Selkeld. 

Passing on further west on the north of " Mount 
Joy" on both sides of the Buffalo and partly in 
Butler county lay a tract which had been occupied 
several years by Jacob Weaver, for which a patent 
was granted him March 10, 1817, on which, on 
the left or north branch of the creek, Robert Mc- 
Cormish built a gristmill in 1803-4, with which 
he was assessed until 1805, to Wm. Colmer in 
1809-10, and which was thereafter assessed to 
Jacob Weaver until 1814. He conveyed 116 acres 
and 34 perches, with the mill, to Isaac Frantz, 
August 18, 1817, for $1,200. The adjoiners then 
were Isaac Hughes, Young's heirs, William Col- 
mer and George Weaver. Frantz was assessed 
with the gristmill from 1815 until 1823. Adjoin- 
ing that was another tract for which Jacob Weaver 
obtained a patent, October 6, 1823, of which he 
conveyed 150 acres to James and William McEl- 
wain, January 2, 1835, for $1,000, the former of 
whom was assessed with that mill until 1857. 
Their assignees, John George and John Irwin, con- 
veyed 166 acres and 26 perches, not including the 
mill, to John Dampman, of Venango county, Sep- 
tember 30, 1857, for $5,750, which then adjoined 
lands of Robert J. Hill, William Hughes and 
James Patterson, and the Kittanning road. The 
mill has not been in operation for several years. 
The building, a three-story frame of considerable 
dimensions, is still standing, opposite which on the 
right bank of the creek is Harbison station on the 
Butler branch of the West Pennsylvania Railroad. 

FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE. 

The first sohoolhouse within the limits of South 
Buffalo township was built in 1800 on this Weaver- 
McElwain-Dampman tract, about sixty rods west 



of Big run. The first teacher was James Clark, 
whose only surviving pupil is John Patterson. 
The second teacher was Evangelus Jones, one of 
whose pupils studied the German and another the 
Latin language. His only surviving pupils are 
James P. Murphy, James Patterson* and his wife, 
and John Patterson. The third teacher was 
Edward Gorrellf — commonly pronounced Girl — 
who taught the usual English branches of that 
period. Ilis j^enmanship was excellent; the copies 
which he set looked like copperplate. The late 
William W. Gibson was one of his pupils. The 
onlj' surviving ones are Jacob and John Iseman, 
Mrs. Martha Mechling, James Patterson and wife, 
and John Pattei'son. 

Dr. Benjamin Franklin purchased 11 deprecia- 
tion lots in Elder's district No. 5 at sales of 
depreciation lands at the Merchants' Cofiiee House, 
Philadelphia, some of which he paid 1 penny and 
for some 2 pence an acre, for which patents were 
granted to him, November 1, 1787, which are 
noticed respectively below, 10 of which are in this 
township. By his will, dated July 17, 1788, he de- 
vised them and other property to his son-in-law, 
Richard Bache, who by his will, dated January 2, 
1810, directed that all his property of whatever 
kind be divided into seven equal parts, and ap- 
pointed David Lenox and Louis and Richard Bache 
his executors. Lenox renounced, and the other 
two acted. Bache devised and bequeathed as fol- 
lows: One-seventh of all his estate respectively to 
his executors and their survivors in trust for the chil- 
dren of his son Benjamin F. Bache; to his execu- 
tors in trust for William Bache and Catherine, his 
wife, and their children; to Louis Bache; to Rich- 
ard Bache; to his executors in trust for his daugh- 
ter Elizabeth Franklin Hamond and her children ; 
to his daughter Deborah Duane; and the remain- 
ing seventh to his daughter Sarah, wife of Thomas 
Sergeant. Richard Bache having authorized his 
executors to sell any or all of his real estate, they 
as testamentary trustees for the above-mentioned 
devisees and the other devisees, seven parties, and 
Randall Hutchinson, of Philadelphia, party of the 
eighth part, agreed upon a partition of those eleven 
tracts or depreciation lots. Eight of them, rec- 
tangular parallelograms, occupied a range extend- 
ing from the eastern part of Butler county along 
the above-mentioned Weaver-McElwain-Dampman, 
Kincaid, John Craig, and beyond " Sugar Bottom " 
and "Bellemons" tracts and lots on the south, 
and the other three, a range 9,long the Allegheny 
river, as hereinafter specified. Those devisees and 



* Since deceased, 
-f See Manor. 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



437 



testamentary trustees conveyed their interests in 
these tracts or lots, October 29, 1814, to Randall 
Hutchinson, to the intent that he should, by seven 
separate deeds of even date with theirs to him, grant 
to them their several shai-es and allotments accord- 
ing to that partition, which was accordingly done. 
The two westernmost ones, "Preston," 284f acres in 
Butler county, and " Kirkham," 207^ acres adjoin- 
ing the Armstrong and Butler county line on the 
west, were conveyed by Hutchinson to these testa- 
mentary trustees in trust for the use and benefit of 
William and Catherine Bache and their children. 
Their daughter Sarah and her husband, Rev. 
Charles Hodge, D. D., one of the eminent pro- 
fessors in the Presbyterian theological seminary, 
at Princeton, New Jersey, conveyed her interest in 
these two lots to William J. Duane, April 29, 
1829, for §166.67. The other children of William 
and Catherine Bache also conveyed their interests 
in these two lots to Duane: Benjamin F. Bache, 
absent in the service of the United States at Pen- 
sacola, Florida, April 26, 1831, for $166.67 ; Cath- 
erine W. Bache to Duane, August 13, 1829, for 
$166.67. Duane conveyed his interest in " Kirk- 
ham" to John McLean, May 18, 1832, for $1,200, 
who conveyed it as containing 214 acres and 56 
perches to Thomas King, October 7, 1853, for 
$6,340. 

Hutchinson conveyed " Walton," No. 63, adjoin- 
ing " Kirkham " on the east, 207-|- acres, and " Poul- 
ton," No. 64, adjoining " Walton " on the east, 
207-|- acres, to those trustees in trust for the use 
and benefit of Mrs. Elizabeth Franklin Harwood, 
whose interest having become vested in A. A. 
Harwood, he and his wife conveyed the same to 
Duane, April 10, 1829, for $500. Duane conveyed 
100 acres of " Walton " to Charles Gregory, March 
10, 1830, for $400. Gregory, while a lad, had the 
good fortune to meet Capt. Hart while he was 
building one of his boats at Freeport, who, ascer- 
taining that the lad wanted employment, and lik- 
ing the disposition which he evinced, hired him. 
The money which he thus earned enabled him to 
make a start in his reasonably prosperous career 
tTirough life. He erected a distillery on that parcel 
of land with which he was assessed from 1821 
until 1823. Duane conveyed " Poulton " to George 
Grinder, April 23, 1833, for $1,100, who conveyed 
103 acres and 123 perches of it to James Law, May 
10, for $550. 

Hutchinson conveyed " Wigan," No. 65, 207t} 
acres, adjoining ".Poulton " on the east, and "Bol- 
ton," No. 84, adjoining " Wigan " on the east, 207-|^ 
acres to Richard Bache, who conveyed them to 
Duane, October 31, 1814, for $1,600, who conveyed 



"Wigan "to Andrew Srader, April 13, 1829, for 
$950, on which is the church edifice of Srader 
Grove Presbyterian church, members, 40; Sunday- 
school scholars, 70; and "Bolton" to John Baker, 
May 1, for $900. 

Hutchinson conveyed " Garstang," No. 85, 1814- 
acres, adjoining Bolton on the east, and " Clif- 
ton," No. 86, 215t(j acres, adjoining " Garstang " on 
the east, to Louis Bache, who conveyed them to 
Duane, July 27, 1818, for $1,600.10; who conveyed 
" Garstang " to Abraham Boyd and Joseph Shields 
May 1, 1832, for $800, — Boyd was assessed with a 
tanyard from 1840 until 1846— and "Clifton" to 
Patrick Duffy, December 20, for $1,000, one-half of 
which the latter conveyed to John Duffy, March 
13, 1833, for $500. 

Passing to the Allegheny river, about 60 rods 
above Stewart's run, is the western line of 
"Broughton," No. 81, 209r'o acres, which Hutchin- 
son conveyed to those testamentary trustees for the 
use of the children of Benjamin F. Bache, de- 
ceased, which they conveyed to Duane June 3, 
1829, for $100, and which he conveyed to Walter 
M. Skelton, formerly of Fayette county, Januarj^ 
24, 1840, for $4,180, and the same day "Settle," 
No. 82, 200r'i[ acres, adjoining "Broughton " on the 
east, for $4,000. ' Skelton gave mortgages on 
both tracts, on which there would have been due a 
balance of $1,882.50 on July 15, 1843, with inter 
est from April, 1840. Duane, for reasons stated in 
a letter from Skelton to him, authorized Judge 
Buffington, by letter of attorney, June 9, 1842, to 
accept $1,200 in full satisfaction. 

Hutchinson conveyed " Chorley," No. 83, 504 
acres, adjoining " Settle " and " Stephen's Green" 
on the east, and skirted by the Allegheny river on 
the east and southeast, to those testamentary trus- 
tees for the use of Mrs. Sarah Sergeant, who con- 
veyed it to Duane August 31, 1827, for $500, and 
which he conveyed to Enos McBride June 10, 1830, 
for $1,100. McBride laid out the town of Clinton on 
that part of " Chorley " in the deep southeastern 
bend of the river, consisting of 71 -in-lots, most of 
which are 70X155 feet, and 4 out-lots, 2 of which 
are 280^X155 feet, and the other 2 respectively 
155X210-^ and 155 X 370 feet and a fraction more, 
which were surveyed in July, 1830. Water street, 
about 80 feet wide, extends the whole length of the 
town along the river. Washington, Franklin, Jack- 
son, Olinda and Liberty streets, whose courses are 
from east to west, are intersected at right angles by 
First, Second and Third streets, — whose beai'ing is 
north 3^ degrees west,— each 60 feet wide. The 
24 upper lots appear like a separate plat, and are 
traversed by Fourth and Fifth sti-eets, whose bear- 



438 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ing is north 52 degrees west, wbich are intersected 
by two unnamed streets, whose bearing is north 
38 degrees east, each 40 feet wide. The lots and 
streets cover an area of about 29 acres. 

McBride sold most if not all of his lots, 
though deeds for but few of them are on record. 
The first separate assessment list was in 1834, which 
includes lots from No. 1 to 60 inclusive, assessed 
to almost as many persons, and all but eleven are 
noted as unseated. The following sales show the 
prices of the lots in various parts of the town: 
On June 2V, 1832, McBride conveyed to James 
Stewart, lot No. 9, fronting on Washington, Frank- 
lin, Second streets, for $60; to Jonathan Porter, 
No. 28, fronting on Jackson and Olinda streets, be- 
tween Second and Third, for $16; to Patrick 
Sherry, Nos. 85 and 37, fronting on Olinda and Lib- 
erty, between First and Second streets, for $11 and 
$10. On the 29th to Joseph Kenniston, No. 49, 
fronting on Water, Fourth and one of the un- 
named streets, for $16. On the 14th of July to 
William W. Gibson No. 4, fronting on Water and 
Washington, between First and Second streets, for 
$20; on January 23, 1838, to Samuel Walker, No. 
18, fronting on Franklin, Jackson and Second 
streets, for $24. 

In 1843, this town contained five taxables, with 
the corresponding population, including three me- 
chanics, viz.: Robert Graham, carpenter; Samuel 
Patterson, wagonmaker, and David Whitehead, 
cooper, and twelve seated lots. There appear to 
have been about twenty-eight taxables here in 
1858, including three carpenters, one cooper, one 
shoemaker, and one stonemason. The people of 
Clinton then cherished a laudable ambition to im- 
prove their town, and a high appreciation of its 
eligible location. For the writer was informed by 
Samuel Murphy, whose business on the river made 
him cognizant of what transpired here during that 
year-^he was afterward county superintendent — 
that shortly after the burning of the court-house 
at Kittanning, the people of Clinton held a meet- 
ing and adopted resolutions asserting that this 
was the proper location for the new county build- 
ings. These proceedings were not published and 
the minutes of the meeting, if any were kept, do 
not seem to have been preserved. The late Will- 
iam Coyle, shortly before his death, also informed 
the writer that that meeting was held and those 
resolutions were adopted. One of the public 
sohoolhouses of South Buffalo township was lo- 
cated, several years since, at the corner of First 
and Liberty streets, fronting the east side of the 
former and the north side of the latter. The 
Presbyterian church was organized here, with 



eleven members,- by a committee of the Presbytery 
of Allegheny — now Butler — June 7, 1852. It 
was statedly supplied by the late Rev. George 
Cams, from 1853 until 1856. There were occa- 
sional supplies until 1864, and from then until 
1860 Rev. D. W. Townsend was its stated supply, 
who was followed by Rev. David H. Sloan, as 
supply until 1869, when the Rev. J. H. Aughey 
was installed as pastor and continued until 1870. 
It was supplied by Rev. John J. Francis in 1871. 
The present jjastor, Rev. David H. Sloan, after 
preaching statedly for a year, was installed in 
April, 1873. The present membership is sixty; 

Sabbath-school scholars, . The first church 

edifice was erected, in 1850, jointly by the Presby- 
terians and Lutherans, each denomination having 
a half-interest and occupying it half the time for 
the following eight years. The corner-stone was 
laid, July 4, 1850, by Rev. David Earhart. The 
Lutheran church was organized by Rev. David 
Earhart, August 13, 1851, and had only occasional 
services after I860, until the members connected 
themselves with other churches. The present 
church edifice is a neat frame structure 86X56 
feet including a vestibule 9 feet wide. 

It was begun in the fall of 1875 and completed 
in the spring of 1876, and is tastefully finished 
and furnished. The house and furniture cost 
about $2,500. 

According to the assessment list for 1876, the 
number of taxables appears to be forty-four : La- 
borers, 19 ; boatmen, 2 ; old man, 1 ; farmer, 1 ; 
storekeeper, 1 ; stonemason, 1. 

Owners of other parts of " Chorley " are Will- 
iam and Thomas Coyle and H. Sheridan. In the 
northeastern part of it is a stone-quarry. 

Another purchaser of numerous lots and tracts 
of land in this and most of the other townships 
on this side of the Allegheny river, in this county, 
was-. Archibald McCall, of Philadelphia. Says 
Townsend Ward, in his " Second Street and its 
Associations : " " In 1762-3 Archibald McCall, the 
India merchant, built a house, still standing at the 
northeast corner of Second and Union streets. 
Its garden extended a considerable distance down 
the latter street, and was well stocked with various 
animals brought by his supercargoes from foreign 
parts, so that it was, in a manner, our first Zoologi- 
cal Garden." McCall purchased immense quanti- 
ties of land in various parts of this state, and 
having become embarrassed, he executed a deed of 
assignment for the benefit of his creditors, of all 
those lands to William Reed and Victor Du Pont, 
July 2, 1817, which were subsequently reconveyed 
to him. So discouraged was he at one time during 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



439 



his embarrassment that lie suggested the sale of his 
coal lands in the anthracite region for a trifling 
amount. His agent, however, urged him to retain 
them another year, which he did, and realized an 
independent fortune from the great and rapid 
increase in their value. His real estate transac- 
tions, on this side of the Allegheny in this county, 
were numerous and extensive until his death, as 
will be seen in the progress of this work through 
the townships in which his lands were situated. 
After his death his heirs conveyed forty-two par- 
cels of them to the late William F. Johnston, April 
13, 1846, for $30,000, and his other parcels to 
George A. McOall, U. S. Army, July 10, 1847, for 
$4,500, who purchased for James E. Brown and 
the late Dr. John Gilpin, as well as for himself. 
Though the legal title was conveyed to him, the 
equitable title was two-thirds in them, i. e. those 
three were equal owners. 

One of those parcels was depreciation lot No. 80, 
called "Mulberry Lane," 239ro acres, adjoining 
" Broughton " on the west and the Allegheny river 
on the south, the patent for which was granted to 
Joshua Elder, April 25, 1787, who conveyed to 
McCall and Alexander McDowell, March 17, 1797, 
and which Johnston had agreed, October 13, 1848, 
to sell to William R. Watson, who paid a part of 
the purchase money in his lifetime. By proceed- 
ings in partition, after his death, this land was 
divided into two purparts, which were taken by 
his son, Israel Watson, to whom the tract was con- 
veyed by Johnston, September 30, 1863, for $1,400. 
The western part of this lot is traversed by a small 
stream, now called Stewart's run. South Buffalo 
public schoolhouse No. 7 was situated among 
bowlders near the river bank on this tract before 
the site was changed to Clinton. 

Next to " Mulberry Lane " on the west was de- 
preciation lot No. 79, called "Gensing Hill," which 
the commonwealth conveyed by patent to Joshua 
Elder, April 25, 1787, and which he conveyed to 
McCall and McDowell, March 17, 1797, which, in 
the settlement of their partnership accounts and 
division of unsold lands, made by Brown, Gilpin 
& Johnston, February 1, 1866, was allotted and 
conveyed to Gilpin. 

Next west of " Gensing Hill " was depreciation 
lot No. 78, called "Les Chamettas," 27lyjj acres, the 
patent for which was granted to Joseph Mercier, 
June 12, 1789, whose administrator, Peter Barrier, 
conveyed it to John Woods, November 7, 1796, for 
£253 Os lOJd. Woods conveyed one-half of it to 
Archibald McCall, May 31, 1811, which became 
vested in the Bank of North America. Woods by 
his last will authorized his executors, Henry Woods, 



John McDonald and James Ross, to sell it. Ross, 
by virtue of a letter of attorney from that bank, 
dated May 20, 1834, and as surviving executor of 
Woods, conveyed the entire tract to John Hill, July 
2, 1834, for $474. It is traversed from the north- 
west corner nearly southeast by a small stream now 
called Hill's run. About thirty or thirty-iive rods 
below its mouth is the mouth of a still smaller run, 
several rods above which, on the east side, a small 
clearing is visible from the cars on the Allegheny 
Valley road, on which Alexander Gordon, an old 
and experienced surveyor, informed the writer that 
a white-oak tree was felled in 1839 or 1840, and 
split, and that inside of it was found a smoothly cut 
notch, such as surveyors cut in line trees, in the 
wood that had grown, over which 368 concentric 
circles were counted, indicating that the notch had 
been cut in 1471 or 1472, twenty or twenty-one years 
before Columbia discovered America. By whom 
was it cut? By the AUigewi, or some prehistoric 
people? Jefferson Hill called the writer's attention 
to some burnt stones and charcoal which he had 
found at the depth of about eight feet and fifteen 
feet or more back from where the river bank was 
not many years since. These ancient vestiges were 
developed in digging away the ground on the east 
side of Hill's run for a gangway from his sawmill. 
The stones, as he found them, appeared to have 
been used instead of or for a hearth or fireplace. 
The charcoal appears to have been made from pine 
or other soft wood, and readily pulverizes on being 
pressed between the thumb and finger. About 
thirty rods above Hill's run were the salt-works, 
which were first assessed to Hiram Hill, in 1837, 
and which continued to be operated by liim, and 
some of the time by his brother Daniel, until 
1872-3. 

Contiguous to " Les Chamettas " on the west 
was depreciation lot No. 77, whose patent name, 
if it ever had one, has been dropped in the con- 
veyances after the patent. It was one of the 
Joseph Mercier lots, which, like " Les Chamet- 
tas," became vested in the Bank of North America 
and John Woods, the northern part of which, 125 
acres, was conveyed by that bank's attorney and 
Woods' executors, to John Isaman, April 21, 1836, 
for $400. Its southern part has had a greater va- 
riety of owners. It was conveyed as containing 
158iu acres, by the same attorney and executor, to 
Benjamin Willis, AjM-il 29, 1830, for $750, who 
conveyed it to Joseph A. Benton, March 25, 1842, 
for $2,400, who, having become embarrassed, con- 
veyed it in trust for the benefit of his creditors to 
his assignee, John Woods, of Freeport, January 
21, 1843, who released it to him September 15, 



440 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and which Benton, the next day, conveyed, as con- 
taining 172 acres, to Ricliard Renshaw, for $2,500, 
who conveyed 65 acres adjoining the river to Mrs. 
Eliza J. Bartholomew, March 2, 1852, for $2,400, 
63 acres of which she and her husband conveyed 
to James Noble, April 13, 1854, for *2,650. Ren- 
shaw conveyed the other part of his parcel, 96^ 
acres to Charles Saltmore, May 7, 1852, for $1,400. 

Adjoining "Les Chamettas " and No. 77 on the 
north was another Mercier-Woods' lot, No. 87, 
called " Les Digrettes," which James Ross, as at- 
torney for the Bank of North America, and surviving 
executor of Woods, conveyed to Robert Rogers, 
November 3, 1834, for $700, 45 acres of which he 
conveyed to William Winterbun, November 19, 
1850, for $825. 

One of the earliest settlers within the limits of 
South Buffalo township was Stephen Mehafi'y, 
who had been for several years in the military ser- 
vice in tlie defense of the frontiei's, as a spy 
or scout from, perhaps, before 1790, at times, 
until the organization of the three companies for 
frontier defense, under the act of assembly of Feb- 
ruary 28, 1794, when he was appointed ensign of 
the Westmoreland or third company, vice James 
McComb, who had resigned. He was assigned to 
the force or detachment under the command of 
Capt. Eben Denny, for carrying into effect the act 
for establishing the town of Presqu' Isle. Capt. 
Denny wrote to Gov. Mifflin, April 25, 1794, from 
Pittsburgh : Ensign Mehaffy, from Westmore- 
land, had the direction of the state troops, two 
sergeants, two corporals and forty-three privates, 
and the volunteers, consisting of one captain, one 
lieutenant, one ensign and thirty men. In Denny's 
military journal, April 21 : Ensign Mehaffy came 
in with his quota from Westmoreland. They 
marched along with Miller's men, each with a ser- 
geant, corporal and twenty men. They will join 
the volunteers next morning. Lt. Miller returned- 
to Washington to recruit. The state troops under 
Mehaffy, 43 ; sent with boats, 4 ; volunteers, 32 ; 
total in Mehaffy's command, 79. On Denny's ar- 
rival at LeBreuf, June 24, he entered in his journal : 
Ensign Mehaffy and his detachment we found 
fenced in. The quarters of the men who were 
here before us and the whole place in the most 
abominable and filthy condition, and one-third of 
the men ill with the flux. * * * He noted in 
his journal July 19 : Ensign Mehaffy with six men 
started for Pittsburgh with dispatches, and with 
orders to bring us on a supply of provisions. July 
27 : Ensign Mehaffy with his party, with thirteen 
head of very small cattle, and a few horse loads of 
flour and whisky, ten in number. November 17 : 



Left Ensign Mehaffy, Quartermaster McCutcheon 
and nineteen men, and embarked with the rest of 
my command in boats for Pitt. After his arrival 
at Pittsburgh, January 4, 1795 : Ensign Mehaffy 
and Ensign McCutcheon, with the men left at 
LeBceuf, arrived and were discharged the next day. 

Mehaffy, after having served as a scout along the 
Allegheny river, after his discharge from that de- 
tachment, until danger from hostile Indians was 
over, settled on a tract, 411-^ acres, adjoining 
"Chorley," "Settle" and " Broughton " on the 
north, June 4, 1801. It had jJrobably attracted his 
attention while serving as a scout, a patent for 
which — 253 acres and 73 perches — is called " Ste- 
phen's Green," dated April 5, 1811. According 
to the first survey the whole contained the above- 
mentioned quantity, but, like all the original tracts, 
it probably contained a considerable surplus. 

Mehaffy conveyed his inchoate interest in 212 
acres of the west end of the original survey to 
William Freeman, December 17, 1800, for £5, 
which the latter conveyed to John Sloan, May 22, 
1806, for the same consideration. 

Mehaffy conveyed 37 acres and 42 perches of 
" Stephen's Green " to John Reamer, October 9, 
1810, whose interest therein was sold by Sheriff 
Robinson to James Monteith on Vend. Ex. No. 49, 
September term, 1821, for $71. 

Mehaffy conveyed 42 acres and 63 perches there- 
of to Jacob Ohristman, April SO, 1811, for $150, on 
that part of which, traversed by Nicholson's run, 
the latter erected a gristmill which was first as- 
sessed to him in 1813, to Andrew Brown first in 
1817 and last in 1820. 

Mehaft'y conveyed the residue of " Stephen's 
Green" to his son Robert, June 12, 1823, for $70, 
natural affection and the paj^ment of several debts 
of record, and for the further reason that he had 
become too infirm to take proper charge of his 
estate. 

During the Indian hostilities, about 1790, a 
blockhouse was built at the mouth of the stream • 
afterward called Nicholson's run, which Henry 
Truby remembers having seen in his boyhood. It 
was about 20x25 feet, constructed of round logs, 
with a puncheon door and loft-floor several inches 
thick, and with port-holes on all sides about six 
feet above the ground. 

James Dougherty settled in this vicinity in 
1809, and seems to have acquired titles to about 
165 acres, now in the occupancy of his descendant, 
Joseph Dougherty, and by Joseph Atkinson, who 
built his sawmill on Dougherty's run. James 
Dougherty came from Westmoreland county, and 
brought with him into what is now South Buffalo 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



441 



township the first wagon ever owned witliin tliis 
part of its territory. He erected tlie first wind- 
mill in this region, which was located west of the 
blockhouse, was visited by many people on Sun- 
days, and which was then considered a great 
curiosity, and he made hatchets and nails from 
wrought iron, the latter of which were used for 
saddlers' tacks. 

At or below the mouth of the run, now called 
Nicholson's, an Indian trail crossed the Allegheny 
river and extended along the ridge northwesterly 
to a point a short distance north of Penny's Point — 
so called from James Penny to whom a tract in 
the western part of what is North Buffalo was 
surveyed in or about 1794 in the Buffalo creek, and 
thence across the creek to the upper Allegheny 
region. 

Opposite " Stephen's Green," in the Allegheny 
river, is an island, for which a warrant was granted 
to the late George Ross, September 20, 1810, and 
the patent, May 16, 1816, then containing 26 acres 
and 5 perches, which Ross conveyed to Andrew 
Brown, August 6, 1818, for 1500, and which Philip 
Mechling, sheriff, conveyed to " James Pinks & 
Co., of Kittanning," June 2.3, 1820, for $126. 12|, 
having sold the same to them on a judgment in 
favor of Ross against Brown for |100 of debt and 
$2.47 of costs. The purchasers were James Pinks 
and James Monteith, his undivided one-half of 
which the former conveyed to the latter, July 29, 
1825, so that this island was included in the latter's 
devise to his daughters — Mary, afterward inter- 
married with William P. Johnston, and Nancy, in- 
termarried with Dr. John Gilpin, to whose estates 
it still belongs. It and the run and the falls of 
that name are said to have been so called after one 
Nicholson who early made a settlement on the run. 
James Nicholson — spelled Nickelson — was assessed 
with 200 acres in Buffalo township in 1806, but not 
before or after. 

If the reader could take a glance at the map of 
original tracts, he would see on it a tract of 414 
acres and 1.33 perches, adjoining " Stephen's Green" 
on the west and "Mulberry Lane" and " Gensing 
Hill " on the north, bearing on its face " Abram 
Leasure or John Truby," with which Leasure ap- 
pears to have been assessed as a settler at 40 cents 
an acre prior to 1805 and afterward as an improver 
at 50 cents an acre until 1809, and thereafter 
Truby was assessed as an improver with 200 acres 
at 50 cents an acre, the tax on 100 of which was to 
be paid by Henry Brough, as noted on the assess- 
ment list for the year 1810. It was surveyed to 
Truby, June 27, 1810, by Isaac Moore, deputy sur- 
veyor — 421 acres and 93 perches. Truby continued 



to be assessed with 100 acres until 1817, when the 
list shows this parcel was transferred to Conrad 
Ibjllabough, to whom it was assessed for one year. 

Truby entered into an agreement, February 10, 
1812, to convey 100 acres of this tract, on which 
he then lived, to Ilollabough and George Shearer 
for $260, including an " improvement known as 
Henry Brough's." Truby was to give possession 
on the 1st of the next April, and the vendees were 
to pay $30 in money before tlie execution of the 
article of agreement, a certain mare, saddle and 
bridle, and one heifer, which the vendor was to 
take from them at the valuation to be placed upon 
them by two honest and judicious neighbors on or 
before the 1st of April, and the vendees were to 
pay the further sum of $20 on the 1st of the next 
October, and the residue in four equal annual 
payments, the first of which was to be made on 
April 1, 1813. 

None of those occupants seem to have perfected 
his title. A patent for it, as containing 423 acres 
and 87 perches, was granted to Daniel Bush, Sep- 
tember 5, 1820, who conveyed about 20 acres to 
Jacob Bush, April 5, 1825, and he to Sebastian 
Spangler as 21 acres and 79 perches, February 28, 
1834, for $64.50, and he to James Ai'p, the same 
quantity, April 5, 1850, for $252. David Bush 
conveyed 100 acres and 47 perches to George 
Shearer, April 5, 1825, for -1550, and 109 acres and 
29 perches of his tract to Andrew Bush, December 
5, 1825, for $450. John Shearer, as devisee of 
George Shearer, 200 acres and 47 perches to James 
H. Reddick, December 15, 1851, for $1,600. 

North of " Stephen's Green," on that map, is a 
tract containing 361-2- acres, one parcel of which, 
adjoining the river — 253 acres, 119 perches — were 
surveyed by Stephen Gapen to John Green Septem- 
ber 12, 1789, which adjoined another parcel on the 
south which had been previously surveyed to 
Green, bearing the name of William Van Dyke, 
and with which he was assessed, probably several 
years, before 1805. It was assessed to his executors 
as an improvement in 1806; then to Barbara Van 
Dyke until 1809; then to George Van Dyke until 
1815, and then to the heirs of William Van Dyke 
until 1820, when George was assessed with 475 
acres. Nicholson's run flows southeasterly through 
the central part of it, and crosses the line between 
it and " Stephen's Green," about 100 rods west from 
the river. The entire tract remained in the pos- 
session of the Van Dyke heirs for many years. 
From recitals in some of the conveyances of por- 
tions of this tract, it appears that these heirs, some 
time prior to 1837, it is not apparent from the re- 
cords just when, conveyed 233 acres and some 



442 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



perches of the eastern portion to William Bitts, 
Sr., and by agreement of the vendor and vendee the 
patent was issued to Archibald McCall, who con- 
veyed to Ritts, to whom a warrant of acceptance 
was issued for 158 acres and 22 perches August 
29, 1837, and the patent the same day. Bitts con- 
veyed the last-mentioned quantity to John D. Bitts 
November 13, 18:^8, for $600, which the latter in 
his lifetime agreed to sell to Andrew McCaslin 
for $1,000. A part of the purchase money 
having been paid in Bitts' lifetime, and he having 
died without executing a deed, his administratrix, 
by virtue of the decree of the proper court, exe- 
cuted one February 26, 1853, which was delivered 
on payment of the unpaid balance of the purchase 
money. McCaslin was first assessed with this par- 
cel of land in 1846, and with the gristmill, which 
he erected on it, in 1849, and with his sawmill in 
1853. He conveyed 30 acres and one-half of the 
gristmill to Eliza McClelland February 15, 1856, 
for $ 1,800. In that year the assessment on the grist- 
mill was increased $250 for the addition of steam. 
The next year George McClelland was first assessed 
with one-half of the mills. 

William Bitts conveyed 133 acres of what 
he had purchased from the Van Dyke heirs to 
George B. Sloan November 15, 1847, which the 
latter conveyed to John Boyd September 9, 1856, 
for $1,700, with reservations respecting coal and 
lime. 

The McVille postoffice was established here May 
5, 1864, Robert McCaslin postmaster. The same 
year John Boyd opened his store about 35 rods 
northwest of the steam mill on the west side of 
Nicholson's run. The first and only resident 
clergyman at McVille is Rev. Jacob F. Dean, 
Baptist, who settled here in 1868. 

The heirs of Elizabeth, widow of George Van 
Dyke, conveyed 75 acres and 146 perches of the 
southern part of the original tract to Jacob Shoop, 
of Freeport, January 11, 1851, for $911, which 
Shoop conveyed to Joseph Spangler September 26, 
1851, ten acres of which Spangler conveyed to 
George McClelland April 20, 1863, for $150. 

Next above or north of that Vandyke-Bitts tract 
is one on that map containing 440 acres, the south- 
western part of which is traversed by Nicholson's 
run, and the northeastern part is in what is now 
North Buffalo township, being' in shape almost a 
scalene, the township line and the original north- 
ern and northeastern boundary lines of the original 
tract giving that portion such a form, and which 
was claimed by Jacob White as early as 1794. 
"The heirs of Steele Semple and Samuel Massey" 
are inscribed on it. It is not ajjparent how Semple 



acquired any title to it. Robert Fleming gained 
an interest in it by early settlement — before 1805^ 
which was sold by John Orr, sheriff, and conveyed 
by him to Samuel Massey, June 20, 1808, under a 
judgment in favor of Mark Kelly against Samuel 
Dickenson, as Fleming's administrator. Massey 
conveyed it to Samuel S. Harrison, June 1, 1815, 
who conveyed it to Philip McCue, as per agree- 
ment with Charles McCue, August 23, 1818, for 
|200. It was conveyed as the property of McCue 
and as containing 400 acres more or less by Robert 
Robinson, sheriff, on a judgment in favor of Will- 
iam Coulter to Alexander Colwell, September 18, 
1823, for $84, who conveyed it to Francis Duff, 
February 5, 1824, for $270. A comparatively small 
portion of it is now owned by Duff's heirs. Among 
other owners of other portions in this township 
are Philip Mechling, Wm. Hartman and A. Decker. 
As far back as 1836-7 Duff and White had occa- 
sional disputes about their respective lines. Duff 
conveyed a parcel of it to James Hartman, March 
4, 1840; Hartman to James, and he to James Long; 
James Long to Charles Long, 3 acres and 20 
perches, August 20, 1842, for $200, who reconveyed 

it to James Long, November 14, 1850, for $ 

and he to H. N. Lee, November 14, 1850, for $ , 

and Lee to Robert S. Connor, the present owner, 
January 2, I860, for $1,000. 

Glancing at a map of the connected surveys 
made by Deputy Surveyor Stephen Gapen in 
1793-4, the territory on this side of the Allegheny 
river and below the line between the donation and 
depreciation lands in this county and a part of the 
adjoining territory in Butler county, being then 
in his, that is, the eighth surveyor district, con- 
tiguous to " White's Claim," i. e., the above-men- 
tioned Fleming-Massey-Harrison tract, on the west 
is seen the Richard McCall tract, 402 acres and 
112 perches, the eastern part traversed by Nichol- 
son's run and the central by a western tributary to 
that run. Adjoining it on the south is the Jasper 
McCall tract, 408 acres and 50 perches. On the 
south of the greater it is the John Bell, Jr., tract, 
292 acres and 139 perches, through the central 
part of which flows a run southeasterly, and south 
of which is a portion of "Stephen's Green." Im- 
mediately west of these several last-mentioned 
tracts are seen two others, the southern one David 
Todd, 412 acres, and 117 acres; the northern one 
John Rambo, containing the same quantity as the 
Todd one, both traversed by what is now called 
Knapp's run. Adjoining these last-mentioned two 
tracts on the west are those of John Jackson, Jr., 
James Meliaffy, William Todd and John Scott, 
tracts whose" boundaries and quantities are not 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWN.SHIP. 



443 



given. West of the last-named is Samuel Paul 
tract. North of it is the Peter McCall tract, 406 
acres and 100 perches, very near the center of which 
is tlie sharp southeastern bend in Pine run, with 
Peter Pieper a short distance above its northern 
line. West of it and the Samuel Paul is another 
David Todd tract, 411 acres and 90 perches, trav- 
ersed by Buffalo creek and adjoined on the west 
by depreciation lots No. 148, also traversed by 
Buffalo creek, and No. 149. A considerable portion 
of territory north and northeast of this Todd 
tract appears to be vacant, though not so men- 
tioned. The inchoate titles to those tracts acquired 
by Gapen's surveys do not appear to have been 
consummated. So passing from the Gapen surveys 
to the other mentioned map of surveys or original 
tracts, which are the surveys made by Joshua 
Elder in the fifth surveyor district, in place of the 
Richard McCall, is seen the Patrick McCue tract, 
437 acres and 3-3 perches, called "Wood Lawn," 
the patent for which was granted to Archibald 
McCall and McCue, July 30, 1806. The latter 
settled on and improved it prior to 1805. It is 
probable, though the records do not show it, that 
he and McCall made partition of the tract and 
released to each other. MoCall's heirs conveyed 
240 acres of it to William Mclntire, October 4, 
1845, for $565. The latter conveyed 70 acres of 
his parcel to James Mclntire, February 14, 1848, 
for $700, and 170 acres, except the ground which 
he had reserved for a public schoolhouse, to John 
Step, September 4, 1850, for $2,000. McCue was 
assessed with 250 acres of it as held by patent 
until 1812, but what disposition he made of his 
interest therein is not apparent from the records. 
He was assessed with another parcel of 368 acres 
as held by "improvement" in and after 1810. 
Somewhat east of the center of that McCall-McCue 
tract is the junction of a small western tributary 
with Nicholson's run. 

Next south of " Wood Lawn " is seen on the 
later map the McCall-Stoup tract, called " Con- 
cordance," in place of the Jasper McCall one on 
the Gapen map. It was settled by Vensel or Wen- 
del Stoup before 1805, and the patent for 403 acres 
and 107 perches was granted to him and Archibald 
McCall, February 3, 1809. Stoup conveyed 15 
acres of his part to Sebastian Spangler, May 2, 
1828, for $37.50. MeCall's portion was included 
in his transfer to Du Pont, who released 200 acres 
to Samuel Ferguson, June 20, 1831, for $1. 

Next south of " Concordance," on the later of 
the two last-mentioned maps, is seen the Frederick 
Razer and A. McCall tract, 318 aci'es and 104 
perches, called " Mount Hope," the greater part of 



which was included in Gapen's survej' to John 
Bell, Jr. Razer's improvement began in August, 
1793, and the patent for which was granted to 
Razer and McCall, February 6, 1809, who made 
partition of it between themselves, and McC'ail 
conveyed 165 acres of it to Razer, May 23, l.si:!, 
and Razer conveyed the remaining 148 acres to 
McCall, June 21. Razer conveyed 105 acres and 
104 perches to John Reamer, June 21, 1813, for 
$828.12^, which Robert Robinson, sheriff, sold to 
Samuel S. Harrison on phiries ven. ex.. No. 55, 
March term, 1823, in the common pleas of this 
county, for $280, which the latter conveyed to 
Hugh and James Forrester, April -2, 1833, for $500, 
of which about 50 acres were then cleared, " with a 
cabin house and cabin barn." Hugh Forrester con- 
veyed all his interest in these 165 acres to Stephen 
Forrester, January 8, 1859, for $1,100, and on the 
same day the widow, administrator and adminis- 
tratrix of James Forrestei- released ^to Stephen all 
their interest therein, to whom it still belongs. 

On the west of " Mount Hope " lay the McCall 
and James Clark tract, 412 acres and 87 perches, 
called " Temperance," included in Gapen's survey 
to David Todd, the patent for which was granted 
to McCall and Clark May 16, 1807. Clark's settle- 
ment and improvement began several years before, 
by virtue of which the tract was surveyed to him 
and McCall May 7, 1805. "Temperance" was 
included in the transfer from McCall to Du Pont, 
and in the re-transfer from Du Pont to McCall, the 
latter conveyed 100 acres to William Vandike, 
June 20, 1836, for $ , which, with two other par- 
cels, one which he had purchased from Sype, a 
part of " Temperance," and the other, which was a 
part of "Mount Pleasant," aggregating 138 acres 
and 125 perches, which by his will, registered May 
12, 1847, he devised to his children, by whom the 
same was conveyed to Hiram Vandike, March 21, 
1868, for $4,000. McCall conveyed 97 acres and 
47 perches of " Temperance " to William Sipe, 
June 25, 1837, for $59.75, and he conveyed 12 acres 
and 122 perches to William Vandike for $62. 
Clark's interest in 120 acres of "Temperance" was 
conveyed by Samuel Hutchison, sheriff, on a judg- 
ment in favor of Nathaniel Torbett's administra- 
tor to James Clark, Jr., September 20, 1836, for 
$200, 68 acres and 96 perches of which he conveyed 
to William Vickers, June 10, 1841, for $300, and 
which the latter conveyed to George Hill, July 15, 
1847, for $550. James Clark, the younger, conveyed 
80 acres and 152 perches to Jacob Best, February I, 
1 825, for $320, which had been devised to him, a part 
of which he had sold to John Clark, which the lat- 
ter had agreed, March 2, 1824, to sell to Best. 



444 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



Adjoining " Temperance " on the north was the 
McCall and Enos McBride tract, 410 acres and 14 
perches, called " Mount Pleasant," included in 
Gapen's survey to John Rambo. The warrant for 
it was granted September 1, 1808, and the patent 
to McCall and McBride, February 6, 1809. Mc- 
Bride's improvement and settlement began in 
April, 1796, and it was surveyed to hira^by George 
Ross, September 1.3, 1801. McCall and McBride 
having made partition of " Mount Pleasant " be- 
tween themselves, the former conveyed to the 
latter 205 acres of it, September 2, 1809, and the 
latter to the former the remaining portion at or 
about the same time. McBride and Isaac Frantz 
traded lands on or before October 15, 1823. Mc- 
Bride conveyed his 205 acres of " Mount Pleas- 
ant to Frantz for the latter's 118 acres, on which 
he then resided, and a carding-machine. Frantz 
conveyed the 205 acres to which he had thu.s ac- 
quired title to Jacob Frantz, December 2.3, 1823, 
for $1,862. "7 6, about two-thirds of which consisted 
of a certain writing obligatory which Jacob held 
against Isaac. 

McCall conve3red 50 acres of "Mount Pleasant" 
to John Graham, October 22, 1841, for $450. 
McCall's heirs conveyed 168 acres and 140 perches 
to William B. Clymer and Amos N. Mybert, Au- 
gust 7, 1858, and Mybert conveyed his moiety to 
Clymer, October 7, who conveyed the entire parcel 
to William McCain in March, 1859, for $411.40, 
60 acres of which the latter conveyed lo Joshua 
Nickle, June 1, 1859, for $600. 

Adjoining "Temperance" on the west was a tract, 
438 acres and 40 perches, for which a patent was 
granted to John Sloan, of Derry township, for- 
merly sheriff of Westmoreland county, March 31, 
1813, which appears to have included portions of 
the earlier surveys by Gapen to John Scott and 
William Todd, to a part of which James Sloan 
had acquired a right by settlement. William 
Sloan was assessed with the entire tract as early 
at least as 1805. On August 21, 1818, John 
Sloan conveyed 40 acres to Charles Sipe, for £50 ; 
32 acres and 48 perches to Abraham Lowman, for 
$226; and 284 acres, exclusive of James Sloan's 
part, then adjoining Conrad Colmer, William 
Sloan, .James Steel and others, to Mrs. Lavinia 
Culbertson, Mrs. Martha Orr and Mrs. Ann Rals- 
ton, for $1,704. On June 17, 1829, the three last- 
named vendees with their husbands, Alexander 
Culbertson, Samuel C. Orr and William Ralston, 
conveyed 77 acres and 6 perches adjoining the 
lands of Monteith's heirs and William Sloan, 
Sr., to George Best for $308.17; 94 acres and 19 
perches to Henry and Jacob Keever for $376; and 



117 acres and 84 perches to George Isaman for 
$468.21. 

The St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran church 
was organized by Rev. David Earhart, in 1846. 
It was incorporated by the proper court, June 22, 
1848. The trustees named in the charter, to serve 
until the third Saturday in March, 1849, were Rev. 
David Earhart, John Myers, George Grinder, 
George Baker and Jacob Somers. The church 
editice, about 25X38 feet, frame with clay filling 
between studs, and hence called " the mud church," 
was erected during Rev. Earhart's pastorate on SO 
square perches, " part of a tract patented to John 
Sloan, March 31, 1813," which George Isaman con- 
veyed to the church, December 18, 1848, for $10.* 
The number of members in 1876 is forty-eight. 
The ground of the graveyai'd was cleared by 
Charles Sipe, Sr., in 1796, and put in corn. It is 
recited in the deed from William Sloan to Samuel 
Sloan, September 8, 1845, for 3 acres and 48 perches, 
for $13.80 "and natural affection," that Mrs. Culbert- 
son and others had conveyed the parcel purchased 
by them from John Sloan to William Sloan, and 
which is reiterated in the latter's will, dated Jan- 
ary 15, 1847, and registered April 21, -1849. As 
their deed to hira is not on record, and as they 
conveyed nearly the same quantity, which they 
had purchased from John Sloan, to their other 
vendees, there is an ambiguity in that recital 
which the records do not explain. A small parcel, 
10 acres, of the .John Sloan tract, which William 
Sloan devised to his son Samuel, has been several 
times transferi'ed since that devise, with consider- 
able variations in price. Samuel Sloan conveyed 
it to Isaac Aker, March 30, 1859; Aker to Stephen 
Stokes, March 31, 1863, for $600; Stokes to Maria 
Daniels, in 1864; Daniels to James C. Edwards, 
October 2, 1866, for $1,200; and the latter to Will- 
iam Sloan, March 1, 1873, for $1,700, on which is 
" Ginger Hill," so called from a ginger-cake shop 
that was kept here on the public road many years 
ago, about 75 rods northeasterly from which, or 
where there was a blacksmith shop in and after 
1860, is the public schoolhouse No. 5, called the 
Sloan schoolhouse,! where the elections in this 
towuship are held. 

Immediately west of that John Sloan tract lay 
another one in his name on the Lawson and Orr 
map of surveys, 282^ acres, and adjoining it on 
the north and west — seeming to be carved out of 
its original area — is another 155 acres and 120 
perches, in the name of James Sloan, included 



■■■ That edifice bas, since ISTfi, been removed, and a new one erecletl 
at MeVille. 

t A new schoolliouse has since been erected about 60 rods west of 
thia one. 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



445 



apparently in Gapen's surveys to Samuel Paul, 
John Scott and William Todd. 

Contiguou.s to those last-mentioned Sloan tracts 
on the west were the two Colmer, or Coleman, 
tracts, including most of the Gapen survey, to 
Paul, and about half of his survey to Peter McCall. 
The southern one, 383 acres and 3 perches, adjoined 
" Bolton," "Wigan " and " Poulton " on the %outh, 
on which Abraham Colmer made an improvement 
in August, 1793, an actual settlement in October, 
1795, which was surveyed to him by George Ross, 
deputy surveyor, May 8, 1801, to whom the war- 
rant was granted, January 15, 1802, which he con- 
veyed to John Craig, November 3, to whom the 
patent was granted June 30, 1804, 81 acres and 84-^ 
perches of which Craig conveyed to Nicholas Isa- 
man. May 10, 1806, for $271, and another portion 
of it to Conrad Colmer, May 16, 1806, who devised 
it to his son, George Colmer, he to John Sheaffer, 
May 17, 1817, he to Philip Heokman, January 22, 
1822. There was a conveyance from Heckman 
to Michael Fry, whose administrator, Peter Phil- 
lipi, conveyed it to Robert Morrison, September 
19, 1836, he to William Carson, March 16, 1846, 
whose agent, John Carson, conveyed 119 acres and 
148 perches to Stephen Stokes, April 3, 1849, for 
$2,200. 

The Conrad Colmer or Coleman tract, 385 acres 
and 115 perches, called " Cole Mount," was probably 
settled and improved by him in or about 1795. 
The patent for it was granted to him and McCall, 
May 11, 1807. They having made partition 
between themselves, Colmer by his will, dated 
November 8, 1809, and registered June 14, 1813, 
devised the 100 acres on which his second son, 
Abraham, then resided, to him, who conveyed the 
same, as containing 99 acres, to John Craig, July 
11, 1814, for $400. Conrad Colmer also devised 
to his third son, Daniel, that portion of his pur- 
part then, i. e. at the date of his will, occupied by 
the latter, to whom Du Pont, by his attorney J. 
C. McCall, released his and the McCall interest 
therein, September 5, 1820, and on October 31 
Daniel conveyed 120 acres to Catherine Colmer 
and George Holebach, for $600, which Holebach 
conveyed to James Tracy, of Ohio, November 19, 
1827, for $650. 

One hundred and seventy-one acres and 36 
perches of "Cole Mount" were included in the 
purchase from McCall's heirs by William F. John- 
ston for himself and for Brown & Gilpin. 

Adjoining " Cole Mount " and the Abraham Col; 
raer tracts on the west was the McCall and Nicho- 
las Myers tract, 442 acres and 36 perches, called 
"Mount Charles ;" 442 acres and 36 perches were 
28 



surveyed them, May 9, 1805, by virtue of actual 
settlement and improvement. The patent to Mc- 
Call and Myers is dated July 30 in that last-men- 
tioned year. They having made partition between 
themselves, McCall by his attorney, Thomas Col- 
lins, conveyed 125 acres to Myers, April 6, 1808. 
Eli Myers was assessed with a gristmill in 1811 
and 1812, which was, perhaps, on this parcel of 
"Mount Charles." McCall's heirs conveyed 298 
acres and 115 perches to William F. Johnston for 
himself. Brown and Gilpin, which then (1846) ad- 
joined lands of John Beatty and George Todd. 

William F. Johnston conveyed 100 acres and 8 
perches of the McCall purpart of "Mount Charles" 
to William Bickett, November 16, 1853, for $700.35, 
which the latter conveyed to Charles McCafEerty, 
October 5, 1855, for $1,800. Martin Wackerlie 
purchased a portion of " Mount Charles " some 
twenty or more years later, and John W. Johnston, 
attorney-in-fact, and John Gilpin conveyed 22 acres 
and 3 perches to George Otterman, January 1, 1875, 
for $264. Wackerlie conveyed 105 acres to Barnet 
Step, February 26, 1875, for $1,867.67. 

On the west of the southern part of " Mount 
Charles " lay a tract, the warrant for which was 
granted to Aaron Wor, and which contained 214 
acres and 105 perches, 209 acres and 145 perches 
of which were surveyed to Nicholas Myers, May 9, 
1805, by virtue of improvement and settlement, the 
patent for which was granted to him February 7, 
1815, who conveyed it to his son, John Myers, 
February 5, 1835, for $1,000, who still occupies it. 

North of the Wor tract and west of the north- 
ern part of " Mount Charles," lay the depreciation 
lot No. 149, 234 acres and 8 perches, the patent for 
which was granted to Joshua Elder, May 9, 1791, 
which, at least a part of it, having become vested 
in George A. McCall, he conveyed 125 acres and 80 
perches to George Todd, May 1, 1838, for $1,004, 
with -vhich he was first assessed in that year. 

Next north of No. 149, lay depreciation lot No. 
150, 235 acres and 8 perches. 

Immediately north of the last-mentioned tract 
lay the depreciation lot No. 152, 235t'o acres, called 
"Le Cher Maurin," partly in Butler county, was 
included in the patents to Peter B. Audibert, and 
in his sales to Lewis A. Dupuy, and of him to 
Maguire and Donath, of which John Gilmore, at- 
torn ej'-in-f act for Donath, and the executrix and 
executor of Maguire, conveyed 20 acres to David 
Bricker, April 1, 1836, for $120. 

Immediately east of No. 150 lay depreciation 
lot No. 145, 314 acres and 8 perches, divided by 
Buffalo creek, there being about an equal portion 
of the tract on each side of the deep northwestern 



446 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



bend. A portion of it and portions of its southern 
adjoiners," Mount Charles" and " Cole Mount," ap- 
pear to have been included in Gapen's survey to 
David Todd. It is not manifest from the records 
that any portion of it was occupied by any settler 
so early as its adjoiners. Abraham Leasure ap- 
pears to have been first assessed with 100 acres of 
the southwestern part of it in iy09, and afterwai'd 
with 125 acres, which he conveyed to John Empey, 
January 3, 1820, for $288.76, which the grantor 
described as the parcel on which he then lived, on 
Buffalo creek, adjoining Robert Galbraith on the 
north, Samuel Dickason on the east, Nicholas 
Myers on the south and David Moorehead on the 
west, some of whom may have then occupied other 
portions of it. George Ross surveyed 442 acres 
and 36 perches " on Buffalo creek south by Con- 
rad Colmer and A. McCall," to Dickason, May 25, 
1808. In the southeastern part of this tract, near 
its southern line, at a rather sharp eastern bend of 
the Buffalo, is the junction of Pine run with that 
creek. There is a considerable cleft in the rocks at 
the mouth of this run, in which the early white 
settlers were accustomed to watch the Indians. 
This was one of the Audibert tracts called " Lami 
Rous." The patent to Peter Benignus Audibert is 
dated February 9, ITS'?. His administrator, James 
J. Mazei'ie, conveyed it to Lewis Alexander Du- 

puy, November 2, 1785, for I , who conveyed 

it to Joseph Donath and Mazerie. The latter by 
his last will authorized his wife as his executrix, 
and John H. Roberjot, his executor, to sell it. Mrs. 
Mazerie, Donath and Roberjot conveyed it to John 
Beatty, November 4, 1831, for 1625. It having 
become vested in John G. Beatty, he conveyed 
200 acres of it to William Ewing, April 1, 1864, 
for $5,600, a portion of which Ewing subsequently 
conveyed to Martin Wackerlie, on which he built 
his sawmill about 1870. 

Adjoining No. 145 on the north and No. 152 on 
the east was depreciation lot No. 151, "La Janton 
Ray," traversed in its eastern portion by the 
Buffalo in a nearly southerly course, and it§ cen- 
tral part by Cornplanter's run in a nearly south- 
eastern course, the two streams forming a junction 
in the southeastern part of the tract. 

It may in this connection be stated that this run 
is so called after the distinguished Indian chief, 
Cornplanter, who was born at Conewagus, on the 
Genesee river, his father, a white man, said to be a 
resident of Albany, New York. After the war of 
the revolution he was an unswerving friend of the 
whites, and performed some valuable services for 
them, for which he received grants of land in vari- 
ous localities. The fact that he and some of his 



people once resided at and near the mouth of Corn- 
planter's run, where they raised corn, has come 
down from early explorers of and settlers in this 
region to James P. Murphy and others. It was 
related by Charles Sipe, Sr., who fished and hunted 
along these streams in and after 1796, that he, and 
his sons could see the rows of cornhills on a parcel 
of about three acres opposite the mouth of Corn- 
planter's run and on another parcel on the west 
side of the creek about half a mile up. A hatchet 
was plowed up, many years since, about three-quar- 
ters' of a mile above the mouth of the run. Jacob 
Bricker, Charles Sipe and others, in opening a 
road, found another hatchet about 150 rods above 
the mouth of the run, opposite what is now known 
as Bricker's milldam. .About four rods below was 
a stone-pile, on removing which they found a full 
set of very large human bones, the skull-bone being 
three-fourths of an inch thick. In 1830-1 James 
Law plowed up a set of puzzling-irons in the 
same vicinity. It does not seem improbable that 
John O'Bail, as Cornplanter was also called, 
derived his Indian name, Ki-en-twa-ka, from those 
cornfields. The Cornplanter had two sons, Chai-les 
and Henry, who survived him. He and one or the 
other of them and others of his people occasionally 
passed down and up the Allegheny, stopping some 
times at Kittanaing, whom Philip Mechling and 
some others of the oldest citizens remember hav- 
ing seen. He died at his home on his long-loved 
Allegheny, in Warren county, March 7, 1836, in or 
about the one hundred and fifth year of his age. 

The depreciation lot No. 151, 300 acres, called 
" La Janton Ray," is the one traversed as above 
mentioned by Cornplanter's run. The patent for 
it was granted, February 9, 1787, to Peter Benignus 
Audibert, a French merchant of Philadelphia, who 
took the oath of allegiance September 20, having 
then resided there two years. Under an order of 
the proper court, James Mazurie, Audibert's admin- 
istrator, conveyed this tract to Lewis Alexander 
Du Puy, November 2, 1795, who conveyed it the 
next day to Mazurie and Joseph Donath. They 
conveyed it to James McCormick, April 26, 1817, 
for $1,101.80, who conveyed 138 acres and 13 
perches of it to John McCormick, June 29, 1826, 
for $500. The latter conveyed 117 acres to Will- 
iam Kiskadden, April 27, 1829, for $550, and 20^ 
acres to Joseph Ralston, July 3, 1826, for $100. 
James McCormick conveyed 62^ acres of " Le Jan- 
ton Bay" to John Bricker, June 29, 1826, for $200, 
and 7 acres and 38 perches, the same day, to Nich- 
olas Bricker for $78, on which latter parcel Nicholas 
Bricker built his sawmill, with which he was first 
assessed in 1830, and his gristmill, with which he 



I 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



447 



was first assessed in 1831, and with both of which 
John Bricker was assessed from 1S44 to 1855, and 
thereafter to David and Harvey Bricker, and to 
Harvey and Hiram A. Bricker after October 20, 
1865, when John Bricker agreed to sell tlie same 
to them. They conveyed 140 acres, with the grist- 
mill and machinery, to Peter Clark, January S, 
1872, for $6,000, and he to Samuel A. Barnes and 
George B. Sloan, December 31, 1874, for $4,000. 
The mill and the land were assessed to Alexander 
Storey in 1876.* 

Twelve of Peter B. Aiidibert's tracts in this and 
other townships in this county were sold by Joseph 
Brown, sheriff, and purchased by Audibert. The 
sheriff's deeds to him are dated March 21 and 22, 
1815. In 1817 he gave Gabriel Philibert Lobeau 
a power of attorney to sell these lands, both being 
then naturalized citizens of the United States. 
Lobeau as attorney-in-fact conveyed depreciation 
lot No. 153, 298f acres, called "La Bonne Gene- 
vieve," to Nicholas Bricker, September 28, 1817, 
for $450, and depreciation lot No. 156, 235 acres, 
called " Louis Thomas," partly in Butler county, 
to Bricker, January 4, 1818, for $20, the amount 
bid by Joseph Audibert at the sheriff's sale. Those 
two tracts adjoin Nos. 151 and 152 on the south. 
Adjoining "Louis Thomas" on the north was No. 
155, 23Sto acres, called "La Marie Possessante," 
partly in Butler county, and the northern part of 
it traversed by the southern boundary line of 
North Buffalo township, and which Joseph Audi- 
bert by his attorney conveyed to Arthur Hill, of 
Vesailles township, Allegheny county, January 29, 
1818, for $200. 

Adjoining " La Marie Possessante " on the east 
was depreciation lot No. 154, 598tV acres called 
" La Maria Rosallie," traversed in a southeasterly 
course by the Buffalo, and was included in Joseph 
Audibert's purchase at sheriff's sale, and was con- 
veyed by his attorney-in-fact G. P. Lobeau, to John 
Ralston January 24, 1818, for $400, on which he 
appears to have settled in 1814, when he was first 
assessed with one horse and one cow, and the next 
year with 74 acres of the land. The first Masonic 
lodge constituted in this county held its meetings 
in an upper room of his log house for several years 
after its erection, as the writer has b6en informed 
by one of his grandsons. He conveyed a portion 
of this tract to James Rea July 21, 183 7,, who con- 
veyed to George Rea February 8, 1857, and he 
conveyed 51 acres and 15 perches to Isaac Acker, 
the present occupant, April 2, 1864, for $1,200. 
Another portion is in possession of W. L. Ralston. 



* ?l,40n taken off the valuation in 187S, in consequence of the mill 
being burnt. 



Adjoining " La Bonne Genevieve " and a small 
portion of " La Maria Rosallie " on the east was a 
tract, 133 acres and 153 perches, surveyed by George 
Ross to Nicholas Bricker, by virtue of his improve- 
ment settlement thereon in October, 1797, where 
he followed his occupation of tailor, with which 
he was assessed before and after 1806. This tract 
may have been included in the 230 acres which he 
transferred to John Bricker December 15, 1852, for 
25 cents. 

Adjoining that last-mentioned Bricker tract on 
the east was one surveyed by George Ross May 26, 
1802, to Jacob Everhart, by virtue of an improve- 
ment made in February, 1793, and actual settle- 
ment March 5, 1796, who afterward removed to 
Trumbull county, Ohio, and conveyed 145 acres, 
more or less, called " William farm," to William 
Morrison, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
November 24, 1807, for $500. In the first decade 
of this century, perhaps in 1804-5, a log church edi- 
fice was erected on this tract by the German Re- 
formed and Lutheran congregations, or it may have 
been by one of them, and the other united after- 
ward. The earliest record evidence of the time 
of the erection of that edifice, accessible to the 
writer, is in Road Book A, page 18, which shows- 
that on the 18th of March, 1807, upon the presenta- 
tion of the petition of sundry inhabitants of 
Buffalo township, the court of quarter sessions of 
this county appointed David Hall, James Hill, 
James Matthews, Jr., James McCullough, John 
McKean and John Painter, viewers, to lay out a 
private road " from the Dutch meeting-house, on 
the Pittsburgh road, to intersect with the Bear 
creek road at the house of James Rebarn " (Ray- 
burn, meaning), to be opened, bridged and kept up 
at the expense of the petitioners, which the court, 
September 18, allowed to be opened as a private 
road fifteen feet wide. Morrison conveyed e^ 
acres of his tract to "the trustees of the Blue 
Slate congregation" May 16, 1825, for $1.50. The 
cemetery is about 25. rods northwesterly from the 
meeting-house, nocth of a small run. The writer 
regrets his meager information respecting those 
two churches. The members of this church ceased 
to worship in this locality soon after the organiza- 
tion of St. Matthew's church. The preaching and 
other exercises in that " Blue Slate " church were 
mostly, if not altogether, in German, which was 
very acceptable to the older members, but not so to 
the younger. It was by the aid of the latter, 
chiefly, that Rev. David Earhart succeeded in or- 
ganizing St. Matthew's. Some of the oldest mem- 
bers, who were attached to German language, as 
well as to the locality of the " Blue Slate " edifice. 



448 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



were not pleased with the change, and some of 
them said they were just trampled on, deprived of 
their choice, by the younger members. 

Northwest of the last-mentioned tract lay two 
parcels, Robert McCreary's and John Crookshanks', 
which were, perhaps, included in the survey to 
Jacob Everhart, 239J acres, called " Rathfuland," 
for wliioh a patent was granted to McCreary for 
himself and in trust for Crookshanks. The south- 
western one of these two parcels was settled by 
McCreary in 1806, and in the assessment list of that 
year, opposite his name is this notation, "bought 
a part of Jacob Everhart's place," and the above- 
mentioned patent is dated July 5, 1810. This pai"- 
cel was inherited by his son, William McCreary, 
who conveyed 1 acre and 20 perches of it to John 
Keener, April 12, 1829, for $7, and 130 acres to 
John Monroe, April 13, 1832, for $950, who con- 
veyed 127 acres and 31 perches to John Monroe, 
Jr., December 2, IB-lT, for $750, and he to Isaac 
Monroe, April 1, 1854, for $1,100. Crookshanks' 
parcel having become subject to liens of certain 
judgments under the control of Thomas Blair, 
attorney, Kittanning, he and Crookshanks agreed, 
April 28,1824, to sell it to John Keener. Thomas 
McConnell, sheriff, by virtue of a sale for taxes, 
conveyed it to Blair June 25, 1824, for $300.01 1-, 
and he to Keener, February 4, 1828, for $400, and 
William McCreary released to Keener whatevei' 
title he had inherited from his father, April 10, 
1829. 

Adjoining the four last-mentioned tracts or par- 
cels on the north, was the tract, 417 acres and 130 
perches, for which a patent was granted to John 
Sipe, January 10, 1809. About half its territory 
is now in North Buffalo township. Sipe's run 
flows through the northwestern part of it into the 
Buffalo. Sipe conveyed 209 acres of the eastern 
part of it to Thomas Kiskadden, January 8, 1810, 
for $185. 

East of the southeastei'n part of the Sipe tract, 
and north and east of the Crookshanks parcel of the 
Everhart survey, lay that part of the .James Ray- 
burn tract in this township, on which, near the 
township line, are the sites of the United Presby- 
terian church edifice, parsonage and cemetery. 
This church, as the Buffalo Associate, was organ- 
ized in or about 1811or 1812. The first edifice was 
a log structure. The present frame one, about 
35X45 feet, was erected in 1844. This church was 
incorporated by the propercourt, December 1, 1862, 
The trustees named in the charter were Robert 
Galbraith, Robert Huston, David McCune, Robert 
Ralston and James Rayburn, who were to act 
until their successors should be appointed, accord- 



ing to the form of discipline of the United Pres- 
byterian church of the United States.* Its mem- 
bership is SO; Sabbath-sohool scholars, 70. 

James Rayburn conveyed 211 acres of the west- 
ern part of his tract to James Ralston, December 
15, 1832, for $1, of which the latter conveyed 168 
acres to George F. Keener, February 15, 1839, for 
$3,000, on which the latter erected a large two- 
story frame mansion house, and made other im- 
provements, for the sale and purchase of which, 
for $6,300, he and David C. Boggs entered into an 
agreement, February 19, 1866, which and another 
parcel, a part of Matthew Rayburn's farm, are in 
South Buffalo township. 

East of the before-noticed depreciation lots Nos. 
145 and 151 and south of the William Morrison 
and Nicholas Bricker tracts, was the tract on which 
Nicholas Best made an improvement and settle- 
ment in March, 1796, and which was surveyed to , 
him by George Ross as containing 439 acres and 
52 perches. May 25, 1802, by virtue of a settlement 
and improvement made in March, 1796. The war- 
rant was granted December 7, 1802, and the patent 
March 26, 1806. Best conveyed 231 acres and 26 
perches, then adjoining John Painter and Jacob 
Everhart, to Abraham Gardner, January 2, 1808, 
for $800, on which Gardner had settled before 
1805. He conveyed the last-mentioned quantity to 
William Todd, of Kiskiminetas township, March 
24, 1828, for $900, 10 acres of which Todd con- 
veyed to William Morrison, October 9, 1858, for 
$190. Todd's executors, John Graham and George 
Todd, conveyed to Isaac Pearce, July 14, 1865 ; 
Pearce to John McMurry, December 1, 1859, in- 
cluding the 10 acres conveyed by Todd to Morri- 
son; McMurray to Jacob Frantz, October 3, 1865, 
for $6,500; and Frantz to Andrew Ivory, June 15, 
1870, for $44. Best died about the 12th of Janu- 
ary, 1845, and not having devised his real estate to 
any person by name, his executors, George Best 
and John Keener, obtained an -order from the 
proper court to sell. They conveyed 218 acres and 
26 pei'ches of the eastern portion of the original , 

tract to John A. Patterson, October 30, 1847, for 
$1,898.01, who built the sawmill on Pine run in 
1850. 

There must have been a surplus in this parcel, 
for Patterson conveyed it as containing 253 acres . 
and 96 perches to Harvey Gibson, the present 
owner, June 18, 1875, for $10,000, which, with 2 
acres, was reserved in the conveyances to Patter- 
son. Nicholas Best, Jr., manufactured pottery- 
ware in "the pottershop" fi'om 1843 until 1845. 



*Tbe charter was amended July 5, 187i), changing the name of 
trustees to that of deacons. 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



449 



Adjoining abont 150 rods of the southern part of 
the Best tract and about 25 rods of the northern 
part of " Cole Mount" was a tract of 319 acres and 
36 perches, adjoining which on the east was a tract 
of 208 acres, which appears to have been cov- 
ered at one time by a wan-ant to Aaron Wor for 
208 acres, January 10, 1796, who conveyed his in- 
terest in it to John Craig, January 5, 1801, for |40, 
and Craig probably conveyed it to Matthews soon 
after, for George Ross surveyed 427 acres and 36 
perches, the aggregate quantity of those two con- 
tiguous tracts, to Matthews, September 18, 1801. 
He conveyed 149 acres of the eastern part of the 
Wor tract to George McKean, June 7, 1811, for 
$409.25; 4 acres to Enos McBride, October 10, 
for $14; 56 acres and 105 perches to Charles Sipe, 
the same day, for $198.18 ; and his executrix and 
executor 100 acres of the other or western tract 
to George Keener, Jr., April 1, 1837, for $700, of 
which George, Henry, Jacob and John H. Keener 
conveyed a fourth of an aci'e to Abraham Frantz, 
John H. Keener and Henry Shoup, trustees of the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, August 2 1 , 1843, 
for $1. McKean conveyed 25 acres of his parcel 
to Samuel Ferguson, January 8, 1823, for $100. 
Keener was choked by eating cherries, made a 
nuncupative will and died July 4, 1846, which hav- 
ing been duly certified by George Best and Ellis 
Limpkings, was registered on the 14th, by which 
he devised that parcel of land to his son William, 
and appointed his brothers, Jacob and John H. 
Keener, to settle up his business. 

A small parcel, 20^ acres, in the northwestern 
corner of the Wor tract, appear on the map to have 
been surveyed to John McKean. 

North of the last-mentioned two tracts lay a 
body of land, 422 acres and 100 perches, on which 
John Painter made an improvement in October, 
and a settlement in November, 1795, and which 
was surveyed to him as 416 acres and 2 perches 
May 20, 1802, but for which George Ross obtained 
a patent for himself, and in trust for James Fore- 
man and Colen McGinley, to whom he released 
their respective shares June 9, 1816. Their parcels 
each contained 100 acres. McGinley conveyed his 
to Thomas Jones, October 13, 1810, for $400, 
which the latter reconveyed to him, April 3, 1811, 
for the same consideration. It has of late years 
been occupied by Simon Hauk and William Jewell. 
James Foreman devised nearly all his parcel to his 
sou David. North and east of the McGinley and 
south of the Foreman parcel was the residue of the 
quantity, 222 acres and 100 perches, included in the 
patent to Ross, which the latter conveyed to James 
McCormick, May 1, 1816, and which McCormick 



the next day conveyed, with the 20 acres and 48 
perches which he then purchased from George 
McKean, to George Keener for $1,600. The latter 
was first assessed in that year with these two 
parcels as 240 acres, 1 horse and 3 cattle, at $398. 
His name was on the assessment list for the last 
time in 1842, when that land was valued at $1,944. 
It was thereafter assessed jointly to Jacob and John 
H. Keener until 1853, when it was "surveyed and 
divided." It was found by that survey to contain 
a surplus of several acres. For the next year Jacob 
was assessed with 125 and John H. with 124 acres. 

With the exception of minor portions of two 
other tracts, which will be elsewhere noticed, the 
only remaining original tract whose territory was 
within what is now South Buffalo township was 
one of 435 acres and 53 perches bearing on its face 
on the map of original tracts the name of " Kers- 
caddon," which appears from the ancient list of 
warrantees or owners to have once belonged to Ar- 
thur Kiskadden, whose inchoate title to it does not 
seem to have been perfected. Perhaps he sold, 
though it does not thus appear from the records, 
his interest to the hereinafter - mentioned pat- 
entees. Its adjoiners on that map are James Ray- 
burn on the north, " Keiskaddon," probably James 
Kiskadden, and Enos McBride on the east, Aaron 
Wor on the south, James McCormick, James Fore- 
man and John Crookshanks on the west, or rather 
on the south of west. Jacob made an improve- 
ment on it in February, 1793, and a settlement in 
March, 1796, by virtue of which George Ross sur- 
veyed it to him May 20, 1S02. 

Adam Ewing acquired at an early day an interest 
in the southern portion of it, for he conveyed 151 
acres and 131 perches to Joseph Graham and John 
Ralston, January 18, 1809. A patent was granted 
to them, February 4, 1833. Graham conveyed 75 
acres to John Graham, June 9, 1836, for $5,000 ; 
and Ralston 80 acres to George F. Keener, June 
13, 1837, for $1,000, on which the latter soon after 
opened a tavern, and was first assessed here as a 
merchant in 1846. He and Christian Shunk agreed, 
May 9, 1853, to sell and purchase this parcel of 
land, including the tavern stand and the mer- 
chandise in the store, for $7,100, to be paid thus : 
$5,000 on completing inventory of the goods in the 
store, and $900 annually with interest at 3 per cent, 
to begin May 20, 1854. Shunk having refused to 
pay those last-mentioned installments as they be- 
came due. Keener brought his action of ejectment 
to No. 52 September term, 1855, in common pleas 
of this county. The case was arbitrated, tried in 
court, the defense being divers liens on and a de- 
ficiency of the land included in that contract or 



450 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



agreement. A verdict was rendered in favor of 
the plaintiff for somewhat over $1,900, on which 
judgment was rendered, which, being taken to the 
supreme court, was aifirmed, and the plaintiff be- 
came repossessed of the land by a writ of habere 
facias. 

Another patent for 125 acres of that tract was 
granted to John Beatty, March 24, 1824, who con- 
veyed 11 acres and 7 perches thereof to James 
Foreman, May 4, 1826, for $80, and 113 acres to 
John Rea, November 15, 1328, for $550, and he, the 
same, to George F. Keener, June 1, 1839, for $3,000, 
and he to James Brown, 109 acres, April 9, 1852, 
for $2,600, said in the deed to be the entire quan- 
tity which Keener had purchased from Rea. 

Robert M. and William Kiskadden obtained a 
patent for about 160 acres of the northern and 
northeastern part of that tract, January 9, 1839, of 
which 5 acres and 16 perches were conveyed to 
David Robinson, April 4, 1853, for $250. By order 
of the proper court, Joseph B. Smith, surviving ex- 
ecutor of the last will and testament of Robert M. 
Kiskadden, deceased, conveyed 108 acres and 73 
perchfes to Andrew L. Eakman, of Allegheny town- 
ship, March 3, 1873, for $7,204.99, and he to James 
F. Adams, the present owner, April 10, 1874, for 
-$7,703.66. 

Slate Lick, so called from a deer-lick, on that part 
of the last-mentioned tract which waiS in the early 
times Arthur Kiskadden's farm, has been a promi- 
nent point since the first settlement of this region. 
Its territory consists of parts of the lands included 
in the patents to James Rayburn, John Beatty, 
Joseph Graham and John Ralston, Robert M. and 
William Kiskadden, and the Crookshanks parcel of 
the McCrearj' patent, and the Foi'eman and McCor- 
mick parcels of the patent to Judge Ross, on the 
last-mentioned of which is the public schoolhouse 
No. 6. 

As early as, perhaps earlier than, 1802, initia- 
tory steps were taken by the few and widely 
separated settlers of this region to organize a 
religious society. Slate Lick became the central 
point of their operations, from which resulted the 
" Slate Lick Congregation," and from which origi- 
nated the first Presbyterian church in this county, 
the exact date of whose organization cannot now 
be ascertained. At the first meeting of the pres- 
bytery of Erie, held at Mount Pleasant, Beaver 
county, April 13, 1802, calls from the churches of 
Slate Lick and Union were intrusted to John Boyd, 
who had been licensed by the presbytery of Red- 
stone, April 23, 1801, who, at the next meeting of 
the presbytery, at Union, or what is now Middle- 
sex, in this county, June 16, 1802, was ordained and 



installed pastor of these two churches. The first 
subscription paper at this point reads thus : " We, 
the undersigned, subscribers of Slate Lick congre- 
gation, do promise to pay the several sums annexed 
to our names, and that in regular half-yeaiiy pay- 
ments from the commencement of the year, which 
begins the 1st of January, merchantable wheat, at 
five shillings per bushel, rye and corn, at three 
shillings per bushel, and the other half of the 
sums in cash, and this for the stated one-half 
of the labors of the Reverend John Boyd in 
the Gospel as long as he shall be the regular and 
stated pastor of this congregation. In testimony 
whereunto we do hereby set our names," which 
were as follows: "Adam Maxwell, $2, 3 bushels of 
wheat; William Barnett, 50 cents, 1^ bushels 
wheat; Joseph Cogley, $1; William McNinch, $1; 
James Green, $1, 2 bushels wheat; James Travis, 
67 cents; John Jack, $1; Thomas Jack, 50 cents, 
1^ bushels wheat; George Ross,'$3; Charles Boner, 

$1; William Park, ; George Byers, $1.33, 

2 bushels wheat; Isabella Hill, $1; Jean Kiskaden, 
50 cents; David Reed, 1^ bushels wheat; Thomas 
Cumberland, 50 cents, i^ bushel wheat." 

Thomas Fails, George Long and Adam Maxwell 
were the first elders of the Slate Lick church. The 
walls of the first church edifice were built of logs 
hewn, it is said, by George Bell, after they were 
brought upon the ground, as the voluntary contri- 
bntions of the members of the congregation, and 
was covered with a shingle roof, which was then a 
rarity, and the floor consisted of loose boards, 
and without seats, stoves or fireplace, for many 
years called " Mr. Boyd's lower mieeting-house." 
It was built on the Arthur Kiskadden tract, and 
was thought to be within the limits of the Beatty 
patent, for John Rea, after his purchase from 
Beatty, conveyed 1 acre and 44 perches to " the 
trustees of Slate Lick congregation," July 31, 1824, 
for $5. It must have been ascertained" by a later 
survey that it was not included in the Beatty pat- 
ent, for Robert M. and William Kiskadden, after 
they had obtained their patent, conveyed the same, 
less 40 perches, to " the trustees of Slate Lick con- 
gregation," May 29, 1839, for $5.* 

As the lack of money was incident to the pioneer 
settlers of this as well as of many other regions, 
the first members of this congregation were neces- 
sarily constrained to contribute their time, labor 
and material to its erection. They, of course, had 
but little if any money with which to pay the 
salary of their pastor, and were, like some other 
pioneer congregations, compelled to pay much of 



* James S. Brown conveyed SO perches to this church, October 14, 
1SV8, for *100. 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



451 



it in the products of their labor. This congrega- 
tion was not anomalous in this respect. Some otlier 
congregations in the United States, older, larger, 
and that have become far wealthier than this one 
now is, once j^aid their ministers in products in- 
stead of money. For instance, John Emerson, 
who was graduated a,l Harvard in 1656, the third 
minister of the congregation in Gloucester, Massa- 
chusetts, the record shows, was paid "sixty pounds 
per annum in Indian corn, peas, barley, fish, mack- 
erel, beef or pork." 

That primitive edifice was ample enough for 
ordinary or the usual weekly service, but ou com- 
munion occasions, when an unusually large number 
of people from far and near assembled here, its 
capacity was inadequate. On such occasions there 
was erected a short distance from the edifice a tent 
in which the minister stood while conducting the 
communion services, and the communicants sat at 
the table extending from the tent into the grove. 
James Hill and Jonathan Moore were elected 
elders in 1808. Tlie latter having removed to the 
west the next year, William Morrison was elected 
in his place. The pastorate of Rev. John Boyd 
continued until April 1*7, 1810, when at his own 
request he was released from his charge and re- 
moved to Ohio, and this church was dependent on 
supplies for nearly five years. 

The original of the call to the second pastor of 
this church is in these words : " The congrega- 
tion of Sleate Lick being on sufiicient grounds sat- 
isfied of the ministerial qualifications of you, John 
Redick, and having good hopes from our past ex- 
perience of your labouers that your ministrations in 
the Gospel will be profitable to our spiritual inter- 
ests, do earnestly call and desire you to undertake 
the pastoral oflice in said congregation, promising 
you in the discharge of your duty all proper sup- 
port, encouragement, and obedience in the Lord ; 
and that you may be free from worldly cares and 
avocations we hereby promise and oblidge our- 
selves to pay the sum of $150 in half-yearly pay- 
ments, the one-half to be paid in grain, wheat at 
75 cents, corn and rye at 50 cents per bushel, in 
regular payments during the time of your being 
and continuing the regular pastor of this church. 
In testimony whereof, we have respectively sub- 
scribed our names this third day of November, 
1814. 

" N. B. This call is designed for the one-half of 
your labours in the gospel. 

"James Hill, Adam Maxwell, James Matthas, 
Jr., Jacob Young, Sr., Jacob Young, Jr., Patrick 
Gallon, John Boney, David Feales, Thomas Cus- 
kaden, George McCaine, John Ralston, David 



Ralston, James Clark, James Boles, William 
Morrison, Robert Morrison." 

That call having been accepted, he was ordained 
and installed as the pastor of Slate Lick and Union 
churches, September 28, 1815, on which occasion 
his preceptor, Rev. Robert Johnston, of Meadville, 
preached the sermon and Rev. John McPherrin, of 
Butler, delivered the charges. His pastorate con- 
tinued until the autumn of 1848, when because of 
his infirmities he resigned his charge, which had 
extended through a jjeriod of thirty-four years. 
During his pastorate, Arthur Hill and James Green 
(about 1830), James Blain, John Boyd and Joseph 
Galbraith (March 19, 1844) were elected elders ; a 
brick church edifice was erected in 18 — , and 
fronted " the lower road," whose building commit- 
tee consisted of James Hill, John Rea and James 
Smith. Although deemed a substantial structure, 
it was defective. During the communion services 
on a certain Sabbath-day, a large number of jjeople 
being present, the floor sunk or gave way, causing 
a fearful panic. There were several outer doors 
through which the multitude passed, many being 
slightly, and only Mrs. Ann Ralston being serious- 
ly injured. The edifice was soon repaired, but the 
confidence of the congregation in it was not re- 
stored. The first frame edifice, fronting south, 
whose building committee were George F. Keener, 
Georffe B. and James Sloan, was erected on the 
foundation of the brick one in 1842, and was used 
by the congregation for more than twenty years 
after the close of the second pastorate. 

Rev. John Redick was a son of John and Eliza- 
beth Sorrell Redick, and was born in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, about 1787. His father was 
wounded in the arm and permanently disabled at 
the time of the burning of Hannastown, and 
soon after sold his farm, and removed to the 
northeastern part of Butler county, where he for 
several years aided his father in his agricultural 
pursuits, which, perhaps, he would have followed 
through life, had he not been wounded by the acci- 
dental discharge of a gun in a canoe while cross- 
ing the Allegheny, with others, on a hunting ex- 
cursion. His father then concluded to educate him, 
and he was soon placed under the instruction of 
Rev. Robert Johnston, who was then the pastor of 
the Presbyterian churches at Bear creek and Scrub- 
grass, where the late Chief Justice Lowrie, Rev. 
James Wright and Rev. Alexander Crawford were 
among his schoolmates. Thence he went to the 
academy at Greensburgh, now Darlington, Beaver 
county; afterward pursued his theological studies 
under the instruction of his old preceptor. Rev. 
Robert Johnston, and was licensed to preach by 



452 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the Presbytery of Erie, at Meadville, October 20, 
1813, having been married the year before to Miss 
Elizabeth Coulter, a sister of Rev. John Coulter, 
then of the Presbytery of Allegheny. He con- 
tinued to be the pastor of Slate Lick and Union 
churches until the autumn of 1848, when, by reason 
of the infirmities of age, he sought and obtained 
a dismission, and the relation between those two 
churches was then dissolved. He purchased 50 
acres of land at Slate Lick, soon after the com- 
mencement of his pastorate, on which he resided 
until his death, which occurred July 11, 1850, hav- 
ing deservedly won the high esteem and affection- 
ate regards of his co-presbyters and parishioners by 
bis sincere devotion to his chosen work and his 
earnest endeavors to promote the best interests of 
the individuals and families in both of his congre- 
gations, so that he was endearingly called " Father 
Redick." 

Rev. William F. Kean was ordained and installed 
pastor of the Slate Lick and Freeport churches in 
the spring of 1849, and was released from the 
former in June, 1864. There was an extensive re- 
vival in this congregation during his pastorate, and 
forty -three new members were added to the list of 
communicants. At the seventh and last election 
of elders, in 1861, James Brown, James H. Redick 
and Samuel Sloan were chosen elders. Redick de- 
clined to serve, and James Shields was substituted. 
They were installed October 4, 1861. 

Rev. Thomas C. Anderson was installed pastor 
of Slate Lick church, October 17, 1864, and was 
released in June, 1868. It was during his pastor- 
ate alone that this church was not connected with 
some other. 

Rev. John H. Aughey, of " Iron Furnace " mem- 
ory, was installed May 8, 1869, as pastor of this 
and the church at Clinton, then belonging to the 
Presbytery of Allegheny. Rev. J. McPherrin de- 
livered the charge to the pastor, and Rev. J. M. 
Jones to the people. 

Rev. William M. Kain supplied this church in 
1870, and was installed as the pastor of it and the 
Srader's Grove church, in January, 1871, having 
been transferred to the Presbytery of Kittanning. 
Rev. T. D. Ewing preached the sermon. Rev. H. 
Magill charged the pastor, and Rev. S. H. HoUiday 
the people. His pastorate ended in October, 1872. 
The basement of the present edifice was completed 
in 1870, in which services were held, and the 
edifice itself in the course of a few months. At 
its dedication, in January, 1871, the sermon was 
preached by Rev. David Hull, D. D., and the dedica- 
tory prayer offered by Rev. W. F. Rea. 

A call was made to the present pastor, Rev. B. 



F. Boyle, April 8, 1873, he having preached here 
for several months while a student at the theo- 
logical seminary in Allegheny City, and was or- 
dained and installed June 23, 1873, when Rev. 
David J. Irwin presided and offered the ordination 
prayer, Rev. Alexander Donaldson preached the 
sermon. Rev. S. H. Hughes charged the pastor, and 
the presiding officer the people. 

This congregation fondly hoped that, after the 
completion of their present edifice, which is the 
fourth, including the primitive log one, they could 
securely worship in it for many years to come. 
But that bright hope was doomed to be darkened 
by another cloud of adversity. A storm swept 
with almost the force of a hurricane over this local- 
ity, on the first Tliursday of May, 1875, and in 
its course struck and beat in the west end of this 
edifice, leaving it a ghastly wreck. But the good 
people of this church and congregation did not 
sink down in despair. They soon rose above the 
weight of their new sorrow, and appointed John 
Graham, William Rea and Samuel Sloan a com- 
mittee on repairs, who in due time caused that 
wreck to be restored to more than its former 
strength and beauty. It was re-dedicated August 
23, on which occasion Rev. John J. Francis, of 
Freeport, preached the sermon, and Rev. James 
Boyd ofiiered the dedicatory prayer. 

The Sabbath school of this congregation was or- 
ganized about 1817, and reorganized under the 
union system in 1832. Its first superintendents 
were James Hill and John Rea. John Boyd was 
another for sixteen years, under whose charge and 
that of J. S. Brown it is now in a flourishing con- 
dition. The church membership, in 1876, w^s 155; 
Sabbath-school scholars, 70. 

The members of Slate Lick church who have 
become ministers of the Gospel are : Rev. David 
Hall, D. D., Indiana, Pennsylvania; Rev. James 
Boyd, Kirkville, Missouri; Rev. David H. Sloan, 
Leechburgh; Rev. R. B. McCaslin, Plain Grove; 
Rev. Fulton Boyd, Pleasant Unity, and Rev. D. 
R. McCaslin, Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

The Slate Lick United Presbyterian church was 
organized about the year 1812. The preaching on 
that occasion and for some time afterward was in a 
tent where the present church stands, though occa- 
sionally the meetings were held in the woods at 
other points. Rev. McClintick, of Bear creek, 
was the first preacher of this denomination who 
labored here, coming as a supply as early as 1808, 
and preaching in the log cabins of the settlers. 
The first church was a log structure, thirty-three 
feet square, built by Abram Smith and William 
Minteer in 1815. The men of the congregation 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



453 



felled the timber for this house, and it is remem- 
bered that the wall plate was hauled up the hill by 
a big yoke of oxen, owmed by Joseph Miller. 
Rev. John Dickey, the first settled pastor, came 
here about 1812 and remained thirty-five years. 
He was succeeded by Revs. Galbraith and Robert- 
son, and then came the present pastor, Rev. L. 
McCampbell. The congregation now has a frame 
structure about forty feet square. 

The Srader Grove Presbyterian church was or- 
ganized the Is.t day of May, A. D. IS'/l, by a com- 
mittee of the Presbyteiy of Kittanning, consisting 
of Rev. John M. Jones, Rev. Alex. S. Tliompson 
and Elder James Quigley. A sermon was preached 
by Rev. John M. Jones, after which an expres- 
sion was given by the members present of their 
desire to be organized into a Presbyterian church. 
Thereupon said committee proceeded with the 
organization. The following persons presented cer- 
tificates of membership from other churches : From 
the church of Slate Lick — James Shields and Re- 
becca Shields, John G. Weaver and Margaret Wea- 
ver, Joseph and Jacob Weaver, Andrew C. Srader, 
Jr., Eleanor Srader, Andrew Srader, Sr., Elizabeth 
Srader, Robert J. Hill, Mary Hill, William Hill, 
Elizabeth Hill, Rachel B. Hill, Elizabeth Hill, Jr., 
M. Hillis Boyd, Elizabeth F. Boyd, William Sloan, 
Mary Sloan; and from the church of Freeport, John 
G. Bowser and Eliza Bowser. Four persons were 
elected ruling elders of said church, viz.: James 
Shields, R. J. Hill, John G. Weaver and M. Hillis 
Boyd. Mr. R. J. Hill would not accept the office of 
ruling elder to which he had been elected. Messrs. 
John G. Weaver and M. Hillis Boyd were ordained 
May 26, 1871, Mr. Shields having been ordained 
when elected elder while a member of Freeport 
Presbyterian church. Mr. William Hill, Andrew 
C. Srader and William Sloan were elected deacons 
and trustees of said church, and on May 28, 1871, 
were installed as deacons of said church. On 
May 18, 1872, Mr. W. B. Srader and wife were 
received on certificate from Union church. Mr. 
W. B. Srader, having been a ruling elder in the 
church of Union, was elected and installed a 
ruling elder in the church of Srader Grove. This 
church was organized with 22 members, and now 
numbers 53 members, as reported to presbytery in 
1882. The Sabbath-school membership, 65, kept up 
the whole year. This church has had three pastors: 
Rev.- J. H. Aughey, Rev. Wm. M. Kain and Rev. 
B. F. Boyle. The latter was relieved by presby- 
tery of Kittanning, April 25, 1882, at his own re- 
quest. 

St. Matthew's Lutheran church at its original 
organization was German. In connection with a 



Reformed congregation, for many years almost ex- 
tinct, it formed the "Blue Slate" congregation. 
There is no record of the separate organization. 
The earliest English pastor was the Rev. D. Ear- 
hart, who took charge in 1844. In 1852; Rev. L. 
M. Kuhns became pastor, and since that time the 
church has been a part of the Freeport charge. 
A house of worship was built in 1845-6, near 
George Isaman's residence, which was superseded 
by a better one in a more convenient location in 
1876. The contractors for the first building were 
John Myers and Jacob Hawk. In 1846 the church 
was incorporated by the legislature. The church 
was greatly weakened, in 1868, by the withdrawal 
of many of its members to form a congregation, 
which has since been consolidated with the General 
Synod church in Freeport. It now has about 75 
members. 

The Slate Lick postoffice was established April 
1, 1837, George F. Keener, postmaster. 

The first resident physician here was Dr. Ellis 
Simpkins, first assessed in 1846. Dr. John Ken- 
nedy settled here in 1860-1, Dr. Robert C. Mc- 
Clelland about the same time, and Dr. A. D. John- 
ston in 1868. 

John Brown's store, at the forks of the public 
roads near the Presbyterian church, was opened in 
1858 — he having then been first assessed as a mer- 
chant, and James Brown from and after 1868. 

In 1857-8 the people of Slate Lick and vicinity 
became so deeply interested in the establishment 
of a normal school here that they subscribed a 
considerable amount for that purpose, but did 
accomplish it. The Slate Lick academy was 
opened in 1864 in a building erected for educa- 
tional purposes. D. S. Tappan was the first 
principal. 

The second schoolhouse erected within what is 
now this township, before the adoption of the free 
school system, was situated about 275 rods in an 
airline northeasterly from the first one heretofore 
mentioned; the third one about 250 rods north- 
westerly from the first; the fourth one in Stony 
Hollow, about a mile north of Freeport; and the 
fifth one about 250 rods from the mouth of and a 
few rods south of Daugherty's run. One of the 
teachers in the last two was William W. Gibson. 
Following are school statistics : 1860 — Schools, 10; 
average number months taught, 4; male teachers, 
6; female, 4; average monthly salaries of male 
teachers, $19.38; average monthly salaries of fe- 
male teachers, $16.88; male scholars, 273; female 
scholars, 263; average number attending school, 
293; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 40 
cents; amount levied for school purposes, $871.86; 



454 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



received from state appropriation, $116.82; from 
collectors, $830; cost of instruction, $735.20; fuel, 
etc., $120.81; cost of schoolhouses, repairing, etc., 
$6. 1876 — Schools, 11; average number months 
taught, S; male teachers, 8; female teachers, 3; 
average monthly salaries of male and female 
teachers, $33; male scholars, 250; female scholars, 
258; average number attending school, 337; cost 
per month, 78 cents; tax levied for school and 
building purposes, $2,581.45; received from state 
appropriation, $343.17; from taxes, etc., $2,272.77; 
paid for teachers' wages, $1,815; paid for fuel, etc., 
$207.80. 

The mercantile appraiser's list for 1876 shows 
the number of merchants in this township to be 
6, but the assessment list 2, all of whom are in 
the 14th class. According to the last-mentioned 
list the occupations, exclusive of farmers, are : 
Ministers, 2; school teachers, 3; music teacher, 1; 
physician, 1; laborers, 81; blacksmiths, 4; carpen- 
ters, 7; stonemasons, 2; agents, 2; painters, 2; 
insurance agent, 1; plasterers, 2; harnessmaker, 
1; miller, 1; wagonmaker, 1; cripple, 1; old man, 
1; operator, 1; peddler, 1. 

The present occupants of this part of old Buffalo 
township would be very impatient if they were 
obliged to wait for the news of important events 
as long as did their pioneer predecessors. John 
Craig used to relate that he and his neighbors did 
not get an account of Jackson's victory at New 
Orleans until June, or five months after it was 
achieved. 

The people of this region caught the mania for 
fox hunting that once prevailed in this county. A 
meeting, of which John Drum was president and 
B. S. Chadwick secretary, was held in March, per- 
haps about the middle, which arranged a grand 
fox hunt for Tuesday, the 25th. The circle ex- 
tended from Freeport to the mouth of Glade run; 
thence up it to David Reed's; thence across to 
Beatty's mill on Buffalo creek; thence down it to 
Freeport, with the closing ground on the farm of 
Isaac Frantz, which was probably that part of 
" Mount Pleasant" which he purchased from Enos 
McBride. 

The vote on the question of granting license to 
sell intoxicating liquor in this township stood 145 
against to 24 for. There had been for many years 
a strong temperance element in this section of the 
county. The first annual report of the Buffalo 
Township Temperance Society is dated January 
10, 1831, which was subsequently published in the 
Gazette and Columbian. The writer addressed one 
or two of the series of temperance meetings held 
at Slate in 1850. The 4th of July, 1851, was 



observed by a large number of the people of North 
and South Buffalo and Franklin townships. The 
sky, cloudy eai'ly in the morning, became clear 
before noon. About 1,500 people of these town- 
ships — fathers and mothers and young men and 
maidens and children — including several Sabbath 
schools and temperance organizations, assembled 
in a beautiful grove near Slate Lick. Peter 
Graff was called to preside. After a bountiful 
repast the writer was called upon to read the 
Declaration of Independence, and to deliver the 
oration, which was devoted to a consideration of 
the costly sacrifices of our revolutionary fathers in 
achieving our national independence, the wisdom, 
patriotism and philanthropy of the framers of 
our system of free popular government, and the 
imminent perils to our government and people 
from the use of intoxicating beverages. 

The first census of this township after it was re- 
duced to its present limits was in 1850, when its 
population was: White, 1,266; colored, 0. In 
1860, white, 1,570; colored, 1. In 1870, native, 
1,522; foreign. 111; colored, 4. In 1876, no tax- 
ables. 

The geological features of Freeport and this 
township : The uplands consist entirely of the 
lower barrens, the areas of the lower productives 
being confined to the valleys of the Buffalo creek 
and Allegheny river. Only a portion of the lower 
productive group is above water level, the section 
extending only down to the lower Kittanning coal, 
the ferriferous limestone not being above water 
level. The lower Kittanning is 3 feet thick, but 
obtainable above water level only in the region 
opposite Logansport. The upper Freeport coal 
is, however, in a favorable position for mining, 'i^ 
feet yielding tolerably good coal. This bed sup- 
plies Freeport with fuel, and in fact the whole 
township. Its geographical name was derived 
from Freeport, where it is about 125 feet above the 
river level. The lower Freeport coal is 35 feet 
below it, and in the vicinity of Freeport partakes 
of the cannel nature, and was once mined and dis- 
tilled for oil. It ranges from a few inches to 7 
feet thick, but little dependence can be placed 
on it, the bed thinning out and often disappearing 
at short intervals. The Freeport sandstone is 
massive and makes a line of cliffs above the 
borough. It shows some sudden and curious 
changes in shale round about there. The same rock 
shows similar changes in the long cut near the 
rolling mill at Kittanning, where the change is 
beautifully displayed. The upper Kittanning coal 
is present at Freeport, but worthless. The Ma- 
honing sandstone in the vicinity of Freeport is a 



SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



455 



very compact and massive deposit, yielding good 
stone for building purposes. Opposite the borough 
on the Westmoreland side it makes a line of bold 
cliffs 50 feet high. Above, in South Buffalo town-' 
ship, soft, argillaceous shales come in, making easy 
slopes along the little valleys by which the town- 
ship back from the river is diversified. This is the 
smooth glade land stretching north from Freeport 
to Slate Lick, famous for good pasture lands and 
fair yield of crops when properly tilled. Near 
Slate Lick on this upland, the green fossiliferous 
limestone may be seen on the William Rea farm 
near the hilltop. No coalbeds of remarkable di- 
mensions may be sought for in this vicinity, but 
along Buffalo creek and Pine run the upper Free- 
port coal is above water-level as already described. 
■ Structure. — An anticlinal axis which crosses the 
Allegheny river near the mouth of Mahoning, 
and crosses Limestone run near Montgomeryville, 
has weakened to such an extent before reaching 
this township that it exerts but little influence 
here. It is on this account that the lower barren 
rocks occupy so mucli of the surface of this town- 
ship. Had this axis the same force here as there, 
we should find the same conditions repeated about 
Freeport that we find about the mouth of Ma- 
honing, or nearly so. But the axis, though weak- 
ened, is yet recognizable in the gentle southeast 
dij)s which prevail just west of Freeport. Other- 
wise the rocks are nearly horizontal. 

The record of the gas well at the planing-mill, 
Freeport, shows from the surface downward : Soft 
shale, 60 feet; hard sand, 40 feet; slate, 25 feet; 
limestone, 12 feet; slate, 20 feet; hard sand, a lit- 
tle oil at the bottom, 65 feet; slate and shell, 10 
feet; sandstone, 25 feet; slate, 15 feet; limestone 
and slate, 20 feet; very hard sandstone, C feet; 
fireclay, 5 feet; hard sandstone, 100 feet; black 
slate, 75 feet; hard sandstone, 20 feet; slate and 
shell, 20 feet; sandrock, 80 feet; sandstone, prin- 
cipally, and a large vein of salt water strong 
enough to bear up an egg, 115 feet; slate, good 
drilling, 135 feet; sandstone, 10 feet; slate and 
sandstone, 54 feet; slate and sandstone, 18 feet; 
gas used as fuel for planing mill; hard shell, slate 
and sandstone, 80 feet; hard shell, slate, sandstone 
and pebble, 125 feet; slate, sand and pebble, 35 
feet; white and gray sandstone, with strong salt 



water at the bottom, 50 feet; soft slate, 21 feet; 
slate, shell and red rock, 97 feet; very red rock, 12 
feet; very hard gray sandstone, 10 feet; reddish 
slate, 15 feet; slate, shell and red rock, 70 feet; 
hard sandstone (10 feet), slate and shell, 55 feet; 
slate, easy drilling, 340 feet. Depth of well, 1,904 
feet. Gas vein at 1,075 feet. Quit drilling at 12 
M. October 16, 1874. 

Prior to 1859 the members of the Methodist 
denomination in the middle eastern portion of this 
township numbered but two individuals, viz.: Rob- 
ert Rodgers and George Venables; but they had 
been accustomed, for several years, to holding re- 
ligious services in their houses. At this date, con- 
siderable interest being evinced in the religious 
services of this particular denomination, they de- 
cided to erect a house of worship. Accordingly a 
modest, unpretentious church building was erected 
on the farm of S. A. Forrester, who donated the 
land for this purpose. The church was completed 
in 1861, and a church organization effected with 
the following officers : Robert Rodgers, George 
Venables and S. A. Forrester. The church was 
dedicated this same year, the dedicatory sermon 
being preached by I. C. Pershing. Rev. D. 
Rhodes first officiated as pastor, and during the 
first year the chxirch obtained a membership of 
about 40, which result demonstrated the wisdom 
of its founders. 

Mr. Rodgers gave liberally for the support of 
this church, and upon his death left $500 as a per- 
manent fund for the church, the proceeds only to be 
used. A cemetery, known as the Union cemetery, 
was also established on the farm of Mr. Forrester. 

Since its organization the church, although hav- 
ing but few wealthy adherents, has enjoyed great 
prosperity, its present membership being about 80. 
It also has a flourishing Sunday school. In Sep- 
tember of 1882 it was decided to erect a new build- 
ing to accommodate the largely increased congre- 
gation, and accordingly an elegant frame church 
edifice, 32X55 feet, graced with an elegant spire, 
has been erected at an expense of about $2,500 and 
dedicated to the service of God. Rev. R. Cart- 
wright now ofliciates as pastor. The present 
church officers are: Trustees — S. A. Forrester, J. 
Bush, A. G. Mahaffey, C. Saltmer ; Stewards — S. 
A. Forrester and C. Saltmer. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



NORTH BUFFALO. 



Erection of the Township in 1847— First Election— Wli 
Tracts of Land and Their Transfers — Baptist CI 
1876— Industrial — Topography — Kock Structure. 

NORTH BUFFALO township was organized 
by dividing what remained of Buffalo after 
the organization of Franklin township in North 
and South Buffalo townships. That division was 
authorized by act of assembly of March 15, 1847, 
which prescribes that dividing line thus : Begin- 
ning on the Butler county line at the northwest 
corner of the then sub-schooldistrict No. 3 of 
Buffalo township ; thence along the north line of 
that sub-sehooldistrict to its termination on the 
land of John Rea ; thence by a direct line to the 
soutliwest corner of a tract of land patented to 
Jacob White, then occupied by John Woodward, 
on the bank of the Allegheny river, for running 
which the county commissioners were to appoint a 
suitable person who was to return to them a draft 
of it, and the expenses to be paid out of the county 
treasury. The first election in North Buffalo town- 
ship was directed to be held at the house of John 
Boney, Sr., conducted by James McCullough, judge, 
and David Beatty and John B. Smith, inspectors. 
The first election in South Buffalo township was 
prescribed by the same act to be held at the house 
of Andrew Srader, conducted by John Haman, 
judge, and William Hughes and James Tracy, in- 
spectors. The people were to determine by their 
votes at those elections where the elections in each 
of these two townships should be thereafter held. 
The places thus designated were the Claypoole 
schoolhouse (No. 6) in North and the Sloan school- 
house (No. 5) in South Buffalo township. The 
then collector of taxes of Buffalo was to be the one 
for North, and the county commissioners were to 
appoint one for South Buffalo township. 

At the first township election in North Buffalo, 
held in March, 1848, John Boney was elected justice 
of the peace ; James Claypoole, judge, and James 
Kiskadden and Edward Manso, inspectors of elec- 
tion ; Robert Galbraith, constable ; John Barnett 
and David Beatty, supervisors ; James Maxwell 
and Reuben Stonapher, school directors ; Joseph 
Bullman and John Smith, Jr., township auditors ; 
Jacob Arb and John Boney, overseers of the poor ; 
and William Colwell, assessor. 



ite's Claim—" The Green Settlement "—First Mill— Other 
lurch — Population Statistics — School Statistics, 1860 and 

There is a considerable area of territory along 
the river between the southwestern and northeast- 
ern corners of what is now this township, and ex- 
tending back about two miles from the river in the 
southwestern and about three and a half miles in 
the northeastern part, which appears to be vacant 
on the map of Stephen Gapen's surveys. In the 
southwestern part is an unsurveyed area noted as 
" White's claim," on which Jacob White made an 
improvement in June, 1793, and an actual settle 
mentin March, 1796, and 396 acres and 84perches- 
of which were surveyed to him by George Ross, 
September 16, 1801, the patent for which to him is 
dated February 1, 1820, the southwestern corner of 
which, at White's eddy, is the southwest corner of 
this township. This tract, as it appears on the 
Lawson & Orr map, is very nearly a rectangular 
parallelogram, extending northwesterly from the 
river, and including or interfering with the south- 
eastern part of the McCall and Claypoole tract. 
White transferred or agreed to sell this tract to 
James Clemens, of Blockley township, Philadelphia 
county, in 1817, and conveyed it to him. May 2, 
1820, for 12,553.51^. Clemens devised it to his 
wife during her life or widowhood, and in the 
event of her death or marriage, to William and 
Kezia Plenry. Mrs. Clemens having married, John 
and William Henry conveyed 100 acres and 132 
perches to Jehu and Kezia Woodward, October 22, 
1846, for $1, etc. Woodward was first assessed 
with a distillery, 400 acres and one horse, at $735, 
in 1832. William Henry conveyed 100 acres and 
130 perches to James H. Claypoole, October 31, 
1863, for $1,500, and the residue of the tract, May 
19, 1865, 80 acres and 34 perches to Robert S. Con- 
nor for $1,604; 64 acres and 63 perches to Samuel 
B. Bruner for $680; and 101 acres and 126 perches 
to Andrew J. Bruner for $687. 

Adjoining the southern part of that Jacob White 
tract on the east, in the unsurveyed area on the map 
of Gapen's surveys, is a tract containing, accord- 
ing to the Lawson & Orr map, 206|- acres, in the 
northeastern corner of which is the mouth of Glade 
run, which was settled by James Sloan in 1816. 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



457 



It and the island opposite have remained in the 
possession of Sloan's heirs until they conveyed 
both to Joseph B. Smith for the latter's herein- 
after-mentioned mill property. 

Adjoining that Sloan tract on the east and north- 
east is what has been known, since the latter part 
of the last century, as "the Green settlement," in 
Gapen's unsurveyed area, extending along the 
Allegheny river from about 25 rods above the mouth 
of Glade run to within 15 rods below the mouth 
of Manor run, and on Glade run and its waters. 
That " settlement " on the Lawson & Orr map 
comprises five tracts : John Green's, 224 acres ; 
James Green's, 226 acres and 1-30 perches; Samuel 
Green's, 220 acres and 30 perches ; Daniel Green's, 
210 acres and 150 perches, and Jeremiah and Samuel 
Green's, 150 acres, each of which probably con- 
tained more or less of a surplus. Warrants, as 
mentioned in the i-ecords, for the two first-men- 
tioned tracts were granted to Samuel and William 
Green, April 21, 1794. They soon after settled on 
them — William on the lower one, the western part 
of which is traversed by Glade run, on which tract, 
on the river hill, between the river and the present 
public road, he laid out the town of Willi amsburgh, 
in 1802, covering an area of about 15 acres, each 
lot containing one-fourth of an acre. The price of 
each lot was to be about $2. It is not known that 
more than one was sold, the purchaser of which 
was a man by the name of Hollander, who built a 
house upon it. It was intended to have the county 
buildings located here, and it is said that the 
ground was staked off for them by the first board 
of county commissioners, who afterward accepted 
the offer of Gen. Armstrong's heirs, at Kittanning.* 
In 1804 or 1805 he erected a log gristmill on this 
stream, about three-quarters of a mile above its 
mouth, with one run of stone, with which and one 
horse and two cows, he was first assessed at $150, 
in 1806, and the sawmill was erected soon after 
where the present gristmill is. The bolting-chest 
of the first gristmill was made of the trunk of a 
large, hollow buttonwood tree, which was divided 
into two equal parts, one placed above the other, 
with an interval of about two feet between them. 
The entire interval on one side was closed by 
shaved clapboards, and all on the other, except 
about four feet in the middle, which space was 
oovei'ed by a piece of homemade linen cloth, nailed 
on the upper, and which dropped on the inside of 
the lower part of the trunk so as to keep the flour 
from falling out of the chest. Instead of a leather 
belt, a rope made of straw was used, which required 
moistening to make it efi^ective. People brought 

* See general sketch of the county. 



their grists to that mill from 10, 15 and 20 miles 
around. One of its customers was a little Irish- 
man from Butler county, who fell asleep while 
waiting for his grist. As he awoke, he saw the 
large cog-wheel and the trundle-head turning be- 
tween him and the moonlight which penetrated 
a crevice in the wall. Being alarmed, he screamed 
and yelled lustily. On being asked what was the 
matter, he replied, "I though I was in hell, and the 
big devil and a little one were after me." William 
Green continued to be assessed with that mill until 
1816. He conveyed his tract, 224 acres, reserv- 
ing the mill and the house in which he lived, to 
John Green, July 2, 1816, for $1. The latter 
was assessed with the grist and saw mills until 
1822, when the former was leased to William Boney 
and to William Kelly. The present one was 
erected about 40 rods above the site of the first one, 
in 1828-9 — two-story frame, with two runs of stone 
at first, to which another has since been added. 
The gristmill was first assessed to Noah Bowser, 
in 1853. It and the sawmill were first assessed to 
Barnett, Bonner and Smith, in 1854, and the former 
continued to be assessed to them until 1857 ; from 
then until 1866 to Bonner and Smith, and to Jo- 
seph B. Smith from then until now. On the right 
bank of this stream, about 50 rods below the mill, 
is the North Buffalo postoftice, which was estab- 
lished February 10, 1870, Miles J. Green, postmas- 
ter. This hamlet consists of about a dozen dwell- 
ing-houses and the mill. Green's store and Bricker 
& Go's blacksmith-shop. 

Samuel and William Green conveyed the second 
or 226-acre tract to James Green, July 2, 1816, for 
$2, who retained the ownership of most of it dur- 
ing his life. He resided here while he was county 
commissioner, from 1827-8 to 1830-1, and before 
and after. When military parades were more in 
vogue in various parts of the count)' than they are 
now, his place was selected for some of them, . 
especially of the battalion of which the late 
Andrew Arnold was major. James Green, by his 
will, dated August 31, 1842, and registered April 
30, 1853, devised 80 acres of this tract, except a 
fourth of an acre which was reserved for school- 
house lot, to his son Levi, and 120 acres more or 
less to his son Robert. The latter having died 
intestate, proceedings were instituted in the proper 
court for the partition of his real estate. The 
inquest found that it could not be advantageously 
divided into purparts, and valued it at $11,696.80. 
Joseph B. Smith, administrator of his estate, was 
appointed trustee to sell it. The sale having been 
confirmed, he conveyed the land, 164 acres and 19 
perches, to George B. Sloan, September 8, 1873, 



458 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



for $8,401.50. Levi Green, by his will, registered 
October 24, 1S74, devised that part of his land 
north of Glade run, on which is the public school- 
house No. 5, to his son Miles J., and the residue to 
his son James R. Green. 

Samuel Green settled on the third of these 
tracts, 225 acres and 30 perches, in 1795, on which, 
where his descendant, James Green, now resides" 
on what is now the river road from Kittanning to 
Freeport, he built a log house, cleared two acres, 
which he sowed in wheat, to which he removed his 
wife and child the next year, James and John 
Green having settled on the two lower tracts about 
the same time. 

In the southeastern part of this tract, opposite 
the central part of "Cast Off," is what the Indians 
called a " medicine spring." Its water has not yet 
been analyzed, but from what the writer has learned 
respecting its qualities, he infers it is strongly 
chalybeate. About fifty rods northwest of it on 
this tract is an artificial excavation in the rock, 
and about seventy-five rods northwest of the latter, 
on the James Green tract, is another, each about six 
inches in diameter and in depth, in which the 
Indians pounded, cracked and prepared their corn 
for making samp. 

There was, in the course of three or four years, 
a sufficient number of children in " the Green set- 
tlement" and vicinity for a school. So the first 
schoolhouse within what is now North Bufi^alo 
township was erected on the above-mentioned 
second tract, settled by Jam^es Green. It was a 
log structure, sixteen feet square, and finished and 
furnished like other primitive temples of knowl- 
edge described in the general sketch of this county. 
Benjamin Biggs was the first teacher in that house, 
who taught spelling, reading, writing and about 
the first half of arithmetic. The text-books in 
orthography and reading were Dillworth's spelling 
book, the Testament and the Bible. Another log 
schoolhouse, with clapboard doors, was soon after- 
ward built in place of the first one about ten rods 
northeast of it. 

The Daniel Green tract, 210 acres and 150 
perches, adjoined a small parcel of vacant land 
and parts of the above-mentioned James and John 
Green tracts on the northwest, on which Daniel 
Green made an improvement, June 2, 1793, and an 
actual settlement, April 7, 1796, and which was 
surveyed to him by George Ross, September 12, 
1801, 201 acres and 32 perches of which he con- 
veyed to Ross, February 4, 1804, for |250, which 
included a part of 100 acres more or less which 
William Green conveyed to Daniel the same day, 
for 1 10, and which then adjoined lands of John 



and William Jack and William McLaughlin, with 
which, and two horses and two cows, Ross was 
assessed in 1805 and 1806 at $212, and where he 
resided a part of the time while he was deputy 
surveyor and when he was appointed an associate 
judge of the courts of this county. He conveyed 
the same quantity which he had purchased from 
Green to John Boney, January 8, 1813, for |800. 

Another part of "the Green settlement " con- 
sisted of a part of a tract adjoining the above- 
mentioned Samuel Green tract on the north and 
the Allegheny river on the east, on which Adam 
Morrow made an early improvement and settle- 
ment; Three hundred and sixteen acres and thirty 
perches, "including his actual settlement," were 
surveyed to him by Deputy Surveyor Ross, Novem- 
ber 2, 1801. William Parks was then a settler on 
this land for Alexander, who entered a caveat to 
the survey, alleging that Kelly had a prior right 
by an earlier and continued settlement. Hence 
there was litigation concerning it. Morrow em- 
ployed William Ayres, then of Pittsburgh, as his 
attorney, and agreed, in case of his success, and 
also in consideration of his professional services 
in trying an ejectment for him in Allegheny 
county fn 1800, to convey to Ayres a portion of 
this land. In pursuance of that agreement they 
made an amicable division of the tract, April 12, 
1809, when Morrow conveyed to Ayres 139-|- acres, 
which he conveyed to the late Judge Young, March 
22, 1811, and which the latter conveyed to James 
and Samuel Green, June 20, 1818, for $367.50, 70 
acres of which James Green devised to his son 
Samuel Green. The commonwealth, in considera- 
tion " of the moneys paid by Adam Morrow," to 
whom a warrant had been issued, April 25, 1814, 
granted a patent to Jei'emiah and Samuel Green, 
May 9, 1857, who made partition between them- 
selves, July 11, 1857, by a line beginning at a post 
154 perches from the corner end on the Allegheny 
river, dividing it into equal parts, the eastern being 
taken by Jeremiah and the western one by Samuel. 
In the northeastern corner of the former purpart, 
about thirty rods below the mouth of Morrow's 
run, the Indians had a furnace for smelting lead, 
vestiges of vp^hich were heretofore visible. Some 
pieces of lead ore found hereabouts many years 
since led some persons to think that a vein of it 
exists in this region, which has not yet been dis- 
covered. 

In the northwestern corner of the western pur. 
part on Glade run is a mill-seat which Jeremiah 
Green leased to Jerome S. and Alexis J. Bon- 
nett, July 27, 1858, at an annual rent of $25 
for the term of twenty years, but in case the 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



459 



mill which they should erect should be burned 
or swept away and the lessees should "find it 
necessary to discontinue the sawmill business," 
the lease was to be thenceforth "null and void in 
all its parts." The lessees erected a sawmill at 
that seat immediately after the execution of the 
lease, which was assessed to Alexis J. Bonnett, 
and which was soon after "swept away," as noted 
on the first assessment list after its erection. It 
was soon rebuilt and was operated by him until his 
death, and was thereafter for several years assessed 
to his heirs. He had acceptabl}^ filled the position 
of American consul at Bordeaux, France, during 
President Pierce's administration. 

Adam Morrow conveyed his interest in the north- 
ern part of the tract retained by him to James 
Morrow, June 13, 1814, for $800. One hundred 
and fifteen acres having become vested in Jacob 
Keim, he devised the same, by his will, dated 
October 22, 1839, to his sons, to whom a patent 
was granted. May 8, IBS'?, and which they conveyed 
to Jerome S. Bonnett, June 25, and he to James 
Obey, February 28, 1859, for $3,000. 

Adjoining the Morrow tract on the north was 
one of 354 acres and 91 perches, on which Samuel 
Kelly, tailor, made an improvement anfl settle- 
ment, March 2, 1796, and which was surveyed to 
him by George Ross, November 3, 1801, a small 
portion of which was then claimed by Adam 
Maxwell. Kelly's interest in more than 200 acres 
of it was conveyed by John Orr, sheriff, to George 
Armstrong, September 1, 1808, and by Kelly to 
him, February 24, 1809, and which he conveyed to 
John Campbell, December 22, 1813, for $500, who 
by his will, dated loth and registered October 18, 
1827 — and required him to resign his right to other 
land adjoining lands of William Barnett, Joseph 
Cogley and James Hampton — devised to his son 
Nathaniel, who conveyed 207 acres to Hugh L. 
Cooper, April 20, 1838, for $1,200, of which Cooper 
conveyed 104 acres and 142 perches to John and 
William Dick — on which the latter still resides and 
is still assessed with 26 acres — April 20, 1838, for 
, $1,300. Cooper conveyed 107 acres and 145 perches 
to Robert Adams, August 13, 1842, for $1,250, 
which, with other 4 acres and 10 perches, he con- 
veyed to Mrs. Mary J. Heiner, August 30, 1864, 
for $3,000. William Dick and others conveyed 73 
acres and 85 perches to Robert McKee, April 22, 
1875, for $2,757.42. 

Next north on that Kelly-Campbell tract, on the 
Lawson & Orr map, are two contiguous tracts, one 
bearing the name of Henry Jack and the other that 
of James Hannegan, both containing 368 acres 
and 10 perches, which must have constituted the 



ti'act on which James Cogley, Sr., settled in or 
before 1797, and \\'ith which, or 100 acres of which, 
1 horse and 4 cattle, he was assessed in 1805 at 
$94. He died intestate, and his son James con- 
veyed his interest therein to Robert Brown, July 
1, 1820, for $100, and his daughter, Mrs. James 
Fish, and her husband conveyed their interest 
therein to Robert Brown, July 10, 1820, for $100. 
In both of these deeds this land is described as 
being opposite the mouth of Garrett's run and 
adjoining lands of Dr. McCullough and others. 

Next north of that Kelly-Campbell tract were 
two contiguous tracts, in the lower one of which, 
186:j acres, Henry Jack, and in the upper one, 181 
acres and 1-30 perches, James Hannegan, once had 
inchoate interests, for both of which the late Rob- 
ert Brown and James Cowan obtained a patent, 
June 16, 1837, and conveyed the latter to Henry 
Cowan eleven days afterward, for $325, on or near 
the northern line of which is public schoolhouse 
No. 4, or "Bunker Hill," so-called from a fight 
between two belligerent individuals which occurred 
there many years ago. James Cowan retained the 
lower one of these two tracts, and died intestate, 
October 11, 1867. In pursuance of a writ of par- 
tition this tract was valued as containing 203 acres 
and 70 perches, at $5,250, and were taken by the 
decedent's son, Robert W. Cowan, at the valuation, 
and was ordered and adjudged to him, March 1, 
1869, by whom it is still retained. 

Adjoining the northeastern part of the tract 
which Brown and Cowan conveyed to Henrj- 
Cowan was the one to which Robert Cogley 
acquired a title by improvement and settlement, 
commenced probably as early as, if not earlier 
than, 1800. He was assessed with 113 acres and 1 
cow in 1805, at $73.80, and the next year with an 
additional cow, at $79.80. He resided on this 
tract until his death, shortly after which a writ of 
partition was issued, and the tract, 114 acres,, was 
appraised at $795.15. No one having appeared, 
after the usual notice given in such cases, to ac- 
cept it at the valuation, the court ordered the 
administrator, the late Robert Brown, who had 
purchased the interest of Joseph Cogley, the de- 
cedent's nephew, in his uncle's estate, January 31, 
1831, for $100, to sell it, which he did, and con- 
veyed it to James E. Brown, August 29, 1822, for 

$130, which the latter conveyed to 

November 14, 1836, for $1,000; he to Michael 
Truby, 180 acres, January 5, 1866, for $2,700.73; 
and Truby to Thomas J. Roney, 102 acres, August 
28, 1869, for $2,700, and 80 acres to J. E. Brown, 
September 20, for $300. 

The next tract north is depreciation lot No. 299, 



460 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



307x0 acres, called " Greenfield," about one-sixth of 
which is in East Franklin, for which a patent was 
granted to John McCuUoch, merchant of Philadel- 
phia, January 2, 1192, which, with his other real 
estate, he directed by his will, dated October 28, 
1797, his executors to sell, and which his surviving 
executor, John S. McCulloch, of Baltimore, Mary- 
land, conveyed to James E. Brown, February 25' 
1850, for $6,000. The eastern portion of "Green- 
field" is traversed diagonally by a- run whose 
sources are on depreciation lot No. .30.3, hereinafter 
mentioned,* nearly two miles northwesterly from 
the Kittanuing bridge. Along that run in the 
southern part of " Greenfield " is " Whiskey Hol- 
low," so called from the distillery some distance 
above on that run, which was operated by John 
Truby, Jr., from 1817 till 1825, by Isaac Wible 
from then until 1827, and then by James Blair un- 
til 1830. Farther up that stream is what was for- 
merly called " Mutton Hollow," from the number 
of sheep formerlj' dispatched in it. 

Adjoining "Greenfield" on the west, on the 
Lawson & Orr map, is a tract of 40^ acres, whose 
eastern and northern lines are straight, but whose 
southern line is irregular, and forming with the 
eastern line a right angle at the southeast corner 
and with the northern line a very acute angle at 
the northwestern corner, partly in East Franklin, 
which was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, to 
William MoAnninch, February 11, 1806, and there- 
after assessed to Matthew Hopkins until 1816. 

West of " Greenfield " and south and southwest 
of the McAnninch-Hopkins tract, on the same 
map, is another irregularly-shaped tract of 70 acres, 
for which a patent was granted to Joseph Cogley, 
January 15, 1822, which, or at least 43f acres of 
which, he conveyed to Judge Ross, March 11, which 
the latter conveyed to David Huston,, weaver, 
March 16, for $100, with 36 acres of which the 
latter was assessed until 1818, being in what is 
now East Franklin. 

South and west of " Greenfield " and south of 
the last-noticed tract was another Joseph Cogley 
tract, hexagonal, whose area was much larger than 
that of his other one, on which he settled about 
1805, and was assessed with 50 acres in 1806, on 
which he had previously erected his blacksmith- 
shop, which, before 1808, was the one most con- 
venient to Kittanning, and to which its inhabitants 
resorted, the patent for which was granted to him 
and his wife. May 8, 1829. He ceased to follow 
his trade after 1821. He and his wdfe conveyed 
67 acres of the former, and 69 acres and 20 perches 
of the latter tract to Robert G. Porterfield, Septem- 

* East FrankUii. 



ber 6, 1836, for $1,150, which, aggregating on a 
more accurate survey 143 acres and 78 perches, 
Porterfield conveyed to Dr. Thomas H. Allison, 
September 7, 1868, for $5,000. 

Adjoining those two Cogley tracts on the west 
was depreciation lot No. 287, 235T,y acres, called 
" Liberty Hall." It was one of the ten tracts in what 
are now Armstrong, Allegheny and Butler coun- 
ties, which were purchased from the common- 
wealth by Simon Fishbaugh, which Robert Rals- 
ton, of Philadelphia, his assignee in bankruptcy, 
conveyed to Walter Stewart, March 20, 1792, and 
which, with numerous other tracts in various sur- 
veyor districts, became vested in Robert Morris, 
Jr., all of which he conveyed to Wilson Hunt, 
May 21, 1796, for "five shillings and other valua- 
ble considerations." 

"Liberty Hall" was sold by Adam Elliott, 
county treasurer, for taxes, who conveyed it to 
George Armstrong, December 16, 1810, for $30, 
and the latter to Hunt, August 25, 1813, for $10 ; 
which, among other tracts, the latter assigned for 
the benefit of his creditors to Lewis Clapier and 
Edw^ard W. Robinson August 4, 1826, who by 
their attorney-in-fact, William Foster, of Mead- 
ville, conveyed it to Joseph Barnett, September 
21, 1833, for $475, 50 acres and 20 perches of 
which the latter conveyed to William Barnett, 
December 5, 1836, for $125, and 10 acres and 64 

perches to Joshua C. Bowser, July 21, 1849, for , 

"and building a barn." The rest of "Liberty 
Hall," 196 acres, was conveyed by David J. Reed, 
sheriff, to Dr. Thomas H. Allison, September 7, 
1868, for $5,000, which, with what he purchased 
from Porterfield, constitutes his noted stock farm,* 
which he began stocking with the Jersey cattle in 
1868. He jjurchased 12 head of thoroughbred 
registered stock of this species in Philadelphia, 
in 1876, and he has sold a considerable number of 
calves, the rearing of which he has found pleasant 
and profitable, at from $60 to $100 each. His 
further purchases, this year, were : 7 head of 
young Shorthorns, for $1,000 ; 6 head of Holstein 
cattle, which he finds not adapted to the climate of 
this region; 28 pure-bred Merino sheep of the Al- 
wood family, of the United States Merino Sheep 
Register, of Spanish descent. 

Adjoining "Liberty Hall" on the south was 
depreciation lot No. 286,-235 f'o acres, which Benja- 
min Holland purchased from the commonwealth at 
public auction, probably at the Coffee-House, in 

*Dr. Allison has since increased the area of his farm by the pur- 
chase of fin acres from — Qulsley. and 100 acres from Samnel Crook- 
shanks. In 1877, he bought 3 head of Ayrsliires, and now lias 8 of this 
species, wliich fatten easily and quickly, and are good mi'.kers. In 
1880, he has 48 head of Jersey or Alderney cattle, thoroughbred and 
registered ; 10 head of shorthorns ; sold a few calves at an average 
price of $65 each, and 8 head of Ayrshires. 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



461 



Philadelphia, September 23, 1786, which is de- 
sci'ibed in the patent as situated on Beaver creek, as 
Glade run was then called. His only lineal heir was 
his son Samuel, to whom the patent was granted, 
September 27, 1828, for $15.66, who conveyed the 
entire tract to William Barnett, November 8, 1828, 
for $240, on which he appears to have made an 
improvement and settlement in 1825, which he 
retained till his death, and which by his will, 
dated July 10, and registered September 13, 1838, 
he devised to his wife during her life, and after 
her death to his son John. He bequeathed lega- 
cies to his other children, and directed that if any 
difficulty should arise among his legatees respect- 
ing their legacies, "no suits at law should be 
brought, but the same should be referred to the 
order and determination of his loving friends, 
James Green, Sr., and Hugh L. Cooper," and what 
they should " order, direct, and determine therein 
shall be binding and conclusive." 

South and west of the Holland-Barnett was the 
Adam Maxwell tract, 386 acres and 70 perches, 
skirted on the east by the above-mentioned Kelly- 
Campbell tract, on the southeast by the Morrow- 
Green tract, on the south by vacant land, and on 
the west by the Daniel Green-Ross-Boney and the 
hereinafter-mentioned William Jack tract. Adam 
Maxwell, as he states in his affidavit respecting the 
two routes for a public road from Freeport to Kit- 
tanning, " was appointed a spy by the state in the 
last Indian wars," and his " route was from the 
mouth of BuflEelow to the moiith of Limestone on 
the Allegheny river," and that since he had come 
to live in this part of the country he had been 
three or four times supervisor. He probably 
made an improvement and settlement on his tract 
about 1796, at all events before 1805, for in that 
year he was assessed with the land, two horses and 
three cattle, at $318, and the next year at $258. 
He was one of the earliest elders of the Slate Lick 
Presbyterian church, of whom Rev. B. F. Boyle, in 
his historical sketch of that church says, he 
"was a godly man; he was spared to rule many 
years." 

The next schoolhouse after that on the James 
Green tract was a log. one, with clapboard roof, 
was built on this tract about 1812, in which John 
Harris was the first teacher. Schools bad been 
taught in private houses before its erection. 

The warrant for this tract was issued to him De- 
cember 10, 1813. He directed by his will, dated 
November 11, 1820, and registered September 26, 
1837, that 80 or 100 acres be sold off the northeast 
end of the tract on which he then lived for the 
payment of his debts, but if it could not be sold to 
29 



advantage that they be paid out of his personal 
property, and that quantity of land be equally di- 
vided between his sons Adam, David, James, John 
and William, and one-third of the rest of his land 
to James, and the residue to his other sons equally, 
to be laid off in such manner as they might think 
proper. James and the other heirs released their 
respective interests to John and William, August 
21, October 11 and 27, and November 10, 1852, 
who conveyed 95 acres to Robert Dinsmore, August 
23, 1852, for $950. 

Northwest of "Liberty Hall" lay depreciation 
lot No. 284, 2201% acres, called " Center Hill," a 
part of whose area is in what is now East Franklin 
township, the patent for which was granted to 
William Findley, November 30, 1786, who agreed, 
June 21, 1815, to sell it to Joseph Bowserfor $220, 
to be paid within four years with interest, but did 
not execute a deed before his death. Bowser having 
proved this contract before Frederick Rohrer, pro- 
thonotary of the court of common pleas of this 
county, December 22, 1825, as provided by the act 
of June 31, 1792, the court ordered Findley's exec- 
utors to convey it to Bowser. He had agreed to 
sell one-half to Thomas Jack, and the other half to 
Matthew Cole for the purpose of realizing the pur- 
chase money which he had not paid to Findley or 
his executors. JacTs having paid to the latter $275, 
the principal and interest, they conveyed to him 
110 acres, November 28, 1836. Bowser was Cole's 
administrator, and by virtue of an order of the 
orphans' court of this county, sold his intestate's 
interest, and after confirmation of sale, conveyed 
105 acres to William Toy, October 5, 1837, for $60, 
which the latter conveyed to Bowser for $1 and 
other considerations, which the latter conveyed to 
Alexander McNickle, April 10, 1838, for $250, 
which Chambers Orr, sheriff, conveyed to Robert 
Buchanan, of Cincinnati, Ohio, March 17, 1841, for 
$170, which the latter conveyed to William Shaffer 
June 6, 1855, for $535.80, and 71 acres of which he 
conveyed to James F. Crookshanks, of Butler 
county, March 29, 1862, for $600; he to Hugh C. 
Black, November 11, 1863, for $820, and he to 
Joseph Bowser, March 31, 1866, for $1,200, which 
is now assessed to Jacob M. Bowser. At the cross- 
roads on this tract is the hamlet of Center Hill, 
containing about a dozen buildings, in which are 
the Dunkard church and cemetery. This church 
was organized about 1820. Sei-vices were at first 
held in private houses. Rev. George Hoke was 
the first pastor. Adam, David and Joseph Bowser 
and their wives and Elizabeth Swighartwere some 
of the original twelve members. The present 
church edifice, frame, one-story, 40y4R feet, was 



462 



HISTOBY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



erected in 1861. Members in 1876, — ; Sabbath- 
school scholars, 35. 

Schoolhouse No. 3 is on the public road, nearly 
forty rods southeast of the crossroads, in its im- 
mediate vicinity. 

Chambers T. Bowser was first assessed here as a 
blacksmith in 1871, and J. F. Crookshanks as a 
merchant in 1872. 

Adjoining the " Center Hill " tract on the south 
was depreciation lot No. 285, 220ni acres, for which a 
patent was granted to William Findley, November 
20, 1786, and which he agreed in his lifetime to 
sell to Charles Bonner, who had settled on it be- 
fore 1805, and who had paid Findley part of the 
purchase-money befoi'e the latter's death. Bon- 
ner's death occurred after Findley's. The latter's 
executors, in pursuance of that ante inortem, agree- 
ment, conveyed this tract to Charles Bonner, in 
trust for the heirs of Charles Bonner, deceased, 
November 29, 1836, for $587, including the por- 
tion paid before their testator's death, nearly 
the whole of which is now owned and occupied by 
the last-mentioned Charles Bonner, who conveyed 
1 acre and 6 perches of it to David G. Claypoole, 
March 27, 1874, for $103.75, and the same day, 1 
acre to J. F. Crookshanks, for $100, and another 
parcel, 1 acre and 75 perches, March 7, 1876, for 
$88^. 

Adjoining " Center Hill " on the west was depre- 
ciation lot No. 275, 276ti; acres, called "Antrim," 
for which a patent was granted to William Find- 
ley November 20, 1786, which he conveyed to 
Adam Bowser, June 21, 1815, for $736, the north- 
ern part of it being in East Franklin. The records 
show that 101 acres and 117 perches of "Antrim" 
became vested in Bowser's grandchildren, Francis 
and Jeremiah Donze, who made an amicable parti- 
tion and mutually released to each other, May 9, 
1866, thus : Francis to have 56 acres and 57 
perches, then adjoining James Robinson on the 
north, Joseph Bowser on the east, and Mrs. Sarah 
Long on the south ; Jeremiah to have 45 acres and 
60 perches adjoining the public road extending 
through the middle of the tract, John Summerville 
on the north, Jacob Bowser on the west, and Mrs. 
Sarah Long on the south. .Jeremiah conveyed 30 
acres and 60 perches of his purpart to Lydia 
McCollum, April 1, 1868, for $1,500. 

Adjoining "Antrim " on the south was deprecia- 
ciation lot No. 274, 276fV acres, called "First 
Choice," the patent for which was granted to 
to Findley November 20, 1786, which he conveyed 
to Joseph and Samuel Bowser, one-half to each, 
June 21, 1815, for $225 for each half. Joseph 
conveyed 125 acres to David Sturgeon, April 



19, 1866, for $4,000. Samuel conveyed 120 acres 
to Alexander Colwell, November 26, 1844, for 
$600. 

Adjoining the two last-mentioned Findley-Bow- 
ser and Findley-Bowser-Sturgeon tracts, was a 
hexagonal one of 419^ acres, surveyed by Stephen 
Gapen to William Cain, on which William^ Jack 
made an improvement and settlement, August 9, 
1799, of which 316 acres and 74 perches were sur- 
veyed to him by George Ross, September 12, 1801, 
for which a warrant was issued to Jack, March 16, 
1807, who conveyed this tract to Jacob Weaver, 
June 3, for $282, to whom the patent was granted, 
January 16, 1809, to whom Thomas Jack conveyed 
whatever interest he had in it, October 14, 1817, 
for $10. Weaver conveyed this tract as containing 
330 acres and 75 perches to Benjamin F. Weaver, 
January 31, 1831, for $1,000, who conveyed 316 
acres and 75 pej'ches of it to James Milligan, Feb- 
ruary 21, 1840, for $1,583.12.^, having conveyed 14 
acres and 136 perches to John 5oney, August 15, 
1836, for $100. Milligan conveyed 80 acres and 
120 perches to William McCune, February 21, 
1840; McCune conveyed the same quantity to 
William Clark, September 26, 1848, for $731, and 
he to Joseph Claypoole, 29 acres. May 2, 1856, for 
$300. Milligan conveyed 40 acres and 150 perches 
to Joseph Bowser, August 4, 1845, for $122, and 95 
acres to William F. Coyle, December 8, 1845, for 
$760; Coyle to John Barnett, the same quantity, 
March 27, 1850, for $765. Milligan also conveyed 
100 acres to Samuel Ashbaugh, February 4, 1846, 
for $900, which the latter conveyed to William 
Huston, April 2, 1850, for $1,300. 

Adjoining the western part of that Jack- Weaver 
tract on the south was a septangular one of 418 
acres and 134 perches, including the southern part of 
Gapen's survey to Cain, on which John Jack, Jr., 
had made an improvement and settlement before it 
was surveyed to him by George Ross, April 26, 
1805, one-third of the northwestern part of which 
was then claimed by William Jack. This tract was 
conveyed by John and Thomas Jack as containing 
400 acres, more or less, to Joseph McCullough, boat- 
builder, of Pittsburgh, April 5, 1810, for $600. It 
and portions of the adjoining Daniel Green-Boney- 
Ross tract, making an octagonal-shaped tract 407 
acres and 95 perches, appear to have been included 
in a survey, November 14, 1833, to McCall and Mc- 
Cain, on an order of the board of property of ' 
March 29, 1833, for which a patent was granted 
to McCall November 26, 1833. Partition having 
been made between him and John Boney, who had ; 
purchased from Ross and Green, McCall conveyed 
to Boney 150 acres "on the waters of Glade run," 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



463 



September 30, 1834, for $1, and 100 acres, August 
12, ISSV, for $*75. 

Next south of the Jack-McCullough tract, on 
the Lawson & Orr map, are two contiguous ones 
aggregating 201 acres and 11 perches — Benjamin 
and William White's — on one of which the former 
settled in 1812, in which year he was first assessed 
with 200 acres and 1 horse, at $210. The next year, 
100 acres, 1 horse and 1 cow were assessed to Will- 
iam White, at $108, and 100 acres to Benjamin 
White; so there must have been a division between 
them between those two assessments. Benjamin 
continued to be assessed with his part of the land 
until 1817, when it is noted on the assessment-list 
" transferred to Jacob White." Both of those 
tracts are noted on the next year's assessment-list 
" transferred to Nathaniel Torbett." The patent 
for the land included in those two tracts was 
granted to John Craig February 18, 1815, who 
transferred it to Jacob White, and the latter con- 
veyed the 201 acres and 11 perches, which it cov- 
ered, to Torbett, May 4, 1820, for $600, who, by his 
will dated April 28, and registered May 23, 1825, 
devised the same to the children of his deceased 
brother, Henry Torbett. " By sundry mesne con- 
veyances, good and suificientin law," this property 
became vested in Robert McKnight, who conveyed 
it, 201 acres, to Thomas Roney, March 12, 1840, for 
$1,500.50. One of its boundaries is along the "line 
of Jacob White's old plow." 

Adjoining " Antrim " on the west was deprecia- 
tion lot No. 272,203f acres, called "Armagh," the 
patent for which was granted to Joshua Elder, 
May 9, 1791, which, and his interest in 25 other 
tracts in this and other counties, he conveyed to 
Archibald McCall and Alexander McDowell, March 
27, 1795, for $4,760ff. It was assessed as unseated 
to the latter, in 1805 and 1806, at $812. It bears 
on its face, on the map of Gapen's surveys, " A. 
McC. " and " 203.9 " acres. It must have fallen to 
McCall in the division between him and McDowell, 
for McCall conveyed the southern part of it, 120 
acres, to Christian Bowser, December 20, 1835, for 
$420, who was first assessed with it in 1834. He 
conveyed this parcel to Joseph Bowser, April 16, 
1839, for $360. The northern part of this tract is 
in the northwestern part of East Franklin town- 
ship. 

Adjoining " Armagh " on the south, on the map 
of Gapen's surveys, was another of the same size, 
blank in all respects except the boundary lines, 
which, like its northern adjoiner, is a square. On 
the other map of surveys it bears on its face 
" No. 273," and its quantity of land " 208.9 " acres. 
It was one of the tracts which Elder sold to McCall 



and McDowell, and in the division between them 
fell to the latter, whose heirs mutually and amica- 
bly agreed, June 26, 1833, that partition of their 
father's real estate in Armstrong, Butler, Venango 
and Warren counties, in this state^ be made by 
Andrew Bowman, James Kinnear and Myron 
Parks. They first met July 22, 1888, and ad- 
journed until the 30th. After adjusting the claims 
of two of the heirs, Parker and Thomas McDowell, 
they valued and allotted the various tracts to the 
respective heirs, No. 278 to Parker McDowell at 
$203, which he conveyed to John, Elizabeth and 
Mary Roudebush, July 15, 1837, and which they 
soon after divided into two equal parts, one of 
which was taken by John and the other by Eliza- 
beth and Mary. That amicable partition was 
formally ratified by the heirs of John and Mary 
and by Elizabeth, February 2, 1855, " for the pur- 
pose of preventing difficulty from hereafter arising 
in regard to the partition aforesaid." Christian 
and Elizabeth Roudebush conveyed Elizabeth and 
Mary's purpart to David Bowser, February 21, 
1855, for $544.80, and the heirs of John Roudebush 
released their respective interests in the other pur- 
part to William Bowser, March 28, 1855, and May 
15, 1858, for $100 to each. 

South of that McDowell-Roudebush tract lay 
the eastern portion of a tract, nearly a rectangular 
parallelogram, its longest sides extending from east 
to west, bearing on its face on the map of Gapen's 
surveys "Joseph Collins, 419.130" acres, but on 
the other map " Jonathan Moore," and the same 
number of acres. The patent was granted to 
McCall and Moore May 6, 1806, in which it is 
named " Dundee." Those patentees made par- 
tition between themselves, and on June 18, 1807, 
McCall released 150 acres of the western part to 
Moore, and Moore 265 acres and 100 perches of the 
eastern part to McCall. Moore settled on this 
tract before 1805, and he was assessed with his 
purpart until 1809. He was, as before stated, 
elected an elder of the Slate Lick Presbyterian 
church in 1808, but " remained within the bounds 
of the congregation only one year." He then emi- 
grated to Ohio. His purpart was then assessed to 
Henry Brough until 1812, and then to his widow, 
Mary Brough, until 1814. 

McCall conveyed 42 acres and 136 perches of his 
purpart of " Dundee " to Joseph Claypoole, Octo- 
ber 29, 1832, for $128.55 ; 87 acres and 76 perches 
to James Earley, June 29, 1846, for $699 ; McCall's 
heirs to William F. Johnston, 109 acres and 114 
perches, April 13, 1846, of which he conveyed 50 
acres to Hezekiah Claypoole, August 6, 1852, for 
$328 ; 23 acres and 109 perches to Joseph Clay- 



464 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



poole, August 9, 1853, for $153.72, and 35 acres and 
87 perches to William Miller, for $231. 

Adjoining the eastern or McCall purpart of 
"Dundee" on the south, on the map of Gapen's 
surveys, is a tract, a rectangular parallelogram, its 
longest sides extending from north to south, bear- 
ing on its face "John Sloan" and "419M30," and 
on the other map "A. McCall and Hezekiah 
Claypoole," and the same number of acres, its 
southwestern part seeming to lap over on to the 
Jacob White tract. Claypoole settled here prior 
to 1805. The patent for it was granted to him and 
McCall, March 8, 1820. They having made parti- 
tion between themselves, McCall conveyed to Clay- 
poole 180 acres of the southern part, July 17, 1835. 

Hezekiah Claypoole and divers other early set- 
tlers in this part of the township were Baptists. 
As early as 1810 there was occasional preaching by 
itinerant Baptist clergymen at Jacob White's house 
at White's eddy, the first of whom was Rev. Speers. 
Arrangements were made several years later to 
secure a site for a church edifice, and an agree- 
ment was entered into by Nathaniel Bowser and 
Hezekiah Claypoole for that purpose, in pursuance 
of which the latter gave the former his bond in the 
penal sum of $300, the condition of which was, that 
Claypoole should make a good and sufficient deed 
for one-half an acre of the 120 acres of this tract, 
which McCall had agreed to sell to Peter Hammer 
in August, 1796, " for the purpose of building a 
meeting-house of the regular Baptist church, and 
for a burying-ground." The boundaries of that 
half -acre as described in the conditions of that bond 
were : Beginning five rods southwest of the grave 
of Elizabeth Hammer, the former wife of Peter 
Hammer; thence around that grave, and thence to 
to the lower east line of the survey of that 120- 
acre parcel; "thence the same with that it would 
be above, and thence to the beginning." It is not 
manifest from the records that a conveyance of 
that half-acre was ever made for the above-men- 
tioned purposes. For many years after that agree- 
ment was made, religious services were held at 
private houses, in later years at the house of James 
H. Claypoole. The present frame edifice, about 
30X40 feet, built by David J. Reed, in 1852, and 
the burying-ground are on that half-acre, opposite 
the junction of two streams. 

The Baptist church was reorganized October 19, 
1841, at which time Hezekiah and Lucinda Clay- 
poole, Archibald and Rachel Moore, Mary Geary, 
Mary Hazlett and Mary Bowser were among the 
members, who remained from the original organi- 
zation. Other members were James H. Claypoole 
and his wife Isabella, David Campbell and wife. 



Joseph Claypoole and wife, Mary Claypoole, James 
Jack, Mary Ann .Jack, Reuben McKenna, Hannah 
Claypoole, Sarah Jane Price, John Cook. Upon 
the 18th of April, 1846, twenty members with- 
drew and formed the Franklin church. 

John P. Connor conveyed one acre of the land 
which he had purchased from Thomas Roney to 
Andrew .1. Bruner and Wallace Claypoole, trustees 
of the Union Baptist church and their successors, 
in trust for the church, March 18, 1875, for $80. 

Hezekiah Claypoole conveyed 64 acres and 94 
perches of his part to Isaac Bowser, July 8,. 1844, 
for $100. 

McCall's heirs conveyed their purpart, 254 acres, 
to James Claypoole, Jvme 29, 1846, for $889. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the west 
was one Ij'ing parallel with it and containing the 
same quantity of land — twin tracts, except on the 
map of Gapen's surveys, the latter has on its face, 
" John Scott & David Todd," and on the other map, 
"Leonard White." White gave Archibald Mc- 
Call a bond, dated August 16, 1796, in the penal 
sum of $500, in the consideration of which these 
facts are embodied : Scott and Todd made an im- 
provement on this tract to whom Gapen surveyed 
it, and then transferred their interest in it to Mc- 
Call, who had paid the purchase-money to the 
commonwealth and obtained a warrant of accept- 
ance, but no patent for it could issue until the im- 
provement, settlement and residence on it required 
by the act of April 3, 1792, had been effected. So 
McCall conveyed to White, the day of the date of 
that bond, 120 acres of this tract, "to be of good 
and bad according to the quantity and quality of 
the whole tract," in consideration whereof White 
agreed to make the required improvement, settle- 
ment and residence, and pay McCall 1 penny, and 
before February 16, 1797, build thereon a house fit 
for the habitation of a family. It is said, though 
it is not apparent from the records, that White 
sold his purpart. He then moved on to McCall's, 
and persisted in retaining possession. McCall, in 
order to regain possession of his 299 acres, brought 
his action of ejectment to No. 61, June terra, 1828, 
in the common pleas of this county, which re- 
sulted in a verdict for the plaintiff, March 16, 1830, 
on which judgment was entered on the 21st. By 
virtue of a second pluries habere facias. No 2, Sep- 
tember term, 1834, Chambers Orr, sheriff, removed 
the defendant, who still persisted in "holding the 
fort," from the premises, and delivered possession 
to the plaintiff. The sheriff in his discharge of 
that official duty encountered the opposition of 
both the defendant and his wife, who continued to 
occupy their chairs after all their furniture had 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



405 



been removed, so that lie was obliged to carry 
them oflf in their chairs by main force. The 
patent for this tract was granted to McCall for 
himself, James Kiskadden and James Matthews, 
March 9, 1820. McCall conveyed 119 acres and 
150 perches of it to Samuel and May Hopkins, 
sole heirs of Andrew Kiskadden, of Highland 
county, Ohio, October 21, 1831, as their purpart in 
the partition which had been made — 113 acres to 
William Boney, March 6, 1841, for $1,130, which 
Boney conveyed to Joseph Wilson, April 28, 1843, 
for 11,400, Wilson to John Burford; Burford to L. 
N. Bartholemew, March 5, 1852, for $ , and Bar- 
tholomew to Jacob Bowser, June 20, 1853, for $ ; 



203 acres and 115 perches of this tract were in- 
cluded in the Brown-Gilpin-Johnston purchase 
from McCall's heirs, of which Johnston conveyed, 
April 15, 1852, 50 acres and 150 perches to William 
Bowser, for $433.08, and 50 acres and 78 perches to 
William Walker, for $429.15. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the west 
is one on the map of Gapen's surveys bearing on 
its face " James Scott," " 403.48 " acres, traversed 
from near its northwestern to its southeastern corner 
by Nicholson's run, and on the other map " Casper 
Early," "440 a. 49 p." Earley settled on it 
probably during the last half of the last decade 
of the eighteenth century. It was surveyed to him 
by George Ross, June 16, 1802, "by virtue of act- 
ual settlement and improvement." He was assessed 
with 200 acres of it, a sawmill, 1 horse and 1 
cow, as early as 1805, at $136, and he continued to 
reside on it " during his life as an actual settler." 
A patent for the whole tract, the southwest corner 
of which is in South Buffalo, was granted to 
Archibald McCall, October 2, 1828, who, in pursu- 
ance of the partition which had been made, con- 
veyed 215 acres and 123 perches to him, November 
4, 1830. Earley, by his will, dated April 13, and 
registered May 18, 1829, devised 200 acres to his 
son, Casper, who was required to maintain his 
mother during her natural life, or so long as she 
remained unmarried, and his oldest son, John, dur- 
ing his natural life, and pay certain bequests to 
the testator's other children, who were enjoined 
not to oppress and embarrass their brother Casper 
in paying them — none of them was to demand 
more than $25 of his or her share annually. He 
bequeathed to " Rev. Mr. O'Neil, Roman Catholic 
priest, $25 for the good of my (his) soul, the greater 
honor and glory of God and support of his holy 
church militant on earth." 

Nearly all of Casper Earley's purpart of this 
tract remains in the possession of his descendant, 
Casper W. Earley. The only portion of it which 



he has sold appears from the records to be 1 acre 
and 89^ perchee, which he conveyed to the religious 
society called " the Holy Guardian Angel of the 
Catholic Church," June 29, 1876, for $1 "and other 
valuable considerations." 

The McCall purpart is included in the Brown- 
Gilpin-Johnston purchase, and which (295 acres and 
96 perches) Johnston conveyed to James H. Clay- 
poole, April 12, 1853, for $1,884.80, of which Clay- 
poole conveyed 50 acres and 9 perches to Isaac 
Steel and William A. Jack in trust for the heirs of 
James Jack, July 16, 1866, for $700. 

Contiguous to the last-mentioned tract on the west 
on the map of Gapen's surveys is a hexagonal tract, 
the eastern line of which is the western one of the 
McCall-Earley tract, its bearings and length being 3 
degrees west 400 perches, which corresponds to the 
bearings and lengths of the eastern and western 
lines of the three last-mentioned tracts. The width 
of the northern half of it is 200, and that of the 
southern half is 178 perches. The headwaters or 
sources of Pine run are in its northwestern and 
central parts, nearly two-thirds of the southwestern 
part of its southern half being in what is now 
South Buffalo township. This tract has on its face 
on that map "Geo. Smith" and "412.117," but 
on the other map " Hugh Callen and A. McCall, 
now Kerscaddan," and figures representing 412 
acres and 117 perches. There were, within the 
memory of James Rayburn, vestiges of an Indian 
camp in its northwestern part. It was surveyed to 
McCall and Callen October 29, 1805. The patent 
for 409 acres and 31 perches, called "Last Night," 
was granted to McCall and Callen, May 9, 1807, the 
latter having settled on it in March, 1796. He went, 
' some time afterward, to Westmoreland county, to get 
a wife, and during his absence John Cowan took pos- 
session of his cabin, of which he was informed by 
Mrs. Rayburn, at whose house he stopped on his re- 
turn. He said nothing except to ask for something 
to eat. Partition having been made, McCall released 
to him, February 13, 1810, 160 acres of the western 
side, which then adjoined Enos McBride on the 
south, and Jacob Young and James Rayburn on 
the west, which Callen conveyed to " James Cars- 
kaadan," March 16, for $640, which the latter con- 
veyed to Samuel Beatty February 7, 1826; Beatty 
to James Ralston, June 25, 1827; Ralston to Mar- 
garet Reed, October 14, 1828; she to James Cald- 
well, January 24, 1829, for $500, and she having 
married Isaac AUsworth, they both released to 
Caldwell, March 8, 1833; 50 acres of which Cald- 
well conveyed to John Boyd, May 18, 1833, for 
$200. 

McCall's purpart, 249 acres and 37 perches, partly 



466 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



in South Buffalo township, was included in his as- 
signment to Du Pont, who, by the late Judge 
White, his attorney, agreed, December 15, 1832, to 
sell it to George B. Sloan, and for which the latter 
agreed to pay $312. That agreement was subse- 
quently consummated by deed from George A. 
MoCall by his attorney, A. McCall, June 22, 1838. 
Sloan conveyed .50 acres to John Boyd, July 6, 1839, 

Adjoining "Last Night" and the McCall-Earley 
tract on the north were two depreciation lots, Nos. 
222 and 223, and adjoining No. 222 on the north. 
No. 221, both lying north of "Last Night" and 
No. 223 north of and adjoining the McCall-Earley 
tract. All is blank on the map of the Gapen sur- 
veys, except their boundary lines and numbers, and 
so on the other map except their respective quan- 
tities are noted. No. 221, with other land attached, 
"310°," and bearing the name of "John Gal- 
braith," No. 222, " 200".6," and No. 223, "220".2." 
The earliest assessment lists of unseated land in 
Armstrong county show that at least one of them. 
No. 221, once belonged to Andrew Kennedy. The 
patents for Nos. 221 and 222 were granted to An- 
thony and John Kennedy, of Berks county, Penn- 
sylvania, September 11, and No. 223 September 13, 
1819. John having conveyed his entire interest in 
them to Anthony, the latter devised them to his 
executors during the natural life of his niece, Re- 
becca Joice, and after her death to her children, 
except Anthony Joice. In the course of human 
events the wife of Samuel H. Harrison and her 
brother, Andrew R. Joice, became the devisees. 
Mrs. Harrison and her husband and Andrew R. 
Joice and his trustee conveyed these three tracts 
to James E. Brown, March 19, 1849, for $4,000, 
who conveyed Nos. 222 and 223 to Peter Groff, 
April 8, 1858, for $5,379.25, of which the latter, as 
the records show, conveyed 102 acres and 100 
perches to Robert Boyd, November 22, 1865, and 
he to William G. Barnett, April 10, 1867, for 
$3,489.25, and April 17, 1874, 14 acres and 2 
perches to Samuel Dumm, for $460.50, and 83 acres 
and 28 perches to John Dumm, for $1,016, both of 
those parcels being parts of Nos. 222 and 223. 
Brown conveyed 100 acres of No. 221 to James C. 
Galbraith, November 21, 1859, for $800, and 16 
acres and 24 perches to George McCracken, Sep- 
tember 29, 1S66, for $323. Nos. 191 and 192 were 
assessed to Andrew Kennedy on the list for Buffalo 
township until 1815, when it was discovered they 
were not in this county. No. 221 was noted on 
the assessment list for 1815 as seated, but by whom 
it was not indicated. Nos. 222 and 223 do not 
appear to have been on the unseated list after 1807, 



but the latter and No. 221 were assessed to Andrew 
Kennedy at $82.80 and $88.80, respectively, in 
1805 and 1806. 

East of No. 221, north of No. 223 and the west- 
ern portion of " Dundee," on the map of the Gapen 
sui'veys, is a septangular tract, " 425 " acres, which 
Gapen surveyed to " Wm. Crawford," but on the 
other map "A. McCall and Andrew Earley." The 
patent for 422 acres and 92 perches, called " Copen- 
hagen," was granted to them, February 13, 1809, in 
the southern part of which, near the northwest 
corner of "Dundee," are the forks of Nedulvis 
run. There was probably a partition between 
them, though the recoi-ds do not show it, for Earley 
continued to j)ossess 200 acres of it. McCall's 
purpart was included in his assignment to DuPont 
of June 23, 1817, and which, 259 acres, was in- 
cluded in the sale by McCall's heirs to Brown, 
Gilpin and Johnston, of which Johnston conveyed 
107 acres to James Earley, October 21, 1853, for 
$751; 50 acres and 19 perches to Joseph Earley, 
August 21, 1854, for $338; 97 acres and 133 perches 
to John Leister, June 24, 1859, for $684.81. 

Public schoolhouse No. 2 is situated on the 
Earley purpart of " Copenhagen." The predecessor 
of the present one was burned on the night of the 
5th or 6th of December, 1865 — the work of an 
incendiary, as all the books in the house were 
removed to a safe place before the conflagration. 

Adjoining " Copenhagen " on the north, on the 
map of the Gapen surveys, is a quinquangular 
tract, "David Todd," "406.80," but on the other, 
" A. McCall and Jonathan Moore, 406».80." The 
patent for that quantity, called " Moorefields," 
was granted to McCall and Moore, February 1, 
1809. George and Jacob Cornman appear to have 
been its first settlers, the former having been 
assessed with one horse at $10, and the latter with 
50 acres of it at $25, first in 1811. They both 
continued to be afterward assessed with portions 
of it. David Leonard was first assessed with 60 
acres of it and one horse in 1830 at $113. " Moore- 
fields "was included in McCall's assignment to 
DuPont, but was subsequently reconveyed. McCall 
conveyed 406 acres of it, " except the settler's 
share as derived from and under Jonathan Moore," 
to George and Jacob Cornman and David Leonard, 
July 9, 1835, for $300. It does not appear from 
the records that Moore ever returned to look after 
his " settler's share." The Cornmans and Leonard 
conveyed 60 acres to Peter Shearer, October 8, 

1841, for $300. Jacob Cornman ceased to be 
assessed with any part of " Moorefields " after 

1842. His interest in 120 acres passed by sheriff's 
sale to J. M. Torney, who conveyed it to Alexander 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



467 



Colwell, March 29, 1842, for $265.53; Cohvell to 
John Summerville, November 14, 1844, for S680, 
and Summerville to David Claypoole, the present 
owner, 125 acres and 57 perches, November 5, 1855, 
for $1,800. George Cornman and David Leonard 
conveyed 126 acres to Samuel Cornman, November 
5, 1854, for $l'76f. Jacob appears to have con- 
veyed his interest in it to Samuel, December 7, 
for the latter conveyed ] 1 acres and 48 perches, 
which Jacob had before then conveyed to him, to 
James Claypoole, July 4, 1855, for $43.83, and 
which, with other 62 acres and 30 perches, Clay- 
poole conveyed to Henry D. Weaver, August 1, 
1863, for $1,080. Samuel conveyed to Lewis 
Cornman 62 acres and 30 perches, April 25, 1857, 
for $1, which the latter, two days afterward, con- 
veyed to Frederick Bowser for $615. 

A small parcel of land; containing about 85 acres, 
contiguous to or a part of "Moorefields," was 
granted to David Griffin by patent dated Decem- 
ber 17, 1836, who devised it to his eldest son, John, 
by his will, dated January 20 and registered Marcli 
5, 1859, who still retains it, except the 4 acres and 
80 perches which he conveyed to Chambers Clay- 
poole, March 3, 1863, for $100. 

To the west of " Moorefields," on the map of 
Gapen's surveys, is a considerable area vacant, ex- 
cept in the eastern part, north of the before-men- 
tioned depreciation lot No. 221, is the name of 
"David Hall," so that David Hall, Sr., of "Mount 
Hall," in what is now Kiskiminetas township, 
must have been here and acquired an inchoate in- 
terest in the 399 acres and 12 perches extending 
westward into the loop of Buffalo creek, before these 
surveys were made, and on which he soon after set- 
tled and built a gristmill, on the right bank of that 
stream, with which and the land and two cows he 
was assessed at $192 in 1805, and $214 in 1806. A 
small portion of his original tract is north of the 
present line between this and Franklin townships. 
The patent for this tract was granted to him July 
7, 1815. He conveyed 100 acres and 29 perches to 
David Hall, Jr., January 12, 1817; 100 acres and 
29 perches to Hugh Harkins, November 22, 1822, 
for $500; 56 acres to William Beatty, January 11, 
1823, for $600; 88 acres and 7 perches to Samuel 
Porterfield, July 9, 1825; and the residue, 154 acres 
and 136 perches, to David Hall, Jr., November 15, 
1828, for $1,000. The latter conveyed 118 acres and 
83 perches of his parcel to James Hall, April 17, 
1857, for $750, and 120 acres to John A. Hall, Jan- 
uary 23, 1858, for $200 and one-third of the annual 
crops of hay and grain raised thereon, and the use 
of the front room in the mansion house. It was 
here that Rev. David Hall, D.D., Indiana, Penn- 



sylvania, was born and reared, and caught magnifi- 
cent ideas from the grand, picturesque scenery 
which abounds in this region. 

The David Hall tract is traversed in a southwest 
course by Marrow Bone run, which is so named from 
a lick which is probably on Depreciation-Kenedy 
lot No. 227, which derived its name from this 
event that happened in the olden time : Two cat- 
tle strayed from a drove, perhaps of government 
cattle en route to Venango or Fort Franklin, which 
were afterward found at this lick, where they were 
killed and all the meat stripped from their bones, 
their bare bones being left at the lick. Hence it 
was called Marrow Bone lick. 

Those familiar with this part of this township 
are aware that portions of the various parcels pur- 
chased from David Hall, Sr., are still owned by the 
descendants of his vendees. The last above-men- 
tioned gristmill was on the parcel purchased by 
William Beatty, who was a miller. He devised by 
his will, dated March 14 and registered March 23, 
1827, that parcel and other land to his son David, 
who purchased 150 acres of the tract, September 
29, 1836, for $500, for which a warrant was granted 
to Catherine Kier, nee Miller, June 7, 1824. 
Seventy-three acres passed by sheriff's sale to 
Jackson Boggs, for $1,000, on which there was 
then " a sawmill in full operation, an old fulling- 
mill now used as a dwelling-house, and a good seat 
for a mill," which he transferred to his brother, 
David C. Boggs, June 17, 1865, for $500. That 
parcel and the rest of David Beatty's land have 
been known for many years as the " Beatty mill 
and farm property." * 

In the vacant area on the map of the Gapen 
surveys John Smith, one of the earliest justices of 
the peace in this county, made an improvement, 
February 23, 1793, and a settlement, March 3, 1796, 
and the tract on the other map, west of the Def>re- 
ciation-Kenedy lots Nos. 221 and 222 and south 
of the Hall tract, 390 acres and 69 perches, was 
surveyed to him by George Ross, May 2, 1802. 
From 1800 until 1803 his house was the place des- 
ignated by law for holding elections in Buffalo 
township, which then consisted of all that part of 
this county north and west of the Allegheny river. 

John Smith's will, not dated, not signed, not 
witnessed, but proven by James Hill, Jr., and 
Abraham Smith, Jr., to have been in his hand- 



«The Batavia postofBce, Charles McClatcIiey, postmaster, was 
estabUshed here June 26, 1877. David Beattj-, by his will, dated 
August 9, 1878, and registered September 8, 187U, devised his land, in 
three separate parcels, to his three sons : that on which the gristmiU 
is to R. M. Beatty. His devisees conveyed IBO acres, partly of the 
Hall and partly of the Kier tracts, to Heury Exall, Jr., of Dallas, 
Texas, November 7, 1879, for Sli;,000, the price of a patent-right for a 
smootliing-iron which they purchased from him, or traded for their 
several parcels of land. 



468 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



writing, was registered December 27, 1830, by 
which he devised to his wife the mansion house 
and all improvements during her life, and, should 
she " think proper, to let Johnny work the farm and 
give her one-third part of the grain and hay or 
what she may stand in need of," besides the house- 
hold furniture ; to his son Abraham " 100 acres of 
the land next to James Hill and Patrick Callen's, 
in the forks of the run between me and David 
Hall ; " 90 acres to Polly McElhaney, " or what- 
ever she and her brothers may agree upon ; " the 
place that was formerly Abraham Smith's to Bet- 
sey Bole ; and the mansion house and 200 acres to 
" Johnny after his mother's death." Letters of 
administration with the will annexed were issued 
the same day it was registered, to John B. Smith, 
i.e., "Johnny." He and George H. Smith entered 
into an agreement, November 26, 1866, for the sale 
and purchase of the 100 acres on which the latter 
then lived, for $1,600. 

Abraham Smith, Sr., the above-mentioned de- 
visee, died intestate, and letters of administration on 
his estate were granted to his son, Abraham Smith, 
Jr., August 7, 1840. About nine years afterward 
proceedings in partition were had of this intes- 
tate's real estate, consisting in part of the 100 acres 
devised to him by his father, which was divided 
into two pui-parts, the one containing 46 acres and 
71 perches, valued at $396.37, and the other 56 
acres and 71 perches, $396.37, and taken by George 
H. Smith, the allienee of the intestate's daughter 
Nancy, intermarried with Bennett Dobbs. 

About 75 rods below the southern line of the 
John Smith tract in the vacant s^jace on the map 
of the Gapen surveys, is the name of " James Hill," 
but on the other map, a tract in shape an octagon, 
all of whose angles are right, but whose sides are 
of different lengths, about one-third of whose area 
is in what is now South Buffalo, on which are 
" James Rayburn," " 429.80 " acres, on which Ray- 
mond made an improvement in August or Septem- 
ber, 1794, a settlement in March, 1796, and which 
was surveyed to him by George Ross, May 20, 1802. 
Alexander McKinney had acquired an interest in 
this tract, which passed by sheriff's sale to George 
Armstrong, June 22, 1816, for $500, "held," as re- 
cited in the sheriff's deed, " in right of settlement 
made by James Rayburn, who is thereby entitled 
to 150 acres." In the eastern part of this tract, 
about 25 rods west of the line between it and " Last 
Night," was an Indian camp, the vestiges of which 
some of the old residents remember to have seen. 
The entire tract ultimately became vested in Ray- 
mond, to whom the patent for it was issued 
February 23, 1826. He conveyed 211 acres of it 



to James Ralston, December 15, 1832, for $1,* and 
by his will, dated June 1, 1837, and registered 
February 20, 1838, devised 118 acres to his eldest 
son, the present James Rayburn, agreeably to a 
division line which had been previously run, with 
which quantity he is still assessed, and 97 acres on 
the south side of that division line to his younger 
son, Matthew, with which quantity, less 5 acres, he 
is still assessed. . 

Adjoining the Rayburn tract on the west, in the 
vacant space on the Gapen map, is a tract on the 
other map, 317 acres and 130 perches, on which 
John Sipe settled in the spring of 1795, about 
half of the area of which is in this township. The 
patent for tliis tract, called " Honstorn," was 
assessed to Sipe, January 16, 1809. The western 
portion of it is traversed in a southwesterly course 
by Sipe's run. As heretofore stated,! '^^ conveyed 
209 acres thereof to Thomas Kiskadden, 1 1 acres and 
130 perches of which the latter conveyed to James 
Hill, April 28, 1812, and November 20, 1826, for 
$32. Sipe conveyed 10 acres and 98 perches to 
William Hill, November 5,1836, for $30, and 198i 

acres to Charles Sipe, — , 1838, for $1 and the 

comfortable support of himself and his wife dur- 
ing their lives, and respectable burials after their 
death, with which quantity Charles is still assessed. 
Adjoining " Honstown " on the north, on 
the Gapen map, is the name of "James Hiil," 
and on the other map his name and " 364^25''," 
and the boundary lines, the eastern, southern 
and western ones being straight and of considera- 
ble length, but the northern ones shorter, mak- 
ing eight right or nearly right angles. James Hill 
settled on this tract in the spring of 1796. It was sur- 
veyed to him, by virtue of his improvement and set- 
tlement, by George Ross, May IS, 1802, and the 
patent for it was granted to him March 23, 1807. 
He conveyed 91 acres and 41 perches to Joseph 
Shields, October 16, 1830, for $1.50 ; 231 acres and 
92 perches to Edward Wilson, April 11, 1836, for 
$3,062.46, on which is the public schoolhouse No. 1 ; 
94 acres and 80 perches to Reuben Stonecipher, 
March 16, 1839, for $940.60, with which his heirs 
are still assessed, and 79 acres and 80 perches to 
Henry Fullerton, March 21, for $1,272, with 50 
acres of which Jane Fullerton is still assessed. 

A warrant was granted to James Hill, June 29, 
1814, and the patent July 6, 1815, for 97 acres and 
41 perches contiguous to the northwestern part of 
his other tract, which he conveyed to David 
Linton, October 9, 1840, for $1,000. 

Adjoining those two Hill tracts on the north, in 



« See sketch of South Buffalo 
t See sketch of south Buffalo 



i^^^^^H^< 



'''•sP^^,^j^^i^^.MtS^^t^-»i4H'r'^ •i-'r- -'-■ffs-vj^isajv^ t/**uL,-» 




GEOF^GE B, SLO/^^J 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



469 



the vacant space below " Improved Land " on the 
Gapen map, is a very irregularly-shaped tract, 
having twelve sides, on the other map 383 acres 
and 95 perches, fully one-third of which is in the 
loop of Buffalo creek, or on the right bank of 
that stream, on which Patrick Callen was an early 
settler. He made his improvement in November, 
1793, and settlement in April, 1801; surveyed to 
him April 27,1802. He was assessed with 360 acres, 
1 horse and 1 cow, in 1805, at $110, the patent 
to him for which, called " Downpatrick," is dated 
June 30, 1804. He conveyed 97 acres to Robert 
Morrison, January 8, 1811, for $321; 100 acres to 
John Callen, September 13, for £100 ; 91 acres and 
51 perches to James and John Hill, May 8, 1819, 
for $274, " in good current bank notes." Gallon's 
executors, Hugh Callen and James Rayburn, by 
the authority given them in his will, dated April 
19, 1823, and registered March 23, 1825, conveyed 
180 acres of "Downpatrick" to Robert Hough- 
ton, July 9, 1827, for $500. The parcel which 
Robert Morrison purchased was conveyed by him 
and John Morrison to George Hill, who conveyed 
the same to Joseph Shields, August 10, 1829, for 
$500 " in Pennsylvania currency," and which the 
latter conveyed to James Blain, April IS, 1839, for 
$500. Houghton conveyed the parcel which he 
had purchased from Callen's executors to William 
Smith, February 12, 1830, for $800, which the lat- 
ter reconveyed to him, October 8, 1831, for $58 
"and other good and valuable considerations," 
which Houghton conveyed to Charles Gense and 

Edward Manso, both of , Germany, October 

10, 1831, for $800, Gense having transferred liis 
interest therein to Manso, who was a well-educated 
homeopathic physician, the first one of that kind 
in this region. The latter conveyed 195 acres, 
strict measure, to David Shields, March 29, 1856, 
for $3,300. Shields conveyed 101 acres and 145 
perches to James Blain, June 22, 1863, for |1,852; 
and 96 acres and 11 perches to Charles McClatchey, 
April 9, 1864, for $1,900. 

Adjoining the James Hill tracts and " Hons- 
town " on the west and " La Maria Rosallie " on 
the north, on the Gapen map, is a tract, in shape a 
rectangular parallelogram, 306X193 rods, bearing 
on its face " Mordica McDonald," and its western 
part traversed by Buffalo creek, but on the other 
map " A.McCall&JamesBarr, "342M29''." James 
Barr, farmer, as he is distinguished from Judge 
Barr on the early assessment list, was among the 
earliest settlers in this region. This tract was 
surveyed to him by George Ross, "by virtvie of 
his improvement and settlement," May 7, 1805, in 
which year he was assessed with 250 acres, 2 horses 



and 2 cows, at $99.50. He conveyed his interest 
in this tract and his " household property, goods 
and chattels" to James Steel, November 30, 1815, 
in consideration of keeping him and Martha his 
wife during their natural lives in a decent and 
Christian-like manner, and to be decently interred 
when they should depart this life. Steel did not 
comply with the conditions of that sale ; for 
Barr conveyed his interest in this tract to David 
Ralston for the same consideration, reciting in his 
conveyance that Steel did " in no manner comply 
with his agreement, but shortly after moved his 
family down the river Ohio." Ralston must have 
performed his part of that agreement, for the 
patent for this tract having been gianted to McCall, 
November 30, 1835, he and Ralston made parti- 
tion, and McCall conveyed to Ralston 185 acres 
and 67 perches of the eastern part, June 22, 1836, 
for $1, which must have been considered the share 
to which Barr had become entitled by virtue of his 
improvement and settlement. The purpart, 180 
acres and 150 perches, retained by McCall passed 
by the sale of his heirs to William L. Johnston for 
himself and his co-purchasers. Brown and Gilpin. 

Robert Richards, deputy surveyor, surveyed 315 
acres and 132 perches, July 3, 1829, to David 
Ralston on warrant dated April 8. 

Adjoining that McCall-Barr tract on the north, 
on the Gapen map, is a larger one, in shape nearly 
a rectangular parallelogram, which bears the name 
of " James Perry," after whom Perry's Point on 
Buifalo creek was possibly named. The original 
warrant for this tract was issued to William Elder. 
On this tract on the other map are the names of 
"John McKean and James Barr," and "402".74"." 
McKean made an improvement and settlement on 
it, June 4, 1801, by virtue of which it was surveyed 
to him by George Ross, September 19. McKean 
was assessed with 300 acres of it, 1 horse and 1 
cow, in 1805, at $96, and afterward until 1814 with 
400 acres at $202. That year the assessor noted 
on his list opposite McKean's name, "Left the 
part," meaning, probably, that he had left these 
parts. He was again assessed with the same quan- 
tity as "unseated," at $300, in 1819, and at the 
same rate the next year, though it was not then 
noted as unseated. It is not probable that he re- 
sumed possession after leaving it in 1814. Eben 
Smith Kelly purchased the interest of McKean 
in 200 acres and 10 perches of the southern part, 
one-half of which he conveyed to Philip Mechling. 

The patent for the entire tract was granted to 
Archibald McCall, August 15, 1838, who recog- 
nized the validity of the Kelly-Mechling title, for 
he purchased Mechling's interest before he obtained 



470 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



his patent, namely, October 31, 1836, for $100, and 
he conveyed 100 acres and 5 perches to Samuel S. 
Harrison, guardian of Kelly's minor children, Oc- 
tober 15, 1842, for $1, which the latter transferred 
to his wards, June 17, 1850, after they had attained 
their majority, the whole of which ultimately 
became vested in one of them, who, with her hus- 
band, William D. Robinson, conveyed the entire 
parcel to Isaac L. and John Steel, May 10, 1854, for 
$1,050, which Isaac conveyed to John W. and 
Robert A. Kiskadden, the present owners, April 1, 
1859, for $1,100. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the north 
on the Gapen map is one 313X220 rods, on whose 
face are "John Caffey, 406;" its southeastern 
and some of its southern parts being traversed in 
a westerly and southwesterly course by the Buffalo 
creek, and a strip of its northern part being in 
what is now West Franklin township. It was set- 
tled, probably before 1 800, by John Duffy, who was 
assessed in 1805 with 400 acres and 2 cows, at $92. 
" John Duffy's heirs " were first assessed with 400 
acres, in 1816. By his will, not registered in this 
county, but mentioned in the conveyiance of one of 
his heirs, he devised his interest in this tract to 
his son James and his daughter Catherine, after- 
ward the wife of Henry Seymour. The patent for 
this tract to A. McCall is dated October 2, 1828. 
She and her husband conveyed her interest " in a 
piece of land on the waters of Buffalo creek, on 
which John Duffy, Sr., made a settlement, and on 
which he resided at the time of his death," to her 
brother James, November 20, 183'7, for $50, and to 
whom McCall conveyed 150 acres, September 11, 
183S, for $1. James Duffy, Sr., by his will, dated 
February 20, and registered March 29, 1856, de- 
vised his real estate to his three sons, James, John 
and Lawrence, at the valuation to be put upon it 
by three men, the cleared and woodland portions 
to be respectively divided into three equal parts, 
which are now occupied by those three devisees. 
James Duffy was first assessed with a distillery in 
1832. 

McCall's purparts of this and the other last- 
mentioned tract were included in the conveyance 
from his heirs to William F. Johnston for himself, 
Brown and Gilpin, about 586 acres of which, in 
North Buffalo township, they agreed to sell to 
William L. Speer, proprietor of the Winfield Fur- 
nace, and for which he agreed to pay $3,326.74, 
and went into jjossession. John McDevitt kept a 
hotel on this land in the northwest corner of the 
township in 1859-60. The purchase-money not 
having been paid, an action of ejectment for its 
recovery was brought in the common pleas of this 



county. The case was arbitrated, December 18, 
1858, and an award given to plaintiff for the 
above-mentioned quantity of land to be released on 
payment of the above-stated amount with interest, 
on December 18, 1859, and costs. No appeal hav- 
ing been taken, a writ of habere facias was in due 
time issued and possession of the land delivered by 
Sheriff Sloan to the writer as plaintiff's attorney. 
May 1, 1860, a rather rough day for that season of 
the year, but not rougher than the land of which 
the plaintiff thus became repossessed. Three hun- 
dred and six acres thereof were conveyed by Will- 
iam Brown, county treasurer — a tax sale — to J. K. 
Finley and W. H. Jack, June 16, 1862, for $4.40, 
which they conveyed to J. E. Brown, in 1875, for 
$10.64, which had become vested in him after the 
partition between him, Gilpin and Johnston, Feb- 
ruary 1, 1866, and with which, as unseated, he is 
still assessed. Gilpin and Johnston conveyed 274 
acres in the northeastern part of the tract, partly 
in West Franklin township, to John Lundy, of 
Pittsburgh, May 1,6, 1866, for $3,295.35. 

The first piece of calico for wear was introduced 
into what is now North Buffalo by William Parke, 
who packed goods fromi east of the mountains, in 
1805, for dresses for his wife and Mrs. James 
Green. 

The vote of this township, February 28, 1873, 
was 94 against and 16 for granting license to sell 
intoxicating beverages. 

The population of this township in 1850 was : 
White, 916. In 1860, white, 1,175. In 1870, 
native, 1,024; foreign, 33. The number of tax- 
ables in 1876, 291. 

In 1860, number schools, 6; average number 
months taught, 4; male teachers, 3; female teach- 
ers, 3; average salaries of both male and female 
teachers, $18.33; male scholars, 180; female scholars, 
166; average number attending school, 220; cost 
monthly for each scholar, 35 cents; levied for 
school purposes, $513.95; levied for building pur- 
poses, $308.37; received from state appropriation, 
$77.22; from collectors, $468.25; cost of instruc- 
tion, $440 ; fuel, etc., $38.23. 

In 1876, number of schools, 6; average number 
of months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 6 ; average 
monthly salaries, $33 ; male scholars, 250 ; female 
scholars, 258 ; average number attending school, 
337 ; cost per month, 78 cents ; levied for school 
and building purposes, $2,581.45 ; received from 
state appropriation, $343.17 ; from taxes, etc., 
$2,272.77 ; teachers' wages, $1,815 ; fuel, etc., 
$207.80. 

According to the mercantile appraisers' list 
there are 3 merchants of the fourteenth class in this 



NORTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP. 



471 



township in 1876. According to assessment list 
for the same year, those of other occupations, ex- 
cept agricultural, are : Laborers, 32 ; blacksmiths, 
2 ; carpenters, 4 ; schoolteachers, 3 ; wagonmaker, 
1 ; miners, 2 ; plasterers, 2 ; stonecutter, 1. 

Geological. — The surface rocks here consist of 
lower barrens and lower productives, nearly 300 
feet of the barrens being here represented, and cov- 
ering the highlands about Slate Lick with smooth 
argillaceous shales. The hills along the river 
front are more forbidding in consequence of the 
massive condition of the Freeport sandstone which 
overlies the lower Kittanning coal. The ferrifer- 
ous limestone is above water-level in this township 
only along Rough run and Buffalo creek, where it 
rises above the level of the .stream-beds in obedi- 
ence to the Craigsville anticlinal extending here 



across the Butler county line. The limestone is 
from 15 to IS feet thick, with the buhr-stone ore 
in place. It was once operated here for Winfield 
Furnace. The Clarion coal is also here above 
water-level, 3 feet thick, which yields indifferent 
coal. The upper Freeport coal is nearly obscure 
throughout almost the entire township. The lower 
Kittanning coal is above the water-level for a brief 
interval along Buffalo creek in the region of Win- 
field Furnace and elsewhere along the river, below 
the mouth of Glade run, and under the stream-beds 
elsewhere in the township. 

Structure. — An anticlinal axis runs lengthwise 
through the township from northeast to southwest. 
It passes close to Center Hill ; thence southward 
into South Buffalo township. The dips are gentle. 
—Piatt. 



CHAPTER XXII, 



WEST FRANKLIN. 



Organization of the Old Townsliip of Franklin from Territory in Buffalo and Sugar Creek — Limestone Town- 
ship — First Election in West Franklin — First Owners of Land Tracts — Transfers of Property in Early 
and Late Years — John Shields' Bequest to the Free Presbyterian Church of Worthington — His Wife's 
Gift — The Craig Woolenmill — Flouringmill — Craigsville — Buffalo Furnace — Buffalo Woolenmill — Regu- 
lar Baptist Church — James Barr and the Town of Worthington — Early Assessment of the Village — In- 
corporation — Evangelical Lutheran Church — U. P. Church — -M. E. Church — Free Presbyterian Church — 
Academy — Schools — Statistics — Sketch of James Barr — Local Geology. 

THE petition of divers inhabitants of Buffalo 
and Sugar Creek townships was presented to 



the proper court of this county, at June sessions, 
1830, setting forth that they labored under great 
inconvenience because these townships were " en- 
tirely too large for the convenience of their inhabi- 
tants;" that, by laying out a new township to 
be composed of parts of both of the old ones, 
the proposed new one would be a great accommo- 
dation to the people inhabiting it ; and prayed the 
coxirt to appoint " three impartial *men to inquire 
into the projiriety of granting the prayer of the 
petitioners," and that they should make a plot of 
the proposed township. The court appointed 
Elisha Davis, John Shields and John Templeton, 
whose report in favor of organizing the township 
of Franklin, signed by two of the viewers, Davis 
and Shields, was filed December 23, 1830. At the 
same sessions a remonstrance of some of the in- 
habitants of both of these old townships against 
the organization of the proposed new one was 
presented and filed, setting forth : " That by an 
application of a few of the inhabitants of said 
townships an order for the erection of a new town- 
ship out of parts thereof hath been granted," etc. 
They, therefore, remonstrated against the con- 
firmation of the report because the old township of 
Sugar Creek would be left quite a narrow strip of 
its poorest parts, " incapable of supporting the 
poor, if any should unfortunately be so reduced, 
and it is generally believed that four or five paupers 
will shortly have to be supported by Sugar Creek 
township, and it appears as if the rich and wealthy 
parts were endeavoring to throw that burden on a 
few who are comparatively poor." 

Franklin township was, nevertheless, organized 
with the boundaries reported by the viewers : 
" Beginning at a sugar tree on the bank of the 
Allegheny, being the southeast corner of a tract 
of land in Sugar Creek township, formerly owned 



by John Orr, but now by Archibald Dickey; thence 
west 11 miles 26 perches to the Butler county 
line ; thence by the Sugar Creek [line] 6 miles and 
28 perches to a post on the south bank of a large 
run " — the one next north of Rough run — " thence 
east in part along the line of Franklin election 
district 9 miles 110 perches to a post on the bank 
of the Allegheny river, 20 perches below the north- 
east corner of William Phillips' land ; and thence 
by the Allegheny river, being the boundary of 
Kittanning township, the several courses and 
distances thereof to the beginning." That Franklin 
election district was formed in 1829 out of parts 
of Buffalo and Sugar Creek townships : " Begin- 
ning at the place where the southern boundary of 
depreciation tract No. 283" — conveyed by William 
Linley to David Reed in 1815 — "crosses Glade 
run; thence west to the Butler county line; thence 
by the line of said county to a point thereon west 
of the northwest corner of the tract on which 
Davis' mill was erected ; thence east to the line 
of the election district of the borough of Kittan- 
ning ; thence by said line to the place of begin- 
ning." The record of the first township election 
in Franklin is not accessible to the writer. At 
September sessions, 1857, was filed and read 
the petition of divers inhabitants of Franklin and 
Sugar Creek townships, for the organization of a 
new township out of parts of those two old ones, 
and Hugh Campbell, Joseph McCartney and 
James Stewart were appointed viewers, whose re- 
port in favor of the organization of the township 
of Limestone was filed and read, and the coui't, 
September 16, ordered a vote of the qualified 
electors of Sugar Creek township, of those resid- 
ing both within and without the territory sought 
to be embraced within the new township, on the 
second Tuesday of November. That election was 
held, and resulted thus : Against the new town- 
ship, 101 ; for it, 91. The boundaries of Lime- 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



478 



stone township were to have been : From the lower 
side of the mouth of Limestone run, past John 
Ambrose's house, west of an old house then on 
William McClatchey's land, to include the village 
of Middlesex, on to the land of Moses Dickey, 
on the line between the two old townships and 
through the territory of Sugar creek to J. Ellen- 
berger's spring, and thence to a point on the Alle- 
gheny river near the foot of Barley's riffle, and 
thence along the river to the place of beginning, 
containing about 25 square miles. 

A petition of numerous citizens of Franklin 
township was filed in the court of quarter sessions 
of this county, March 17, 1866, praying for a 
division of their township by a line beginning at 
a point on Daniel Shaffer's farm, and at the corner 
between schoolhouses Nos. 4 and 7, and running in 
a northerly direction, so as to follow the dividing- 
line between the subdivisions of territory repre- 
sented by schoolhouses Nos. 4 and 7, 6 and 9, and 
5 and 8. Viewers were appointed the same day. 
This matter was continued June 9, and their re- 
port was filed and read September 4, and Decem- 
ber 8 the vote of the qualified electors of the town • 
ship was ordered to be taken on the third Friday 
of Januaiy, 1867, the return of which was filed 
January 19, showing 180 against, and 176 for the 
division. Another petition for the division was 
filed Api'il 8, and viewers or commissioners were 
appointed, whose report in favor of the division 
was filed May 25. The court, June 6, ordered the 
vote of the qualified electors of the district to be 
taken on the first Saturday of August, the return 
of which was filed November 6, showing 191 votes 
for and 33 against the division. The court, Janu- 
ary 27, 1868, decreed, ordered and adjudged that 
Franklin township be divided, the new or eastern, 
to be called East Franklin, and the other or west- 
ern part, to be called West Franklin, the area of 
the former being about 28 and that of the latter 
26:1^ square miles. Schoolhouse No. 11, commonly 
called Moore's, was designated by the decree of 
the court as the place for holding elections in East 
Franklin, and the house of Andrew Sample, in the 
borough of Worthington, in West Franklin. 

At the first election held in West Franklin the 
following township oflicers were elected : Justice 
of the peace, William Claypoole; constable, R. J. 
Atwell ; supervisors, Peter Kerr, J. T. McCurdy ; 
school directors, Christopher Leard, for 3 years ; 
J. C. Minteer, for 2 years ; Peter Kerr, for 1 year ; 
overseers of the poor, Christopher Leard, James 
Minteer ; assessor, J. Y. Minteer ; judge of elec- 
tion, J. C. Morrison ; inspectors of election, 
James Claypoole, J. A. Minteer ; auditors, John F. 



Brown, Samuel Dumm ; treasurer, John Craig, 
Jr.; clerk, William Claypoole. 

Turning to that portion of the Gapen map, in 
what is now the northwestern part of this town- 
ship, is seen the eastern and minor part — the major 
part being in what is now Butler county — of a tract 
surveyed by John Gapen to Mahaffey " 401 " acres, 
the eastern portion of which on the other map bears 
the name of Hugh McElroy, 91 acres and about 
51 perches of which, in this county, ])artly in 
Sugar Creek adjoining the Gapen surveys to 
Martha Craig. John Bond, William B. Clymer 
and Amos N. Mylert agreed, September 6, 1852, to 
sell to Dennis Boyle, which agreement was after- 
ward consummated, and Boyle conveyed the last- 
mentioned quantity to Edward Boyle, August 22, 
1870, for 1400. The northwestern corner of this 
parcel is now occupied by C. Harrigan. 

East of that Mahaffey tract there is an extensive 
vacant space N. E. and S. on the Gapen map, but on 
the other is an octagonally-shaped tract, the north- 
ern part of which is in what is now Sugar Creek 
township, 229 acres and 18 perches, on which Bryan 
Kelly made an improvement and settlement in 
July, 1799, which was surveyed to him by George 
Ross, April 29, 1802. His name does not appear 
in any of the records of this county, unless he was 
identical with "Barney Kelly," who was assessed 
with 100 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow, in 1805, at $31, 
and in 1806, at |51. He must have resided on the 
northern part of his tract, for after the organiza- 
tion of Sugar Creek township his name is on its 
assessment list until 1812, when he removed to 
Butler county. For several years he packed iron, 
salt and other merchandise from east of the Alle- 
gheny mountains. The records of this county do 
not show the transfer of his interest in this tract 
of land to any one else. 

Adjoining the Kelly tract on the east, on the 
Lawson & Orr map, is the tract, about 400 acres, 
surveyed in the olden time to Cornelius Sweeney, 
on which Thomas Hindman settled probably in the 
latter part of the last century. He was assessed 
with that quantity of land, 1 horse and 2 cows, as 
early as 1805, at 1202, the next year at $252, and 
continued to be assessed with a greater or less 
quantity until 1839. Two patents were granted to 
him, dated respectively February 23, 1836, and 
July 5, 1839. He and his son John conveyed 17 
acres and 140 perches included in the first of the 
patents to James Brown, November 1, 1839, for 
$124. John conveyed 115 acres included in the 
same patent to Thomas McKee, August 12, 1840, 
for $924 ; 97 acres and 35 perches (in Sugar Creek) 
included in the second patent to Daniel Boyle, June 



474 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



6, 1843, for 1900 ; 98 acres and 14 perches of second 
patent to Tb. McKee, May 13, 1846,for $864.06, and 
150 acres of first patent to William Ramsey, Sep- 
tember 8, 1856, for $3,000. McKee conveyed 115 
acres and 80 perches to Andrew H. McKee, De- 
cember 25, 1852, for $630, and 108 acres and 14 
perches to James B. McKee, July 17, 1855, for 
$ — , who conveyed the same to Augustus Uhl, the 
present owner, April 1, 1856, for $1,800. 

Adjoining the Thomas Hindman tract on the 
southeast was one, 892 acres and 126 perches, on 
which Manassah Coyle made an improvement and 
settlement, probably about 1800. It was surveyed 
to him by Judge Ross, May 7, 1807, in whose notes 
of survey it is described as being adjoined on the 
northwest by Cornelius Sweeney and Thomas 
Hindman. Coyle was assessed, as early as 1805, 
with 400 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow, at $216. He 
was assessed the last time with the land in 1808, 
and then at $427. It is noted on the assessment 
list of Sugar Creek township, in which this tract 
then was, "Transferred to Miles McCue." The 
patent to Coyle is dated June 5, 1811. August 19, 
1812, he conveyed 140 acres to McCue for $590, 
and 196 acres to Enos McBride for $250. McCue, 
by his will, dated August 19, 1812, witnessed by 
his neighbors, Patrick McBride and Edward 
Wiggins, and proven by them and registered 
March 13, 1821, devised his parcel of the Coyle 
tract to his sons Neil and Roger, 21 acres and 117 
perches of which they conveyed to James Brown, 
November 19, 1839, for $87.38. Neil and his 
family continued to occupy the residue until he 
conveyed it to his son William P., the present 
owner, November 9, 1863, and a portion of it there- 
after until his death. The consideration for that 
conveyance was one of those mutual domestic 
arrangements by which the grantee agrees to 
maintain the grantor and his wife. In this in- 
stance the grantors, or parents, were to be fur- 
nished by the grantee, annually, with certain speci- 
fied quantities of provisions, and allowed the use 
of certain rooms in the mansion-house, a certain 
quantity of pasturage and various other privileges, 
during their natural lives. In the description of 
the parcel thus conveyed, the Hindman tract is 
mentioned as the " Cornelius survey" — the scrive- 
ner probably inadvertently omitted " Sweeney" — 
" and so mentioned in the Coyle patent," that is, 
as an adjoiner. The place of beginning in the 
boundaries of this parcel is at a corner on the line 
between the Wiggins and Coyle tracts, " ten rods 
west of the old Reu corner, including the Reu 
tract." The eastern portion of the Coyle tract 
included at least a part of what appears to be " Jo- 



seph Irwin's claim " on the Gapen map, and a nar- 
row strip of it extends on the other map, across 
or to the eastern side of Little Buffalo creek. The 
parcel which Brown purchased from the McCues 
and Hindmans he conveyed to A. L. LeDoo, 139 
acres and 114 perches, April 1, 1852, for $2,300, 
which, as containing 148 acres, more or less, he 
conveyed to James P. Hartman, March 29, 1865, 
and he to J. T. Hohn, the present owner, March 
12, 1866, for $4,500. There was a schoolhouse 
on this Hohn parcel when Robert Brown lived in 
this neighborhood; Herman Cook, teacher. Among 
the pupils were J. E. Brown and the late Neil 
McCue. McBride conveyed 50 acres of his parcel 
of the Coyle tract to Nathaniel Patterson, Sep- 
tember 8, 1828, for $220, and 149 acres to John Y. 
Stewart, July 4, 1839, for $500, which his admin- 
istrator conveyed to Philip Templeton, June 30, 

1849, for $1,005.75. Patterson was first assessed 
with 100 acres and 2 cows in 1820, at $37, with a 
sawmill in 1822, and with that 5 0-acre parcel and 
a gristmill in 1826, and was assessed with the latter 
until 1861. 

The tract, 340 acres, adjoining the one last above 
noticed, was settled and improved by Peter Pence 
about 1800 — probably two or three years before. 
As early as 1805 he was assessed with 300 acres, 
2 horses and 1 cow, at $181, and the next year, 
with the same and an additional cow, at $186. By 
his will, dated November 2, 1811, and registered 
March 2, 1812, he did not devise any part of this 
tract to any one. It was assessed to his son Henry 
until he and the rest of his co-heirs conveyed their 
respective interests therein to Joseph Shields, 
March 9, 1833, for $50 each, except John Pence, 
who conveyed his interest to Shields, for the same 
amount, June 7, 1834, which the latter, by his will, 
dated June 17, 1852, and registered May 16, 1857, 
devised to his son David, who had conveyed 234 
acres, including propably 30 acres of the tract east 
of Little Buffalo, to James B. McKee, March 31, 

1850, for $2,600. There is an apparent discrepancy 
between the dates of the will and the last-men- 
tioned conveyance. It is recited in the latter that 
Joseph had conveyed the land to David, Novem- 
ber 2, 1845, and that the patent was granted to 
Joseph, December 20, 1813. The probability is 
that the patent for this tract was granted to Joseph 
and John Shields, June 9, 1836, for 330 acres and 
156 perches, and the latter released his interest in 
204 acres and 71 perches to the former, June 2, 
1842, for $50, and that Joseph had either sold or 
agreed to sell the last-mentioned quantity to Da^id, 
which he afterward devised to him. 

On the Lawson & Orr map, adjoining the Pence 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



475 



tract on the south, is a narrow one of considerable 
length from east to west — its western portion some- 
what narrower than its eastern, and forming with 
its western adjoiner two angles, the southwestern 
one acute, and its northwestern one obtuse, con- 
taining about 1'70 acres, on which John Shields 
settled and established his tannery in 1816. The 
patent for this tract was granted to him Mai'ch 7, 
1828. By his will, dated September 10, 1862, and 
registered March 7, 1864, he devised his mansion- 
house and 170 acres and 114 perches of land to 
his wife, and a tract of 146 acres, adjoining that 
one on the north, to her during her life, which 
latter tract his executors, James Brown, of Slate 
Lick, and John Craig (of Samuel) conveyed to 
Martin Guiser, Sejrtember 8, 1866, for $2,700. 
He directed his executors to sell a lot of .5 acres 
and 70 perches, partly in Worthingion and partly in 
the township, and pay the proceeds of the sale to the 
elders of the Free Presbyterian church of Worth- 
ington at the rate of $40 annually, "for supporting 
the pastor, or supplies to the church for preach- 
ing the gospel." The amount paid to the elders 
for that purpose was $200.50. He directed that 
what remained, after satisfying various legacies, 
to be paid to the treasurer of the American Mis- 
sionary Society in the city of New York, to be ap- 
plied to its charitable uses and purposes. If there 
should not be enough to pay all the legacies for 
which he had provided, he directed that the farm, 
on which John Stewart then lived, be sold as soon 
after his wife's death as could be reasonably done, 
and whatever remainder there might be, after dis- 
chaiging the legacies, to be paid over to the Iberia 
college, Morrow county, Ohio, under the control of 
the Free Presbyterian church. His widow, Mrs. 
Mary Shields, by her will dated December 6, 1864, 
and registered January 26, 1866, authorized her 
executors, John Boyd and John Brown, to sell all 
her property, personal and real, and, after satisfying 
her debts, expenses and divers legacies, to appro- 
priate the balance to the trustees of the board 
of education of the Presbyterian church of the 
United States, to be " applied to the education of 
young men for the gospel ministry." Her execu- 
tors conveyed 170 acres of her real estate to Find- 
ley Wilson, August 3, 1866, which he conveyed to 
Joshua Nickle, the present owner, June 29, 1868, 
for $3,000. 

Southwest of the Kelley and Coyle and north- 
westerly of the Pence and Shields tracts, on the 
Gapen map, is one nearly a trapezoid in shape, on 
which are inscribed " Robert Jordan," " 407. 63 " — 
its southeasterly end being 221 and its north- 
westerly 144 perches long, traversed southwesterly 



by two parallel runs, the easternmost one nearly 
through the center, and the other one between it 
and the northwestern end of tlie tract. On tlie 
other map the same tract has the inscriptions 
"Edward Wiggins, 4(08"," who made an early 
improvement and settlement on it. He was assessed 
with it, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 1805, at $111, and 
the next year, with an additional horse and cow, 
at $140. The patent for this tract was granted to 
McOall and Wiggins, November 5, 1810. They 
made partition and released to each other, June 
25, 1823, McCall to Wiggins, 216 acres and 77 
perches, and Wiggins to McCall, 101 acres and 
86 perches. Wiggins conveyed 112 acres of his 
purpart to his son-in-law William Blaine, January 
7, 1843, for the proper and sufficient maintenance 
of himself and his wife during the rest of their 
lives. Blaine conveyed his entire parcel to Will- 
iam Denny, February 25, 1853, for $896, 39 acres 
and 155 perches of which he conveyed to Patrick 
Denny, June 21, 1864, who conveyed the same to 
James Kinsley, the present owner, May 21, 1866, 
for $425. William Denny conveyed the residue 
of his parcel, 72 acres, to Geo. S. Ross, the present 
owner, October 2, 1873, for $1,900. 

The McCall purpart, containing by a later sur- 
vey 201 acres and 64 perches, was included in the sale 
by McCall's heirs to Brown, Gilpin and Johnston, 
163 acres of which Johnston conveyed to Peter 
GraflF, October 5, 1857, for $1,304, and which the 
latter conveyed to Andrew Hindman, the present 
owner, October 27, 1864, for $2,100. 

The northwestern end of the Jordan-Wiggins 
tract on the Gapen map is adjoined by the John 
Jordan tract 403^ acres, about three-fourths of its 
territory being in what is now Butler count}^ — the 
portion of it in this county making, with the 
county line, a heptagon in shape. This tract was 
improved and settled by John Donaldson, probably 
about 1797. He was assessed with 400 acres, 1 
horse and 1 cow, in 1805-6, at $121. The patent for 
this tract was granted to him and McCall November 
23, 1827. They having made partition, McCall con- 
veyed 150 acres and 53 perches, mostly on this side 
of the county line, to Donaldson, November 3, 1830, 
which the latter conveyed to Andrew Minteer, 
May 17, 1836, for $700, who conveyed the same 
quantity to James Minteer, November 17, 1840, for 
$700, on which he built a sawmill, in 1854, which 
was operated until 1859. 

South of that tract was one for which a patent 
was granted to Samuel Milligan, March 6, 1838, 
who conveyed it to John Milligan, Sr., July 12, 
and he to John Milligan, Jr., subject to the main- 
tenance of Joseph Milligan, who conveyed 30 acres 



476 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



and 40 perches to John Beemer, March 31, ]S56, 
for -$360, on which he afterward built a limekiln. 

Southeast of the John Jordan tract, and south- 
west of the Jordan-Wiggins tract, is a vacant area 
on the Gapen map, except *he inscription " John 
Ellis," which in some of the records is written 
" John Elliott." On the other map is a long, nar- 
row, rather irregularly-shaped tract, 367 acres and 
96 perches, the central part of which is traversed 
in a southeastern course by the Buffalo creek, on 
which James Hindman made an improvement and 
settlement in March, ITGT, and which was surveyed 
to him by George Ross, December 15, 1801, to 
whom the patent for 368 acres and 40 perches was 
granted January 23, 1816, on warrant dated March 
"7, 1807. He was assessed in 1805 with 350 acres, 1 
horse and 3 cattle, at $173. By his will dated July 
9, 1S45, and registered May 6, 1846, he devised the 
land in this tract and the parcels which he had pur- 
chased from John Griffin and Samuel S. Harris to 
his sons, Andrew, George, John and William, to 
each a specified quantity. John appears to have 
lived on the northwestern part of this tract, now 
occupied by Joseph Baker, to whom John had 
probably in his lifetime sold or agreed to sell 106 
acres, reserving 13|- acres for the benefit of his 
minor child, Margaret. The conveyance therefor to 
John appears to have been mislaid or lost, forhisson, 
Joseph, and his daughters, intermarried with Philip 
Griftin and John P. Milligan, and their husbands 
undoubtedly intended to supply the want of that 
conveyance bj' making one to Baker, who singu- 
larlj' is the party of the first instead of the second 
part in their deed, which is not signed Griflin and 
his wife ; and, again, those who signed that deed 
dated December 14, 1867, receipted for the purchase 
money, $900, to themselves. Perhaps an inad- 
vertent cont/retevips of the scrivener. 

South of that part of the John Jordan-McCall- 
Donaldson tract, mainly in this county, including, 
perhaps, parts of " McNitt's Claim " and " Im- 
proved Land " on the Gapen map, is a long, narrow 
tract on the other map, whose southeastern end 
projects eastward like the foot of the letter L, with 
the inscription, "A. Smith, 400"." It was im- 
proved and settled by Mary Gallagher, whom Smith 
married. It, 1 horse and 1 cow were first assessed 
to him on the Buffalo township list in 1812, at $26, 
and the next year at $226. Smith and his wife, 
March 22, 1831, conveyed' the southeastern end of 
this tract, supposed to contain 150 acres, " to be 
laid off by running a line along the fence that 
runs from the shop, near the turnpike road, in the 
direction of the said fence across the said tract." 
They conveyed that parcel to John Douglass for 



$200, which he conveyed to Archibald McCuUough 
as containing 105 acres and 74 perches, March 1, 
1837, for $527, to whom the patent for it was 
granted April 14, 1838. He conveyed it to James 
Walker, March 14, 1846, for $800, and the latter to 
Nicholas Clark, April 3, 1850, for $2,200. The 300 
acres remaining after the sale to Douglass were 
divided by inquest, heretofore mentioned,* into 
six purparts which, though varying somewhat in 
quantity, were each valued at $396.37. No. 1 was 
taken at the appraisement by James Minteer, as 
guardian of Andrew McCo}' Smith, a minor child 
of James G. Smith, who conveyed it to Nicholas 
Clark, February 18, 1854, for $300 ; No. 2 by John, 
the eldest son of Abraham Smith, who conveyed 
its 37 acres and 138 perches to Nicholas Clark, 
February 9, 1850, for $700 ; No. 3 by William 
Smith ; No. 4 by George Morrison, alienee of Mary 
Van Horn, nee Smith ; No. 5 by Hugh Daugherty 
alienee of H. N. Lee, who was the alienee of Joseph 
B. Smith, and No. 6 by Abraham Smith, Jr., by 
whom it is still occupied. 

Southeast of the James Hindman and east of the 
Abraham Smith tract is unsurveyed territory on 
the Gapen map, but on the other the Patrick Mc- 
Bride, an irregularly shaped one, 384 acres and 91 
perches, which was surveyed by George Ross to 
McBride, April 28, 1802, by virtue of his previous 
improvement and settlement. Its southeastern 
part is crossed by Big Buffalo creek. The patent 
for this tract was granted after Patrick's death, June 
23, 1838, to Michal McBride for himself and in 
trust for the rest of the legal heirs of his father. 
Hugh McBride sold his interest in this tract to 
John Gillespie, who conveyed 116 acres and 100 
perches to Nicholas Clark, June 2, 1848, for $1,000; 
71 acres and 106 perches of which Clark conveyed 
to James Blain, April 2, 1858, for $925. Michael 
McBride conveyed about 20 acres to John McBride 
May 13, 1841, which the latter conveyed to Will- 
iam Blain, March 28, 1842, and which he conveyed 
to James Blain, February 16, 1863. for $300. 
Michael also conveyed 120 acres to John Blain, 
June 27, 1849, for $1,060. 

South of the western half of the John Shields 
and east of the James Hindman and Patrick Mc- 
Bride tracts, on the Gapen map, is the tract sur- 
veyed by Gapen to "Thomas Jordan," "418^" 
acres, an octagon in shape, and traversed in a 
southeasterly course by the Big Buffalo creek, with 
three tributaries nearly parallel to one another, 
flowing into it from the north-northeast. On the 
other map are inscribed: "A. McCall and Sam'l 
Taylor, 400°." Taylor probably made an improve- 

* See sketch of North Buffalo. 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



477 



ment and settlement on it before 1800. He was 
assessed with it, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 1805, at 
$121, and in 1806 at $125. The patent for it, 416 
acres and 8 perches, was granted to McCall and 
Taylor, February 13, 1809. McCall conveyed V9 
acres and 155 perches to Samuel Clark, August 14, 
1838, for $159.88. The rest of McCall's interest in 
it was included in his assignment to Du Pout, and 
in the latter's reconveyance to McCall. Taylor's 
interest was levied on under a judgment in favor 
of David Edwards for $114, besides costs. Fi. fa. 
No. 17, of March term, 1825, inquisition held and 
property condemned. After returns of several 
writs, " not sold for want of a sufficient bid," it was 
finally sold by Jacob Mechling, sheriff, on seventh 
Pluries Vend. Ex. No. 80, June term, 1827, to 
Eben S. Kelly, 140 acres, for $202, which S. S. 
Harrison and wife, formerly Mrs. Kelly, and 
Eleanor, Emily and Mary Kelly, heirs of Eben S. 
Kelly, conveyed to John Craig, September 15, 
1849, for $800, who conveyed 122 acres and 38 
perches to Ludwig Guiser, July 18, 1856, for 
$730.55. 

The residue of the McCall purpart, 208 acres and 
82 perctes, was conveyed by McCall's heirs to 
Brown, Gilpin and Johnston, 175 acres and 67 
perches of which they conveyed to Peter Graff, 
March 17, 1858, for $877.10, of which he conveyed 
6 acres to William P. Rumberger, December 15, 
1860, for $90 ; 10 acres and 47 perches to John 
Crawshaw, December 21, for $200 ; and 117 acres 
and 18 perches to Crawshaw and Frederick Ruth, 
April 7, 1865, for $1,307. 

This tract was called " Samos " after an island, 
one of the Sporades, in the iEgean Sea, the mod- 
ern Archipelago, near the western coast of Asia 
Minor, about midway between the site of the once 
magnificent and often rebuilt city of Ephesus and 
the island of Patmos. 

Adjoining " Samos " on the east is unsurveyed 
territory on the Gapen map on which is inscribed 
" John Craig," but on the other map i-s a tract with 
boundary lines along its eight sides, the southeast- 
ern corner of which touches the northeastern cor- 
ner of depreciation lot No. 250. In its southern 
part about sixty rods from its southwestern boun- 
dary is the junction of Big and Little Buffalo 
creeks, northeast, east and southeast of which is 
about one-fifth of its territory, its southeastern 
point being a very acute angle. It bears the name 
of William Stevenson, who occupied it several 
years for Craig. The improvement began March 
3, 1793, and the settlement in October, 1795, and 
was suiweyed to Stevenson by George Ross May 7, 
1801. A warrant for 200 acres of it was entered in 
30 



Deputy Surveyor Ross' office, December 24, 1794, 
which had been granted to Aaron Wor. Steven- 
son was assessed with 200 acres, one horse and 2 
cows in 1805, at $77, and continued to occupy un- 
der Craig for several years. James Karr, Sr., was 
also an early occupant under Craig of a part of 
this tract. The patent for it was granted to John 
Craig, Sr., May 24, 1836. It had been settled by 
his son Samuel at or before the beginning of this 
century, on the southwestern part of which on or 
near the left bank of Big Buffalo creek he erected 
a fulling-mill with which, 400 acres and 1 horse 
he was assessed in 1805 at $20, and in 1806 at 
$200. The carding of wool into rolls was begun 
here about 1814. The fulling-mill was assessed to 
him until 1821, when' it and the 200 acres, with 
which he had been for several years assessed, were 
assessed to his brother, John Craig, Jr., who con- 
tinued the fulling and carding until 1835, when, 
according to recollection of John Craig (of Samuel), 
his uncle, John Craig, Jr., and Robert Cooper en- 
tered into a f)artnership for manufacturing flan- 
nels, blankets and other woolen goods. The pass- 
ing remark may here be made, that the patent for 
this tract of land was granted to John Craig, Sr., 
May 24, 1836. Cooper sold his interest in the 
factory to John Craig, Jr., and James Craig, Sep- 
tember 1, 1837, by whom it was operated for sev- 
eral years. John Craig, Sr., conveyed 80 acres of 
this tract to John Craig, Jr., July 18, 1836, for 
$400. The factory building was burned, Decem- 
ber 14, 1843, and a larger one was erected soon 
after on the same site. John Craig, Sr., by his 
will, dated September 5, 1836, and registered 
April 5, 1850, devised to John Craig, Jr., that 
part of this tract on which the latter then resided. 
William F. Rumberger became a partner in 
the woolen factory in 1856, the firm name being 
Craigs & Rumberger, until James Craig sold his 
interest to him and John Craig, May 26, 1862, 
when he conveyed to them his interest in the fac- 
tory and the 103 perches of land on which it is 
located, 1 acre and 77 perches, included in the 
patent to John Craig, Sr., and the 24 acres and 
69 perches of " Samos," for $3,700. John Craig 
conveyed his interest in the factory and those 4 
parcels of land to Rumberger, February 11, 1867, 
for $10,000. He and John P. Scott entered into a 
copartnership, which continued two or three years, 
when the latter sold out his interest, and David 

Gregg and Richardson became partners, and still 

do business under the firm name of Rumberger, 
Greggs & Co. On Friday night, December 15, 
1871, just 28 years and 1 day after the last-men- 
tioned fire, their factory was consumed by a fire 



478 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



caused by one of the employes attempting to fill 
a large lighted lamp. They soon erected a larger 
building on and adjoining the site of the old 
one, in which they manufacture, daily, 1,000 yards 
of flannel and numerous blankets. They have also 
started a stocking factory in the woolhouse on the 
opposite side of the road, which is capable of 
knitting, daily, 216 pairs of socks. Craigs & 
Rumberger furnished the troops recruited at Camp 
On- with a large number of blankets, in the win- 
ter of 1861-2, for which, on account of some irregu- 
larity, they have never been paid. Rumberger, 
Gregg & Co. have since furnished the United 
States government with large quantities of flannel 
for the underwear of the troops. 

This point began to be called Craigtown in or 
about 18 — , and afterward Craigsville, which 
name it still retains. The first child was born 
within its limits March 30, 1809, who is still living. 

The present flouringmill, about 13 rods below 
the woolen factory, on the right bank of the creek, 
was erected by John Craig, Jr., Joseph T. McCurdy, 
and Samuel S. Wallace, early in 1849, and they 
agreed, August 20, that McCurdy and Wallace 
should pay Craig $166.66-^ for the 1 acre and 25 
perches on which they had erected the mill, a 
three-story frame structure, and he to execute to 
each of them a deed for the one-third part, so as 
to make them, respectively, equal owners. John 
Craig died suddenly, soon after breakfast one 
morning, from neuralgia of the heart. His heirs 
conveyed the undivided two-thirds of the mill- 
property to McCurdy and the alienee of Wallace's 
interest, Jos. Minteer, May 14, 1872, for $2,000, 
with the privilege of taking from the present dam, 
above the mill, whatever quantity of water may be 
necessary for the use of the mill and for damming 
the water back on that decedent's land. 

Preliminary to opening a store at Craigsville, 
John Craig, Samuel S. and John C. Wallace en- 
tered into an agreement, December 1-5, 1860, for 
the sale and purchase of two-thirds of 152 perches 
of the parcel devised by John Craig, Sr., to John 
Craig, Jr., for a " store lot," as it is elsewhere 
called, for which the latter agreed to pay $533.33. 
It was also agreed by them that neither of them 
should sell his interest without first giving the 
other parties the refusal, and, in case of disagree- 
ment as to the price of it, the matter should be 
referred to three disinterested men, two of whom 
should be chosen by the parties, and the third one 
by the ones thus chosen, whose decision should be 
final and conclusive, if excepted to by the retiring 
partner. The store was soon after opened, for 
John C. Wallace was first assessed as merchant in 



1861. It was afterward transferred to Christopher 
Leard & Sons, the latter being first assessed as 
merchants in 1872. The present firm name is C. 
Leard & Sons. 

The Craigsville postoflice was established here, 
November 29, 1869; William F. Rumberger, post- 
master. The new shoolhouse, in lieu of No. 14 
before the division of Franklin township, is situ- 
ated on the public road on the lower or right-hand 
side of the creek, about 100 rods below the grist- 
mill. 

The first separate assessment list of Craigsville 
is for this year, 1876, according to which there are 
25 taxables : Physician, 1 ; clerks, 3 ; boss carder, 

1 ; boss weaver, 2 ; laborer, 1 ; helper, 1 ; dyer, 1 ; 
engineer, 1 ; wool-sorter, 1 ; picker, 1 ; teamsters, 

2 ; spinner, 1 ; blacksmith, 1 ; wagonmaker, 1 ; 
miller, 1 ; weaver, 1. 

Adjoining that John Craig tract on the west 
and southwest, and touching the southeast corner 
of " Samos," the northeastern and southwestern 
portions of which are traversed by Bufi^alo creek, 
and in the former jjortion is the mouth of Long 
Run, is a tract, octagonal in shape, whose original 
boundary, courses and distances are : Beginning 
at a post, thence along the John Craig tract south 60 
degrees east 233^ perches to a white oak ; thence 
south 4 degrees west 175 perches to a black-jack ; 
thence south 87 degrees west 159 perches to a corner 
on the west side of the creek ; thence across the 
creek south 3 degrees east 120 perches to a corner 
on line of depreciation lot No. 250 ; thence south 
70 degrees west 71 perches to a white-oak ; thence 
north 2'0 degrees west 200 perches to a post; thence 
along vacant land north 24-|- degrees west 240 
perches to a white-oak ; thence north along 
"Samos" 4 degrees west 37 perches to the place 
of beginning. 

" Surveyed on the 20th day of September, 1794, the 
above described tract of 433 as. & 59 P. & allowance 
of six pr cent situate on Buffalow creek in Arrnstrong 
township, Allegheny county, in District No. 8 — the im- 
provement began in March, 1793. Surveyed at the 
request of Simon Craig. Stephen Gapen, D. S." 

" Dan'l Brodhead Esq., surveyor general." 

It is noticeable that Gapen was mistaken as to 
this tract being in Armstrong township, whose 
western boundary then was the Allegheny river. 
This tract was theu in Deer township. There was 
a similar mistake in a description of the tract called 
" Senior," on the north side of the Iviskimine- 
tas, either by the surveyor or the scrivener. The 
patent for this tract was granted to A. McCall and 
Stephen Sheldon, February 23, 1825. After Shel- 
don's death, McCall released, August 23, 1827, 160 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



479 



acres of it to William Stevenson and Mary, his wife, 
she being Sheldon's daughter and sole heir, 110 
acres of which slie and her husband conveyed to 
John Craig, December 18, 1833, for $169, -t acres 
and 39 perches of which he conveyed to Peter 
Graff, June 18, 1854, for 81 and other consider- 
ations. 

Joseph McDonald and Samuel Richey were 
brothers-in-law and millwrights. The former was 
assessed as such and with 80 acres of probably 
this tract, one horse and three cattle, as early as 
1805, at 138, and the latter was assessed that year, 
with his occupation, one horse and one cow, at $82. 
They built a two-story log gristmill, with two 
runs of stone, one for wheat flour and the other foi- 
chops, in the early part of 1810, on the creek, 
above the present bridge across the creek, on the 
K. & B. turnpike, with which, 20 acres of land, 1 
horse and 2 cows, Richey was assessed, that year, 
at $107. Stevenson and his wife conveyed 50 
acres and 9 perches of this tract to McDonald and 
Richey, January 19, 1829, for $150. The latter 
conveyed his undivided half to Elijah Horner, Jan- 
uary 1, 1830, for $50, on which the latter laid out 
the town of Hornersville, and advertised the sale 
of lots to take place at 9 o'clock a.m., October 14, 
1833. Among the conveniences of his proposed 
town mentioned in his advertisement wei'e a grist- 
mill, horsemill and sawmill in its vicinity, but 
did not make any sales, and conveyed his interest 
in that parcel of 50 acres and 9 perches to John C. 
McKinney, January 1, 1840, for $1 and other con- 
siderations, which passed by sheriff's sale in Vend. 
Mc. No. 97, March term, 1845, for $64. 

McCall conveyed his purpart of this tract, 271 
acres and 150 perches, to Horner, August 30, 1829, 
for $400, of which the latter conveyed 149 acres 
and 128 perches to McDonald, March 14, 1840, for 
$200, and 141 acres and 80 perches to McKinney, 
April 1, 1840, for $6,000, and McDonald, the same 
day, conveyed the quantity which he had purchased 
from Horner to McKinney for $2,000. McKinney 
conveyed the 50-acre parcel, which he had pur- 
chased from Horner and McDonald, to John Craig, 
Jr., December 19, 1843, for $100. McKinney con- 
veyed the two parcels which he had purchased 
from Horner and McDonald, and another tract 
of 273 acres, to Henry D. Rodgers and Roswell 
L. Colt, as trustees for all the real owners, Decem- 
ber 22, 1841, for $25,000. 

That last conveyance in trust was after the erec- 
tion of Buffalo Furnace on the southeastern part 
of this Simou-Craig-McCall-Sheldon tract, which 
is designated on the Lawson & Orr map as the 
Joseph McDonald tract, in 1839-40, by Nicholas 



Biddle, formerly president of the Bank of the 
United States; Henry D. Rodgers, the eminent 
geologist who had charge of the first geolo- 
gical survey of this state and was subsequently 
professor of geology in the University of Edin- 
burgh, Scotland, whose death, several years since, 
was deeply lamented by the scientific world; John 
C. McKinney, one of the corps of geologists in 
that sui-vey; Roswell L. Colt, and perhaps one or 
two others, and of which McKinney was the man- 
ager. It was a steam cold-blast charcoal furnace, 
its stack 35 feet high and 8 feet across the bosh. 
The weekly pi-oduct of this furnace, for the first 
few years after it went into blast, was 33 tons, 
the number of employes being 100. That furnace 
company became embarrassed. Judgments against 
it began to be entered in 1841, the number 
of which increased largely until March term, 
1844. The furnace and the land, aggregating 563 
acres, passed under the sheriff's hammer ( Vend. 
Ex. Nos. 88 and 84, September term, 1844) to 
Reuben Bughman, Peter Graff and Jacob Painter, 
for $7,200. Its business was conducted from the 
fall of 1843 under the firm name of P. Graff & 
Co., who built a new charcoal furnace, with a bet- 
ter blast, and in which ore of a better quality was 
used. The two furnaces, from 1846 and on, pro- 
duced weekly, on an average, when in full blast, 
80 tons, the number of employes being 150. The 
latter company, having been successful, closed 
their furnaces permanently in 1864. The present 
gristmill, brick, three-story, with four runs of stone, 
near the furnace, was erected in 1846. 

The Buffalo woolenmill of Edward Firth and 
Peter Graff, situated on that part of the northeast- 
ern portion of this tract between the left or south 
bank of the run and the creek, was built in 1865. 
Its original dimensions, three stories, 70X35 feet, 
were increased in 1867 by the addition of 60X35 
feet, and the same hight. The other original 
buildings consist of a ware and wool house, two- 
story, 50 X 25 feet, a stone dryhouse, 60 X 25 
feet. In 1876 a new woolhouse and a new 
storehouse, each two-story, 40 X 35 feet, were 
erected. The machinery consists of 8 carding-ma- 
chines, 2 self-acting mules, with 384 spindles to 
each, and a spinning-jack, with 180 spindles, used 
for twisting stocking-yarn, and for doubling and 
twisting yarn for cassimeres. There are 1 3 looms, 
wide and narrow, for weaving jeans, blankets, flan- 
nels, cassimeres and fine cassimeres. The mules 
and a considerable part of the other machinery, the 
latest and best, so far as known, were made in 
England. There is also all the other machinery 
required for fulling and finishing those various 



480 



HISTOEY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



kinds of geods. The average number of employes 
is 25. The quantity of wool used annually is 
80,000 pounds. The blankets are of good quality. 
The kinds of cassimeres and flannels, all wool, ai-e 
fine, medium and common. The chief market for 
these goods is in the westei'n states. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract on the north- 
west and " Samos " on the south is unsurveyed 
land on the Gapen map, but on the other a vacant 
tract, with boundary lines, with four sides, which, 
if the southern line of " Samos " were protracted 
a few rods westward, would change it into the 
shape of two isosceles triangles, one quite large, 
and the other, in the northwestern part, very small. 
Its land history is brief. The patent for it was 
granted to Samuel Clark, Mai-ch 25, 1839, who con- 
veyed 77 acres and 19 perches to Job P. Paine, 
April 28, for $525, which he conveyed to Peter 
Graff, April 3, 1849, for $600. 

South of Patrick McBride tract, and southwest 
of " Samos," the Clark and McCall-Sheldon tracts, 
was a large scope of territory of about 900 acres, 
unsurveyed on the Gapen map, on which improve- 
ments and settlements were made, probably before 
1800, By James Gallagher, Jr., and William Gal- 
lagher, in behalf of James Gallagher, Sr., of Derry 
township, Westmoreland county, which was subse- 
quently divided into two tracts, containing, re- 
spectively, 435 and 400 acres. The northern one, 
as it appears on the Lawson & Orr map, is in shape 
nearly that of a carpenter's square, the northeast- 
ern corner of which touches the southwestern part 
of " Samos," the longer part or blade bordering on 
the southwestern line of the Clark and McCall- 
Sheldon tracts, and the shorter part or blade ad- 
joining the McBride tract on the north and the 
Smith tract on the west. This tract was conveyed 
by John Orr, sheriff, as containing 434 acres, and 
described as adjoining John Simons and others, to 
Samuel Massey, November 1, 1808, having pre- 
viously sold it to him for $80, as the property of 
James and William Gallagher on a judgment in 
favor of Alexander McConnell against them for 
$9.28 debt and 40 cents costs. Massey and Samuel 
S. Harrison were joint purchasers, and Massey con- 
veyed his half part to Harrison, June 1, 1815, for 
$100, William Minteer occupying the land for them 
from 1809 until 1813. James Gallagher continued 
to assert his claim to this tract, which he conveyed 
to Philip Gallagher, July 27, 1826, for $100. The 
patent, however, was granted to Harrison, Septem- 
ber 8, 1834, who conveyed 136 acres and 69 perches 
of the part adjoining the Smith tract on the west, 
to James Hindman, November 21, 1835, for $545.56, 
on which is the public schoolhouse No. 2, and 273 



acres and 118 perches to John C. McKinney, March 
2, 1840, for $2,463.18, which became part of the 
Buffalo Furnace property, that passed by sheriff's 
sale to P. Graff & Co., who conveyed 148 acres and 
130 perches of it to Archibald McCuUough, Febru- 
ary 2, 1846, for $830. 

South and southwest of that Harrison-Massey 
tract is vacant territory on the Gapen map. The 
other map shows the name of Isaac Bole in the 
southeastern part of it, who made an improvement 
and settlement there, and was first assessed with 
100 acres of it, 2 horses and 2 cows, in 1815, at 
$131. Near the northwestern border is the name 
of "William Minteer, 150"-," with which he was 
first assessed in 1813. Philip Gallagher conveyed 
the entire tract, 400 acres, to James Gallagher, 
April 27, 1826, for $100. The parcel on which 
Bole settled, after various transfers, became vested 
in Daniel O'Neal, who conveyed it to John P. 
O'Neal, May 9, ,1868, in consideration of the main- 
tenance of himself and wife during the rest of 
their lives and the payment of $300 to Hugh F. 
O'Neal. A patent for more than 200 acres of 
the western part of this tract was granted to 
William Minteer, Sr., March 30, 1836, 100 acres 
and 15 perches of which he conveyed to William 
Minteer, Jr., July 21, for $200, and 101 acres and 
145 perches to John Minteer, Ajsril 15, 1857, for 
the proper maintenance of himself and wife during 
the rest of their lives. 

West of that Minteer tract, in the unsurveyed 
territory on the Gapen map, is the inscription 
" Improved Land." On the other map is a trape- 
zoidal tract "Samuel Clark, 151^"," which and 
probably other 100 acres were first improved by 
William Gallagher, who conveyed 100 acres to 
Abraham Smith, June 1, 1806, for $100. The rest 
of Gallagher's improvement was conveyed by John 
Orr, sheriff, to Thomas Lawson, December 9, 1807, 
who conveyed it to David Lawson and John Orr, 
March 23, 1812. Orr conveyed an undivided half 
part to Samuel Clark, October 13, 1814, which 
Clark conveyed to William Spencer, July 1, 1837, 
to whom a warrant was granted August 3, 1839, 
and a patent for 65 acres, August 7, 1849, 65 acres 
of which he conveyed to William Minteer, October 
1, 1866, for $1,050. It is not apparent from the 
record to whom Lawson conveyed his interest in 
this tract. 

Contiguous to that Gallagher improvement on 
the west is vacant territory on the Gapen, but 
on the other map, a tract of 414 acres, about 
three-fourths of it being in Butler county, which 
seems to have been surveyed to A. McCall and 
Jacob McGinley. A patent appears to have been 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



481 



granted for the S5 acres of it in this eonnty to 
James Offutt, April 19, 1839, which he convej'ed 
to James Sample, June 3, and which Sample con- 
veyed to Joseph Williams, January 2S, 1840, for 
$685. It is not apparent from the records to whom 
he conveyed the major part of this parcel before his 
death. His daughter Elizabeth conveyed the undi- 
vided one eighth of 12 acres of it to William Min- 
teer, May 22, 1858, for $23. Peter Graff and 
Edward Manso, guardians of the minor children, 
conveyed one-half of 11 acres to David Goldinger, 
February 25, 1858, for $95, and 4 acres to Minteer, 
for $95.40. Graff, having purchased three-eighths 
of 9 acres from some of the heirs who were of age, 
conveyed the same to Goldinger, May 22, for $71, 
to whom Elizabeth conveyed her one-eighth, the 
same day, for $23.75. 

Adjoining the two last-mentioned Gallagher and 
the McCall-McGinley's tracts, on the south there 
is one on the Gapen map, designated thus, " Joseph 
Brown, 484.110," but on the other, "A. McCall and 
James Sheridan, 394.114." About 80 acres of its 
northwestern part is in Butler county. The patent 
for this tract, called " Union," was granted to Mc- 
Call and Sheridan, Februaiy 13, 1809. The latter 
settled on it probably before 1800. He was assessed 
with 400 acres, 2 horses and. 1 cow, in 1 805, at 
$156 — the next year with the land, 1 horse and 2 
cows, at $132. John Sheridan was first assessed in 
1818, and James Sheridan in 1824, with a distillery 
on this tract. McCall's undivided share of " Union " 
was included in his assignment to Du Pont, and 
in the latter's reassignment to McCall. McCall's 
heirs conveyed 74 acres 80 perches to Jaraes and 
Matthew Millen, June 30, 1846, for $896, whose 
interests subsequently became vested in William 
Millen, and 148 acres of it in the sale from Mc- 
Call's heirs to Brown, Gilpin and Johnston, 86 
acres and 121 perches of which the latter conveyed 
to William Minteer, Jr., July 5, 1849, for $690.50 ; 
37 acres and 80 perches to John and Rody Rogers, 
February 27, 1862, for $281.25, and 12 acres and 
80 perches, same day, to Margaret Dugan,in trust, 
for $93.75. James Sheridan left about 53 acres of 
his purpart to his grandsons, Bernard and William 
Sheridan, who made an amicable partition, August 
26,1858. William conveyed 26-^ acres of his purpart 
to Cornelius McFadden, January 17, 18-59, for $500. 

James Sheridan devised 200 acres to his son 
John during his life, who conveyed his life estate 
therein to Mark McLaughlin, March 28, 1837, for 
$30, and released his interest in 100 acres, more or 
less, to Hugh D. Sheridan, December 11, 1863, for 
$1. The only one of the Sheridan family now as- 
sessed Avith any part of " Union " is Hugh. 



Adjoining "Union" on the east on the Gapen 
map is unsurveyed territory inscribed with "James 
Gallagher," on which Joseph Millen settled about, 
perhaps before, 1800. He was assessed as a seftler 
with 257 acres of it, 1 horse and 3 cattle, in 1805, at 
$112. The warrant was granted to him, November 
13, surveyed December 12, 1801, and the patent for 
359 acres and 52 perches was granted to him, De- 
cember 22, 1806. He conveyed 99 acres and 62 
perches of it to his son James, March 21, 1828, for 
$200, which the latter devised by his will, dated 
March 13, 1844, and registered February 26, 1851, 
to his sons Matthew and William, to be equally 
divided by a line through the center from east to 
west, which they still occupy. 

Adjoining that Millen tract and "Union" on 
the south, on both of the above-mentioned maps, 
are three contiguous depreciation lots included in 
the purchases by McCall and McDowell from 
Joshua Elder, and which, in. the partition between 
those vendees, were allotted to McCall. The east- 
ernmost one, No. 249, is a square containing 201A 
acres, the western part being traversed south- 
westerly by Buffalo creek, which Archibald con- 
veyed to George C. McCall, June 23, 1817, and 
which the latter conveyed to John Way, of Alle- 
gheny town, January 26, 1819, for $1,400.90, and 
which his executors, James C. and Nicholas Way, 
conveyed to Alexander and Thomas McCullough, 
December 30, 1837, for $1,000. 

This tract was called " Cheshire," after one of 
the counties in England, adjoining the northeast- 
ern border of Wales, whose northwestern part, like 
a tongue of land between the rivers Dee and Mer- 
sey, touches the Irish Sea. The city of Chester, 
Birkenhead and various other important towns and 
boroughs are in that county. 

Adjoining " Cheshire" on the west is, on both 
maps, depi-eciation lot No. 246, containing 230to 
acres, which, like " Cheshire," was included in the 
sale to George C. McCall, who conveyed it to 
Richard McCall, October 27, 1830, for $716.96, 
whose heirs, by their attorney, Amos N. Mylert, 
agreed, January 19, 1851, to sell it to Matthew and 
William Millen for $1,200, which they agreed to 
pay. William F. Johnston, for himself, Brown 
and Gilpin, released and quitclaimed to them what- 
ever interest he and they had in it, and a strip of 
the depreciation lot adjoining it on the west. May 
31, 1859, for $100. 

This tract was called " Plymouth ;" like Ply- 
mouth, Massachusetts, called by the Indians Aceo- 
■mack, where the pilgrims, who came over in the 
Mayflower, settled in 1620, and other towns of this 
name in the United States, this tract of land was 



482 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



named after Plymouth, in the county of Devon, in 
England, on the north side of the British channel. 

Contiguous to " Plymouth " in the west, on 
those maps of surveys, is depreciation lot No. 245, 
containing 325to acres, which, in the partition be- 
tween McCall and McDowell, fell to the latter, 
and in the partition between his heirs was allotted 
to Archibald Tanner, guardian, in trust for his 
wards, Laui'a M. and Sarah P. Tanner, daughters 
of Margaret Tanner, who was one of McDowell's 
daughters. Joseph McDonald had acquired some 
kind of an interest in it, for he and Jacob S. 
Garver agreed, April 20, 1804, to put Jacob S. 
Garver in possession of it, which was then decided 
as adjoining John Durning, James Sheridan, and 
Garver's " old place," for the term of two years, 
and have all the benefit of the improvements by 
paying an annual rent of $1, and give McDonald 
peaceable possession if required ; and McDonald 
was to give Garvei- 50 acres of the northwestern 
part, for which he was to take out an office right. 
Garver remained in possession until his death. 
Those minor children by their guardian brought 
an action of ejectment to No. 6, of June term, 
1834, in the common pleas of this county, against 
Garver for the entire tract, which abated, Decem- 
ber 25, 1835, by reason of the defendant's death. 
McDonald sold his claim to the tract to Archibald 
McCall, who accepted 163 acres of it as a com- 
promise between him and the plaintiffs, which 
purpart was included in the conveyance from his 
heirs to Brown, Gilpin and Johnston, who claimed 
that 40 acres of the eastern end belonged to 
" Plymouth," of which Johnston conveyed 13 acres 
and 96 perches to Daniel McCarren, October 1, 
1861, for $515.20, and the same quantity to James 
C. McCarren, the same day, for the same amount. 

This depreciation lot, like some counties' and 
towns in this country, was named "Somerset," 
after the county of Somerset, in the southern part 
of England. 

South of the southwestern part of " Somerset," 
on the Gapen map, is about one-third of a tract, 
which portion is on this side of the county-line, 
that was surveyed by Gapen to Joseph Brown, as 
containing 414 acres and 66 perches, which should 
be the same on the other map, but is not — an inad- 
vertent transposition of the one above it having 
probably been made, upon which Jacob McGinley 
made an improvement in the spring of 1797, and 
on which McCall obtained a warrant of acceptance. 
By an agreement entered into between McCall and 
McGinley, April 1, 1808, founded partly on another 
one of the preceding month, McGinley covenanted 
that he had continued his settlement and improve- 



ment for about 1 1 years, and McCall in consideration 
thereof, and to encourage McGinley to continue to 
faithfully perform his covenants, to convey to him 
200 acres off the east side of this tract, by paral- 
lel to "the last boundary of survey," and the use 
of the improvements on the tract for ten years. 
McGinley agreed, May 16, 1823, to convey that 
parcel of 200 acres to Mary McGinley for llYo, 
which was conveyed to her by McCall, after her 
marriage to Peter McAnamy, August 10, 1837, for 
$1, and which she and her husband conveyed to 
Patrick Coyle, August 22, 1837, for $950. 

Adjoining that Jos. Brown tract on the east, on 
the Gapen map, is one of the same shape and area, 
which was surveyed by Gapen on an improvement 
for Joseph Stone, on which Jacob McGinley set- 
tled, April 9, 1797, and McCall afterward obtained 
a warrant of acceptance. McGinley continued 
his settlement on it for several years. He was 
assessed with 400 acres and 1 cow, in 1805, at 
$106, and the next year, with the addition of 2 
cattle, at $110. It was one of the covenants in the 
above-mentioned agreement, that he should have 
the use of the improvements on this tract for ten 
years. The patent for it was granted to McCall 
and McGinley, March 18, 1S20. McCall conveyed 
his interest in this tract to his son, George A. 
McCall, July 8, 1834, and which was included in 
the latter's conveyance to William F. Johnston, 
July 10, 1847, who conveyed, March 28, 1857, 15 
acres to Michael Kyle, for |110, and 50 acres and 
14 perches to Jacob Yost, for $356, of which he 
conveyed 14 acres and 158 perches to Kyle, April 
9, 1867, "to finally settle disputes between the par- 
ties as to lines and boundaries between them," 
which were run by J. E. Meredith, September 18, 
1861. Other purchasers of other parcels of this 
tract were John McDade, Patrick McGonagle and 
Thomas Patterson, portions of which are in Butler 
county. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned tract, the Stone- 
McCall-McGinley on the east, and " Somerset " on 
the south, on the Gapen map, is unsurveyed terri- 
tory, but on -the other, a tract of 400 acres, trav- 
ersed southeasterly by Long run, on which Thomas 
Johnston, who was county commissioner of this 
county in the year 1807-8-9, made an early im- 
provement and settlement, with which (at 600 
acres), 1 house, 2 lots and 2 cows, he was assessed, 
in 1805, at $262 on the Buffalo township list, which 
then included that of the town of Freeport. The 
next year he was assessed with only 400 acres, 1 
lot and 2 horses, at $150. He continued to be 
assessed with these 400 acres, a horse and cows, 
until 1812. The next year, Henry "Weaver was 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



483 



assessed with 300 acres " for the land that Thomas 
Johnston formerly held," and with which quantity 
he continued to be assessed for the next three 
years. The records do not show any conveyance of 
any part of this tract by either Johnston or Weaver, 
with the exception that, by the will of Thomas 
Johnston, a resident of West township, Huntington 
county, Pennsylvania, dated July 20, 184'/, and 
registered in Armstrong county, February 1, 1855, 
after making several bequests, he devised "all the 
residue and remainder" of his estate to his third 
and youngest son Joseph, whom he appointed his 
executor. Portions of this Johnston tract are now 
occupied by Barney Kerr and James Callahan. 
Schoolhouse No. 1 is situated on it. 

Adjoining that Johnston tract on the east and 
" Plymouth " on the south, unnamed on the Gapen 
map, but on the other to " William Kier and Alex- 
ander McKi.nney, 440".," to whom it was origi- 
nally surveyed on warrant of March 16, IBOY. It 
is a very irregularly shaped tract, having thirteen 
sides, its southwestern part extending over the line 
between this and North Buffalo township. The 
warrant was granted to Andrew Kier and Cathe- 
rine his wife, nee Miller, June 7, 1824, who con- 
veyed their interest in it to David Beatty, John 
Keener and others, which they conveyed to other 
parties, and they to others until the interest of the 
warrantees became vested in the following paten- 
tees : Joseph Barnes, James Campbell, John C. 
Duffey, Henry Hartman, Michael Kyle and Charles 
C. McClatchey, to whom the commonwealth grant- 
ed its patent April 25, 187-3, for 440 acres, on the 
payment of $98.60, besides the amount paid by 
Kier and McKinney. 

East of the northwestern part and northeast of 
the eastern projection or tongue of the Kier-Mc- 
Kinney tract in a western bend in the Buffalo 
creek, is the name of John Craig on unsurveyed 
territory on the Gaf)en map, but on the other a 
tract with ten sides, " 1 1 4". 1 1 "," south of the south- 
western part of " Cheshire " and the southeastern 
part of " Plymouth," the major part being on the 
east side of the creek, for which a. warrant was 
granted to John Craig, April 4, 1793, all his inter- 
est in which, " at the mouth of a run emptying 
into Buffalo creek, commonly known by the name 
of Glade run," he conveyed to Robert Long, June 
25, 1807, for £55, and which the latter by his will, 
dated June 7, 1848, and registered October 19, 
1852, devised to his daughter Elizabeth McGary, 
during her life, and to her children after her death, 
by whom it is still retained. 

East of the Kier-McKinney tract and below the 
Craig-Long tract, is unsurveyed territory on the 



Gapen map, but on the other is one containing 440 
acres, traversed southeasterly by Buffalo creek, 
with 150 acres in the western part of which Samuel 
Walker was assessed from 1809 until 1812, when 
that quantity was transferred to George Hollo- 
bough and assessed to him until 1818, and then 
transferred to John Hoover and assessed to him 
until 1830, and was then transferred to David 
Hoover and assessed to him until 1832, when it 
was transferred to John McClain, who was there- 
after assessed with 200 acres. 

William Beatty was first assessed in 1816 with 
150 aci-es of its southeastern part, partly in what is 
now North Buffalo township, adjoining the parcel 
which he had purchased from David Hall, and 
which, after 1824, was assessed to his son David, 
to whom it was devised. The rest of this tract on 
the northeast side of the creek was settled, proba- 
bly before 1 800, by Jacob Garver, who was assessed 
with 200 acres in 1805 at $80, and thereafter with 
quantities varying from that to 400 acres, until 
1830. The records do not show what disposition, 
if any, he made of his interest in it before his 
death. Jacob Garver, Jr., was for years assessed 
with 100 acres. On the county and township map 
of 1860 appears on this part of that tract the name 
of " Jac. Graver," and on the township maj) of 
1876, "Garver Est." There does not appear to 
have been any administration on his estate. 

Adjoining that Beatty-Garver-Walker tract on 
the " vacant lands " on the Gapen, but on the 
other map a tract containing 400 acres, on which 
Thomas Hooks made an improvement February 25, 
1793, and a settlement March 10, 1796, and which 
was surveyed to him, by Deputy Surveyor Ross, 
July 3, 1801. The patent for this tract, called 
" St. Thomas," was granted to Hooks, June 3, 
1804. He was assessed with 200 acres of it, 2 
horses and 2 cows, in 1805 and 1806, at §128. He 
conveyed 200 acres of its southern part to David 
Hall, Sr., miller, January 9, 1806, for £10; 153 
acres and 13 perches of which the latter conveyed 
to George Long, the same day, for 8366, where the 
latter probably resided when he was county com- 
missioner in 1811-12-13. Hooks conveyed 216 
acres of " St, Thomas " to Allen and Robert 
Hooks, May 3, 1831, for S200, the half of which 
Allen conveyed to Daniel and Hugh McCreary, 
March 15, 1834, for $280, of which they conveyed 
62 acres and 110^ perches to Robert C. Claypoole, 
August 5, 1854, for $1,000, and 69 acres and 13 
perches to George Miller, March 26, 1861, for 
§124.46. 

(As there is a considerable scope of other terri- 
tory in this part of what is now West Franklin 



484 



HISTORY OF ARMSTBONG COUNTY. 



township vacant, except the numbers of some of 
the depreciation lots on the Gapen map, it will not 
be referred to until the Gapen surveys be again 
reached. Until then the readers may consider the 
other map before them.) 

Adjoining "St. Thomas" on the east on the 
other map is depreciation lot No. 260, surveyed 
October 20, 1785, one of the Holland tracts, for 
which, 200x% acres, a patent was granted to Samuel 
Holland, August 14, 1830, and which he conveyed 
to James Campbell, Si-., November 22, for 8400, 
who conveyed 101 acres and 30 perches of it to 
James Campbell, Jr., November 15, 1844, who con- 
veyed 53 acres and 24 perches to Valentine Bow- 
ser, January 7, 1854, for $650, and 52 acres and 
1 1 perches, two days later, for the same amount, 
or $1,300 for the two parcels. James Campbell, 
Sr., conveyed 101 acres and 30 perches of No. 260 
to his other son Samuel, for $1 and " natural love 
and affection," August 14, 1830, who, by his will, 
dated August 4, and registered August 15, 1871, 
devised the part " next to the Bradford farm " to 
his son Jacob, and the part " next to the David 
Claypoole farm " to his son John, i. e. the north- 
western part of " Moorefields." 

Adjoining No. 260 on the east and the eastern 
part of " Moorefields " on the north is depreciation 
lot No. 264, 201t5 acres, called " Springfield," for 
which a patent was granted to John McCoollbach, 
January 22, 1792, and was a part of the real estate 
which he authorized his executors to sell. Dr. 
Samuel McCuUoch, his sole surviving executor, 
agreed to sell it to Peter Groff for $562.17. The 
purchase money was paid to that executor in his 
lifetime, who died without executing the deed. 
Hence his administrator, John S. McCulloch, con- 
veyed it to Groff, June 4, 1849, for $1 — being the 
tract of which the latter conveyed 3 acres and 39 
perches to Samu.el H. Bowser, April 1, 1854, for 
$100, and 154 acres and 6 perches to David Shaffer, 
March 23, 1855, for $924, who conveyed 50 acres 
and 70 perches thereof to Elizabeth Fails, June 18, 
1857, for $200. William Anthony's store, with 
which he was first assessed in the fall of 1870, is 
near the township line in the southern part of 
No. 264. 

Adjoining the last-noticed depreciation lot on 
the north is depreciation lot No. 265, 203to acres, 
which also belonged to John McCulloch's estate, 
and which John S. McCulloch, administrator, con- 
veyed to James B. and Robert O. Porterfield, June 
5, 1849, for $1,019.50. James B. conveyed his in- 
terest therein to Robert O. Porterfield, March 23, 
1852, for $239, and the latter to John Shields, 
the next day, 103 acres and 15 perches, for $1,700, 



which Shields conveyed to John Brown, April 1, 
1862, for $2,500.* James B. Porterfield conveyed 
103 acres and 15 perches of the western part to 
James Clark, April 21, 1855, which the latter con- 
veyed to George Monroe, September 5, 1863, and he 
to Robert Noble, April 28, 1866, for $2,600. 

Adjoining No. 265 on the west is another square 
tract, 202 acres and 62 perches, in the southern 
part of which is the junction of the run that flows 
through Worthington into Buffalo creek, which was 
improved and settled by Abner Bradford about 
1796-7. He was assessed with 270 acres, 2 horses 
and 2 cows, in 1805, at $210, for which a warrant, as 
recited in a conveyance of a portion of it — perhaps 
the patent was meant — was granted February 2, 
1886. A primitive log schoolhouse was built on this 
tract before 1820. The first school in it was taught 
by a Mr. Jack, who was followed by Mr. Speer, 
and he by Mr. Russell. Bradford, by his will, 
dated April 13, 1829, and registered March 2, 1841, 
devised this tract to his sons, John and Samuel, 
who were to live together on it and properly main- 
tain their mother during the rest of her life, and if 
they should not prefer to continue to live together 
after they were twenty-one years of age, they were 
to divide the tract between themselves as equally 
as possible, but if it could not be divided without 
injury, it was to be appraised by three honest and 
judicious men, and the one who should take it at 
their appraisement should make the other secure 
for his undivided half. They occupied it together 
as long as both lived. They conveyed 1 acre along 
its eastern line to James Campbell, David and 
John Claypoole, "the building committee or 
trustees of the regular Baptist church, called 
'Union,' and their successors," April 2, 1845, for 
$1, on which the present frame edifice is located. 
This church was organized by 20 members of the 
regular Union Baptist church in North Buffalo 
township, who withdrew from the latter, April 18, 
1846, for that purpose. The original members of 
this church, then, were Elizabeth, Mary, Peter and 
Sophira Bowser, Mary, Sarah and William Brad- 
ford, James and May Campbell, David Claypoole, 
Jr., Jane, John, Mary Ann, Nancy, Sarah, Samuel, 
Samuel, Jr., Susannah and William Claypoole and 
Catherine Martin. 

John Bradford died intestate and without lineal 
heirs, so that the entire tract, except the church 
lot, became vested in his brother Samuel, who con- 
veyed 136 acres and 59 perches of the eastern part 
to John Bonner, June 24, 1868, for $1,185. 

Adjoining the Bradford tract on the west, " St. 



* Which he conveyed to his son, John F. Brown, May 7, 1877, for 
$1 and natural love and atfection. 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



485 



Thomas " and the Garver part of the recently 
noticed 440-acre tract on the south, the Craig- 
Long-McCreary tract on the west, and the south- 
eastern part of " Cheshire" on the northwest, is a 
tract with ten sides, several of which, like those of 
most other multi-lateral tracts, are very short, on 
which James McCuUough made an improvement, 
January 26, ITOS, a settlement in February, 1797, 
and which was surveyed to him by Deputy Sui-- 
veyor Ross, July 4, 1801, containing 373 acres and 
44 perches, for which a patent was granted to him 
March 8, 1804. He conveyed 73 acres of its east- 
ern part to Abner Bradford, January 6, 1814, for 
$10, 50 acres of which the latter conveyed to 
Robert Long, March 23, 1818, for flOO, and was 
first assessed with his sawmill in 1828. The records 
do not show that McCullough conveyed any other 
portion of this tract in his lifetime. By his will, 
dated May 25, 1838, registered September 21, 1841, 
he gave his sons Alexander and Thomas " all the 
plantation on which " he then resided, subject to 
the maintenance of his son Geoi-ge during the rest 
of his life and of daughter Anne during the rest of 
her life, or until her marriage — she " to have the 
free and undisturbed possession of the house" 
while single, and the payment to each of his other 
sons, Archibald, John and Samuel, after the death 
of George and the marriage of Anne. School- 
house 'So. 4 (before Franklin township was di- 
vided), in the forks of two public roads, is in the 
eastern part of this tract. The major portion of 
the original tract is now assessed to Alexander and 
T. B. McCullough. 

Adjoining the McCullough tract on the north 
are depreciation lots Nos. 250 and 256, both 
rectangular parallelograms, their longest sides 
extending from north to south. The former's 
northwestern corner is traversed by the Buf- 
falo creek. It adjoins " Cheshire " and the 
McDonald, afterward Buffalo Furnace, tract on 
the west. Patents for it and its adjoiner No. 
256 were granted to William Todd, October 13, 
1786, who conveyed them to Abraham Nilson, 
March 28, 1789, to whom they were assessed, as 
unseated, at 40 cents an acre, in 1805 and 1806. 
Nilson, by his last will, dated July 6, 1798, and 
probated in New York, devised both of these tracts 
to his only child Martha, who afterward married 
Joseph Thompson. They being residents of the 
townland of Islandmore, in the parish of Bally- 
willin and county of Londonderry, Ireland, by their 
letter of attorney, dated July 1, 1826, empowered 
James Stewart, who was " about to proceed to the 
United States of America as a general agent," to 
sell both of these tracts. He conveyed No. 250, 



351ftr acres, called " Williamsburgh," to John 
Young, February 22, 1827, for $150, who by his 
last will, dated November 17, 1833, and registered 
March 26, 1835, devised all his "plantation of 
land, with the appurtenances," to his son-in-law 
and Elizabeth his wife, and his daughters Isabella 
and Nancy, to be divided equally between them at 
the expiration of five years, subject to the payment 
of a legacy to his grandson, James Young Mc- 
Cullough. 

James Stewart empowered the late Judge Bre- 
din, of Butler, Pennsylvania, to sell the other tract. 
No. 256, which Thompson and his wife, by John 
Bredin, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed No. 256, 
339tV acres, called "Toddsborough," thus: 100 acres 
of the northern part to Peter McAnamy, March 18, 
1828, for $175, who conveyed 53 acres and 122 
perches to Jeremiah Hare, May 1, 1829, for 
$12, and which Chambers Orr, sherrflf, conveyed 
to James Sample June 18, 1834; 2 acres and 38 
perches of which Sample conveyed to Peter Graff 
in July, 1849, for $75 ; McAnamy conveyed 124 
perches to John Ross March 21, 1829, for $6, 
and another parcel of 49 acres and 49 perches 
to Hare, July 11, 1831, for $12 ; and 50 acres to 
John Young, January 1], 1831, for $100, which 
j^arcel was ordered to be sold by the orphans' 
court after Young's death, and was purchased 
by Christopher Foster, his son-in-law, and con- 
veyed to him June 20, 1843, which, with other 
33 acres and 43 perches, having become vested 
in Rev. Henry S. Ehrenfeld, he conveyed the same 
to Peter Graff March 5, 1859, for $4,000, which, with 
101 acres and 80 perches additional, Graff con- 
veyed to George W. Benton, September 26, 1863, 
for $7,250. Thompson and wife, by their attor- 
ney-in-fact, conveyed 134 acres and 73 perches of 
the central part of "Toddsborough" to Henry and 
John McAnamy, April 4, 1828, for $175, which 
James Douglass, sheriff, conveyed to Samuel Por- 
terfield, September 21, 1830, for $201, which was 
described in the levy as consisting in part of 43 
acres cleared, 6 of which were meadow, with 
an orchard, 2 cabin houses, 1 cabin barn and a cabin 
stable thereon, which that vendee conveyed to 
John Porterfield, February 18, 1831, for $225. 
Thompson and wife, by their attorney, conveyed 
100 acres and 34 perches of the southern part of 
" Toddsborough " to David Campbell and Baker 
Grafton, April 4, 1828, for $175, which they con- 
veyed to Samuel Porterfield, March 5, 1849, for 
$170, which, with other 29 acres and 131 perches, 
he conveyed to Aaron Benton, September 26, 1863, 
for $4,700, and emigrated to Champaign county, 
Illinois. 



486 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Adjoining the southern half of " Toddsborough " 
on the east is a tract of 223 acres and 10 perches, 
whose eastern portion is traversed by the stream 
flowing northwesterly into Buffalo creek, a short 
distance above Firth & Graff's woolen factory. 
John Hall made an improvement on it February 
24, 1793, and it was surveyed to him June 30. 
George Brown also made an improvement on this 
tract, called "Oakland," in January, 1193, and an 
actual settlement in April, 1796, which was sur- 
veyed to him by Ross, deputy surveyor, January 
31, 1801, and for which the patent was granted to 
him, March 2, 1 805, and which he coaveyed to 
James Claypoole and his son George Claypoole, 
April 16, for $893.75. They afterward made an 
amicable partition of " Oakland " " by a line 
running east and west, or nearly so ; and the 
south side or part of said tract by the said division 
by lot or otherwise, free to said James Claypoole, 
as his part of said land," who, by verbal agree- 
ment, sold 30 acres in the southeast corner of his 
purpart to his son James, which the other heirs of 
James Claypoole, Sr., released and quit-claimed to 
James Claypoole, Jr., of Beaver county, Pennsylva- 
nia, Septembers, 1829, for " divers valuable consid- 
erations," and which the latter conveyed the next 
day to Alexander Findley for 163.75. A glance at 
the township maps of 1860 and 1876 shows that 
the major part of " Oakland " is still in the posses- 
sion of the descendants of James Claypoole, Sr., 
and George Claypoole. One hundred and eight 
acres of the latter's purpart are still assessed to his 
son James, from whom the writer obtained the 
statement that his grandfather, James Claypoole, 
Sr., was the first white settler in what is now the 
borough of Kittanning, and an early settler on the 
manor tract, from which he and his family re- 
moved to " Oakland." 

Adjoining " Oakland " on the east is deprecia- 
tion lot No. 266, one of the numerous tracts in 
this and other counties which became vested in 
Gen. Andrew Porter, a citizen of Montgomery, 
Pennsylvania, a proficient surveyor and engineer, 
who was a captain in the Pennsylvania regiment 
of artillery in the revolutionary war, and with his 
company in common with the devoted patriots of 
other regiments or companies endured the terrible 
hardships in camp at Valley Forge. 

Depreciation lot No. 266 is one of the tracts 
which Andrew Porter conveyed in his lifetime to 
his son, George B. Porter, who by his last will, 
dated March 29, 1830, devised to his wife, Sarah H. 
Porter, and which she conveyed as containing 196 
acres and 100 perches, as surveyed by J. E. Mere- 
dith, to George Monroe, January 5, 1842, for $1,771. 



Adjoining No. 266 on the north is depreciation 
lot No. 267, 225t'V acres, called "Sugar Tree 
Grove," which was surveyed by Joshua Elder, 
October 14, 1785, sold at public auction to John 
MoCulloch, who released it to Andrew Porter, to 
whom the patent was granted, January 22, 1792, 
who conveyed it to his son, George B. Porter, in 
1812, for $1 and "natural love and affection," and 
he to Washington Ross, September 10, 1829, for 
$775. 

Adjoining " Sugar Tree Grove " on the west, 
" Oakland " on the south, and the northern part of 
" Toddsborough " on the north and east is an 
octagonal tract on the Gapen map, 366 acres and 
72 perches, surveyed by Gapen to David Bell. 
Gilbert Wright settled on this ti-act in the early 
part of 1807, Archibald McCall having obtained a 
warrant of acceptance for it. He, by his attorney, 
Thomas Collins, and Wright entered into a writ- 
ten agreement, June 18, the terms and conditions 
of which were : That Wright had settled on it ; 
that McCall and he should divide the land between 
themselves ; that the " one-half to be the estate of 
said Wright and to be laid off at the end where he 
has improved, and the other to be Archibald Mc- 
Call's ; " that Wright should make due proof of 
his settlement, and McCall should, at his own ex- 
pense, take out the patent, or, if it should issue 
jointly, they should execute to each other deeds of 
partition agreeably to their contract. The patent 
was granted to both of them, February 3, 1809, in 
which the tract is called " Mount Lorenzo." In 
1811 the site of Worthington was so thickly cov- 
ered with blackjacks and underbrush that one could 
not see through them, and forty years ago the 
former were so thick on other parts of " Mount 
Lorenzo," on what is now Peter Kerr's farm, that 
the chain-carriers for the surveyors were obliged to 
crawl on their hands and feet in carrying the chain 
through them, and rattlesnakes were abundant. 

Judge Barr erected a sawmill on that Glade run 
within the limits of " Mount Lorenzo," about 1808. 
It was first assessed to his son William in 1809, 
and was in the course of a few "years removed and 
a distillery erected on its site, which was first 
assessed to James Barr, Jr., in 1813, and was noted 
the next year " not in use." It was removed and 
on its site James Barr, Jr., erected a gristmill with 
one run of stone, which was operated for several 
years. Some vestiges of it are still visible. Not 
many years since the buhr-stones used in it were on 
or near its site. 

James Barr, Jr., was assessed as a " schoolmas- 
ter" on the list for Buffalo township in 1800-7, but 
just where his school was is not known. The en- 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



487 



tire tract was included in McCall's assignment to 
Du Pont. The latter, hj his attorney, the late 
Judge White, conveyed 202 acres of it to James 
Barr, a son of Judge Barr, December 31, 1830, for 
$1. Wright conveyed his entire interest in 
"Mount Lorenzo" to Barr, March 22, 1831, for 
$760, and McCall's heirs conveyed their ancestors' 
purpart, 164 acres and 6-7 perches of the eastern 
side, to Neveu and Peter Kerr, June 20, 1 844, for 
$99.35. 

Barr, soon after perfecting his title to the pur- 
part which he purchased from Wright, laid out the 
town of Worthington in the spring of 1829, on 
that part of " Mount Lorenzo " adjoining the north- 
ern line of " Toddsborough," consisting of 38 lots, 
each one-fourth of an acre, east and west of several 
acres traversed by a northei'n tributary of Glade 
run, and all of them north of the Kittanning and 
Butler turnpike, 19 of them between Rosa street 
and Virgin alley, the latter 14 feet wide, and the 
other 19 between that alley and the turnjsike, 
the course of the pike and Ross street being nearly 
east and west, and both intersected at right angles 
by Bear and Brown (now Church) streets, each 30 
feet wide, and Glade alley, 14 feet wide, about raid- 
way between the two last-mentioned streets. In the 
original plan* of the town there are 3 lots varying in 
their areas, south of the pike and west of Bear 
street. The sale of lots, soon after they were laid 
out, were cried by William Cowan. The traveling 
facilities of this region were increased about that 
time by the construction of the Kittanning and 
Butler turnpike. 

The records do not show many sales of these 
lots by Barr in his lifetime, or by his executors, to 
whom he gave power to sell in his will. Barr, 
before his death, conveyed lot No. 24 to William 
Q. Sloan, April 2, 1831, for $22, and the same No. 
to James Gallagher, April 30, for $23.50, which 
the latter, the same day, conveyed to Samuel Hutch- 
inson for $50, to Levi Bowser lot No. 20, May 9, 
1831, for $15, and he to Christian Kemen, July 21, 
1836, for $17; to David Claypoole, May 9, 1831, 
lot No. 11 for $4; to John Craig, lot No. 27, for 
$8. Barr, by his will dated September 26, 1822, 
and registered August 24, 1833, authorized his 
executoi', David Barr, his brother, and Joseph 
Shields, to sell to the highest and best bidders all 
the lots of ground in the town of Worthington 
sold at the sales, and the purchasers had not at the 
time of his death complied with their contracts, 
and that the part of his plantation adjoining that 
part, "Toddsborough," then occupied by Jeremiah 
Hare, and adjoining the land of David Barr, near 

* Recorded September 20, I&IS, In deed book, vol. 16, p. 316. 



the culvert, " over the run which flows through 
David Barr's meadow," enough to pay all his 
debts, and devised the rest equally to his six chil- 
dren, subject to affording his wife as comfortable 
a living as possible out of his plantation. His 
executors conveyed lot No. — , " on which the 
blacksmith-shop is erected," to Samuel Hutchison 
(one of the sheriffs of this county), March 19, 
1835, for $15.52. They conveyed 40 acres and 
40 perches of the plantation to David Johnston, 
September 22, 1838, for $100. The decedent in 
his lifetime had agreed to sell to his brother 
David 82 acres and 52 perches, which agreement 
was so far executed as that the purchase-money 
had all been paid before his death, but the deed 
had not been made. The proper court decreed a 
specific performance of that contract, and that the 
other executor make and execute a deed therefor, 
which he did, November 15, 1841. 

The first sejDarate assessment list of the " tax- 
able inhabitants in Worthington " appears in the 
assessment list for Buffalo township for 1832, the 
assessments having been made in the latter part of 
1831. Fourteen lots were then assessed to eleven 
persons, six of them at $5 each, 4 at $10 each, 1 at 
$25 and 1 at $50, aggregating $145. As none of 
these lot-owners were assessed with either occupa- 
tions or personal property, it is probable they were 
all then non-residents of Worthington. This town, 
the next year, was in Franklin township, when its 
separate assessment list showed one person having 
an occupation. Christian Kenson, weaver, whose 
occupation and the lot he had purchased from Levi 
Bowser were valued at $60 and one of Samuel 
Hutchison's lots, and the "house and stable" on 
it, at $58. George Claypoole's lot was valued at 
$58. All the others at $4 and $8 each. 

The growth of Worthington in population and 
in the various trades and occupations was for years 
quite slow. James Sample was first assessed with 
his lot on the south side of the turnpike and west 
of Bear street, in 1833-4, and with a tavern stand 
in 1837-8; William C. Piper as the first merchant 
in 1837-8; Charles Foreman and John McDonald 
as the first tailors, and Matthias Burnheimer as the 
first shoemaker, in 1838-9; Robert Staley as the 
first blacksmith in 1840-1; Robert Armstrong, first 
wagonmaker; Jacob McDonald, first carpenter, and 
William Cratty as the first tanner in 1841-2; John 
McDonald as the second landlord in 1842-3. As 
late as 1845 the number of taxables did not exceed 
ten. Its being a point on the stage route from 
Freeport to Brady's bend and Clarion and its 
proximity to Buffalo Furnace contributed somewhat 
to the maintenance of its life and business. 



488 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The petition of thirty-foiiv inhabitants of the 
town of Worthington was presented to tlie court 
of quarter sessions of this county December, 1854, 
representing that there was a large number of chil- 
dren in their town who needed schooling, but 
labored under great inconvenience on account of 
their schoolhouse being a mile or more distant 
from their homes; that the taxes collected off the 
inhabitants of their town ought to be applied to 
the repairs of its streets and alleys, but were 
expended on the roads of the township, to the great 
inconvenience and damage of the inhabitants of 
the town and the traveling public; and praying the 
court to incorporate their town into a borough 
under the act of April 3, 1851. The grand jury 
approved of their application, and the court ap- 
proved it December 6, but took off the approval on 
the 8th, but ordered and decreed, March 15, 1855, 
that the town be incorporated into the borough of 
Worthington and established the boundaries speci- 
fied in the petition: Beginning at or near an apple- 
tree on John Shields' lot, which is the northeast 
corner of the borough; thence south 100 perches to 
a post on Peter Kerr's land; thence north 83 degrees 
east 20 perches to a post on Peter Kerr's land; 
thence south 104 perches to a post on Peter Kerr's 
land; thence west 238 perches to a post on Henry 
Ehrenf eld's land; thence north 20 degrees east 228 
perches to a post on James Barr's land; thence east 
140 perches to the beginning, containing 254 
acres, 2 roods and 20 perches, as protracted by R. 
L. M., including portions of " Mount Lorenzo " and 
" Toddsborough." The election officers appointed 
by the court were : A. D. Keely, judge; John W. 
Green and S. B. Gamble, inspectors. The borough 
officers elected at the spring election, 1856, were: 
Dr. John K. Maxwell, burgess; Michael Duffey and 
Adam Rhodes, justices of the peace; Jacob Mech- 
ling, constable; J. G. Clark, H. S. Ehrenfeld, Joseph 
C. King, John McNarr and James Monroe, town 
councilmen; James Barr and Samuel Monroe for 
three years, and Dr. John K. Maxwell for two years, 
school directors; John T. Ehrenfeld, assessor; 
David Landis, borough auditor, and John Blain and 
Samuel Lego, overseers of the poor. 

This borough contained the next year after its 
incorporation nearly 70 taxables, 3 blacksmiths, 2 
carpenters, 3 clerks, 2 coachmakers, 1 cabinetmaker, 
6 farmers, 1 grocer, 1 harnessmaker, 1 huckster, 10 
laborers, 2 merchants, 1 manager, 1 preacher, 1 
miller, 1 physician, 3 shoemakers, 1 saddler, 1 
teacher, 1 tanner, 1 theological student, 1 tailor, 
1 wagonm.aker. 

The Evangelical Lutheran church of Buffalo 
Furnace (changed to Evangelical Lutheran church 



of Worthington) was organized in 1847 by Rev. 
George F. Ehrenfeld. Its first officers were ; Peter 
Graff, elder; John Barr, William Blain and John 
Schantz. Its original members : James Barr, Sr., 
John and Susan Barr, Peter and Susan Graff, 
George Hutley, Jacob and Barbara Mechling, Mary 
C. Mechling, John and Elizabeth Porterfield, 
Nancy Porterfield, Francis and Sydney Regis. Its 
pastors have been Rev. George F. Ehrenfeld from 
1847 until 1848; Rev. A. C. Ehrenfeld from 1848 
until 1858; Rev. F. Ruthrauff from 1858 until 
1859; Revs. C. Witmer and H. J. H. Lemicke nntil 
1867, and from then the present one, Rev. J. W. 
Schwartz. This church in 1876 has a membership 
of 120; Sabbath-school scholars, 125. 

For about two years the congregation worshiped 
in a small chapel at Buffalo Furnace. The present 
edifice, brick, 42X52 feet, ceiling about 15 feet, 
erected in 1849, is situated in that part of Worth- 
ington about 20 rods east of the western borough 
line, in the western part of " Mount Lorenzo." The 
lecture room is in the upper story, a building near 
the church edifice, in which the teachers' county 
institute was held in April, 1860, whose lower story 
was formerly used as a public schoolroom. A young 
lady who taught the school there one winter had 
occasion to flog one of her juvenile male pupils. 
His irate father the next day rushed into the 
schoolroom and gave her, as indiscreet parents 
sometimes do under like circumstances, a severe 
scolding, and intimated that if she were not a 
woman he would flog her. She promptly replied, 
" Oh, you needn't make that an excuse. Try it and 
I'll flog you." He didn't try it. 

The Associate, now the United Presbyterian, 
church here was organized in 1848. It depended 
the first year upon supplies. Rev. J. N. Dick, D. D., 
was its first pastor. He preached here semi-monthly 
until 1851. Then there were supplies for two years. 
Rev. John Jamison was pastor for about three 
years, then supplies for nearly a yeai% when Rev. 
Thomas Seaton became pastor and continued as 
such six or seven years — supplies two years, followed 
by the present pastor. Rev. J. L. Grover. The 
number of members in 1876 is 77; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 50. The church edifice, frame, one-story, 
ceiling 12 feet, 40X40 feet, is situated on lot No. 
9, which adjoins Ross street on the north, and 
Brown, now Church, street on the east. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
in 1849, and its first pastor was Rev. Mr. Cooper. 
Rev. Mr. Tiballs, one of his successors, was in the 
war of the rebellion. Membership, in 1876, is 80, 
with a union Sabbath school. Its edifice, frame, one- 
story, 40X35 feet, ceiling 12 feet, is situated on lot 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



489 



No. 15, adjoining Glade alley on the west and Ross 
street on the north, which Samuel Porterfield, De- 
cember 26, 1849, for $50, conveyed to John Blain, 
Peter Mobley, Elijah Newton, James B. Porterfield, 
James, Samuel and Thomas Scott, trustees in trust 
that they should " erect thereon a place or house of 
worship, for the use of the members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church." This lot was conveyed by 
James Barr to Joseph Claypoole (of David), May 
5, 1831 ; by Claypoole to Francis Dobbs, February 
16, 1842, and by Dobbs to Porterfield, March 3, 1848. 

The Free Presbyterian church, of Worthington, 
was organized by authority of the Presbytery of 
Mahoning, March 10, 1850, and at first consisted of 
12 members, who withdrew from the Old School 
Presbj'terian denoniination on account of their con- 
viction of the crime and injustice of the institution 
of slavery in the United States, and especially its 
proposed extension by the abrogation of the Mis- 
souri compromise line. Hence, although they ad- 
hered to the tenets of the Old School Presbyterian 
church, except what they deemed its pro-slavery 
sentiment, they separated and organized a distinct 
denomination, which they distinguished from the 
one they had left by the qualifying word " Free." 

Its stated supply until 1860 was Rev. George 
Mellhenny, and thereafter until 1866 Revs. T. S. 
and J. W. Moflit. Its edifice, frame, one-story, 
ceiling 12 feet high, about 40X40 feet, situated 
partly in Worthington and partly in West Frank- 
lin townships, on the northern line of the borough, 
being equally divided by that line, was erected in 
18 — on that parcel of " Mount Lorenzo " conveyed 
by James and Samuel Monroe to the church, 1 acre, 
December 26, 1852. The anti-slavery pastor, church 
members and congregation that worshiped here felt 
and manifested a deep interest in the political 
as well as religious affairs of our country. They 
did not hesitate to open the doors of their temple 
of religion to the political assemblages of the anti- 
slavery element, uninfluential as it then was with 
the great mass of the American peo23le. A conven- 
tion of those belonging to that element, or the 
" Free Democracy of Armstrong county," was held 
in this church edifice July 4, 1853, of which Rob- 
ert Robinson, of Kittanning, was chosen president; 
John Craig, of Franklin township, and Dr. J. E. 
Stevenson, of Kittanning, vice-presidents, and 
Robei't M. Kiskadden, of South Buffalo, secretary. 
On motion of its pastor, Rev. George Mellhenny, 
Rev. William Smith and Dr. S. A. Marshall were 
appointed a committee to draft resolutions, who 
reported the following, which were adopted : 

Whereas, In the judgment of this meeting, the time has 
come in which the cause of humanity and equal rights 



demand at our hands a full, free and detenninate posi- 
tion in their defense, surh as was maintained by our 
Pil.mm Fathers for the riglit i>f all mankind: There- 
fore, 

Resolved, Tliat we acknowledge no affinity with any 
of the old politii-al parties of the day, nor can we hope 
for their aid in preventing the curse of slavery from 
blighting the hopes of the free territories <if (.mr nation. 

Resolved, That the free deinoci'acy having adopted a 
platform ci insistent with the Declaration of Independence 
and maintaining the truths therein exhibited, it is our 
duty find the duty of those who Iidld these truths to sup- 
port that party. 

Resolved, That, trusting in the rectitude nfuur cause 
and the help of our God, we will do all in our power to ad- 
vance the cause of equal rights under the broad banner 
of the free democracy of the nineteenth century. 

Resolved, That, the growing opposition to American 
slavery, both at liome and abroad, the increasing popu- 
larity of anti-slavery literature, the unabating energy of 
the free democracy througliout the states, and the facili- 
ties now enjoyed by means of the press for scattering our 
principles broadcast over the land, and, above all, the 
health)' sentiments inculcated from many pulpits of our 
country, give us strong hope that the triumphs of the 
free democracy may be nearer than we or our political 
opponents had supposed. 

Resolved, That we will use all honorable means in our 
power to elect our candidates for the different offices in 
our county and district. 

Resolved, That we hereby approve the nominations of 
the Harrisburg convention, and will support them to the 
extent of our power. 

Resolved, That the freedom of more than 3,000,000 of 
our colored brethren from degrading and cruel bondage 
and bitter prejudice is a cause next in importance to tlie 
procuring of our liberties by our revolutionary fathers. 

Resolved, That in view of the evils arising in our coun- 
try from the use of and traffic in intoxicating drinks, it 
is the opinion of this meeting that the interest of our 
state demands a prohibitory liquor law, and has no right 
to license any class of men to traffic in an article so ruin- 
ous to itself and its citizens. 

The last and only other resolution was in refer- 
ence to signing the proceedings of the convention 
by the ofiicers, and publishing them in the Kittan- 
ning and several other papers.* Several animated 
addresses were delivered during the session of the 
convention. 

The feeling of hostility to the encroachment of 
slavery continued to deepen, widen and strengthen 
in this county as well as in other portions of the 
free states, and a sequel to that convention was 
another one, held at the court-house in Kittanning, 
Thursday, September 30, 1855, to organize a Re- 
publican party. It will be borne in mind that the 
American, or, as it was commonly called, the 
Know-Nothing party, had carried the elections in 
this county and various other parts of the country 



* Vid. Kittanning Free Press, July 14, 1853. 



490 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



by immense majorities in 1854, and that the next 
year it had made open nominations — in this county 
prior to the meeting of the last-mentioned conven- 
tion. That first Republican convention in this 
county was organized by electing Dr. David Alter, 
of Freeport, president; John Craig, of Franklin 
township, and Alexander Henry, of Kittanning, 
vice-presidents; and Dr. S. A. Marshall, secretary, 
and by appointing Josiah Copley, Rev. William 
Galbraith, Rev. William Smith, Hugh Reed and 
John Burford a committee to prepare business and 
report resolutions, who reported the following: 

Whereas, A crisis has arrived in the history of the 
country which has made the question of slavery para- 
mount to all other issues in its politics, a crisis forced 
upon us in the first place by the abrogation of the Mis- 
souri compromise, followed, as it has been, by a series of 
outrages upon the people of Kansas territory, unparalleled 
in our history. 

It was therefore 

Kesoloed, 1. That the people of the Free States owe it to 
their brethren in Kansas to stand by them and aid them 
by every means in their power, with the border ruffians 
Achison and Stringfellow, for the avowed purpose of 
forcing slavery upon them against their will. 

2. That if the people of the Free States expect to do 
anything effective, they must stick together. The people 
of the south do so in favor of slavery ; we must do so in 
opposition to it. 

3. That to this end we give the right hand of fellow- 
ship to every man, of whatever party, who afiiliates with 
us in this great struggle. 

4. That we cordially adopt the platform of the late 
Republican convention, at Pittsburgh, as our declaration 
of sentiments. 

5. That we deem it inexpedient at present to put in 
nomination candidates for the legislature and for the 
several county officers to be chosen at the ensuing elec- 
tion, because it is the opinion of many friends of liberty 
that the gentlemen put in nomination by the American 
party agree with us in sentiment on the great question of 
slavery, but in order that there may be no doubt on that 
question, 

6. That a committee of three be appointed to corre- 
spond with such of them, and draw from thena a full and 
explicit declaration of their sentiments, so that such 
correspondence be published. 

7. That in taking this course we do not wish to be un- 
derstood as approving of the organization or of the pecu- 
liar principles of the American or Know-Nothing party. 

All the foregoing resolutions were received and 
adopted. The following minority report of the 
committee was read, and, after some spirited dis- 
cussion, was rejected: 

Resolved, That this meeting proceed to nominate a 
Republican ticket I'or this county, indejjendent of the 
Democratic and American parties, and that they ap- 
prove of the nomination made by the state convention 
tor canal commissioner. 



The president of the convention appointed Dr. 
S. A. Marshall, James M. Brown and Josiah Cop- 
ley a committee to correspond with the candidates 
of the American party. That committee presented 
each of these candidates with a. copy of the fore- 
going fifth and sixth resolutions, with pointed 
questions as to whether they were hostile to the 
further encroachment of slavery, in favor of the 
repeal of tlie fugitive slave law and the restoration 
of theMissouri compromise, to which the committee 
received satisfactory answers — from Darwin 
Plielps, candidate for assembly; Andrew J. Faulk, 
for county treasurer; William W. Hastings, for 
county commissioner, and Hamlet Totten, for 
county auditor. Thus all the anti-slavery elements 
became consolidated in the Republican party, 
which, in this county, sprung from the proceedings 
of that convention. The writer remembers the 
hearty and pleasant greetings of some of those 
original anti-slavery men, as he met them in Kit- 
tanning just after the convention had adjourned. 
They were gratified. A good old John Craig, 
with a smiling countenance, said: "We rejoiae 
that we now can act together on this great politi- 
cal question." He, James Walker and other kin- 
dred spirits had the still higher gratification of 
knowing, ere they left for " the better land," that 
one of the compensating results of the war of the 
rebellion was the restoration to freedom by Presi- 
dent Lincoln's emancipation proclamation of the 
four millions of dusky slaves, whose bondage they 
had so long lamented and abhorred. 

A congregational meeting of that Free Presbyte- 
rian Society was held August '26, 1866, by which it 
was unanimously resolved : "That we, as a con- 
gregation, respectfully request the Pi-esbytery of 
Allegheny (O. S.) to take us under their care and 
grant us supplies, and we will endeavor to seek the 
peace, the purity and prosperity of the church." 
That request was presented to the Presbytery at 
Brady's Bend, October 16, by John Craig and 
James Stephenson, elders, and the request was 
cheerfully granted. This church had previously 
been called Buffalo, but afterward Worthington. 
At the reconstruction of Presbyteries this church 
was assigned to that of Kittanning. Rev. A. S. 
Thompson was ordained and installed as its pastor 
for half time, November 20, 1867. Its member- 
ship in 1876 was about 75 ; Sabbath-school scholars 
about 90. 

The farmers and some others of Franklin and 
adjacent townships held an agricultural meeting 
on Wednesday and Thursday, October 4 and 5, 
1865, on the farm which Joseph M. Jordan sold to 
James and Samuel Monroe, that part of " Mount 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



491 



Lorenzo " adjacent to the Free Presbj'terian 
church, at which, for so limited a local one, there 
was a very creditable display of animals and agri- 
cultural and mechanical products. 

James Barr, Jr., was assessed as a "schoolmas- 
ter" in 1806-7, whose school was probably on or 
near " Mount Lorenzo." 

Worthington became, of course, when incorpo- 
rated as a borough, a separate school district, and 
a frame school house of adequate size was erected 
in the obtuse angle formed by the junction of Ross 
street and the public road extending northeasterly 
through the northeastern corner of the borough. 
Its statistics for 1860 : One school ; average num- 
ber of months taught, 4 ; teachers, male, 1; monthl)' 
salary, $20 ; male scholars, 24 ; female scholars, 
37 ; average number attending school, 48 ; cost of 
teaching each scholar per month, 41 cents ; levied 
for school purposes, $127.25 ; levied for building, 
$127.25 ; received from state appropriation, $24.95; 
received from collectors, $122 ; cost of instruction, 
$80; fuel, etc., $18.66. For 1876 — one school; 
number months taught, 5 ; male teacher, 1 ; 
monthly salary, $35 ; male scholars, 28 ; female, 37 ; 
average number attending school, 37 ; cost per 
month, 64 cents ; levied for school and building 
purposes, $188.41 ; received from state appropria- 
tion, $53; from taxes and other sources, $192.24; 
paid for teacher's wages, $175 ; for fuel, etc., 
$43.62. 

The Worthington Academy organized in 1852, 
and was at first called the " Buffalo Institute." 
Its first principal was Mr. C. J. Ehrehart, a gradu- 
ate of Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg. He 
taught during the winter of 1852-3. 

In the fall of 1853, Mr. W. F. Ulery, of the same 
institution, took charge of it and taught until the 
next spring. In 1856, Rev. A. C Ehrenfeld, who 
had resigned his position as pastor of the Lutheran 
church at Worthington, taught one term. 

From this time until 1868 the academy was prac- 
tically dead. In the spring of that year, Messrs. 
S. Knipe and E. S. Heaney, graduates of Lafayette 
College, Easton, Pennsylvania, resuscitated it, and 
for several years it was in a very prosperous condi- 
tion. They taught one summer, and were suc- 
ceeded in the fall by Mr. E. H. Dickenson, of Con- 
necticut, who taught until the spring of 1870. His 
successor was Mr. S. Crist, of Washington and 
Jefferson College, who taught one term in 1871. 

Mr. S. H. Culp, of Pennsylvania College, was 
his successor in the summer of 1873. 

He was succeeded by Mr. J. C. R. Ewing, of 
Washington and Jefferson (now a foreign mission- 
ary in the Presbyterian church), who taught in 1874. 



Mr. M. Cunningham followed him, teaching 
during that winter and the next summer. 

Mr. J. T. Young, of Washington and Jefferson, 
took charge of the academy in the spring of 1878, 
and taught during three successive summers. The 
first year he taught alone ; the second, he was 
assisted by Mr. A. C. Good, of the same institu- 
tion (who is also laboring in the foreign missions 
work, under the care of the Presbyterian Board), 
and the third year he was assisted by Mr. J. P. 
Wiley. 

Mr. N. Donaldson, of Washington and Jefferson, 
assisted by Mr. Wiley, taught during the summer 
of 1881, and he in turn was succeeded, in 1882, by 
Mr. H. Wallace, of Westminster College, New 
Wilmington, Pennsylvania. 

In the last 15 years one prominent aim of the 
institution has been to qualify young ladies and 
gentlemen for teaching, and its success has been 
marked in this direction. It has also fitted a num- 
ber of young men for the higher classes in college 
and for professional life ; and it numbers among 
its former students some who are reflecting great 
credit on the academy in which they were trained. 

Worthington postoffice was established Febru- 
ary 12, 1840, with John McDonald, postmaster. 

The vote of Worthington, February 28, 1873, was 
4 for and 21 against granting liquor licenses. 

The cemetery was laid out on the lot given to 
the town for that purpose by Joseph M. Jordan. 

The assessment list for this borough for 1876 
shows the number of taxables to be 62 ; black- 
smiths, 2 ; carder, 1 ; cabinetmaker, 1 ; carpen- 
ters, 4; clerk, 1 ; farmers, 13 ; gardener, 1 ; manu- 
facturer, 1 ; merchants, 4 ; millwi'ight, 1 ; miner, 
1 ; ministers, 3 ; painter, 1 ; peddler, 1 ; saddler, 
1 ; shoemaker, 1 ; tailor, 1 ; tanner, 1 ; tinner, 1 ; 
wagonmaker, 1. 

The population of this borough in 1860 was 213. 
In 1870 it was : native, 202 ; foreign, 14. 

Adjoining " Mount Lorenzo " on the north and 
east, and " Sugar Tree Grove " on the north, on 
the Gapen map, is open territory, on which 
is inscribed the name of " John Titers." On the 
other map is an octagonal tract, " 395"131''," to 
which James Barr removed from the Manor soon 
after 1800, and on which he made an improvement 
and settlement. He conveyed his interest in it to 
Thomas Scott, of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, 
June 1, 1812, for $1,100, when its eastern adjoiners 
were John Campbell and William Moffit, and Isaac 
Lennington its northern one. About one-fourth of 
it is in what is now East Franklin township. 

The first occupant of this tract, James Barr, 
was a prominent citizen of this state from his early 



492 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



manhood until his death. He was born in Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, in 1749, whence he 
removed to that part of Bedford county afterward 
included within the limits of Derry township in 
Westmoreland county ; that is, he removed thither 
prior to 1173. He evinced his patriotism and de- 
votion to the cause of the colonists in the begin- 
ning of the revolutionary struggle by aiding in 
the organization of what were then called "the 
associated battalions," or bodies of " Associators," 
which were raised for the defense both of the 
western frontier and the whole state and country. 
His fellow-citizens returned him as a member of 
the constitutional convention of this state, which 
met July 15, 1776, and framed the first constitu- 
tion of the state of Pennsylvania. He was after- 
ward appointed a justice of the peace. From 1787 
until 1790 he was a member of the general assem- 
bly of the state, and opposed the calling of the 
convention of 1790 for revising the constitution. 
After the adoption of the constitution of that year 
he was appointed one of the associate judges of 
the courts of Westmoreland county, and a remon- 
strant against the attempt to impeach Judge 
Addison, who was then the president judge of the 
judicial district of which Westmoreland was then 
a part. The writer has not been able to ascertain 
when Judge Barr removed from Derry township 
to Appleby Manor, on the hill part of which he 
resided when he was appointed a trustee of this 
county, at or near where Thomas Montgomery now 
lives, until his removal to this tract, on which he 
was residing when this county was organized for 
judicial purposes, when he was appointed one of 
the three associate judges of the courts of Arm- 
strong county, which position he held until De- 
cember term, 1817. He died, as one of his 
descendants has informed the writer, in August, 
1820, on that part of " Mount Lorenzo " then occu- 
pied by his son, David Barr. 

Patents for different portions of this tract were 
granted to Thomas Scott, respectively, July 7, 1815, 
and February 29, 1816. He gave the principal 
portion of this tract to his children in his lifetime. 
He conveyed- 100 acres of the quantity included in 
the first patent to his son James, June 22, 1821, 
for $1 — , who having died intestate, his heirs con- 
veyed to William Plindman, April 1, 1872, for 
$5,500 ; 95 acres to David Barr, October 17, 1822, 
for $1, of which James Barr, guardian of the 
minor children of Titus Barr, conveyed — acres to 
William Galbraith, March 18, 1875, for $1,040; 
128 acres to his son William, February 5, 1828, for 
" natural love and affection," which having become 
vested in Henry Drake, his heirs conveyed as con- 



taining 135 acres and 10 perches, to Robert 
Huston, March 5, 1872, for $6,100. 

North of the Barr-Scott tract is unsurveyed ter- 
ritory on the Gapen map bearing the name of 
" Timothy Lennington," who must have settled on 
it before Gapen made the surveys of some adjoin- 
ing tracts. On the other map it is a surveyed 
tract, nearly square, " 400-|-''," about one-fourth of 
which is in what is now East Franklin. It was 
surveyed to Lennington on a warrant, dated August 
6, 1801, to whom the patent was granted March 6, 
1802, who soon after conveyed 99f acres of the 
southern or southeastern part to Rev. John Boyd, 
which was his place of residence while he was 
pastor of the Slate Lick and Union Presbyterian 
churches, and which, after his removal from this 
county, he conveyed to William Stevenson, Septem- 
ber 30, 1811, for $400. The witnesses present at 
the execution of the deed by him were Judge Barr, 
Jacob Garver and George Wright. His acknowl- 
edgment was made the same day before Judge 
Barr, and that of Mary his wife before Jacob 
Gamber, associate judge of the courts of Guernsey 
county, Ohio, October 14, 1811, and which Steven- 
son conveyed to his son Alexander, April 17, 1818, 
for $1, whose sons John and Johnston conveyed 
a portion to Jas. Stevenson, September 3, 1849. 

Timothy Lennington conveyed other parcels of 
this tract thus: 99^ acres to his son Isaac, August 
5, 1808, " for and in consideration of the good ser- 
vices " done by him to his parents, and which the 
latter conveyed to James Summerville, May 17, 
1817, for $455; 201 acres to his son-in-law John 
Titus, for " divers good considerations " and on 
condition that the latter should suitably maintain 
the former and his wife during the rest of their 
lives, which Titus conveyed to his daughter ' Jane, 
April 29, 1 840, in consideration of his maintenance 
during the rest of his life, and to his son-in-law, 
Francis A. Regis, his daughter Jane's husband, in 
consideration of his maintenance and the payment 
of from $1 and $10 to $50 to his sons and other 
daughters, respectively, aggregating $124, from the 
payment of which he, by his will, dated February 
27, 1849, and registered February 14, 1858, i-eleased 
him ; and the heirs of Jonathan Titus also released 
their interest in this parcel to him, August 3, 1854, 
" for a full and valuable consideration." Regis and 
wife conveyed 148 acres to Joseph T. McCady, 
March 27, 1855, for $1,500. 

Adjoining that Lennington-Titus tract on the 
west and " Mount Lorenzo " on the north is a hex- 
agonal tract, " 410 " acres on the Gapen map, which 
had been surveyed by Gapen to " Samuel Parr," on 
which James Simmeral made an improvement and 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



493 



settlement March 5, 1796, which was surveyed to 
him by Deputy Surveyor Ross, July 6, 1801, which 
.survey was disputed by Hugh Lennington to whom 
and A. McCall it was resurveyed, " 41 T'S"," March 
14, 1805, by virtue of previous improvement and 
settlement, with 200 acres of which and four cat- 
tle James Simmeral was assessed in 1805-6 at $82. 
Its central part is traversed in a westerly course by 
Lennington run. It is not apparent from the records 
whether Hugh Lennington abandoned or sold his 
claim. The patent for the entire tract was granted to 
McCall and Simmeral as tenants in common, Octo- 
ber 29, 1829. They made partition and McCall 
conveyed to Simmeral 212 acres and 25 perches, 
June 26, 1832, on which the latter and his family 
resided until his death. By his will, dated Septem- 
ber 18, 1841, and his codicil, dated September 9, 
1851, and registered August 19, 1854, he directed 
his executors, John Craig and Thomas McCullough, 
to sell 99 acres of the eastern part of the tract and 
divide the money equally among six of his sons 
and two of his daughters, which those executors 
accordingly conveyed to James, John, Joseph and 
Josiah Summerville,May 22, 1856, for $1,800. The 
testator devised 100 acres " off the south side of 
the mansion tract " to his daughters Fanny and 
Hannah. 

The first schoolhouse erected within the present 
limits of West Franklin, log, about 16X16 feet, 
was situated about fifty rods south of Lennington 
run in the forks of the crossroad near William 
Younkins' house, about 60 rods southwesterly fi-om 
schoolhouse !N"o. 5, as the schoolhouses were num- 
bered before the division of Franklin township. 

McCall conveyed 100 acres of his purpart to 
Ann M. O'Connor, March 14, 1843, for $800, 26 acres 
and 133 perches of which she conveyed to Azel 
Summerville, March 31, 1846, for $707, which the 
latter conveyed to William Younkins, April 9, 
1868, 4 acres of which Younkins conveyed to Rev. 
J. Y. Burwell, March 31, 1870, and which the latter 
reconveyed to Younkins, April 5, for $550. She 
also conveyed 30 acres to Jane Garraway, July 10, 
1855, for $1,000. McCall's heirs conveyed 115 
acres of this purpart together with parcels of other 
tracts to P. Graff & Co., April 16, 1845, of which 
Graff conveyed 115 acres and 78 perches to Leander 
Henry, November 2, 1855, for $524, and which 
with another parcel constitutes a part of the 295 
acres and 71 perches which Graff conveyed to 
John T. Ehrenfeld, November 28, 1870, for $3,500. 

Adjoining that McCall-Simmeral tract on the 

northwest is " vacant " land on the Gapen, but on 

the other map, a heptagonal tract, "241" 135"," on 

which William Stevenson made an improvement 

31 



in April, 1800, and a settlement April 10, 1802, and 
which was surveyed to him by Ross, deputy sur- 
veyor, April 24. This tract must have been aban- 
doned by Stevenson. A warrant for it was granted 
to Joseph Shields and others, December 2, 1837, 
on which it was surveyed to them by Meredith, 
deputy surveyor, December 14. 

Adjoining that last-noticed Stevenson tract on 
the north is unsurveyed territory on the Gapen, 
but on the other map two surveyed tracts trav- 
ersed by Long run, an eastern tributary of Little 
Buffalo creek. The western one, " 192" 94"" was 
first settled by James Kerr, Sr., who was assessed 
with 190 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow, in 1805, at 
$103.50, and in 1806 at $94.50. He conveyed the 
interest which he had acquired in it as an actual 
settler, under the claim of Patrick Hervey, to 
Samuel Shields, in 1815-16, who conveyed a por- 
tion of it to James Kerr, Jr., and John Kerr, and 
they to John Shields 19 acres and 127 perches, No- 
vember 28, 1823, for $79. The patent for most of 
it was granted to Joseph Shields in trust for the 
heirs of Samuel Shields, April 9, 1827, and for an- 
other portion in trust for those heirs and John 
Craig, Sr., April 14, 1838, 18 acres 90 perches of 
which Craig conveyed to Joseph Shields, May 8, 
1839, for $92.80, having, on April 27, released 82 
acres and 70 perches to Joseph Shields in trust, as 
aforesaid. Samuel Shields died intestate and his 
son, Joseph, inherited the residue of this tract, who 
conveyed 128 acres and 52 perches to John Leard, 
July 7, 1840, for $1,500, and to whom his widow 
released her dower or third therein, February 26, 
1848, for $1, the same being now in the possession 
of Christopher Leard. 

Adjoining that Kerr-Shields-Leard tract on the 
east in the imsurveyed territory on the Gapen map, 
is on the other an octagonal tract on which Daniel 
Sloan made an early improvement and settlement, 
and was assessed with 190 acres, 2 horses and 1 
cow, in 1805, at $113.50, and with the same and an 
additional cow the next year, at $119.50. He was 
thereafter assessed with 180 acres of the land until 
1810, which was for several years thereafter assessed 
to his son, James, and was in 1817 placed on the 
unseated list, on which it was continued until 1819. 
David Sloan's heirs, of Marion county, Indiana, 
conveyed their interests in it to the present owner, 
James Claypoole, September 2, 1845, and April 23, 
1846, for $60 for each one's one undivided one- 
seventh of 170 acres and 40 perches. 

Adjoining those Sloan-Claypoole and Kerr- 
Shields tracts on the east, on the Gapen map, is an 
octagonal tract " 432.30," suiweyed by Gapen to 
" Samuel Wallace," its center traversed westerly 



494 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



by Long run. Wallace's interest probably became i 
vested in Archibald McCall. On the other map is 
the same shaped tract with " 400»" and "Ab'm 
Lenonton " on it, who improved and settled it while 
he was a single man, perhaps before 1800. He was 
assessed with that quantity in 1805-6, at llOO. The 
patent for it, 440 acres, was granted to McCall and 
Lennington, February 13, 1809. They having 
made partition, McCall by his attorney, Collins, 
released 140 acres and 54 perches of it to Lenning- 
ton, February 13, and Lennington to McCall 299 
acres and 106 perches, September 5, and the same 
day conveyed his purpart to John Mounts, who had 
erected his gristmill thereon in 1806, from which a 
public road was opened to " Boyd's upper meeting- 
house," as surveyed by Robert Cogley, in'the win- 
ter of 1808-9, for $500, who conveyed the same to 
Anthony Gallagher, September 22, for |350, to 
whom it was assessed until 1858, and thereafter to 
Joseph Gallagher until 1863, and was conveyed by 
Jonathan Myers, sheriff, to Ross Mechling, Sep- 
tember 14, with about 100 acres cleared, log 
dwelling-house, double log barn, apple and peach 
orchard. McCall's purpart of this tract, called 
" Hartford," was included in his assignment to Du 
Pont, who reconveyed it to him, January 17, 1833, 
and which his heirs, by their attorney. Chapman 
Biddle, conveyed 115 acres and 78 perches and 
278 acres and 80 perches of another tract to Peter 
Graff, April 16, 1845, for $4,700, which parcel was 
included in his conveyance to John T. Ehrenfeld. 
The name of this tract is traced to Hartford 
parish, in the county of Cheshire, England, through 
which passes in these later times the London & 
Northwestern Railway. The county and city of 
Hartford — the latter being one of the capitols of 
Connecticut — were so called after that township 
of Hartford, in England. The etymology of Hart- 
ford is hart, a stag, and ford, the passage of a 
stream, i. e., a shallow place in a river or other 
stream where harts cross. 

A small portion of another tract,* on which 
James McDowell's sawmill was erected in 1846, 
adjoins " Hartford " on the east. Contiguous to 
" Hartford " on the north is the minor portion of 
a tract which will be noticed hereafter, and all 
of another, surveyed by Gapen to " Samuel Has- 
let," " 202.8 " acres, whose interest probably be- 
came vested in McCall. James Hanna was an 
early settler on this tract. He was assessed with 
it and 4 cattle, in 1805, at $112, and in 1806 
with the land, 1 horse and 1 cow, at $110. The 
patent for it, 410 acres and 6 perches, called " Re- 
serve," was granted to Hanna and McCall, May 1 6, 

* Vide East Franklin. 



1807. Hanna conveyed his interest therein and 2 
horses, 1 cow, 4 sheep, 7 hogs, 1 loom and tack- 
ling, and his household furniture, to Andrew Mc- 
Kee, June 24, 1807, for $300, who probably con- 
veyed his interest in the land to Andrew Mes- 
senheimer, for McCall released 150 acres and 92 
perches of his purpart of " Reserve" to the latter, 
July 2, 1841, for $1. Messenheimer conveyed the 
same to Presley L-win, August 12, for $800, 58 
acres and 20 perches of which he conveyed to Ja- 
cob Hepler, November 6, 1849, for $406.87. J. E. 
Merdith, Irwin's administrator, conveyed 51 acres 
and 7^ perches to Peter Graff, April 7, 1854, which 
he conveyed to John Roller, December 2, 1859, for 
$600. McCall's purpart of " Reserve " was in- 
cluded in his assignment to Du Pont, in the recon- 
veyance from DuPont to him, and in the convey- 
ance from McCall's heirs to William F. Johnston, 
100 acres of which the latter conveyed to John 
Buzzard, March 28, 1857, for $800 ; and 100 acres 
to Peter Graflf, September 13, 1859, for $800, of 
which Graff conveyed 90 acres to Grace B. Dick- 
son, September 29, 1868, for $500, and, same day, 
12 acres and 121 perches to John Roller for 
$165.83. 

Adjoining the northern ^art of " Hartford" and 
the southern part of " Reserve " on the west, unsur- 
veyed on the Gapen, but surveyed on the other, is 
a hexagonal tract, almost a rectangular parallelo- 
gram, " 442" 30"," on which Joseph Shields made 
an improvement in February, 1793, a settlement in 
April, 1797, and to whom it was surveyed by Ross, 
deputy surveyor, April 24, 1802. The patent for 
it was granted to him December 20, 1813. He 
conveyed 17;^ acres to Christian Renson, October 

23, 1827, for $ . By his will, dated June 17, 

1852, and registered May 16, 1857, he devised 50 
acres of his " mansion tract" to his son David; to 
his daughter, Mary Adams, 10 acres, on which she 
then lived; 20 acres to his daughter Elizabeth; di- 
rected 100 acres to be sold by his executors, and 
the proceeds to be equally divided between his six 
daughters and his son Joseph ; and devised the 
rest of the " mansion tract," supposed to contain 
226 acres, to his son, Robert Shields, who con- 
veyed 2 acres and 129 perches thereof to Godfreed 
Guiser, January 12, 1867, for $300. 

Schoolhouse No. 6 is situated in the forks of a 
northeastern tributary of Little Buffalo creek, at 
the crossroads, on this Shields tract. 

Adjoining that tract on the north is a hexagonal 
one, nearly a rectangular parallelogram, "420" 
acres, surveyed by Gapen to " Nicholas Day." On 
the other map is the same shaped tract, with the 
same quantity of land, and on its face the names 



WEST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



495 



of "Philip Templeton and A. McCall." The 
patent for the entire tract was granted to McCall, 
November 22, IBS'?, was included in the convey- 
ance from his heirs to Johnston as containing 413 
acres and 25 perches, of which he conveyed 100 
acres and 12 7 perches to Peter Graff, October 5, 
1857, for $1,200.50 ; and 200 acres and 89 perches 
to Francis A. Regis and Joseph B. Shields, March 
11, 1858, for $1,604. 

West and northwest of that Templeton-McCall 
tract is unsurveyed territory on both maps, in- 
cluded, perhaps, in " Joseph Irwin's claim," partly 
in what is now Sugar Creek township, the central 
part of which is traversed about due south by the 
Little Buffalo, with 100 acres of which Nathaniel 
Patterson was first assessed in 1820, to whom J. E. 
Meredith, deputy surveyor, surveyed 193 acres and 
90 [To] perches, December 12, 1837, being a very 
iri-egularly shaped tract, with twelve sides, which 
became vested in Philip Templeton (of Philip), 
and was returned on warrant, dated December 14, 
1865, and surveyed December 26, and to whom the 
patent was subsequently granted. 

Geological. — Within the limits of West Frank- 
lin township the section extends upward from the 
Pottsville conglomerate into the lower barren 
group, thus embracing all the lower productives. 
The area of the lower barrens is confined to the 
southeast and northwest corners of the township. 
The area of the Pottsville conglomerate stretches 
from McKee's schoolhouse (No. 6) on Little Buf- 
falo creek southward to the milldam above the 
Buffalo mills, and thence westward up the Big 
Buffalo past Craigsville to A. Hindman's. In all 
this area it is closely confined to the region of the 
creek, being in fact only just lifted above the 
water's edge. The lower productives have there- 
fore a wide outspread in this township. The out- 
crop of the upper Freeport coal skirts the edge of 
the lower barren area, passing just above Worth- 



ington into East Franklin. So far as investigated, 
it has little thickness here, and its limestone is not 
of much consequence. The same is true of the area 
of this coal found in the northwest corner of the 
township. But the lower Kittanning coal is persist- 
ent as a workable bed, usually about 3^ feet thick. 
The ferriferous limestone is in good condition and 
has the buhrstone ore on its top. Both were used 
in the Buffalo Furnace, which also used some ore 
from the Freeport deposit, found in the hills west 
of the stack. 

/Structure. — An important anticlinal axis trav- 
erses the township from northeast to southwest, 
crosses the Big Buffalo near Craigsville and ex- 
tends across the Little Buffalo below the mouth of 
Long Run. It is the axis which crosses the Alle- 
gheny near the mouth of Red Bank. — Piatt. 

The upper Freeport coal on the hillside, over the 
turnpike, near Buffalo Furnace, on the west bank 
of Buffalo creek, is 18 inches thick. The Kittan- 
ning coalbed is there below it, which used to yield 
Z\ feet of pure non-pyritous coal. The ferriferous 
limestone is there 15 feet thick, blue and solid, 
above which is an orebed, accompanied by very 
little buhrstone. The Tionesta sandstone appears 
there in the bed of the stream with the ferrif- 
erous shales and workable Clarion coal above. — 
Rodger &. 

The population of West Franklin, in 1870, was, 
native, 1,205; foreign, 109; colored, 0. 

Number of schools in 1876, 8; average number 
of months taught, 5; male teachers, 2; female teach- 
ers, 6; average monthly salaries of both male and 
female, $30; male scholars, 263; female scholars, 
160; average number attending school, 249; cost of 
teaching each per month, 73 cents; tax levied for 
school and building purposes, $2,355.60; received 
from state appropriation, $243.66; from taxes and 
other sources, $2,690.50; cost of schoolhouses, $25 
paid teachers' wages, $1,200; fuel, etc., $401.58. 



CHAPTER XXIII, 



EAST FEANKLIN. 



First Township Election — The Early Settlers as Shown by Land Titles — Tribulations of Thomas Barr as 
Teacher — An Oil Company Organized in 1870 — West Glade Run Presbyterian Church — A Notable Law 
Suit — Allegheny Furnace Lands — Roads — Coal Mining and Oil Manufacturing Company Organized in 
1859 — Montgomery ville — Cowans ville — Middlesex — Union Presbyterian Church Organized in 1801 — 
Schools — Rich Hill U. P. Church — Population and other Statistics — Geological Features — The Town- 
ship named after Benjamin Franklin. 

THE first township election in East Franklin, 
- held in the spring of 1868, resulted thus: J. C. 
Claypoole was elected justice of the peace; Hugh 
Hooks, constable; Solomon Hooks, school director 
for three years; D. C. Quigley and Abraham Zille- 
frow, for two years; Henry Blair and John Mont- 
gomery, supervisors; a tie between Franklin Am- 
brose and Jonathan Geary, for assessor; John 
Moore and John Summerville, overseers of the poor; 
Henry Dougherty, township auditor for tliree, 
Thomas Armstrong for two years, and J. D. Carr 
for one }''ear; J. H. Dickey, judge of election; W. 
G. Cowan and Sharon Mateer, inspectors of elec- 
tion. 

The readers may now in imagination place the 
Gapen map and the Lawson & Orr map of surveys 
before them and follow the writer as he traverses 
this township alternately from west to east, and 
fi'om east to west, beginning at its southwest cor- 
ner, in which is depreciation lot No. 2'71, a square, 
the patent for which, called " Strabane," was 
granted to Joshua Elder, May 9, 1791, which he 
conveyed to McCall and McDowell, March 21, 
1795, and in the partition between them was one 
of the tracts allotted to McCall, who conveyed it to 
George C. McCall, June 2.3, 1817, and the latter re- 
conveyed it. One hundred and ten and two-thirds 
acres of it were conveyed by A. McCall to John 
Bowser, June 16, 1830, for #330, and the same quan- 
tity to Daniel Shaeffer, the same day, for the same 
price. Bowser conveyed 29^ acres to Susannah 
and Charles McClatohey, which they conveyed to 
Frederick Bowser, April 3, 1849, for $300, and 37 
acres and 100 perches to Frederick Bowser, August 
26, 1842, for $230, who conveyed the same to David 
C. Bowsei-. The parcel purchased by Shaeffer is 
still retained by him. A. McCall conveyed 50 
acres of the southeast end to John Summerell, 
June 12, 1834, for Sl75. 

This tract was named after Strabane, a municipal 
borough and market town in the county of Tyrone, 



in the province of Ulster, Ireland, and is situated 
opposite Lifford, on the Mourne, which is there 
spanned by a bridge, near its confluence with the 
Finn and Foyle, and is now a railway station. Its 
trade is facilitated by a canal from it to the point 
where the Foyle becomes navigable for barges of 
forty tons. Adjacent to Strabane is a salmon 
fishery. The population of this town, some years 
ago, was 4,896. 

Adjoining " Strabane " on the east in a large 
scope of apparently unsurveyed territory or blank 
space on the Gapen map, is on the other deprecia- 
tion lot No. 276, in shape a rectangular parallelo- 
gram, for which, called "Unequal Contest," the 
patent was granted to William Findley, Novem- 
ber 20, 1786, as containing 276 A acres, which he 
conveyed to Francis and Samuel Robinson, No- 
vember 7, 1806, for $736.80, 50 acres and 79 perches 
of which they conveyed to Margaret Peebles, April 
24, 1821, for $200, and 111 acres and 55 perches to 
John Summerville, October 20, 1827, for $200. 
Samuel released 121 acres to Francis Robinson, 
November 3, for five shillings, who conveyed the 
same to Sarah Robinson, November 11, 1831, for $1. 

Adjoining "Unequal Contest" on the east is 
depreciation lot No. 283, another of William Find- 
ley's tracts, 220rT) acres, which he conveyed to 
David Reed, June 5, 1815, for $200, being the tract 
on which Reed and his family had then " resided 
for several years," who by his will, dated May 28, 
1838, and registered January 19, 1839, devised the 
pai-t of it west of Glade run to his son David, sub- 
ject to the proper maintenance of the latter's 
mother during the rest of her life, and the pay- 
ment of $50 to John Reed with interest thereon 
from the year 1803. That part of it east of Glade 
run he agreed, March 19, 1834, to sell to Jacob 
Denny, of Pittsburgh, for $338, of which $238 re- 
mained unj^aid at his death. No deed for it hav- 
ing been executed by him in his lifetime, the 
specific performance of the contract was decreed by 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



497 



the proper court, December 16, 1839, and liis execu- 
tors, John Reed and John Summeal, conveyed 104 
acres and 91 perches, neat measure, or 98 acres and 
110 perches and allowance, according to the survey 
of B. Meredith, September 8, 1838, to Denny, 
March 30, 1840, for $313, which was probably the 
balance of purchase-money and interest then due. 
It subsequently became vested in Alexander Mc- 
Nickle, and was among other parcels conveyed by 
Chambers Orr, sheriff, to Robert Buchanan, March 
17, 1841, for fl36, having then 20 acres cleared, 
5 of which were meadow, a log cabin and small 
stable, and which Buchanan conveyed to Isaac 
Wible, March 23, 1853, for |550. 

Adjoining the southern part of No. 283 and the 
northern part of " Center Hill " on the east is 
depreciation lot No. 288, 235T'ff acres, called "Specu- 
lation," which, like its southern adjoiner, "Liberty 
Hall," became vested in Robert Morris, Jr., who 
conveyed it to Wilson Hunt, May 21, 1796, for 
" five shillings and other valuable considerations." 
It was sold for taxes by John Sloan, then sheriff of 
Westmoreland county, to Samuel Mui-phy and 
James Sloan, October 13, 1807, for $4.77, and which 
they released to Hunt, October 14, 1812, for $20. 
It became vested in Alexander Colwell, who con- 
veyed it to his brother William, to whom it was 
surveyed by J. E. Meredith, March 30, 1838. 

Adjoining " Speculation " on the north is depre- 
ciation lot No. 289, hexagonal, 284 acres, called 
"Pleasant Grove," whose northwestern part or 
tongue extends across Glade run, bounding the 
eastern part of No. 283 on the north, for which the 
patent was granted to John McCullough, of Phila- 
delphia, January 22, 1792, which his executor, Dr. 
Samuel McCullough, agreed to sell to Isaac Wible 
for $2,850, one-half of which was paid before that 
executor's death, and on taking security for the 
other half Dr. John McCullough, administrator de 
bonis non, etc., conveyed the entire tract to Wible, 
January 1, 1839. 

In and after 1811, Thomas Barr, afterward 
deputy surveyor for this county, taught school in a 
log schoolhouse on that part of " Pleasant Grove " 
near the present site of Isaac Wible's house. His 
scholars barred him out for three days from Jan- 
uary 1, 1812, as related to the writer by one of his 
pupils. He attempted to smoke them out by cov- 
ering the top of the chimney with boards and 
placing himself on them. They thrust the long 
poles, with which they had provided themselves, 
up the chimney and threw him off' into the snow. 
With hair-springs he threw pins at them, from 
which the eyes of some of them barely escaped 
severe and permanent injury. He then ascended 



the roof, tore off some of the roof-boai'ds, and de- 
scended to the schoolroom. Some of the pupils 
seized him by his legs and others by his arms and 
ejected him into the snow. After a three days' 
struggle he capitulated, and signed a written agree- 
ment to furnish his conquerors with a bushel of 
apples and four or five gallons of cider, with which 
he complied.* The door was then unbarred, and 
the usual scholastic exercises were resumed in that 
primitive temple of knowledge. 

Adjoining " Speculation " on the east is the Cog- 
ley-Ross-Huston land, heretofore mentioned,! ad- 
joining the southern part of which on the east is 
a tract, a rectangular parallelogram, 100 acres, sur- 
veyed to John McAnninch, on which he settled 
probably before 1800 ; with 75 acres of which, 1 
horse and 2 cows, he was assessed in 1805, and the 
next 5^ear at $62. He continued to be assessed 
with the land until 1834. This is probably a part 
of a larger tract which included the hereto- 
fore-mentioned Joseph Cogley tracts, which was 
assessed to Nathaniel George in 1805, and respect- 
ing which Rachel Jones and John Mclninch en- 
tered into a written agreement, August 16, 1797, 
the substance of which was, that Rachel and 
John should keep settled for George for five years 
" a certain tract of land, situate on Slippery Rock 
path, bounded by James Cogley, Sr., N. 87 E. 343, 
and by Daniel McClelland, 87 W., 240 perches," 
to clear and put under fence 8 or more acres, and 
convey to him the remainder of the tract left after 
deducting 50 acres containing the improvement to 
be made by them, for which George was to give 
them " a clear deed out of the office," £5 in store 
goods and £5 in cash. George's inchoate title does 
not appear from the records to have been per- 
fected. Mclninch conveyed 99 acres to Asa Free- 
man, April 6, 1834, for $450. 

Adjoining that Mclninch tract and the northern 
part of the Huston parcel on the east is a long and 
rather narrow tract, 330 acres and 250 perches, 
extending to the Allegheny river, which was sur- 
veyed to John Scott, on a warrant dated January 
22, 1794. Scott conveyed his interest to Charles 
Campbell and James Sloan ("Col."), May 30, 1799, 
about which time the latter settled on it, kept a 
ferry and the only hotel in this region for several 
years, and where he resided when he was appointed 
a trustee of this county. He was assessed with 200 
acres, 2 distilleries, 3 horses, 4 cattle and 1 ferry, 
in 1805, at $402 ; but the next year his valuation 
was only $250. Pie conveyed his interest to Paul 
Morrow, September 15, 1813, for $1,980 ; Campbell 



* vide Plum Creek, 
t TVdc North Bufifalo. 



498 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



conveyed his interest to Robert Brown, October 
15, 1821, for $1,100, "on which Brown and Sloan 
had formerly resided," which Brown conveyed to 
Morrow, July 13, 1825, for $5,000, to whom the pat- 
ent for the whole tract was granted, March 22, 
1826. Morrow reconveyed 165 acres of the northern 
part to Brown, February 21, 1827, for $2,500, one- 
half of which the latter conveyed to his brother, 
Joseph Brown, September 9, 1836, in " considera- 
tion of $1 and the improvements made on the 
premises," who was first assessed with his ferry 
across from here to Kittanning in 1833. James E. 
Brown was first assessed with saltworks on this 
parcel in 1835, and continued to be until 1840, the 
last two years to his father and heirs, which yielded 
daily 5 or 6 barrels. Peter Bellas fell into one of the 
salt-boilers Wednesday, January 29, 1835, and was 
so severely scalded that he died that evening. 

Robert Brown conveyed the undivided one-half 
of this parcel, and the heirs of Joseph Brown the 
other half, to Philip Mechling, October 14, 1846, 
for $5,800. There is on the southern part of it an 
ancient pile of stones, such as the Indians placed 
over their dead. Morrow conveyed the southern 
parcel of this tract to William Phillips June 10, 
1828, who conveyed 154 acres and 158 perches to 
Asa Freeman, August 10, 1832, for $1,000. Free- 
man conveyed 72 acres and 150 perches, partly of 
this tract and partly of what Mclninch had con- 
veyed to him, included in patent to Freeman, 
August 10, 1832, to Conrad Reiter, April 9, 1846, 
for $442 ; and 92 acres and 15 perches to John 
Portsmouth, April 4, 1852, for $2302.34, which the 
latter conveyed to James Mosgrove, October 2, 
1858, for $4,800. 

Adjoining the western part of that Scott-Brown- 
Morrow tract and its western adjoiner, the Hus- 
ton tract, for which Freeman jjrobably obtained 
a patent, on the north is depreciation lot No. 293, 
a rectangular parallelogram, 216-i% acres, the pat- 
ent for which was granted to John MoCuUough, 
January 22, 1792, and which Dr. Samuel McCul- 
lough conveyed to James Blair, August 8, 1844, 
for $2169, on which he had resided from 1840, 
while he was county commissioner. By his will, 
dated September 20, 1875,* he devised 103 acres 
of the southern part to his son Joseph, and the 
residue to his son Henry, subject to an annuity of 
$300, to be paid by them to their mother during the 
rest of her life. 

Adjoining the southern part of No. 293 on the 
east is a trapezoidal-shaped tract, rather narrow, 
extending from the river back on the hill, 201 acres 
and 55 perches, on which John Cunningham made 

* Registered June 9, 1877. 



an improvement and settlement, probably about 
1800, by virtue of which it was surveyed to him 
by Ross, deputy surveyor, January 7, 1807, with 
which he was assessed, and with 1 distillery and 
1 cow, in 1805, at $176. A teacher by the name 
of Beard taught a school of thirty scholars, some of 
whom resided three and four miles distant on Glade 
run and elsewhere, in 1808-9, in a log cabin about 
16X16 feet, on the hill part of this tract. The 
patent was granted to him September 10, 1824. He 
conveyed 10 acres and 118 perches to his son Will- 
iam, October 8, for $1,000, at the river, and hence 
called Williamsburgh, where the latter established 
his chain ferry, mentioned in the sketch of the 
borough of Kittanning, on which a hotel has 
been kept by various persons for many years. 
He and Philip Mechling were first assessed with 
their saltworks on this parcel in 1835. They 
bored a well the usual depth, but some oil and 
considerable gas rendered it unprofitable as a salt- 
well, and it was abandoned. While it was being- 
operated Philip Templeton was in the upper part 
of the derrick one day, when the gas became 
ignited, and he was for awhile in danger of being 
burned. George Monroe was assessed as a mer- 
chant at this point in 1836, and Philip Temple- 
ton in 1841. Philip Mechling was first assessed 
with the ferry here in 1846. 

John Cunningham, Sr. and Jr., conveyed 1^ 
acres adjoining the river to William Boney and 
William Herron, January 10, 1840, for $12, on 
which Boney erected a carding-machine in 1844, 
with which he continued to be assessed until they 
conveyed 6 acres adjoining the river on the east 
and Philip Mechling's parcel on the south, to 
Robert Robinson, February 18, 1846, for $360, 
with the privilege of taking coal from their farm, 
and which he christened " Linden " in 1848, from 
a linden tree on the river bank, and his preference 
for the " sage of Lindenwald," who was then the 
presidential candidate of the free democracy, 
which he conveyed to Philip K. Bowman, Jan- 
uary 15, 1850, for $300, on which the latter and 
James S. Quigley were first assessed with a steam 
sawmill in 1852. Bowman conveyed his interest 
in this parcel to Quigley, April 2, 1857, for $2,800, 
who continued to operate the mill until he sold the 
land, mill and several houses to George W. Cook 
and James G. Henry for $1 6,000. His deed to them 
is dated May 14, 1869. They operated the mill 
until Henry sold his interest to James Gathers, 
which has since continued to be operated by Cook 
& Gathers.* 

John Cunningham laid out the town of Belleville 

* The mill was burued in October, 1876. 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



499 



on the hill part of his tract, nearly equally divided 
as to the number of lots by the Butler and Kittan- 
ning turnpike, consisting of 46 lots, which were sur- 
veyed by James Stewart January 24, 1855, 33 
of them being rectangular parallelograms, each 
66X165 feet, the others varying in shape and 
areas. Lots Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 
containing about 2 acres and fronting on the 
northwestern side of the Freeport road, were con- 
veyed 1863, by John Barnett and Mark B. 

Colwell to George Bowser, for $300. 

One of the frame schoolhouses of Franklin town- 
ship was located, a short distance back from the 
river, on this parcel, which was abandoned a short 
time since, and a brick one erected in its stead on 
the south side of the Kittanning and Butler turn- 
pike, on the brow of the hill, on the Cunningham 
tract. 

Adjoining that tract on the north is depreciation 
lot No. 302, 274 acres and 71 perches, the patent 
for which was granted to Andrew Porter in Janu- 
ary, 1Y92, who conveyed it to his son, George B. 
Porter, March 18, 1812, for $1 and "natural love 
and affection," who by his will, dated March 25, 
1830, devised it to his wife, Sarah H. Porter, who 
conveyed it to Peter Graff, June 24, 1850, for 
$3,224.72. The latter conveyed 138 acres and 100 
perches of the southern part to Joseph Brown, 
May 26, 1851, for $1,612. Brown laid out the 
town of Linden, called after the parcel so named 

by Robert Robinson, into lots, each fronting 

6 rods on the river and extending back to the brow 
of the hill, and containing nearly an acre, and 
which wei'e surveyed by J. E. Meredith, Monday, 
March 24, 1851. Brown conveyed 150 perches, 
with the privilege of drifting and mining coal, 
iron ore, limestone, etc., the width of this parcel, 
through to the line between this and the tracts 
adjoining it on the west, to Hugh Campbell, May 
29, 1851, for $198; two small parcels, aggregating 
1 acre and 156 perches, with like mineral privilege, 
to Alexander Colwell, the same day, for $250. 

Graff conveyed, in pursuance of a previous con- 
tract, 132 acres of the northern part to J. Alexan- 
der Fulton, January 6, 1865, for $6,276, on which 
the latter planted a valuable orchard, and made 
other improvements, in the interval of several 
years between the date of the agreement with and 
the conveyance of Graff to him, and then conveyed 
the same quantity, known as " Clara Vista," to 
Robert Criswell, January 7, for $16,000, to whose 
estate it still belongs. 

Adjoining No. 202 on the west is depi'eciation 
lot No. 292, 249J- acres, " on the waters of Beaver 
creek," which was surveyed by Joshua Elder, Octo- 



ber 21, 1785, and was sold at public auction to 
John McCullough, who released his interest therein 
to Andrew Porter, to whom the patent for it, called 
"Hop Yard," was granted January 22, 1792, and 
which was included in the latter's gift to his son, 
George B. Porter. The latter, adjutant-general of 
Pennsylvania, conveyed it to George Beitz, Jr., of 
Manor township, Lancaster county, February 14, 
1828, for $873, from whom it was sold by Jacob 
Mechling, sheriff, who conveyed it to Pherson 
Camjibell, September 26, 1829, who was the next 
year assessed with a distillery. He conveyed 124f 
acres to John Brown, the present owner of most of 
this parcel, December 27, 1830, for $374.25. The 
latter sold 21 acres and 13 perches of the south- 
eastern f)art to William McAninch for building 
him a barn, which Margaret McAninch, as sur- 
viving administratrix of her husband's estate, con- 
veyed to Gabriel P. Lobeau, December 30, 1837, 
for $120. This parcel of "Hop Yard" afterward 
became vested in James P. Wick, who conveyed it 
to James E. Brown', January 16, 1846 ; Brown to 
John Morgan, June 14, 1847, for $400; Morgan 
to Robert, R. Fleming, April 5, 1850 ; and Flem- 
ing to John Donaldson, to whose estate it belongs, 
April 1, 1854, for $630, who, soon after his pur- 
chase, planted upon it a large nursery, containing 
various species of the fruits that flourish in this 
region, and of evergreens, which aided essentially 
in introducing into various parts of this county a 
better quality of fruit. 

Pherson Campbell assigned the other portion of 
" Hop Yard," together with his other property, 
April 14, 1832, to Peter Rummell, for the benefit 
of his creditors, directing that a judgment in 
favor of Robert and Chambers Orr be first paid 
out of the proceeds of sale. Before he found a 
purchaser it was sold by Chambers Orr, sheriff, to 
Rummell, who conveyed it, 125 acres, to Jonathan 
Whitesell, the present owner, January 1, 1839, for 
$1,000. 

Adjoining "Hop Yard" on the west is depreci- 
ation lot No. 291, 210 acres, the patent for which, 
called "L'Orient," was granted to Peter B. Audi- 
bert, and was included in Sheriff Brown's sale to 
Joseph Audibert, who conveyed it to Gabriel P. 
Loebeu, May 20, 1817, for $1,200. The latter con- 
veyed 150 acres to Michael Red, December 28, 
1819, for $1,100, for which he took the vendee's 
mortgage, which, it is presumed, was not paid, as 
Red reconveyed to Loeben, February 13, 1821, 
for the same consideration. Loeben conveyed all 
of "L'Orient "to Alexis Jordell, April 29, 1822, 
for $800, which the latter transferred to Bakewell 
Page, February 17, 1827, for $1 and other " valua- 



500 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ble considerations," as the record shows. But the 
record also shows that Loeben conveyed all of No. 
291, " L'Orient," to William Shultz, January 22, 
183-3, for 11,000, who conveyed it to James Thomp- 
son, April 13, ISST, for $2, 700, who, by his will, 
dated April 9, 1855, and registered April 21, de- 
vised it to his son, James A. Thompson, the pres- 
ent owner. 

This tract was, of course, called after the seaport 
of that name, 350 miles southwest from Paris, on 
the bay of Port Louis, at the mouth of the river 
Scorf, in the department of Morbabon, France. 

Adjoining " L'Orient" on the west is depreciation 
lot No. 290, included in Joseph Audibert's sale to 
Loeben, who conveyed the northern part of it, and 
the southern part of depreciation lot No. 306, 177 
acres and 138 perches, to Joseph Boney, February 
5, 1839, for f 1,760. The latter conveyed 6 acres 
and 110 perches, to George Bowser, April 12, 1852 ; 
20 acres and 38 perches to John Bradford, October 
5, 1854, for $621 ; and 124 acres and 101 perches 
to John M. Thompson, November 25,' 1855, for 
$3,395. Loeben's executor, James Amstrong, con- 
veyed 50 acres of the southern part of No. 290 to 
Anna Regina Erfmans, September 17, 1852, which 
she conveyed to James Noble, August 12, 1867, for 
$700. 

Joseph Audibert, by Loeben, his agent and 
attorney, conveyed 10 acres, in the central part of 
the tract, to George Bowser, January 5, 1836, for 
$50, on which, or on the parcel which he purchased 
from Boney, he erected a sawmill in 1841, and a 
gristmill in 1843, which and these 2 parcels he 
conveyed to John Burford, April 17, 1852, for 
$1,000, and which the latter, together with 42 
acres which he had purchased from Jonas Bowser, 
April 6, 1853, and 28 acres and 38 perches, from 
Boney, October 5, 1854, conveyed to James Noble, 
March 14, 1856, for $4,000.* 

In pursuance of a previous call, a meeting of 
landowners was held Saturday afternoon. May 28, 
1870, at James Noble's house, the object of which 
was to consider the practicability of organizing an 
oil company, to develop the territory along Glade 
run. It was a respectably large assemblage, and 
considerable enthusiasm was evinced. Fifty acres 
of land and $1,000, it was stated, had already been 
subscribed to drill a test well at some point on 
that stream. Among those present were ex-Gov- 
ernor Johnston, Judge Boggs and the writer. The 
two former were quite sanguine that a test well or 
two would develop oil in the valley of Glade run, 

* James Noble, by his will, dated August 22, and registered Septem- 
ber 29, 1878, devised bis farm, cousisting of the above-mentioned 
parcels, to liis wife, during the rest of her life, and after her death, 
one-half to his son, and the other half, "share and share alike," to 
his three daughters. 



The writer, in the course of his remarks, referred 
to the geological features of this valley, as found 
in Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania, from which 
he concluded that the first, second and third sand- 
rocks, of the Venango region, if present here, are 
respectively 1,150, 1,350 and 1,550 feet, more or 
less, below the bed of that run, and directed the 
attention of those present to the undulation, which 
Rogers says " is suspected to pass from Scrub- 
Grass creek through the neighborhood of Allegheny 
Furnace, causing local northwest dips," and to the 
general fact " that these undulations of the strata 
are in the form of long, parallel waves, resembling 
much those great continuous billows called in 
dynamics ' waves of translation,' and by seamen 
' rollers,' " and queried whether there is not too 
much undulation of the subterranean strata for the 
generation of oil. The experiments since made on 
Buffalo creek and David Reed's farm seem to 
indicate that such a geological condition is more 
adapted to the generation of gas than oil. The 
proposed project of sinking a test well in this val- 
ley was deferred until the one on the Reed farm 
was drilled, which yields no oil, but an abundance 
of gas. 

Adjoining the southern half of No. 290 and the 
northwestern part of the McCuUough-Wible tract 
on the west is depreciation lot No. 282, called 
"Lamie Bay," one of the Audibert tracts, which 
Loeben as attorney-in-fact conveyed thus: 29 acres 
and 46 perches to Alexander B. McGregor, Octo- 
ber 9, 1832, for $100, which, with 20 acres 157 
perches additional, he conveyed to Thomas Arm- 
strong, March 5, 1839, for $600; 50 acres and 53 
perches to David Reed, March 9, 1839, for $400, 
and 100 acres to Joseph D. Bowser, November 2, 
1840, for $450. 

Adjoining "Lamie Bay" on the west is deprecia- 
tion lot No. 277, 201 acres called "Out-lot," the 
patent for which was granted to William Lindley, 
November 20, 1786, for £5, who conveyed one-half 
of it to Margaret Peebles (who was first assessed 
in Buffalo township with 1 horse and 2 cows in 
1806 at $32), adjoining her other land on which she 
then resided and including " an improvement made 
by Samuel Claypoole " where he then resided, June 
30, 1810, for $1 50, which she conveyed to John Reed, 
October 30, 1833, for $5, "natural love and affec- 
tion," and his covenant to maintain her during the 
rest of her life " in such a manner as a woman of 
her age requires," and to afford her a proper 
Christian burial. 

The Glade Run, latterly called the West Glade 
Run, Presbyterian church was organized at the 
house of John Reed on this parcel of " Out-lot," 




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EAST FBANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



501 



December 2*7, 1845. Its first elders were John 
Craig, William Cratty and John Patton, with Rev. 
John Stark, moderator, who was its stated supply 
about ten years. Rev. George Cairns was installed 
as its pastor in 1856, who was succeeded by Rev. 
John V. Miller from 1859 until 1S64. It was then 
dependent on occasional supplies until the present 
pastor. Rev. A. S. Thompson, was installed for half 
time in 1867. Its number of members is 65; Sab- 
bath-school scholars, 80. Services were held for 
several months in the schoolhouse on this parcel. 
The present church edifice, frame, was built by 
David J. Reed in 1846, on ground conveyed by his 
father, John Reed, to the trustees of this congre- 
gation. 

The other half of No. 277 was conveyed by 
Lindley to Samuel Huston, September 29, 1810, 
which, having become vested in William Huston, 
was conveyed by him to James Noble, November 
20, 1851, for $1,400, who conveyedit to Van Buren 
Bowser, January 20, 1868, for $2,450. 

The next tract on the west of "Out-lot" is de- 
preciation lot No. 270, 203n; acres, called " Ports- 
mouth," included in the purchase by McCall and 
McDowell from Joshua Elder, May 9, 1791, and 
allotted to McCall in the heretofore-mentioned 
partition between him and McDowell, which he 
conveyed to his son, George A. McCall, July 8, 1 834, 
for $500, who conveyed it to James and John Noble, 
March 6, 1839, for $1,100. "Portsmouth must 
have been seated by William McLaughlin prior to 
1805, for in that and the next year he was assessed 
with it, one distillery and one cow at $96. 

This tract, like places of the same name in this 
country, was so called after Portsmouth, a noted 
seaport in the English channel, 72 miles southwest 
of London. 

Adjoining " Portsmouth " on the north and the 
present township line on the west is a tract on the 
Gapen ,map, a rectangular parallelogram, " 408 " 
acres, surveyed by Gapen to Joseph Baldridge, but 
the warrant, dated September 10, 1805, and the 
patent for which the latter were granted to Will- 
iam Noble, Sr., July 13, 1806, called "Hunting- 
dale," in consideration of his having made it ap- 
pear that he had made, or caused to be made, a set- 
tlement thereon, who conveyed 100 acres and 80 
perches to William Noble, Jr., May 3, 1839, for 
$100. This parcel, after his death, was appraised 
July 23, 1873, in proceedings in partition as con- 
taining 109 acres and 78 perches, at $7,790.30, and 
was conveyed by his heirs to the present owner, 
Adam Stewart, April 13, 1874, for $9,000. John 
and William Noble must have acquired an interest 
in a part of " Huntingdale," for they conveyed 151 



acres and 54 perches of it to William Noble, Sr., be- 
ing the same on which he then resided, July 8, 1831, 
for $5 to each and divers other good causes. In 
an amicable partition, July 4, 1845, James Noble 
released 67 acres of western part of that parcel to 
Jane and Mary Noble, and they by the same deed 
released to him 85 acres and 48 perches of the 
eastern part. Robert Noble conveyed 28 acres and 
151 perches of it to John Richey, April 5, 1865, 
for $1,275. 

Adjoining " Huntingdale " on the east are de- 
preciation lots Nos 27s and 279, the latter being 
the northern one, called "Poliguac," 201t'u acres, one 
of the Audibert tracts included in Sheriff Brown's 
sales to Joseph Audibert, and of which he by 
Loeben conveyed 75 acres to John Houston, June 
21, 1837, for $337.50 ; 25 acres and 25 perches to 
Jacob Swigert, August 11, for $11 2.50. Seventy-five 
acres of the southern part having become vested — 
the records don't show how — in John G. Dieterly, 
he conveyed the same to William Noble, Jr., April 
1, 1853, for $1,875, which the latter conveyed to 
John Richey, October 24, 1868, for $3,700, who 
conveyed the same to the present owner, Paul Mc- 
Dermitt, April 21, 1874, for $8,000. 

This tract was evidently named after Melchior 
de Polignao, abbe and afterward cardinal, who was 
born in 1661, of a distinguished family, in Langue- 
doc, France. 

Adjoining " Polignac " on the south is deprecia- 
tion lot No. 278, called " Walnut Bottom," included 
in survey by Joshua Elder, March 12, 1788, pur- 
chased at the Coffee house, Philadelphia, by John 
McCullough, released by him to Andrew Porter, to 
whom the patent was granted January 22, 1772, 
and given by him to his son, George B. Porter, 
March 18, 1812, who conveyed it to James Hiud- 
man, August 12, 1824, for $855, which was subse- 
quently divided between him and William Hind- 
man by a central line run from north to south by 
J. E. Meredith. James Hindman conveyed 105 
perches of his purpart to Mark Colwell, Robert 
Hindman and Robert Wible, trustees of the West 
Glade Run Presbyterian congregation, July 18, 
1872, for $1, adjoining the parcel which John Reed 
had previously conveyed to the church. 

Adjoining " Walnut Bottom" on the east is de- 
preciation lot No. 281, an Audibert tract called " Or- 
leans," included in the sheriff's sales to Joseph 
Audibert, and in the sales from him to Loeben, 
who conveyed 100 acres to Abi-aham Bowser, Oc- 
tober 9, 1832, for $200. He died intestate, in April, 
1853. This parcel of "Orleans," containing 105 
acres and 97 perches, was in proceedings in partition 
valued at $1,399.36, November 21, 1854, and was 



502 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



taken by his son, Benjamin S. Bowser, the eldest 
of his eleven children, who conveyed 100 acres of 
it to John M. Thompson, April 1, 186:2, for|2,300. 

Loeben conveyed 45 acres of " Orleans " to Sam- 
uel Bowser, December 22, 1835, for $100, and the 
same quantity to Jacob Flanner, seven days later, 
for the same jjrice. 

This tract was named after the city of Orleans, 
situated on the river Loire, in France. 

Adjoining " Orleans " on the north is deprecia- 
tion lot No. 280, 201 rt acres, which was surveyed 
October 18, 1785, and the patent for it, in which it 
is called " Great Meadow," one of the lines of which 
is mentioned as " crossing Beaver creek," was 
granted to Richard Freeman, October 4, 1786, 
who, at the time of his death, was a resident of 
Washington, District of Columbia. Samuel Bowser 
settled upon and improved, cleared four or five 
acres of that portion of it at and around the falls 
in Glade run, and built a small cabin, about 
1805. He was living at the falls after harvest 
in that year. He built a small cabin a few 
rods west of the falls and south of Slate Lick 
run and the present turnpike road from Kit- 
tanning to Butler. Joseph Bowser testified that, 
when he came out in 1805, Samuel had his 
small one-story cabin with one room, about fifteen 
or twenty rods from the run, with a turnip-patch 
south of the cabin. He was first assessed on the 
Buffalo township list with 1 horse and 1 cow, at 
§20, in 1806, and opposite his name, in the column 
headed " Title of Land," is the woi-d " sold," and 
the next year with the same and 200 acres at $80, 
and " Imp." in the title column, with which quan- 
tity of land he continued to be assessed until 1816, 
and for some time thereafter with only 100 acres. 
He and David Flanner, September 1 of the last- 
mentioned year, entered into a written agreement, 
remarkable for its brevity and informality, and 
want of an express consideration, by which the 
former sold to the latter " his improvement," and 
agreed " to give up his settlement against the 1st 
of May next, and the half of the survey where he 
pleases to have it ;" that is. Bowser agreed to sell 
to Flanner the one-half of " Great Meadow," either 
north or south of Slate Lick run, which the latter 
might prefer. Bowser having left in pursuance of 
his agreement, Flanner moved on to the improve- 
ment, which consisted of four or five acres of 
cleared land and the cabin, and occupied the house 
which he erected — a cabin house which he bought 
for sixteen days' work and built an addition to it — 
about forty rods northwesterly from the junction 
of Glade run and Slate Lick run, between the latter 
and the present turnpike road, his stable or barn 



being a few rods southeast of the house, south of 
that road, according to J. E. Meredith's draft of 
his survey of " Great Meadow," made May 29, 
1845. Flenner continued to occupy and improve 
the part south of Slate Lick run until about 1832. 
There was a primitive log schoolhouse a short 
distance north of the mouth of Slate Lick and 
west of Glade run, which was an old one when first 
occupied by William. Burnheimer, who cleared 
some land and made shoes for the neighbors, in or 
before 1822, possibly the house in which James 
Barr, Jr., had taught from 1805 till 1808.* Burn- 
heimer's successor in that house was Peter Toy, 
who resided there from 1825 until the spring of 
1833, during which time he cleared some land and 
paid the taxes. Both were tenants under Samuel 
Bowser, who then claimed the whole of " Great 
Meadow." 

Anthony Cravenor, another claimant of this 
tract, then a single man, came upon it, as early as 
1825, and proposed building a mill, and was first 
assessed with 100 acres of it, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 
1832, at $226. He boarded for awhile with Flan- 
ner, became a steady resident in 1833, and after- 
ward built a house, a few rods north of Slate Lick 
run and northeast of Flanner's house. He claimed, 
while boarding with Flanner, to have a foreigner's 
title, and wished Flanner. to co-operate with him in 
acquiring possession. That title consisted of three 
deeds from Francis and Simon Freeman and others, 
heirs-at-law of Richard Freeman, of the county of 
Wicklow, Ireland, to Cravenor, releasing and quit- 
claiming their respective interests in " Great 
Meadow," dated February 28, 1831, for $300; from 
Richard B. Freeman, September 22, for $13 ; and 
from Anthony Wilson and wife, of Elverston, 
county of Dublin, June 8, 1832, for $1. The first- 
mentioned of these deeds was executed by James 
Stewart, formerly of Neury, Ireland, but then 
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who was a " gen- 
eral European agent," by virtue of a power of 
attorney, which was duly executed and acknowl- 
edged before E. Butler, " Sovereign of Carlo," in 
the county of Carlo, Ireland, September 16, 1830, 
which was recorded in Armstrong county, March 
3, 1831. The other two deeds were executed by 
the grantors in Ireland, and their signatures were 
proven by Stewart's affidavits, made before an 
alderman of Pittsburgh. Cravenor, having thus 
acquired the proper title to the whole tract, pur- 
chased, as he insisted, the interest which Bowser 
had acquired in it by his improvement and settle- 
ment. While Toy was living in the old school- 
house. Bowser told him that he had sold the north 

* Vide West Franklin. 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



503 



half to Cravenor ; and he told James Noble that 
he had sold the northern jjart to Cravenor, who, 
he said, had paid him and had got his deed for it ; 
and there was some evidence that Cravenor had 
said that he bought only the half of the tract north 
of Slate Lick run from Bowser ; but that deed is 
not recorded. Bowser brought an action of 
assumpsit against Cravenor to No. 15, June term, 
1828, in the common pleas of this county, and ob- 
tained a verdict and judgment for $264.55, Decem- 
ber 25, 1829, which probably originated from their 
agreement about this land. Cravenor, it seems, 
did not go on to this tract so much for farming as 
for building a mill, which he began to do soon 
after his advent, and located it several rods below 
the mouth of Slate Lick, and east of Glade run. 
He cut logs for it on both sides of Slate Lick. 
The walls of the lower story were clay and 
stone, eight feet high. Some if not all the stonework 
and the raising of the second story were done by 
" frolics," as the gratuitous labor of neighbors 
was called. Several of the pieces of timber had 
become so much decayed that some of the men, 
who were helping to put them in their places, 
were in danger of being killed. The head and 
tail races were dug. The work progressed very 
slowl)' for about twelve years, yet it was " merely 
the shell of a mill," and was never completed. Its 
roof having become very rotten,' the whole building 
was torn down about 1865, and Robert Armstrong 
procured some of the logs for the sills of his house. 
Cravenor also set out an orchard of twenty trees 
on a hill, and cleared land south of Slate Lick run. 

Flanner, after clearing fifteen acres and building 
a house on the part of " Great Meadow," which he 
had purchased from Bowser, and after learning the 
nature of Cravenor's claim to the whole tract, 
" threw up the old article and gave up the • land to 
Bowser," but not by writing. It was merely a 
pai-ol recision of Bowser's above-mentioned con- 
veyance to him, and he was jjermitted, if he so 
wished, to remain on eight or nine acres and pay 
one-third of the crops raised thereon as rent to 
Bowser. He, however, left soon after Cravenor 
became a piermanent occupant. 

Hence arose long-continued litigation between 
Bowser and Cravenor and their heirs respecting the 
title to the southern half of " Great Meadow," or 
that part of it south of Slate Lick run. 

Bowser instituted his action of trespass, etc., for 
mesne profits to No. 97, March term, 1844, in the 
common pleas of this county. The writ not hav- 
ing been delivered to the sheriff, an alias summons 
to No. 42, June term, 1844, was issued and served. 
The case was ruled out and arbitrated Tuesday, 



February 11, 1845, at the house of David Reynolds, 
Kittanning, and the award of the arbitrators for 
1140.80 and costs in favor of the plaintiff was tiled 
February 27, from which the defendant appealed. 
A jury having been called in this case, June 16, 
1846, the plaintiff became nonsuit. Bowser is- 
sued an alias summons in ejectment to No. 9, 
March term, 1845, for 100 acres and \2h perches of 
the southern part of " Great Meadow." A jury 
having been called and sworn, January 16, 1846, 
rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for 
" one hundred acres to be laid off the south side of 
the tract No. 280, to commence at the western side 
of the tract at Slate Lick run, thence down said ruji 
to Glade run; thence down the southwest side of 
Glade run till an east line crossing Glade run, to the 
eastern boundary of the tract, will include the hun- 
dred acres, and the defendant to be entitled to the 
mill and water privilege attached to the mill." 
Judgment was entered on the verdict, and the 
same day a writ of error to the supreme court was 
filed. 

The court below (White, P. J.) instructed the 
jury thus: "If the fact is that Cravenor came into 
possession under Bowser's tenant, he is in the same 
situation, and the law regards him as Bowser's 
tenant, and he must surrender the possession to 
him when called on for that purpose, and this 
whether Bowser has a title or not, and the defend- 
ant cannot retain possession, although he may have 
purchased a better title," which instruction was 
the only error assigned. The opinion of the su- 
preme court was delivered October 23, by Coulter, 
J., who, i7ite)- alia, said: "As an abstract jJi'oposi- 
tion the doctrine of the court is unquestionable 
law. The error consists in the application of it to 
the facts of this case." The syllabus of the opinion 
is: A written contract for the purchase of land, in 
part executed by entry and improvements made, 
cannot be rescinded by a verbal agreement and 
surrender of the instrument, the vendee remaining 
in possession under a verbal agreement to occupy 
as tenant. And the entry by one having a better 
title with the consent of the vendee continuing in 
possession under such agreement, and with notice 
thereof, is not subject to the rule which estops one 
entering by collusion with a tenant from setting 
up an adverse title against the landlord. 

There having been that error in the instruction 
of court below, the judgment was reversed and a 
new trial awarded. 

The death of Cravenor having been suggested, 
June 26, 1847, his heirs-at-law, Anthony and John 
Cravenor, were substituted, and their guardian, 
William Noble, was admitted to defend, June 23, 



504 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1848, and on the 26th a jury was called and 
sworn, which rendered a verdict in favor of the 
defendants. 

Bowser having brought another action of eject- 
ment to No. 27, September term, 1850, for 112 acres 
and 12 perches, a jury was called and sworn June 
21, 1852 (Knox, P. J.), which rendered a ver- 
dict in his favor for that portion of land embraced 
in the writ lying south of Slate Lick run, accord- 
ing to the draft made by J. E. Meredith, and for 
the defendants for the residue of the land embraced 
in the writ. In that draft the central line of 
" Great Meadow " extends from the point at which 
its western line is crossed by Slate Lick run due 
east across the western bend and falls of Glade 
run to its eastern line, leaving several acres, on 
which were Planner's house and barn and a portion 
of the turnpike road to the north of it. That line 
was run at the instance of Bowser in 1844, and at 
the instance of Cravenor in 1845. A writ of error 
to the supreme court was filed July 13; record re- 
turned November 25; judgment affirmed, and under 
a writ of habere facias possession was delivered 
to Bowser February 11, 1853. 

That, however, was not a finality. John S. 
Cravenor, who had purchasedhis brother Anthony's 
interest in this land, brought his action of ejects 
ment to No. 32, March term, 1864, against David 
S. Bowser and about a dozen others, heirs-at-law of 
Samuel Bowser, deceased, to recover the 100 acres 
south of Slate Lick run. Judge Buffington having 
been concerned as counsel in this case before his 
election and appointment, it was tried before 
Judge Campbell, of the 18th judicial district, at a 
special court held atKittanning, in November, 1866. 
The jury was called and sworn on the 20th, and 
rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the 
land, the above-mentioned 100 acres described in 
the writ. Judgment having been entered on the 
verdict, a writ of error to the supreme court was 
filed December 11. The record was returned Janu- 
ary 18, 1868, with the judgment reversed and a 
new trial awarded. 

A part of the earlier history of this case is that 
a son and son-in-law of Samuel Bowser, October 
26, 1846, induced Planner to sign an assignment to 
Bowser of all his interest in the land to which he 
was entitled under that informal written agree- 
ment of September 1, 1816, for $1, and "divers 
other and sufficient considerations." That was 
while the first case was in the supreme court, and 
was there decided favorably to Cravenor as above 
stated. After Judge Buflington, who was then of 
Cravenor's counsel, returned from Pittsburgh, he 
and Governor Johnston conferred and sent for 



Cravenor and Planner to come to them. In the 
course of the interview Planner stated he signed 
the above-mentioned assignment under the impres- 
sion made upon his mind by those who solicited 
him to sign it that he was signing merely the old 
article of September 7, 1816, and not selling out 
or transferring his interest under it. His statement 
was reduced to writing and signed and witnessed. 
Both of Cravenor's counsel then advised him, after 
fully explaining his relationship to the title and of 
the reversal of the judgment in the supreme court, 
to execute a conveyance to Cravenor of all his right, 
title, interest and claim of, in, to and out of that 
tract of land for $50, which he did, and the money 
was paid. Thus it became an important question 
whether Planner's interest was that of a purchaser 
or tenant, and consequently whether he transferred 
to Cravenor a purchaser's or tenant's interest in 
that disputed territory. It was insisted in this, the 
third, trial in the court below, that as there was no 
consideration expressed in the contract of Septem- 
ber 7, 1816, and none shown in the evidence, it was 
on the part of Bowser a mere voluntary engage- 
ment without any equivalent, and not enforcible at 
law; that that contract, being executory, might be 
rescinded by parol, and if the jury believed fi-om 
the evidence that it was delivered up to Bowser, 
and that Planner afterward left the land and 
abandoned all claim to it, there was a sufficient 
evidence of a rescission of the contract, and any 
subsequent conveyance made by Planner was void; 
that if the jury believed from the evidence that 
Planner, after taking possession of the land under 
that contract, attorned to Bowser as his landlord, 
or agreed to pay rent to him, or fixed upon himself 
any other character than that under which he had 
entered, he thereby abandoned his equities under 
that contract, and his possession was referred to his 
new agreement and would inure to the benefit of 
Bowser, and if he and Planner had held adverse 
possession for twenty-one years, Cravenor could not 
recover; that if Cravenor was a mere boarder in 
Planner's house, it was not such an entry as would 
justify the possession of Planner, or suspend the 
running of the statute of limitations, although he 
might be the holder of the legal title; that until 
he did some act indicative of his intention to claim 
the possession, or declared he entered for the pur- 
pose of taking possession under his title, and if the 
possession of Bowser and his tenants to that of Plan- 
ner was exclusive, adverse and continued for twen- 
ty-one years before such entry by Cravenor, the 
statute of limitations would be a complete bar to 
Cravenor's right to recover in this action. The 
court held that there was no consideration men- 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



505 



tioned in that contract, but whether any had been 
shown by the evidence was referred to the jury, 
but the defendants had given evidence that Planner 
gave up his possession because he was unable to 
pay the purchase money, and although no consid- 
eration was i^roven, if he entered and made valu- 
able improvements on the faith of that agreement, 
he would still have an interest that could be en- 
forced; that the loose declarations of Flanner, as 
to changing his possession from a purchaser to a 
tenant were insufficient to establish the relation of 
landlord and tenant; that if he entered as a pur- 
chaser in 1816 under that contract he could only 
become a tenant of Bowser by a conveyance good 
under the statute of frauds and perjuries, a parol 
surrender of the article and possession alone would 
not divest his title, and, therefore, the possession of 
Cravenor under Flanner would not inure to Bowser 
unless under the agreement of 1846; if Bowser and 
Flanner had the adverse, exclusive and continued 
possession of the whole land for twenty-one years, 
it would confer a good title against all the world, 
and that a mere casual entry of the holder of a 
legal title would not stop the running of the 
statute, but as soon as done with the claim of right 
and exercising acts of ownership, it would suspend 
the running of the statute. 

Those rulings of the court were among the 
errors assigned, and were all affirmed. Another er- 
ror assigned the admission of the above-mentioned 
power of attorney to James Stewart in evidence. 
The ruling of the court in that respect was 
affirmed. 

The only ground on which the judgment was 
reversed was the admission of Planner's unsworn 
written statement, along with his and Judge 
Buffington's depositions. That statement was 
made to show that Planner's transfer of his inter- 
est to Bowser was procured by fraud. Says the 
supreme court (Thompson, C. J.), "it was hearsay 
of the mo.st objectionable kind, and should never 
have been offered. * * * A charge of fraud, 
such as it contained, would, in a case in which 
there were any facts for the jury, be likely to be 
damaging. It is possible it did no harm, but it is 
very probable it did. This assignment of error 
we think is sustained, and on account of it the 
judgment must be reversed." 

This case was retried before Judge Sterrett of 
Pittsburgh, at a special court commencing on the 
fourth Monday of February, 1870. The jury was 
called and SAVorn March 3, and rendered a verdict in 
favor of the plaintiff, on which judgment was 
entered and to which a writ of error was filed 
March 30. The second was returned, with the 



judgment affirmed, January 16, 1872, and posses- 
sion was sxibsequently delivered to John S. Crav- 
enor, who brought his action of trespass, etc., for 
mesne profits to No. 50, June term, 1872, and the 
defendants by their attorney confessed judgment, 
August 26, 1873, for 1300 and costs, and thus 
ended the litigation about the southern half of 
" Great Meadow," which commenced nearly thir- 
ty years before its close. 

Another name by which No. 280 was com- 
monly known by the early settlers was the " Glade 
Run Falls Tract." There is a hamlet at and near 
the falls now called " Walkchalk." A drum-band 
was organized here a few years since. John Crav- 
enor on a certain occasion remarked respecting 
that band, that if he had command of it he would 
make its members "walk chalk." Hence the 
modern name of this point. The grangers several 
years ago erected a two-story frame building here 
for a hall, but on account of differences among 
them it has never been used for that purpose. 

Adjoining "Great Meadow" and the northern 
part of " Orleans " on the east is depreciation lot 
No. 306, called " Morlaix," pronounced Mor-lai, 
210/0 acres, one of the Audibert tracts which 
became vested in Gabriel Philibert Loeben, who 
conveyed 103 acres and 11 perches to Peter Toy, 
January 21, 1836, for $200, having been previously 
occupied by Bowser, to which Toy removed from 
the old schoolhouse on " Great Meadow." Loeben 
conveyed 40 acres and 8 perches, with 3 acres and 
68 perches of No. 305, to James Armstrong, Octo- 
ber 13, 1840, for $656.25, and as attorney-in-fact 
of Christopher Garnier, of L'Orient, France, 43 
acres and 75 perches, with 6 acres and 82 perches 
of No. 303, June 10, 1846, for $300. This tract 
was named " Morlaix " after a town in the depart- 
ment of Finisterre in France. 

Adjoining "Morlaix" on the east is depreciation 
lot No. 305, 211t'o acres, with 200 acres of which 
Michael Starr was first assessed in 1810 at §200, 
and with which he continued to be assessed until 
1817, when it was transferred to G. P. Loeben, 
having been included in Sheriff Brown's sales to 
Joseph Audibert, who by Loeben, his attorney-in- 
fact, conveyed it to James Laubie, "sojouruilig in 
the city of Pittsburgh," April 29, 1822, for $800, 
who conveyed it to Loeben, June 4, 1823, for the 
same consideration, and which, with small parts 
of three other adjoining tracts, 219 acres and 57 
perches, the latter conveyed to James Armstrong, 
October 13, 1838, for $3,285, which quantity was in- 
cluded in his devises by his will dated July 5, 
1859, and registered August 6, 1866, to his sons 
John, Robert and Thomas, subject to the payment 



506 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



by John and Robert respectively of $300 to his 
daughter, Mrs. Ana Eliza Coventry, and with 
which they are still assessed. 

Adjoining No. 305 on the east are depreciation 
lots Nos. 303 and 304. The western part of the for- 
mer adjoins "Hop Yard," and the eastern part 
depreciation lot No. 302 on the south, which, pro- 
jecting a few rods above " Hop Yard," the eastern 
part of 303 extending to the river, is somewhat nar- 
rower than its western part. The other lot, also 
extending to the river, is a rectangular parallelo- 
gram. Both were included in Sheriff Brown's sales 
to Joseph Audibert, and descended to Marie Touis- 
sant Audibert, " as sole heiress at law." She, by her 
will dated December 11, 1840, and registered at 
L'Orient, France, February 15, 1841, devised 
No. 303, called " Quimper," to Christopher Gar- 
nier, of the city of Nantes, which he empowered 
Loeben to sell by his letter of attorney in French, 
the acknowledgment of which before Charles P. 
Dasnier and his colleagues, notaries public, at 
L'Orient, April 16, 1841, which was translated by 
Lewis V. Carron, who swore that his translation 
was " correct and faithful " before Thomas Steele, 
alderman of Pittsburgh, February 9, 1846. The 
acknowledgment before these foreign notaries was 
made valid by act of April 22, 1846. Loeben, as 
attornej'-in-fact, and James Miller, of Bedford 
county, Pennsylvania, entered into a written con- 
tract for the sale and purchase of 299 acres and 69 
perches, February 26, 1847, for $4,500. The for- 
mer executed and delivered to the latter a deed 
therefor August 30. Loeben, as attorney-in-fact, 
conveyed 27 acres and 53 perches of this tract to 
Daniel Lemmon, August 24, 1848, for $327.75. 

Joseph Audibert, by Loeben, his attorney-in-fact, 
conveyed 28^ acres of No. 304, called " Audibert," 
after its patentee, Peter Benignus Audibert, to 
Daniel Lemmon, January 21, 1828, for $156, and 
Marie Touissant Audibert, by Loeben, attorney- 
in-fact, conveyed 127 acres and 155 pei-ches of 
" Audibert " to Lemmon, August 24, 1848, for $446, 
probably in pursuance of an agreement made prior 
ta her death. Lemmon probably settled on the 
smaller one of these parcels ten or eleven years 
before it was conveyed to him, for in 1817 he was 
assessed with two tracts, each 200 acres, in what 
was then Buffalo township, one of them and 2 
horses and 3 cattle at $248, and the other at $200. 
He kept a hotel in the eastern part of " Audibert," 
its sign, with two cross-keys, having been painted 
by James McCuUough at his shop in Kittanning, 
April 7, 1828, and he was first assessed with his 
ferry at this point in 1827. He retained those two 
parcels, the westernmost one containing the small 



parcel which had been part of No. 303, until his 
death, after which, in proceedings in partition, 
they, without regard to their original quantities, 
were divided into two purparts. The western one, 
marked "A," containing 114 acres and 111 perches, 
was valued by the inquest, September 20, 1852, at 
$16.08 an acre, and the other one marked " B," 
40 acres and 94 perches, at $13.41 an acre, as sur- 
veyed to Daniel Lemmon's heirs by J. E. Mere- 
dith, October 19, 20. His surveys on these days 
included those of several other tracts on both 
sides of the Allegheny river. The court decreed 
purpart A to John H. Lemmon, and purpart B to 
Mrs. Margaret Nulton, December 20. 

The Allegheny Furnace lands consisted chiefly 
of several depreciation lots, lying north of " Audi- 
bert," for all but one of which patents were granted 
to John Nixon, Sr., December 14, 1786, and others, 
May 28, 1788. The northern adjoiner of "Audi- 
bert" is No. 309, on the eastern part of which 
David Helm settled probably about 1797 and es- 
tablished a ferry, which became in those early 
times a prominent point. As early as, probably 
earlier than, 1805 Helm was assessed with 259 
acres, 1 horse, 1 cow and 1 ferry, at $120.75. Di- 
vers citizens of Buffalo, Sugar Creek and Toby 
townships presented petition to the court -of quar- 
ter sessions of this county, representing that they 
labored under great inconveniences for want of a 
public road from David Helm's ferry to intersect 
with the old Franklin road at a path "known by 
the name of Bullock path." That application was 
held under advisement until March 18, 1807, when 
John Corbett, Elijah Mounts, Alexander McKean, 
Abraham Stanford, Thomas and William Thomp- 
son were appointed viewers. At the next June 
sessions Jacob Anthony, John Heffler and Chris- 
topher Reichert were substituted for Mounts, 
Stanford and Thomas Thompson. ' A remonstrance 
of sundry persons was presented, December 26, 
setting forth that the viewers had laid out the road 
neither on the best ground nor along the shortest 
route, and prayed for persons to be appointed to 
review that road from James Watterson's ferry to 
David Helm's ferry, and William Cochran, John 
Foster, James Matthews, Robert McDonald, 
Thomas Thompson and James Watterson were 
appointed reviewers. Their report was held under 
advisement from March till June sessions, 1808, 
when the court did " not approve." The petition 
of a number of inhabitants of this county was pre- 
sented to that court at March sessions, 1807, setting 
forth that they labored under great inconveniences 
for the want of a road from David Helm's ferry to 
Joseph Brown's, opposite the town of Kittanning, 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



507 



a distance of about two miles; that it frequently 
happened that the river was passable at one of 
these places when not at the other; and that by the 
then only route it was a distance of six or seven 
miles " over prodigious hills." Robert BrowDj 
William Cochran, David Lawsoii, James Matthews, 
John Orr and James Sloan were appointed viewers, 
whose report in favor of the proposed road, with a 
draft of its courses and distances, 2 miles and 192 
perches, abated June 6, was approved nisi, Sef)tem- 
ber 24, and "confirmed of the width of 33 feet," 
December 24. 

The petition of a number of the inhabitants of 
Sugar Creek township was presented at June ses- 
sions, 1810, praying for a road from David Helm's 
ferry to the bend of the Allegheny river op230site 
the mouth of Mahoning. Frederick Christman, 
David Helm, James Matthews, Robert McDonald, 
Robert Orr, Jr., and James Thompson were ap- 
pointed viewers, whose report in favor of the pro- 
posed road, 7 miles and 26 perches, with a draft of 
the courses and distances, was approved June 21, 
and confirmed as a public road, 20 feet wide, Sep- 
tember 19. It having been represented to the 
court at December sessions, lS10,by inhabitants of 
Kittanning and vicinity that there was need of a 
road from Helm's ferry on the east side of the Al- 
legheny river, where the road from Kittanning 
intersected the road from Ourey's up the river to 
Robert Beatty's grist and saw mills at the mouth 
of the Cowanshannock, Matthias Bowser, Adam 
Elliott, Daniel Lemmon, Michael Mechling, John 
and Robert Patrick, viewers. Their report in favor 
of the road, with a draft of its courses and distances, 
1 mile and 40 perches, was read and approved, 
March 18, 1811, and confirmed as a public road, 
38 feet wide, June 20. Helm was last assessed in 
1815, and then with two tracts of land, each 200 
acres, 1 horse and 2 cattle, at $222, but not with 
the ferry for several years before. He left this 
part of the country soon after his last assessment. 
Peter Humman was first assessed in the Buffalo 
township list with 150 acres, 1 horse, 2 cows and a 
ferry, in 1814. Didhe succeed Helm at this point? 

This and several other adjacent tracts having 
become vested in Alexander McNickle, he erected 
the Allegheny furnace in the northeastern part of 
No. 809 in 1826-7, went into blast in the latter part 
of July, 1827, and with which he was first assessed, 
together with 700 acres, 10 horses, 2^ yoke of oxen 
in 1S28, at $5,950, and with a tanyard in 1831, and 
a ferry in 1834. James W. Biddle, who had pre- 
viously erected Rock furnace, had some connec- 
tion with McNickle either in building or operating 
the Allegheny furnace, which was a hotblast 



charcoal one, whose capacity was about 15 tons of 
metal a week, which was transi)orted to Pittshurgli, 
its nearest market, in flatboats. McNickle was 
last assessed with this furnace in 1836, which, be- 
fore the next assessment, went out of blast. 
It and all the lands belonging were conveyed by 
Chambers Orr, sheriff, to Robert Buchanan, of 
Cincinnati, Ohio, December 17, 1841. This tract 
is described in the sheriff's deed as containing 250 
acres, 50 of which were cleared, and 15 were 
meadow. The buildings and other improvements 
were: A hewed log house, with a kitchen annexed, 
a store-room, two small buildings, one of which 
was frame and the other of round logs, used as a 
warehouse, a large smokehouse, a large quarter 
stack furnace, first rate, i. e. at $3,000, a twelve-inch 
cylinder engine, with the necessary buildings at- 
tached, furnace and coalhouses, blacksmith and 
carpenter shops, 1 kiln, 14 log-cabins, each one- 
story, and 2 stables, all which brought $1,000 under 
the sheriff's hammer. Buchanan conveyed 179 
acres and 32 perches of the western part of No. 309, 
a long, narrow tract extending westward to the 
Kittanning, Middlesex and Brady's Bend road, to 
Robert O. Quigley, October 16, 1856, $942, 125 acres 
and 58 perches of which he conveyed to Joseph R. 
Ambrose, December 10, 1858, for $2,757.55, 32 
acres and 113 perches of which Ambrose conveyed 
to George W. Burford, September 25, 1859, for 
$327, and about 96 acres to Obadiah Barnhart, the 
present owner, June 26, 1876, for $9,000. Buchanan 
conveyed 5 acres and 10 perches of the southeast- 
ern part to Thomas McLemmon, January 20, 
1858, for $75.93, and the residue of 63 acres on 
which the furnace was situated was included in 
his sale to Darwin Phelps. 

About May 1, 1859, Rev. John N. Dick, James 

Dick, James T. Dickey, Duff, Marcus Hulings 

and James S. Quigley organized themselves into a 
company for the purpose of mining cannel coal 
and making coal-oil, for which purpose they erect- 
ed suitable buildings near the site of the stack of 
the Allegheny furnace, put in position four corru- 
gated cast-iron retorts about 8 feet long and 4 feet 
in diameter, opened a seam of coal of good quality 
about 18 inches thick, made from 80 to 100 barrels 
of crude oil, and sold $200 worth, which they lost. 
The company also erected a refinery, which caught 
fire and was destroyed. Their losses aggregated 
about $7,000. Another obstacle was the develop- 
ment of petroleum in 1860. So that company 
ceased its operations. 

Adjoining the western part of No. 309 on the 
north is depreciation lot No. 310, included in the 
Nixon purchase, on which John Bish settled in 



508 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



1806, when he was first assessed in Buffalo town- 
ship with 1 cow at $6. He was first assessed with 
40 acres of this tract in 1808, and 200 acres in 1809. 
He resided on it until 1819, when he left it. This 
tract in the sheriff's sale to Buchanan was bid off 
at $280. Adjoining on the east is No. 311, which 
was bid off at that sale at $250, 25 acres of which 
Buchanan sold to William Toy. Adjoining No. 311 
on the north is depreciation lot No. 313, 246Tir 
acres, called " Clover Hill," the patent for which 
to Nixon is dated May 28, 1788, and the considera- 
tion expressed is £18 9s 9d, which Nixon's heirs 
by their attorney-in-fact conveyed to Dr. John 
Gilpin, July 6, 1857, for $1,500. 

Adjoining "Clover Hill" and No. 311 on the 
east is depreciation lot No. 312, 2481% acres, called 
" Arragon," the patent for which was granted to 
James Stokes, December 14, 1786, for £59 19s 4d, 
which he by his will, dated August 5, 1828, direct- 
ed his executors to dispose of either at private or 
public sale. They conveyed "Arragon" to Alex- 
ander McNickle, April 27, 1836, for $1,900, which 
brought $100 at sheriff's sale. This tract was 
named after Arragon, which was, until about 360 
years ago, the second principal division of Spain. 
" Arragon " is traversed in a southeasterly course 
by Organ's run, so-called after John Organ, who 
settled on it probably before 1800. He was 
assessed with 244 acres of "Arragon" and 1 cow 
in 1805 at $61, and the next year with the same 
and 1 horse, at $71. His last assessment on this 
side of the river* was with 200 acres and 1 cow in 
1808, at $200. 

Buchanan conveyed to Darwin Phelps all of 
'• Arragon," the residue of " Clover Hill " after 
selling 100 acres of it to Loeben Tarr, 63 acres of 
No. 309, 199 acres and 110 perches of No. 310, 215 
acres, the residue of No. 311 after selling 25 acres 
of it to William Toy, aggregating 876 acres and 
110 perches, December 13, 1858, for $8,500, who 
conveyed 71 acres of "Arragon" to James E. 
Brown and James Mosgrove, December 22, 1863, 
for $1,500 ; 29 acres and 7^ perches thereof to 
Loeben Tarr, April 4, 1864, for $590. There is at 
present a public schoolhouse on that part of " Ar- 
ragon " at the cross-roads near Organ's run. 

Phelps conveyed the rest of the lands which he 
had purchased from Buchanan, 835 acres, to Mc- 
Knight, Martin and others, of the Monticello Fur- 
nace Company, July 30, 1860, for $12,000, 810 acres 
of which the assignees of McKnight, Porter & Co. 
conveyed to the present owners, James E. Brown, 
James B. Neale and Grier C. Orr, November — , 
1877. 



»See Ked Bank township. 



Adjoining Nos. 309 and 310 on the west, and 
No. 305 and " Morlaix " on the north, is deprecia- 
tion lot No. 308, 218 acres and 141 perches, called 
" Sainte Marie," included in Sheriff Brown's sales 
to Joseph Audibert, 123 acres, and 106 perches of 
which the latter by Loeben, his attorney-in-fact, 
conveyed to Peter Bowser, October 16, 1837, for 

; the consideration in the deed is blank, and 

the receipt is for purchase money mentioned in the 
deed. Bowser conveyed 68 acres and 155 perches 
of this parcel to Robert Campbell, May 18, 1847, 

for $758.60, who by his will, dated , 1865, 

and registered July 21, 1873, devised his parcel to 
his wife during her widowhood, and after her to 
his two daughters equally, or to the survivor of 
them ; and in the event of his having children 
born after the making of his will, they were to have 
each' an equal share. 

Audibert, by his attorney, conveyed 66 acres and 
132 perches of "Sainte Marie" to William Toy, 
December 28, 1845, for $200, who, at an advanced 
age, still resides on that portion of this parcel, in 
the angle formed by the intersection of the Kittan- 
ning, Middlesex and Brady's Bend road, and the 
one extending northwesterly and southwesterly 
from the one along the Allegheny river to the Kit- 
tanning and Butler turnpike. 

Adjoining "Sainte Marie" on the west is de- 
preciation lot No. 307, 218t5 acres, called "Tou- 
louse." It descended to Marie T. Audibert, who, 
by her attorney, Loeben, conveyed it to Anna Re- 
gina Erfmans, September 13, 1845, for $1,500 ; and 
the latter to James Miller, the present owner, 
March 13, 1868, for $5,250. 

Loeben, as attorney-in-fact, conveyed 50 acres and 
25 perches, parts of " Sainte Marie" and " Tou- 
louse," to Jacob Bowser, January 21, 1836, for 



This tract was named after the ancient city of 
Toulouse, which is situated on the Garonne river 
in France. 

Adjoining "Toulouse" on the west, and "Great 
Meadow," " Polignac " and " Huntingdale" on the 
south, is a hexagonal tract, 397 acres and 100 
perches, called " Campbelltown," on which John 
Campbell, father of Hugh and Nathaniel Camp- 
bell, made an improvement, March 12, and a settle- 
ment April 9, 1796, and which was surveyed to 
him by Ross, deputy surveyor, June 11, 1802, and 
for which the patent was granted to Campbell 
November 20, 1807. He conveyed, June 6, 1808, 
150 acres to Jonas Bowser, for $260, and 114 acres 
and 9 perches to Adam Bowser for $228. The 
former by his will, dated July 1, 1846, and regis- 
tered March 7, 1848, devised all his real estate, 



KAST FRANKLIN TOWNSlIir. 



50!) 



including his parcel of " Campbelltown," to his 
wife during the rest of her life and widowhood, 
and, after her death or marriage, to her son, Henry 
Stauffer. The latter, by his will, dated October 4, 
1850, and registered June 1-2, 1852, devised his 
parcel of " Campbelltown," on which he then 
lived, to his daughter, Priscilla, wife of James 
Russell. 

Campbell also conveyed 50 acres of " Campbell- 
town " to David Claypoole, who conveyed the 
same to Adam Bowser, March 23, 1816, for #200, 
Avhich he conveyed to John Swigert, July 26, 1833, 

for , who conveyed the same to William Bo- 

ney, August 23, 1840, for , and which he con- 
veyed to Abraham Bowser about March 3, 1845, 
for $350, which, having become vested by proceed- 
ings in partition, in Matthias S. Bowser, he con- 
veyed to Peter Bowser, September 11, 1862, for 
$1,000. 

Campbell conveyed what was left of " Campbell- 
town," after selling the foregoing parcels, to Abra- 
ham Swigard, January 31, 1814, for $300, two 
shares of which, and whatever other real estate he 
owned, he devised to his son Jacob, by his will 
dated March 15, 1830, and registered May 27, 1832, 
and one share to each of his other four children. 

Adjoining " Campbelltown " on the west is the 
eastern portion of the Barr-Scott tract,* 84 acres 
of which Scott conveyed to Margaret Herron, Feb- 
ruary 5, 1828; she to James S. Herron, August 19, 
1851 ; he to John Richey, February 28, 1865 ; he 
to Robert Huston, April 1, and Huston to A. J. 
Nicholson, the present owner, September 14, 1869, 
for $3,500. 

Adjoining that eastern portion of the Barr-Scott 
tract and the western part of " Campbelltown " on 
the north is a tract, hexagonal, nearly a rect- 
angular parallelogram, lengthwise north and south, 
202:^ acres, with which, and 200 acres other land 
and 2 horses and 2 cows, John Mann was first 
assessed in 1814, at $856, to whom a warrant issued 
November 24, 1828, and to whom this tract was 
surveyed by Robert Richards, deputy surveyor, 
April 25, 1829. He conveyed 207 acres and 63 
perches thereof to William Patton, May 2, 1829, 
for $600 — one of the adjoiners being John Kerr, 
who held "the residue of the tract of which this 
is a part," — to whose sons, William and John, this 
parcel as divided by J. E. Meredith, May 21, 
1863, still belongs. The portion of the tract cov- 
ered by that warrant which Kerr held adjoins the 
Patton portion on the east, a rectangular parallelo- 
gram, 202J acres, with which John Kerr was first 
assessed, in 1822, at $150. He and his brothers, 

* Vide West Frankliu. 
82 



James and William — a trio of bachelors, — re- 
mained in possession until their interest in it passed 
from them by sheriff's sale, being the same which 
Chambers Orr, sheriff, conveyed to William Wylie, 
June 23, 1841, to whom the patent was granted 
March 8, 1844, and which he conveyed to John N. 
Wylie, the present owner, November 7, 1853, for 
$1,600, 111 acres and 60 perches of the northern 
half of which, as surveyed by J. E. Meredith, Au- 
gust 15, 1874, he conveyed to his son, William 
Wylie, for $200 "and natural love and affection." 

Adjoining the Kerr-Wylie parcel on the east and 
the eastern part of " Campbelltown " and the west- 
ern part of " Toulouse " on the south, is a tract a 
decagon in sh^pe, 348 acres and 46 perches, on 
which John Titus, Jr., made an improvement, in 
May, 1792, and a settlement, in March, 1796, and 
which was surveyed to him by Deputy Surveyor 
Ross, July 7, 1801, for which the patent issued to 
Titus, March 9, 1826, which he conveyed thus : 100 
acres to Timothy Titus, November 29, 1826, for 
$16, in the southwest corner of which is school- 
house No. 8, of the old Franklin school district ; 
100 acres to Jenkins Reese, April 7, 1829, for $300; 
82 acres and 8 perches to Simon Steelsmith, No- 
vember 9, for $290, and 82 acres and 154 perches 
to Gabriel P. Loeben, April 28, 1840, for $200. 
Steelsmith conveyed his parcel to Peter John, 
June 19, 1830, for .$200, but the records do not 
show how it passed from him. Loeben conveyed 

41 acres and 20 perches to Peter Bowser, , 

1845, for $471.50, and 82 acres, more or less, to 
William Bowser, November 27, 1848, for $800. 
The Timothy Titus parcel appears now to be owned 
by Peter Titus; the Jenkins-Rees , parcel by Wil- 
son Bowser, and the Steelsmith-John parcel by 
Peter Bowser. 

Adjoining the northern part of the John Titus 
tract on the east is a hexagonal tract, nearly a rect- 
angular parallelogram, traversed west of its center 
by Glade run, on the Gapen map, " Elijah Rabb," 
"410" acres. Thomas Herron made an improve- 
ment in the western part of it in August, 1796, and 
a settlement in November, 1797. It is said that 
he inadvertently built his cabin first beyond the 
western line on the Robert McDowell tract, from 
which he removed when the mistake was discov- 
ered, and the question of boundary was settled 
after a course of litigation. It was surveyed to 
Herron by Ross, deputy surveyor, as containing 
399 acres and 71 perches, June 15, 1802. The patent 
for it, called " Union," was granted to Herron and 
MoCall, May 16, 1807. They afterward made par- 
tition, and McCall conveyed, or released, 150 acres 
of the westei-n part, traversed by a western tribu- 



510 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



tary of Glade run, September 3, 1829, the whole of 
" Union " having been included McCall's convey- 
ance to George Clymer McCall, of June 23, 1817, 
and the latter's subsequent reconveyance. The Mc- 
Call purpart was included in the sale from Mc- 
Call's heirs to William F. Johnston, 100 acres of 
which he conveyed to John Ambrose, April 15, 
1852, for 1702.32 ; 90 acres and 104 perches to 
John Neil, October 21, 1853, for $725.50. 

Adjoining the main portion of " Union " on the 
south is the main portion of a tract, a rectangular 
parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, traversed 
by Glade run, with " Absalom Woodward " and 
"400" acres and "152" perches on the Gapen 
map, and on the other " Thomas Willard " and 
" 390". 52." Thomas Willard, of Woodbury town- 
ship, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, came on to it 
about July 22, 1797, and he and John Titus, who 
was then living on the tract adjoining it on the 
west, entered into a written agreement, on that 
day, by which the former agreed to sell to the 
latter all his right therein for £60 Pennsylvania 
currency, of which the latter agreed to pay £20 in 
hand and the remainder on May 15, 1798, and to 
make an actual settlement agreeably to law. 
Willard immediately made an improvement, which 
was followed by his actual settlement, December 
9, 1797, on which he soon erected a small log grist- 
mill. Ross surveyed this tract to him, as contain- 
ing 390 acres and 52 perches, June 14, 1802, with 
which, 1 mill, 2 horses and two cows, Ife was 
assessed, in 1805, at $182, and he continued to be 
assessed with the land, mill and 1 horse until 1810. 
He and his son John entered into a written agree- 
ment, March 27, 1808, by which he transferred to 
John all his land on Glade run, 390 acres and 53 
perches, the mill, the old improvement, all houses 
and buildings thereon, his horses, cattle and sheep, 
in consideration whereof John agreed to give his 
father a house, the site to be chosen by himself, in 
which to live, to furnish him annually with 25 
bushels of wheat, 10 pounds of coffee, 20 pounds 
of sugar, 400 pounds of pork, the use of and feed 
for 2 cows, a horse for him and his wife to ride 
when they wished ; John to keep one-third of the 
land himself, and divide the rest equally between 
his two sisters Hannah and Sarah when the latter 
should arrive at the age of 18 years, and give each 
of them a good bed, 2 cows, a good horse and 2 
sheep. John ceased to be assessed with the mill 
after 1812. 

The warrant for this tract was issued to McCall 
and Titus, May 20, 1806, on which another survey 
was made December 13, and the patent, in pur- 
suance of the above-mentioned sale of Titus' inter- 



est, was granted to McCall and Willard March 20, 
1818. John B. Mann and Hannah his wife, and 
Henry Shoutz and Sarah his wife, released their in- 
terests in the Willard purpart of this tract, 150 acres, 
to John Willard, April 9, 1821, for $50 ; he and 
Mann and his wife released their interest in 50 
acres to Shoutz, the same day, for |50 ; and Mar- 
garet Willard, widow, John W^illard, and Shoutz 
and wife conveyed 100 acres to John Y. Stewart, 
April 23, 1822, for $325, which he conveyed to 
Esther Boyd, Sarah, John and William Neil, Au- 
gust 22, 1833 ; they, by their attorneys-in-fact, to 
Loeben ; he to Henry Fluck, of Bedford county, 
April 13, 1836 ; his executors to Christian Bowser, 
104 acres and 40 perches, July 4, 1850, for $1,570.26, 
and he to Harvey Dougherty, 110 acres and 58 
perches, for $ ; and Bowser to Robert Dough- 



erty, 50 acres, April 5, 1851, for i 

The McCall jjurpart was sold by Sheriff Robin- 
son on a judgment for $85.66 debt and $7.87-^ costs 
in favor of John Titus, 240 acres, of which 14 
were cleared, to John Y. Stewart, the date of the 
deed being March 22, 1822, for $222, which was 
reconveyed to McCall, who conveyed 100 acres to 
Abraham Cornman, June 22, 1839, for $500. The 
other portion was included in the sale to Wm. F. 
Johnston, who conveyed 142 acres and 159 perches 
to Robert Dougherty, July 11, 1850, for $1,001. 

Adjoining " Union " on the east, and the eastern 
part of the McCall-Willard tract on the north and 
east, is an octagonal tract, 359 acres and 106 
perches, called " Moran," with a long, narrow, rect- 
angular tongue extending south between the Mc- 
Call-Willard tract and depreciation lot No. 314, with 
" Sold Lots " on the Gapen map, on which Andrew 
Milligan made an improvement, November 10, 1793, 
and a settlement in January, 1798, and which 
Ross, deputy surveyor, surveyed to him July 8, 
1801. Milligan conveyed "Moran" thus: 203 
acres and 70 perches to Archibald Moore, April 2, 
1804, for " nine pounds and forty cents," who was 
assessed, in 1805, with 400 acres at $100, and, the 
next year, with the same and 1 horse at $120. By 
his will, dated February 13, and registered Febru- 
ary 26, 1852, he devised all his real estate, subject 
to the maintenance of his son William during the 
rest of his life, to his son John, who still re- 
tains it. 

Milligan also conveyed 156 acres and 36 perches 
of " Moran " to John Wylie, April 2, 1804, for £22 
9s. lid, which having become vested in William 
Wylie, he devised it by his will dated 22d, and 
registered March 27, 1858, " 150 acres more or less," 
on which he then lived to his son William, to' 
whose estate it belongs. 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



ill 



Adjoining that southern tongue on the east and 
the main portion of " JVIoran " on the south is de- 
preciation lot No. 314, called " Wheatfield," 246^ 
acres, the patent for which was granted to John 
Nixon, of Philadelphia, May 28, lYSS, who by his 
will, dated December 4, 1807, devised it to his five 
children, each one-fifth, who by Charles Willing, 
their attorney-in-fact, conveyed it, " found to con- 
tain 258 acres and 115 perches," to William Mont- 
gomery, December 16, 184*7, for $1,811, 100 acres 
and 50 perches of which his executors conveyed to 
Robert R. Fleming, the present owner, September 
10, 1856, for $1,454.53, on which is schoolhouse 
No. 11 — Moore's — of the old Franklin school dis- 
trict, between which and the Allegheny river the 
writer was caught, while on a tour of oflicial duty, 
in the heaviest part of the rainstorm that caused 
the flood of March lY, 1865. The rain ceased and 
the sun shone cheerfully soon after he entered the 
schoolroom. This is the place designated for hold- 
ing the elections in East Franklin township. 

Adjoining the main portion of " Moran " on the 
east is the southern part of a tract, nearly a rect- 
angular parallelogram, lengthwise north and south, 
traversed near its center from west to east by a 
tributary of Limestone run, with " William Todd, 
Esq." and " 429.58 " acres on the Gapen map, but 
on the other the name of " John Mateer " and the 
same number of acres. Mrs. Rosannah Mateer 
made an improvement and settlement on it iu 1807, 
and having married a young Irishman by the name 
of McGune, much younger than she, who after a 
while left her and married another woman in 
Washington county, she was assessed with 400 
acres, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 1808, at $131, and 
with which she continued to be assessed until her 
death. By her will, drawn by Dr. Samuel Mc- 
Masters, dated July 31, and registered August 23, 
1826, she devised the farm on which she then lived 
to her son, Samuel Quigley McCune, who trans- 
ferred his interest to Jonathan H. Sloan. Todd's 
interest became vested in Archibald McCall, and 
Mateer's in Jonathan H. Sloan, and the jJatent for 
the entire tract was granted to them, as tenants in 
common, October 29, 1829. Sloan took 193 acres 
and 3 perches in the partition between them, which 
McGall conveyed to him July 8, 1830, and which 
he conveyed to William McCollim, Sr., October 
21, 1831, for $637.50, 102 acres and 56 perches of 
which the latter conveyed to William McGollim, 
Jr., June, 1850, for $1,000. 

McCall conveyed his purpart thus: 19 acres and 
2 perches to Robert Brown, Frederick Rohrer, 
Philip Mechling and Simon Turney, trustees of the 
Protestant Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran 



churches of Kittanuing, October 20, 1830, for $1; 
180 acres and 124 perches to Joseph Tarr, April 5, 
1837, for $994. 

Adjoining the southern part of that McCall- 
Sloan tract is a nearly square-one, 211 acres, adjoin- 
ing " Arragon " on the south and the northern part 
of " Clover Hill " on the west, without boundary 
lines, but bearing on its face " William Todd, 
Esq." on the Gapen map, but on the other within 
boundary lines, " Dau'l Lemon," whose father set- 
tled upon it in 1797, but soon after removed to 
Lexington, Kentucky. It became vested by patent, 
April 12, 1838, in his son Daniel, who before his 
death conveyed the principal portion of it to his 
son Thomas. Purpart " D," 72 acres and 48 perches, 
was not taken by any of his heirs in the proceed- 
ings in partition, but they joined in releasing their 
respective interests to Joseph Lemmon, January 
30, 1865, for $400, that is $50 to each, who after- 
ward conveyed it to his brother Thomas, to whom 
it is now assessed at $648. Daniel Lemmon agreed 
to sell 89 acres to Nathaniel Richey, July 11, 1834, 
who transferred his interest to William Richey, to 
whom Lemmon conveyed the same. May 27, 1846, 
for $150, which Richey conveyed to George 
Rummel June 13, he to John Campbell July 23, 
1849, and he to Thomas Ingram, March 11, 1857, 
for $1,400. 

AdjoiningthatLemmon tract and "Arragon" on 
the east is a tract in shape a trapezium, traversed 
southeasterly in a meandering course by Limestone 
run, which in its southeastern part empties into 
the Allegheny, so that the southwestern part of it 
was left in Buffalo when Sugar Creek township 
was organized in 1806, the mouth of Limestone 
being the eastern point of the line which then 
divided these two townships. Much of this tract 
on the Gapen map is included within boundary 
lines within which is " Wm. Todd, Esq.," but on 
the other map is included a larger area with 
"Fred'k Tarr" and "37li°." The warrant for 
this tract was granted to Todd April 15, 1794, who 
conveyed it to James Matthews, March 3, 1809, for 
$1,000, and the latter to Frederick Tarr, April 20, 
1811, for $1,856.50, with which, 2 cows and 2 horses 
he was first assessed that year at $259.50. He 
erected his sawmill thereon in 1813, which was 
afterward assessed to his son Joseph. Frederick 
Tarr resided on this tract when he was appointed 
and commissioned a justice of the peace for 
district No. 5, then consisting of Buffalo town- 
ship, by Governor Snyder, March 26, 1817, and 
was qualified two months thereafter. He and 
Samuel Richey entered into an agreement, June 4, 
1815, for the sale and purchase of a portion of 



512 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



this tract bounded by a "condition-line marked 
on the creek [Limestone], on a Spanish oak, an 
elm and plum tree, to run in a straight line by 
those three marks across the tract, and bounded 
by lands of Daniel Lemmon, John Quigiey and 
Christian Shull," for $S an acre. Richey paid 
Tarr before the latter's death ^S^a.gs, the full 
amount of the purchase money, but as the vendor 
did not execute a deed for that parcel before his 
death, the vendee proved the contract and pay- 
ments in the court of common pleas in this county, 
which the court, December 24, 18.35, ordered to be 
recorded as provided by the act of March 31, 1192. 
That parcel was afterward known as the " Richey 
Farm." Having died intestate in 1825, on appli- 
cation of the administratrix and administrator the 
orphans' court, March 18, 18.35, ordered 100 acres 
of the upper end to be sold for the payment of 
debts, but the records do not show that any report 
of the sale was made. 228 acres and 1*7 perches 
of this tract were in proceedings in partition 
awarded to Joseph Tarr, December 18, 1837, which 
he conveyed to Alexander Colwell, August 29, 1838, 
for $3,000, which the latter agreed ta sell to Mor- 
ris P. Hicks, who conveyed his interest to Henry 
J. Arnold, October 7, 1854, for $6,000, and Colwell 
conveyed his interest to Arnold, March 27, 1856, 
for $4,560. 

Adjoining that Todd-Matthews-Tarr tract on the 
east is a hexagonal one on the Lawson & Orr 
map, 340 acres, the eastern part of which is trav- 
ersed in a southerly course by the first run above 
Limestone, which, having been sold for taxes, was 
conveyed by Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, 
to William Brown, March 19, 1814, for $105, 
which Brown conveyed to John Quigiey and John 
Sloan, March 23, for $29, which they conveyed to 
Christian Shull, of Westmoreland county, Septem- 
ber 20, for $40, and which Shull agreed to convey 
to Frederick Tarr as containing 366 acres more or 
less, for $1,300, who agreed to convey 200 acres of 
the central and northern part to William Orr, 
December 30, 1816, for $1,000, but as the patent 
was not granted to him in his lifetime, and not to 
his administrator and administratrix until April 
19, 1831, Orr did not get his deed until September 
22, then next. He conveyed this parcel to William 
Zillafrow, March 22, 1833, for |887.62|, who con- 
veyed it to his son Abraham, April 6, 1850, for $1. 
A log schoolhouse about 20X24 feet was erected 
on the left bank of Schoolhouse run, on this parcel, 
about 1815, among the teachers in which were 
Joseph BuUman, George Forsyth and Robert 
Kirby, whose puj)ils numbered from 35 to 40, 
some of them living from 1^ to 2 miles distant. 



Those of them known to be now living are John 
and Montgomery Patton, James S. Quigiey, Mrs. 
Margaret Richardson, Mrs. Mary Tarr and Abra- 
ham Zillafrow. The present schoolhouse is situ- 
ated about 60 rods east of the site of that old one, 
on or near the line between that Orr-Zillafrow 
parcel and " Montreal." 

Frederick Tarr and John MoAfoos entered into 
a written agreement, January 21, 1817, for the sale 
and jmrchase of 150 acres, as they estimated the 
quantity, of the southern part of this tract, " to be 
run agreeably to a line that had been run between 
William Orr and McAfoos, and to continue up the 
run on the side near to John Q. Sloan's field, agree- 
ably to a course that Robert Orr run." The terms 
of that agreement were that Tarr should pay Mrs. 
McAfoos $500 as her dower, probably in the 110 
acres on the Cowanshannock creek, which her hus- 
band in the same agreement covenanted to convey 
to Tarr, and $300 to McAfoos, in all $800. That 
line between those two parcels extended south-' 
westerly from a point on the eastern line of the 
tract about 115 rods above the point where it 
touches the river, across the run nearly the same 
distance above its mouth to the western line of 
the tract, the Orr parcel containing 240 and the 
McAfoos 100 acres, their names being on their 
respective parcels on that map. 

Adjoining that Shull-Tarr tract on the east, in 
the bend of the Allegheny river, is a tract, 427f 
acres, surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to 
Robert Cooper, who conveyed his interest to 
MeCall, and he, having paid the purchase money to 
the commonwealth, obtained a warrant of accep- 
tance for that survey. But, as he could not obtain 
a patent for it without the improvement, settle- 
ment and residence thereon, required by the act of 
April 3, 1792, for the purpose of complying with 
that legal requirement, McCall agreed to convey 
150 acres of it to William Little, in consideration 
whereof the latter gave the former, August 12, 
1796, his bond in the penal sum of $500, condi- 
tioned for improving, settling and residing on this 
tract, building thereon a house fit for the habita- 
tion of a family, clearing, fencing and cultivating 
8 acres thereof before February 12, 1797, and pay- 
ing " one penny " on the delivery to him of the 
deed. There are these inscriptions on the Gapen 
map: " Rob't Cooper, 427f," and "Patented to 
A. McC. & Wm. C, 431.96." But on .the other 
map is this inscription : "A. McCall & James 
Sloan, Jun'r, 431^*." It was surveyed to McCall 
and William Cochran, by Ross, deputy surveyor. 
May 1, 1805. 

The patent for this tract called " Montreal " was 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



513 



granted to McCall and William Cochran, who had 
probably bought Little's interest, February 6, 1809. 
They made partition, and McCall conveyed to 
Cochran the 158 acres, April 4, 1816, when it 
then adjoined Robert McDowell, William Sloan 
and the Allegheny river. Cochran released 281 
acres and 96 perches to McCall, April 18. Cochran 
was first assessed with 400 acres of " Montreal," 
3 horses and 4 cows, in 1806, at $-244 ; and the 
next year with two horses and two cows less, at 
$197. He conveyed his purpart of "Montreal " to 
James and John Q. Sloan, October 19, 1819, for 
ITSO, which James Sloan, of Buffalo, New York, 
conveyed to Jonathan H. Sloan, August 1, 1883, 
for $700, and which the latter conveyed to Robert 
O. Quigley, April 5, 1872, for $3,135. 

McCall conveyed 109 acres and 39 perches of his 
purport of "Montreal " to James Patton, Novem- 
ber 18, 1833, for $546.22, and the residue, 169 acres 
and 79 perches, was included in the sale of 
McCall's heirs to William F. Johnston, who con- 
veyed the same to John Swigert, November 5, 
1855, for $1,525.50, one hundred and three or four 
acres of which the latter conveyed to Robert O. 
Campbell, to whose heirs it belongs, April 18, 
1860, for $2,500, and 3 acres and 157-^ perches to 
Esther M. Zillafrow, April 13, 1861, for $200. 

This tract was named after Montreal, meaning 
Mount Royal, either the island or the city in 
Canada. 

Adjoining the ShuU-Tarr tract and " Montreal " 
on the north is a hexagonal tract, " 424f " acres, 
which was surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to 
Samuel Cooper, November 7, 1794, whose interest 
was purchased by Archibald McCall, who obtained 
a warrant of acceptance, July 3, 1795. John Car- 
roll and John Orr having commenced an actual 
settlement on it, they and McCall, by his attorney- 
in-fact, Thomas Collins, entered into a written 
agreement, the terms of which were that .they 
should continue their settlement five years, to fur- 
nish proof of it and render the necessary assistance 
for obtaining the patent, and he to make them a 
deed for 80 acres adjoining the land then occujjied 
by them and Christopher Ober, and they to make 
a deed to McCall for the remainder of the tract, 
which was surveyed to them and McCall by Ross, 
deputy surveyor, May 1, 1805. Carroll transferred 
his interest to Orr, who agreed, August 21, 1815, 
to convey 100 acres or more off the northeast cor- 
ner of this tract, including Robert McDonald's 
improvement, to John Quigley for $1 per acre, 
the deed for which was made by Robert Orr, Jr., 
and Samuel C. Orr, John Orr's administrators, 
June 19, 1827, to John P. Quigley, whose heirs 



conveyed 20 acres thereof to John A. Quigley, 

January 10, 1850, f or. $ . 225 acres and 108 

perches of the McCall purpart of this tract were 
included in the sale by McCall's heirs to William 
F. Johnston, 75 acres and 30 perches of which be 
conveyed to Mary Bowser, July 11, 1850, for $175; 
67 acres and 20 perches to Charles Merrill, July 
10, 1852, for $469.87; 137 acres and 104 perches to 
Abraham and Leonard Cornman, August 31, 1854, 
for $903.55. Merrill conveyed 17 acres and 20 
perches of his parcel to James S. Cochran, October 
2, 1854, for $700, and the rest to Solomon Hooks; 
A. Cornman conveyed 87 acres and 20 perches of 
his parcel to Matthias Bowser, November 22, 1854, 
for $1,254, which he afterward conveyed to Hooks; 
and 25 acres and 30 perches of Mary Bowser's par- 
cel was conveyed by J. E. Meredith, who was ap- 
pointed a trustee by the orphans' court of this 
county to sell her real estate, to Thomas McCon- 
nell, June 7, 1860, for $155, and which the latter 
conveyed to John Claypoole, Jr., June 2, 1869, 
for $200. Solomon Hooks conveyed the two par- 
cels which be had purchased from Bowser and 
Merrill to Jacob Toy, February 1, 1865, for $1. 

Adjoining that Cooper-McCall-Orr tract on the 
north is another hexagonal one, 437 acres and 71 
perches, surveyed by Gapen, dejiuty surveyor, to 
John Cooper, Jr., on which Thomas McClymonds 
settled, probably before 1800. He was assessed 
with 200 acres of this tract and 4 cattle in 1805, at 
$82. Robert McKinley also settled about the same 
time on the other part of it, and was assessed with 
200 acres, 2 distilleries, 2 horses and 1 cow in 
1805, at $166, and the next year, with the land, 1 
distillery and 2 cows, at $170; in 1807 with 100 
acres, 1 distillery the last time, 1 horse and 1 cow, 
at $191, and the last time with the land as un- 
seated, in 1800. The next year William Kiskad- 
den was assessed with 400 acres of it, 1 horse and 
1 cow, at $216, afterward with 100 acres, and the 
last time with that, or any other quantity thereof, 
in 1815. 

This tract was surveyed to McCall and McCly- 
monds by Ross, deputy surveyor. May 5, 1805, and 
the patent for it, called "Perseverance," was 
granted to them and McKinley, May 11, 1807. 
McClymonds probably disposed of his interest 
either to McCall or McKinley, for the latter con- 
veyed 237 acres, September 20, 1821, for $1 and in 
consideration of the partition made between him 
and McCall, to E. J. Du Pont, de Nemons, who 
was then McCall's assignee, by whom it was re- 
conveyed to McCall, January 17, 1833, and was 
included in the sale by the latter's heirs to William 
F. Johnston, who conveyed the northeastern por- 



514 



HISTORY OF AEMSTROKG COUNTY. 



tion to John P. or George L. Davis, or both of 
them, and which was conveyed by Sheriff Sloan to 
Ross Mechling, September 1, 1861, for $610, which 
the latter conveyed to George Neff, April 4, 1862, 
for Si, 112, and he to Henry Ekis 100 acres, a small 
portion of which is in Washington township, De- 
cember 28, 1864, for $1,800. Johnston conveyed 
68 acres and 10 perches of "Perseverance" to John 
Ruffner, April 1, 1856, for $576.'75.* 

Passing southwesterly across " Perseverance " 
and the McCall-Orr tract to the latter's western 
adjoiner, is a nearly rectangular parallelogram, 
lengthwise from east to west, 420 acres and 49 
perches, for which a warrant must have been issued 
to John Heaton, for on the Gapen map Heaton's 
name is inscribed on the face of this tract, and on 
the other map, his and John Quigley's names. It 
was seated by John Quigley, who was assessed, as 
a single man, with 400 acres in 1805-6 at $100. 

Adjoining that Heaton-Quigley tract on the 
north is one, a pentagon, nearly a rectangular par- 
allelogram, without full boundary lines on the 
Gapen map, but having "John McKissick" on its 
face. On the other map the names of James Gib- 
son and John McKissick, and 407 acres and 34 
perches. McKissick probably occupied or claimed 
a right to this tract some time between 1792 and 
1796, when Gapen surveyed adjoining tracts. Gib- 
son was assessed with it as unseated as early as, 
perhaps earlier than, 1805, at $100, to whom the 
patent for it was granted, April 19, 1820. Dr. 
James Hutchinson, of Philadelphia, also had an 
interest in it — perhaps he purchased McKissick's. 
His heirs and Gibson made partition, and the lat- 
ter conveyed to the former 207 acres and 34 perches, 
August 5, 1820, for $1. Gibson conveyed 200 acres 
and 16 perches of his purpart to Frederick Christ- 
man, November 1, 1834, for $400, which he and 
George F. and John Dodd agreed, December 13, 
1847, to sell and purchase for $2,200. Jacob Myers 
and his wife having acquired an interest therein, 
they and George F. Dodd conveyed 106 acres to 
Robert and Sarah Coleman, March 19, 1863, for 
$1,300, 99 acres and 92^ perches of which Dodd 
conveyed to Joseph Higgenbotham, April 14, 1866, 
for $1,500. 

Adjoining that McKissick -Gibson -Hutchinson 
tract on the north is a tract, 416 acres, a rectangu- 
lar parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, the 
northern portion of which is in what is now Wash- 
ington township, which was surveyed by Gapen, 
deputy surveyor, to Jared IngersoU, who probably 
transferred his interest to Dr. James Hutchinson. 



* Elizabeth and Mary McKinley conveyed 4S acres and 35 porches 
of Ihis tnif't lo Solomon Hoots, April fi, 1877, for SI ,Onn. 



It was settled first by Daniel Heniy, who was 
assessed with 400 acres and 1 cow in 1805-6, at 
$106. The patent for it was granted to him, March 
25, 1824. He and Hutchinson's heirs having made 
partition, he released their purpart to Randall 
Hutchinson, November 25, who conveyed an undi- 
vided half to Mrs. Margaret Pepper, and the other 
to Israel P. Hutchinson. Mrs. Pepper's executor 
conveyed her half to Israel P. Hutchinson, who 
conveyed thus : 113 acres and 38 perches to John 
D. Wolf, May 12, 1852, for $900 ; 184 acres and 81 
perches to Robert and William McCutcheon, De- 
cember 5, 1853, for $1,387.50; 73 acres and 62 
perches to William Browser, December 28, 1855, 
for $770.57 ; 108 acres and 140 perches to. John 
MoGarvey, January 18, 1853, for $690,- which and 
three other parcels, aggregating 182 acres and 100 
perches, the latter conveyed to Thomas McCracken, 
September 28, 1855. An oil-well was put down 
here by the Monticello Oil Company. 

Daniel Henry conveyed his purpart, at least a 
part of it, to Alexander Duncan, September 13, 
1824, who conveyed the same to John P. Davis, 
April 21, 1834, who conveyed it to David Planner, 
who conveyed 38 acres and 60 perches, including 
ten acres which had been conveyed to him by 
John Bowser, to William Wiley, April 15, 1840, 
for $100, which, with 5 acres that David had con- 
veyed to David Planner, Wiley conveyed to Mc- 
McGarvey, June 30, 1841, for $190. 

Adjoining that Henry-Hutchinson tract on the 
west is a heptagonal one, 403 acres and 136 
perches, on which Andrew McKee settled, prob- 
ably in 1797, and was assessed with 400 acres, 1 
horse and 1 cow in 1805 and 1806, at $131. He, 
by virtue of his improvement, settlement and resi- 
dence on it, had a joint interest in it with Francis 
Johnston. In the partition between them, McKee 
took the southern part, the chief portion of which 
is in what is now East Franklin township. In the 
latter part of 1814, or early in 1815, McKee and 
John Christman agreed to sell and purchase the 
former's interest, and the latter built his gristmill 
on Limestone run, with which, 400 acres, 1 horse 
and 1 cow he was first assessed in the last-men- 
tioned year, at $307. He built his sawmill five years 
later. McKee obtained the patent, April 19, 1820, 
and conveyed to ChriStman 201 acres and 148 
perches, June 27, for $1,100. By his will, dated 
December 11, 1860, and registered March 13, 1862, 
he devised his real estate* equally to his daugh- 
ters. The Johnston purpart is chiefly in what is 
now Washington township, of which 78 acres and 
70 perches were conveyed to Thos. Laird, April 1, 

* Sec Washington townsliip. 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



515 



1834, for $75.48; 101 to Jacob Toj', October l'G, 
1839, for $505 ; 50 acres aud 150 perches to Oliver 
Leard, the same day, for $254. TO ; and 28 acres 
and 8 perches to John Montgomery for $"75. 

Adjoining the Johnston-McKee-Ohristman tract 
on the south is the one, a pentagon, 304 acres, on 
which John Montgomery made an improvement 
and settlement, about 1797, with which and 3 
cattle he was assessed in 1805, at $72, and the next 
year, with 2 cattle less, at $66. The patent for 
this tract was granted to him April 18, 1831, and 
he conveyed 200 acres of it to Henry and Philip 
Christman, May 28, for $400, on which they built 
their grist and saw mills in 1834. Montgomery, by 
his will, dated March 4, 1832, registered Decem- 
ber 4, 1837, devised his real estate to his son John, 
who conveyed 119 acres of this tract to Jacob 
Bowser, Sejjtember 15, 1848, for $1,071. 

In 1851 Montgomery laid out the town of Mont- 
gomeryville, consisting of 17 in-lots and 7 out-lots, 
14 of the former 66X165 feet. The out-lots, ex- 
cept 1, contain, respectively, much larger areas. 
The streets, Washington and Jefferson, are each 
30 feet wide. The bearing of the former is south 
'74-^ degrees east, and of the latter, north 13 de- 
grees east. The lane is 26 feet wide, with a 
bearing south 33 degrees west. Union street is 
16 feet wide, with a bearing south 3 degrees east. 
Another street, not named in the plot, between the 
southern tier of in-lots and the out-lots and the 
southeastern tier of in-lots, 26 feet wide, with a 
bearing of noi-th 74^ degrees west. The town, sur- 
veyed by James Stewart, lies between the parcels 
conveyed to Jacob Bowser and the Christmans. 
The conveyances of but few of these lots have as 
yet been recorded. The prices of the in-lots ap- 
pear to have varied from $12.50, $17 to $103.33. 
Montgomery conveyed 4 acres and 122 perches, 
within the limits of the town, to Johnston Best, 
April 25, 1867, for $325. Joseph Lemmon con- 
veyed lots Nos. 5 and 7 to Daniel Hufham, Febru- 
ary 2, 1866, for $250. 

A log schoolhouse was built on the site of Mont- 
gomery ville, about 1830, one of the teachers in 
which was Robert Kirby, among whose pupils 
were Samuel Mateer and James S. Quigley. 

Adrian postoffice was established here, June 26, 
1862 ; James Hughes, postmaster. 

Adjoining that Montgomery tract on the west 
is a heptagonal one, 434 acres and 134 perches, on 
which James McKee made an improvement and 
settlement about 1797. He was assessed with 400 
acres as a single man, in 1805, at $100, and the 
next year, as married, and 1 horse and 1 cow, at 
$121. Philip Anthony conveyed 108 acres to Mc- 



Kee for $400, which he conveyed to Anthony 
Montgomery, October 17, 1812, for $000, who re- 
conveyed to him 108 acres of the southwestern 
part. May 20, 1813, for 5 shillings and his bonds 
for $500. Montgomery conveyed his interest in 
the entire tract to John Mateer, December 12, 1822, 
for $900. John Buchanan, who had obtained a 
warrant for this tract, February 13, 1794, conveyed 
his interest to the heirs of Francis Johnston, June 
18, 1823, for $1. Montgomery conveyed his in- 
terest in the 400 acres to John Mateer, December 
12, 1822, for 1900. The patent was granted to 
Alexander W. Johnston, executor, in trust for the 
heirs of Francis Johnston, and to John Mateer, 
October IS, 1833. Partition having been made 
between them, Johnston's executor released 18 
acres and 71 j)erches to Mateer, December 26, who 
released the residue to that executor in trust for 
the heirs of his testator. 

The Johnston purpart was conveyed thus : 78 
acres and 70 perches to Thomas Leard, April 1, 
1834, for $75.48, which Thomas Leard, Jr., con- 
veyed to John Leard, the present owner, August 
27, 1867, for $1,270.60; 101 acres to Jacob Toy, 
February 26, 1829, for $805; 50 acres and 151 
perches to Oliver Leard, the same day, for $254.70; 
and 28 acres and 80 perches to John Montgomery, 
for $75. 

Mateer conveyed his purpart to his son Samuel, 
April 10, 1855, for $3,100, who conveyed it to 
Jonathan H. Quigley, August 18, 1856, for $3,800, 
who conveyed it to Esther and Rosannah Quigley, 
the same day, for the same amount, which they 
conveyed, as containing 240 acres and 24 perches, 
to David C. Quigley, June 1, 1857, for $2,800 "and 
other valuable considerations;" 30 acres and 108 
perches of which he conveyed to Jacob Toy, March 
15, 1859, for $90.80; and 25 acres to Abraham 
Frick, October 31, 1860, for $50. Quigley, with 
whom William H. Leard and James Wylie and 
and their wives joined, conveyed 109 acres and 9 
jjerches to Robert Ralston, April 6, 1867, for 
$6,362.50, which, except 50 acres and 50 perches 
conveyed to Esther Quigley, he conveyed to James 
Long, April 26, 1873, for $6,000. 

Adjoining that McKee-Montgomery tract on the 
west, or rather the southwest, is one, an equilateral, 
though not a rectangular, parallelogram, 95 acres, 
to which Andrew Milligan acquired title, on which 
he probably settled in or about 1797. He was 
assessed 200 acres and 4 cattle, in 1805 and 1806, 
at $112, to whom the patent was granted April 4, 
1834. He having died intestate, leaving a widow 
and three children, Rachel Milligan, one of them, 
conveyed her interest to William M. Lj'ons, 141 



516 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



acres and 41 perches, December 3, 1857, for $1,000 
and some other conditions with regard to mainten- 
ance, to whom Ezekiel M. and M. M. Lyons, chil- 
dren of Mary Lyons, nde Milligan, conveyed their 
interests, March 13 and July 20, 1858, for $125 
each. 

Adjoining the Milligan tract on the south and 
west is an octagonal one, 342 acres, on which Fred- 
erick Razor must have either lived, or to which he 
claimed title, for his name is on it on the Lawson 
& Orr map, though it does not appear on the 
assessment list of either Sugar Creek or Franklin 
township. The warrant for it was granted to James 
Buchanan February 13, 1794. Buchanan sold his 
interest to John Milligan September 18, 1808, 102 
acres, which his son James sold to Robert Brown, 
of Kittanniug, June 29, 1810, and the remaining 
102 acres to Jesse Young April 2, 1806, which 
Young sold to Thomas Leard, February 15, 1812, for 
$409, " sis hundred weight gross of iron " to be 
paid in hand to Young, and the residue to Milli- 
gan. This tract was surveyed to Buchanan June 
24, 1815. Leard released all his interest in the en- 
tire tract to Brown, December 16, 1817, for$l, and 
having paid all the purchase money which he had 
agreed to pay to Young, most of it to Brown, the 
latter having obtained the patent for the whole 
tract conveyed to Leard. Brown conveyed 
228 acres and 60 perches of it to Benjamin Am- 
brose, May 5, for $500, on which he resided during 
the rest of his life, and which, by his will dated 
August 16 and registered August 27, 1847, he de- 
vised to his son John, who was required to pay 
$1,000 to his executors and receive $400 from 
them, which was to be his full portion of his 
father's estate, and release to his brother Franklin 
the 200 acres elsewhere on which John then re- 
sided. Brown conveyed 118 acres of this tract to 
Thomas Leard, May 24, 1819, for $450. 

Adjoining those Milligan and Brown tracts on 
the north, 399 acres and 146 perches, a southern 
strip of which is in East Franklin township, the 
. major of which will be noticed elsewhere.* This 
tract became vested in Jacob Steelsmith, who 
conveyed the portion in this and a small portion in 
Washington township, both portions being then in 
Sugar Creek township, 116 acres and 116 perches, 
to Simon Steelsmith, April 6, 1818, for $50, who 
conveyed the same to Michael Fair, November 24, 
1821, for $100, and which his administrator, by 
virtue of a decree of the proper court for the 
specific performance of a contract made in his in- 
testate's lifetime, conveyed to the present owner, 
William Fair, April 8, 1867, for $1,000. 

■^■Soc AViisliington township. 



Adjoining the James McKee, Anthony Mont- 
gomery and Francis Johnston tract, and the 
Andrew Milligan tract, 95 acres on the south, and 
" Moran " on the north, is one nearly a rectangular 
parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, 394 acres, 
claimed by William Wasson. When Gapen made 
the survey of its eastern adjoiner to William 
Todd, the patent for which adjoiner was, as 
before stated, granted to McCall and Jonathan H. 
Sloan. This tract, on the Lawson & Orr map, 
bears the name of " Elizabeth Leasure," on which 
she probably settled about 1797, and with which 
and 1 horse she was assessed, in 1805, at $168 ; 
and the next year with the land and 1 cow, at 
$164. She disposed of her interest in this tract by 
her verbal declarations, which were made late 
Saturday night, before July 26, 1826, in the pres- 
ence of her brother, Benjamin Leasure, William 
Montgomery and Archibald Moore, who were then 
at her house. She expressed a wish to have her 
will drawn, her brother having gone to Montgom- 
ery's before midnight to get some candles, a pen 
and ink. Montgomery asked her how she would 
leave her property. She answered that she would 
leave " all her effects, land, cattle and all, to her 
son, Joseph Wasson." Moore asked her if she 
allowed " Wasson to be her whole (sole) executor." 
She replied : " To be sure." Leasure and Mont- 
gomery designated Moore to write the will, but 
there being no paper in the house, the latter went 
to his own house for it, and his spectacles. On 
his return, he and the others thought she was too 
ill to be again disturbed ; hence her will was not 
written. But the statements of her brothers, Mont- 
gomery and Moore, respecting her verbal disj^osi- 
tion of all her property were sworn to before the 
register of wills of this county, Philip Mechling, 
August 5, 1826, who admitted her declarations, 
thus proven, to probate, as her nuncupative will. 
Benjamin and John Leasure conveyed their inter- 
est in this tract, which, it is stated in their deed, 
" was settled by Benjamin and Elizabeth Leasure, 
to George Leasure, March 18, 1842, for $1 and 
"natural love and afEectiqn." To settle the ques- 
tion of title, George Leasure brought his action of 
ejectment against Hugh J. Wasson to No. 98 of 
June term, 1842, in the common pleas of this 
county, which was tried, and the verdict of the 
jury, September 20, 1843, was in favor of the 
plaintiff for the land embraced in the survey made 
for Wasson, May 6, 1837, lying " north of the dot- 
ted line, marked ' Richards' line,' on the diagram 
returned with the verdict." Both parties then 
agreed to release to each other the portions of the 
tract according to the finding of the jury ; so the 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



r,i7 



northern part was ordered and decreed by the 
court to Leasure and the southern part to Was- 
son, a warrant having been granted to the latter, 
March 27, 1837. 

Leasure conveyed 40 acres of his purpart to 
Nicholas Best, May 10, 1848, for $-200, which his 
executors conveyed to William Wylie, May 15, 
1852, for $800 ; 126 acres and 50 perches to Will- 
iam Wylie, September 3, 1852, for $615. 

Wasson conveyed 200 acres of his purpart to 
Dr. John Gilpin, September 13, 1844, for 1600, 
which the latter conveyed to Jolm and Robert 
Wasson, December 18, 1848, for the same price. 

Adjoining that Wasson-Leasure tract on the west 
and " Union " on the north is one, a rectangular 
parallelogram, 436 acres and 51 perches length- 
wise east and west, on which is the name of David 
Todd on the Gapen, but of Thomas Milliken on 
the other map, on which the latter made an im- 
provement in August, 1793, and a settlement July 
5, 1797, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy 
surveyor, June 22, 1802, the patent for which was 
granted to Milliken, January 28, 1807. Widow 
Milliken and Thomas Milliken (or Milligan) were 
assessed with 600 acres, 2 horses and 4 cows in 
1805 and 1806, at $344. Thomas Milliken con- 
veyed 200 acres adjoining the east bank, of Glade 
run to his son Andrew,* August 17, 1849, for 
$1, " and natural love and affection," which he 
still owns, and by his will, dated June 11, and 
registered July 5, 1853, devised all the rest of his 
real estate to his son James as long as he and his 
sisters Mary and Sarah lived together, but if they 
separated he was to give them 50 acres along the 
Kittanning road. James Milliken conveyed 64 
acres of his purpart to Thomas Leard, Jr., March 
31, 1863, for $2,010. 

One of the early primitive schoolhouses, said to 
be the second one within the limits of this town- 
shij), was located on this tract about 20 rods east 
the present site of Andrew Milliken's house about 
1819, in which Archibald and William Moore, 
John Reed and George Speers were teachers. 
Samuel Mateer was a pupil of that school in 1829. 

Adjoining that Milliken tract on the west is a 
hexagonal one which was surveyed by Gapen, 
deputy surveyor, to "Joseph Clark," "403.80," as 
shown by his map, on which Robert McDowell 
made an improvement and settlement in February, 
1798, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy 



• Who by his will, dated June 28, 1879, registered April 24, 1880, de- 
vised to his sons Ross and William the western portion of the ori- 
ginal tract where was the old mansion-house in which his father had 
lived, and 40 acres otf the part on the east side of Glade run on which 
he, the testator, was then residing, whicli quantity he directed to be 
equally divided between them, and to his youngest sou Andrew the 
rest of the farm on which he was living at the date of his will, and 
to his son Jolm the CO acres which he Ijonght off the Leasure tract. 



surveyor, June 22, 1802, as containing 429 acres 
and 38 perches, with 400 acres of which and 1 
horse he was assessed, in 1805-6, $185, the in- 
creased quantity resulting from a protraction of 
the survey westward from the northwestern poi-- 
tion of the Gapen survey, making it a tract with 
nine sides, the patent for which was granted to 
McDowell, March 16, 1808, one-half of which he 
conveyed to Thomas Barr, August 17, 1810, "for 
a valuable consideration." McDowell's last assess- 
ment on the Sugar Creek township list was in 1809, 
and Barr was thereafter assessed with 400 acres 
until 1818. 

Two hundred and seventy-eight acres and 80 
perches of this tract having become vested in 
Archibald McCall, descended to his heirs, who, by 
Chapman Biddle, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 
the same and two other parcels of other tracts to 
Reuben Burghman, Peter Graff and Jacob Painter, 
who conveyed 89 acres to John Shearer, August 1 , 
1859, for $834. 

Adjoining that Clarke-McDowell tract on the 
west is, on the Gapen map, an octagonal one, nearly 
a parallelogram, which Gapen, deputy surveyor, 
surveyed to " Robert Williby," August 25, 1794, 
as containing 421 acres and 136 perches, on which 
Williby made an improvement, which he convej'ed 
toArchibald McCall, who paid the purchase money 
to the court and obtained a warrant of acceptance, 
July 3, 1795, on which John McDowell made an 
improvement and settlement, March 1, 1796, to 
whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, 
May 5, 1801, as a decagon containing 439 acres 
and 145 perches, about one-fourth of which is in 
what is now West Franklin township, with 400. 
acres of which, 1 horse and 2 cows he was 
assessed in 1805-6 at $232. His house was the 
place designated for holding elections in Buffalo 
township from 1803 till 1811. McCall conveyed 
this tract to his son, George A. McCall, June 22, 
1835, for $500, who for the same consideration 
conveyed it to McDowell, September 26, by A. Mc- 
Call, his attorney, to whom the patent was granted 
May 27, 1837, who conveyed 100 acres and 126 
perches to John Moore, May 20, 1842, for $400 ; 
150 acres of it to Matthew McDowell, May IS, 
1848, for $150, which the former had conveyed 
to Thomas Barr, May 10, 1816, and which the latter 
reconveyed. May 18, 1848, for $150, and 150 acres 
same day to James McDowell for $150, partly in 
West Franklin township, in which is his sawmill 
on Long run. Matthew conveyed 5 acres of his 
parcel to Andrew Messenheimer, August 24, 1853, 
for $90; 13 acres and 150 perches to Abram 
Young, June 3, 1854, for $408, and 71 acres and 108 



518 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ijerclies to Van Buren Bowser and Samuel Stam- 
baugh, October 31, 1865, at $1,380. 

Adjoining that Williby-MoCall-McDowell tract 
on the north is the one surveyed by Gapen, deputy 
surveyor, to "David Bead," "402.8" acres, a rec- 
tangular parallelogram, traversed from its north- 
eastern corner in a southerly meandering course 
by Long run, as it appears on the Gapen map, 
about one-fourth of which is in what is now West 
Franklin townsliip, but on the other map, " Samuel 
Robinson," " iOS"'" to which Robinson acquired an 
inchoate title by an early improvement and settle- 
ment, witli 400 acres of which he was assessed in 
1805 at $100, and the next year, with the land and 
1 horse, at $115. He conveyed 150 acres," includ- 
ing his improvement on the waters of Long run," 
to William McAdoo, December 21, 1812, for $100, 
which the latter conveyed to Conrad Helm, No- 
vember 18, 1814, for $300. A portion of this tract 
became invested in McCall to whom the patent was 
granted, October 2, 1833, and was included in the 
sale from his heirs to William F. Johnston, who 
conveyed 54 acres and 20 perches of it to Helm, 
who, by his will, dated April 5, 1862, and regis- 
tered April "7, 1864, devised the same and the 
parcel which he had purchased from McAdoo to 
his son George, to whom the two parcels, or the 
major part of them, still belong. 

Adjoining that McCall-Robinson tract on tlie 
east is one not fully defined on the Gapen map, 
with the name of " Wm. Williby," but on the other 
a rectangular parallelogram, 399f acres, with the 
name of "Wm. Cowan," who made an improve- 
ment and settlement on it, May 6, 1796, and to whom 
it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, June 
14, 1802, which Jacob Mechling, sheriff, sold on 
judgment in favor of John Cowan, Sr., for $2,000 
debt, and $9.41^ costs, to whom he conveyed it, 
September 17, 1827, for $1,000, to whom the patent 
was granted August 24, 1829, who, by his will, 
dated May 24, and registered December 16, 1841, 
devised his mansion-house and 100 acres to his 
son-in-law, William Porterfield, which the latter 
conveyed to John Cowan, Jr., January 16, 1845, 
for $100, on which the latter opened his store. 
John Cowan, Sr., conveyed 53 acres and 80 perches 
to Philip Cowan, August 23, 1840, for $2, in a 
meadow of which was the frame schoolhouse. No. 
9, of the Franklin district, in which John Cowan 
was the first teacher, and which was not so easily 
accessible as a temple of knowledge should be. 
The present schoolhouse is of brick and is on a 
more eligible site, on the west side of the public 
road from Kittanning to Middlesex. Philip Cowan 
conveyed this parcel, reserving that schoolhouse 



lot (No. 9), to Nicholas Cloak, April 4, 1865, for 
$3,100. 

John Cowman, Sr., conveyed 97 acres and 6 
perches of the eastern or northeastern part of this 
tract to John Cowan, Jr., August 23, 1831, for $1, 
which he conveyed to William McClatchey, No- 
vember 20, 1848, for $1,600, along the eastern 
border of which he laid out the town of Middlesex, 
and 16 lots were surveyed by J. E. Meredith, May 
15, 1849, each 18X4 rods, 8 on each side of the 
public road, called Main street, 60 feet wide, with 
a bearing north ^ degree west. Irwin street is of 
the same width vriih a bearing south 88^ degrees 
west. The alleys are 16^ feet wide, one of which 
intersects Main street between lots Nos. 5 and 6, 
and Nos. 12 and 13. 

The Cowansville postofEce, John Cowan, post- 
master, was established here August 8, 1849. 

The prices for which some of the lots in Middle- 
sex sold appear in the following conveyances: Mc- 
Clatchey to Samuel F. Crookshanks, lots Nos. 6 and 
7, June 16, 1849, for $100; to William H. Foster, 
No. 4, April 1, 1851, for $50, and Foster to John 
T. Ehrenfeld, May 11, 1867, for $1,000; to A. H. 
McKee, April 3, 1855, No. 11 for $400; to Rev. 
David Hall, lots Nos. 21 and 22, November 9, 1864, 
for |1,175; to Charlotte Thompson, November 16, 
No. — , for $50; to Joseph Rumbaugh, November 
17, Nos. 22, 24, for $55; to James Foreman, August 
13, 1856, Nos. 2, 3, 12, for $2,500, which he con- 
veyed to Ignatius Dougan and Wm. H. H. Piper, 

September 5, 1858, for $ , and they to James 

T. Wilson, July 11, 1862, for $2,000; to A. H. 
McKee, No. 10, July 21, 1862, for $100. 

The site of Middlesex and the circumjacent ter 
ritory very early became a prominent point by the 
organization of the Union Presbytei'ian church 
here by the Presbytery of Erie, in 1801, in this 
then so sparsely inhabited region (about one settler 
to every 640 acres) that many of the men, women 
and children who first attended its services had to 
travel from four to seven miles, and afoot for want 
of passable roads. Those people were generally 
well clothed, and the fashions were then so dura- 
ble that their articles of clothing were worn out 
before they were abandoned. Very little can be 
learned respecting the earliest membership of this 
church, save that the number was small, but they 
were zealous in their efforts to plant Presbyterian- 
ism in this part of the wilderness. 

The first edifice, log, with chestnut pulpit and 
puncheon floor, must have been soon after erected 
on the five-acre parcel of land, within the limits 
of the 110 acres and 77 perches of the John 
Cowan tract, conveyed by him to Wm. Bell, and 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



519 



whicli after clivers transfers now belongs to James 
H. Dickey, which John Cowan, Sr., 23robably gave 
to the church, to which it still belongs, and on 
which is the cemetery, at the eastern terminus of 
Irwin street. That edifice must have been erected 
in the latter part of 1801, or in the fore j)art of 
1802, for Jacob Mechling, one of the commission- 
ers heretofore mentioned, who were ai^pointed to 
examine sites for public buildings in this and some 
other counties,* says in his diary, on Sunday, June 
6, 1802: "Proceeded toward Butler county, 7 
miles " (from Kittanning) " to Boyd's meeting- 
house — heard him preach." That was then called 
"Boyd's Upper Meeting-House," and was so called 
in a certain road petition as late as 1845. The 
cemetery on that five-acre parcel is nearly coeval 
with the church, and the first person buried in it 
was William McKee. 

The presbytery met, June 16, 1802, within the 
bounds of Union congregation, and ordained and 
installed Rev. John Boyd as pastor.* He, modera- 
tor, and James Barr, Charles McClatchey, William 
Noble and Joseph Shields, elders, constituted the 
first session. During Mr. Boyd's pastorate, one- 
half time, nearly of eight years, till April 1*7, 1810, 
this church prospered. After he left, the pulpit 
Was supplied for about a year by Rev. Robert 
Lee, and was thereafter vacant four years. The 
next pastor was Rev. John Redick, who, having 
been licensed by the Presbytery of Erie, at Mead- 
ville, October 20, 1813, was ordained and in- 
stalled by the same presbytery pastor of the Slate 
Lick and Union churches, September 28, 1815, at 
Slate Lick, which he served alternately until the 
autumn of 1848, when he resigned his charge on 
account of his infirmities, the membership of 
Union church having varied during his pastorate 
from 50 to 100. The annual salary paid him by 
each church was 8150. 

Rev. George Cairns was ordained and served as 
pastor of Union church about two years. After a 
vacancy of three years. Rev. David Hall, D.D., 
was ordained here, July 20, 1856, as pastor of both 
Union and the Brady's Bend churches, during whose 
pastorate the membership of Union church was 
from 100 to 150. He was dismissed at his own 
request in November, 1866. The vacancy con- 
tinued until July 1, 1868, when Rev. John M. Jones 
became the pastor, whole time. His pastorate 
closed October 1, 1873. Then ensued another 
vacancy until April 1, 1876, when the present pas- 
tor, Rev. W. J. Wilson, entered upon his pastoral 
duties, and was ordained here June 14, and became 



■ Vide Freeport, Kittanning borougli. 
^ Viilr Snuth Buffalo. 



the pastor also of the Midway cliui-ch in Sugar 
Creek township, one-half time to eacli. Tlie pres- 
ent number of members is 74*; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 50. A weekly prayer-meeting and a 
woman's missionary society are also connected with 
this church. This church was incorporated by the 
decree of th.e court of common pleas of this county, 
June 7, 1871, as "the Union Presbyterian congre- 
gation of Middlesex, composed of the pew-holders 
of the Union Presbyterian Church." 

The old log edifice continued to be used until 
about 1820, when a frame addition was annexed to 
its eastern end, making the length about 70 feet, 
with the pulpit on the south side. That edifice 
was crushed by a heavy fall of snow on the roof 
on New Year's night, 1840. A frame edifice, 
60X40 feet, with a ceiling 12 feet high, was erect- 
ed the next summer, which cost $1,400. The con- 
gregation, realizing the necessity of a new edifice, 
prepared in the summer of 1873 for its erection on 
the lot fronting Main street on the west and Irwin 
street on the north, and adjoining the five-acre 
parcel on which the old ones were located, the 
same lot which McClatchey conveyed to William 
Fair, which, after several transfers, became vested 
in John Fair, who conveyed it to C. A. Foster, 
John and Thomas Leard, Thomas V. McKee, Will- 
iam Patton and William Wylie, trustees, February 
3, 1873, for $330, on which a two-storj' frame edifice 
was afterward erected, which was burned February 
— , 1875. The present two-story frame one was 
erected on the same site the next summer, at a cost 
of $4,000, which was soon after dedicated by Rev. 
Thomas D. Ewing. 

The second schoolhouse, a primitive log one, 
said to be the first in this part of East Franklin 
township, was situated a few rods west of the old 
log Union church edifice, near the line between the 
tracts surveyed to John and William Cowan, in 
which the first teacher was James Hannegan. 
Among the pujsils who attended school there were 
Andrew Milliken and Philip Templeton. It was 
torn down by some persons to whom it was obnox- 
ious. Another log schoolhouse, in which a subscrip- 
tion school was taught, was erected on the Dickey 
parcel of the John Cowan tract, about thirty rods 
southeasterly from the preceding one, in which the 
teachers were Miss Martha Irwin, Robert Kirby, 
James McDowell and John Cowan. Among the 
surviving pupils that have come to the writer's 
knowledge is Mrs. Samuel Rumbaugh. 

After Franklin township was districted under 
the present school system, the children of Middle- 
sex and vicinity attended the above-mentioned 

* Afterward increased to 85. 



520 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



school No. 9, in Philip Cowan's meadow, until the 
present brick house was erected near the Kittan- 
ning road. 

Select schools in which the Greek and Latin 
languages and some of the higher English branches, 
besides the common ones, were taught, have been 
from time to time liberally patronized, of which 
Rev. William F. Ewing was one of the principals. 
About seventy rods north of Middlesex, at the 
crossroads, is the Rich Hill United Presbyterian 
church, which was organized as an associate 
church about 1811, according to the recollection of 
some old residents, for the records were destroyed 
by the burning of the house in which they were 
kept. Its first pastor was Rev. John Dickey, a 
native of the county of Derry, Ireland, who was 
partly educated at Dublin, and partly at Glasgow, 
and who continued to be its pastor until his death, 
in 1849. The first heads of families belonging to 
this church were William Blaney, John Cowan, 
Archibald Dickey, Stewart Henry, Thomas Iler- 
ron, Thomas Milliken, Robert Orr, Sr., John Y. 
Stewart, James Summerville, Philip Templeton, 
Sr., John Young, and others, whose names the 
writer has not ascertained, who occupied portions 
of an area of about ten miles square. Its earliest 
members of session were Robert Orr, Sr., and 
Philip Templeton, Sr. Thomas Milliken and John 
Y. Stewart are known to have been chosen at the 
second election, and William Dickey and William 
McGarvey, at the third election, in 1836. 

The second pastor was Rev. William Smith, who 
was ordained in 1849, and released in 1859. Mo- 
ses Dickey, James Henry, David McGarvey and 
John Templeton were chosen members of session 
at the fourth election, in 1851. The third jDastor 
was Rev. Thomas M. Seaton, who was ordained in 
1861 and released in 1870. John Cowan, James H. 
Dickey, Thomas Herron and George Pence were 
chosen members of session at the fifth election, in 
1861, all of whom and William McGarvey, chosen 
at the third, and James Henry and John Temple- 
ton, chosen at the fourth election, still survive. 

The present pastor, Rev. John L. Grone, was 
ordained in 1872. 

The first religious services of this congregation 
were conducted by itinerant preachers in the barn 
of Philip Templeton, Sr. After awhile a tent was 
erected on the site of the present burying-ground, 
from which the minister spoke, the congregation 
being seated around on logs. The first church 
edifice, erected here in 1820, was of hewn logs, 
about 32X28 feet, which was used until 1849, 
when the present frame one .was erected. The 
largest membersliip of the Rich Hill church was 



109 in 1851. In 1876 it is 69; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 39. 

The third schoolhouse in the immediate vicinity 
of what is now Middlesex, a primitive log one, 
was located near Rich Hill church, in the latter 
part of the second decade of this century, in which 
John Dickey was the first teacher. He was a theo- 
logical student, and returned to Ireland and be- 
came a preacher. The next teacher in this house 
was T. Stewart, during whose term of teaching it 
was crushed by some of the pupils mounting the 
roof. James Spear afterward opened a school in 
the Union Presbyterian church. The next school- 
house hereabouts was the one heretofore men- 
tioned, near the spring on the Dickey parcel of 
the John Cowan tract. 

The Rich Hill United Presbyterian church edi- 
fice is situated on the southern part of the tract 
for which a patent was granted to David Johnston, 
February 4, 1815, who conveyed 101 acres and 140 
perches of it, mostly in what is now Sugar Creek 
township, to Rev. John Dickey, December 6, for 
$335, of which the latter gave to the congregation 
the lot used for church purposes. 

Mrs. Nancy Cowan by her will, dated May 29 
and registered July 24, 1872, bequeathed $50 to 
this church. 

The population of Franklin township, in 1840, 
was 1,713. In 1850 : white, 2,405 ; colored, 5. In 
1860 : white, 2,877 ; colored, 10. 

The poj)ulation of East Franklin, in 1870, was : 
white, 1,448 ; colored, 3 ; native, 1,391 ; foreign, 
60. The number of taxables, in 1876, is 398. 

According to the mercantile appraiser's list for 
1876 there are 4 merchants in the fourteenth and 
one in the thirteenth class in this township. 

Schools in 1876 — Whole number, 10 ; average 
number months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 8 ; fe- 
male teachers, 2 ; average salaries of male teachers 
per month, 133.18 ; female teachers, $31.88 ; male 
scholars, 235 ; female scholars, 234 ; average num- 
ber attending school, 353; cost per month, 75 cents; 
tax levied for school and building purposes, $3,000; 
received from state appropriation, $343.17; from 
taxes, etc., $2,961.83 ; cost of schoolhouses, $1,054; 
paid for teachers' wages, $1,645.38 ; paid for fuel, 
$497.37. All the schoolhouses in East Franklin 
school district are now substantial brick ones. 

The school statistics for Franklin township, in 
1860, are — Whole number schools, 16 ; average 
number months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 13; fe- 
male teachers, 3 ; average salaries of male teachers 
per month, $17.61 ; average salaries of female 
teachers, $17.66; male scholars, 414; female 
scholars, 370 ; average number attending school. 



EAST FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



476 ; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 42 
cents ; amount levied for school purposes, |1 ,675.36; 
amount levied for building purposes, $358.45 ; re- 
ceived from state appropriation, $211.46 ; received 
from collectors, $1,768.81 ; C4)st of instruction, 
$1,128 ; fuel, etc., $188 ; cost of schoolhouses, 
$382. 

The occupations, agricultural exclusive, of the 
people of East Franklin, in 1876, were : Laborers, 
57 ; carpenters, 10 ; merchants, 7 ; miners, 6 ; 
teachers, 5 ; blacksmiths, 4 ; sawyers, 4 ; millers, 
3 ; masons, 3 ; teamsters, 3 ; tenants, 3 ; ministers, 
2 ; painters, 2 ; clerk, 1 ; cropper, 1 ; grocer, 1 ; 
cripple, 1 ; daguerreotypist, 1 ; innkeeper, 1 ; gun- 
smith, 1 ; ferryman, 1 ; physician, 1 ; shoemaker, 
1 ; speculator, 1 ; wagonmaker, 1. 

The vote of East Franklin township, February 
28, 1873, stood 101 against and 61 for granting 
licenses to sell intoxicating liquors. 

The geological features : The surface rocks con- 
sist of lower barrens, lower productives and the 
Pottsville conglomerate. A large quantity of Free- 
port coal is represented, but in many places is 
obscure by reason of its reduced size. The Free- 
port limestone "is more easily recognized than the 
coalbed. Along Glade run, however, the upper and 
lower Freeport coalbeds are large. The Johnstown 
cement is also here represented, but of little value, 
except as means for identification. The ferriferous 
limestone is along the river front through the entire 
length of the township, and its ore is on top. The 
ore has been extensively worked by the Allegheny, 
American and Monticello furnaces. The Pottsville 
conglomerate is from 60 to 75 feet thick. The river 
gravel, including rounded pebbles of gneiss and 
granite, are found on the slopes near the old Alle- 
gheny furnace, 100 feet or more above the present 
river channel. An ancient island in the river can 
be distinctly traced by means of this gravel and 
sand depoist, 20 feet thick above Loeben Tarr's 
house, in the vicinity of the old Allegheny furnace. 
The Freeport sandstone is very prominent along 
the river front in this township. It makes a line 
of cliffs 40 feet high, opposite Kittanning. The 
upper Kittanning coal appears directly below it, 
but is small and unaccompanied by the Johnstown 



cement, and the middle Kittanning coal is not seen at 
all in this vicinity. The interval between the lower 
Kittanning coal and the ferriferous limestone un- 
dergoes some in.structive changes in this locality. 
At Loeben Tarr's the distance between the two is 
13 feet. On the hill, directly below Judge Boggs' 
residence, the same interval is 50 feet, while oppo- 
site, at Ross Reynolds' quarries, not more than 30 
feet intervene between the two. The Clarion coal, 
one foot thick, is represented at the foot of the 
hill, where the Worthington road begins to ascend 
toward the west. 

Structure. — An anticlinal axis runs lengthwise 
through the township, which it enters near Mont- 
gomeryville and leaves in the neighborhood of 
Center Hill. The southeast dip from the Craigs- 
ville axis is sharply felt near Middlesex in the 
northwest corner of the township. — Piatt. 

The following sections are from Rogers' Geology 
of Pennsylvania: At Allegheny Furnace — top 
of the hill — shales, 70 feet ; coal, 3 feet ; unknown, 
probably shales, 42 feet ; Elk lick coal, pure coke 
vein, 4 feet ; unknown, 40 feet ; upper Freeport 
coal, 9,^ feet ; FreejDort limestone, nodular iron 
ore, 1 foot ; unknown strata, containing oolitic 
(egg-shaped) iron ore, 80 feet ; lower Freeport 
coal, 3 feet ; shale, limestone in nodules ; brown 
and black shale, with nodular ore, 55 feet ; Kittan- 
ning coal, 3 feet ; shale, with nodular ore, 27 feet ; 
ferriferous limestone, overlaid by ore, from 30 to 
to 40 inches thick, 14 feet ; brown and blue shales, 
with argillaceous ore, 40 feet ; Clarion coal, im- 
pure, 3 feet, is 135 feet above the Allegheny I'iver. 
The Tionesta or Sharon coal is said to have been 
found. 

A little farther down the river : Shale ; upper 
Freeport coal ; shale, 10 feet ; Freeport limestone, 
6 feet ; shale and yellow sandstone with vegetable 
remains, 40 to 50 feet; blue shale in the river, 
18 feet. 

The Franklin election district and Franklin 
township were of course named after Benjamin 
Franklin, whose illustrious public life is so famil- 
iar to the generality of readers, that it is super- 
fluous to give anything of his history in this con- 
nection. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



SUGAR CREEK. 



A Small Remnant of the Parent Township — Original Owners — Conveyances — Ezekiel Lewis and other Pioneers 
— The Middlesex Presbyterian Church — St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church — The Donation Lands — 
Lutheran Church — Robert Orr, Sr. — Orrsville — Damages of the Tornado of 1860 — Sugar Creek and Philips- 
burg Ferry Company — Templeton Oilwell — Census and School Statistics — Geology. 



THE present township of Sugar Creek is a com- 
paratively small remnant of the parent one, 
left after organizing from what was its original ter- 
ritory, besides the portions of it included in East 
and West Franklin, 4 townships, 2 boroughs and 

1 city. 

In the southeastern part is the tract, nearly a 
square, 356 acres and 147 perches, which appears 
from the Gapen map to have been claimed by 
Samuel Kincaide, but the other map shows it to 
have been the Michael Red tract, about one-half 
of which is in what is now Washington township. 
Red j)robably settled on Lt the latter part of the 
last century. He was assessed, in 1805, with 400 
acres, 1 horse and 2 cows, at $142, and the next 
year, with 300 acres and 4 cattle, at $122, and with 

2 distilleries in 1812. Red's heirs conveyed it as 
containing 360 acres to Daniel Red, December 4, 
1816, for $1,000. Chambers Orr, sheriff, conveyed 
it as containing 356 acres to Thomas R. McMillen, 
September 23, 1840, for $100, of which 130 acres 
were then cleared, and on which were a stone 
dwelling-house, a square log barn, stillhouse and 
other buildings, a meadow, and apple and peach- 
orchards. McMillen conveyed it to Patrick Red, 
December 3, 1851, for $5, who by his will dated 
March 15, and registered June 6, 1854, devised it 
to his son Charles, the present owner. 

Adjoining that Red tract on the north is a tract, 
a rectangular parallelogram, 386 acres and 136 
perches, partly in Washington township, to which 
Robert Beaty once had a claim, and on which David 
Henry settled about 1191, with 300 acres of which, 
2 horses and 2 cows, he was assessed in 1805 and 1806 
at $21 2, and which was surveyed to him by Ross, dep- 
uty surveyor, March 5, 1805. He agreed to convey 
162 acres and 136 perches of the northwestern 
portion of which were surveyed in his lifetime to 
his son, Stewart Henry, to whom Alexander and 
Nathaniel Henry, Mrs. Margaret Colwell and tlie 
other heirs released that parcel October 8, 1838. 
He and his son-in-law, James Hutchison, entered 
into a written agreement March 27, 1850, for tlic 



sale and purchase of 100 acres in consideration of 
the vendor's proper maintenance during the rest of 
his life, in pursuance of which the vendee removed 
thither and entered upon the due performance of 
his part of the agreernent May 6, having given his 
bond in the penal sum of $2,400 conditioned on 
such jierformance. In six weeks and four days there- 
after the vendor died. The vendee subsequently 
presented his petition to the orphans' court of 
this coimty for the specific performance of that 
contract, which was the first case of the kind in 
which the writer was concerned after his admission 
to the bar. On due proof of the contract and com- 
pliance therewith on the part of the vendee, the 
court ordered and decreed the S23ecific performance 
thereof Api-il 3, 1851, and the vendor's adminis- 
trator accordingly executed a deed to the vendee. 
The latter conveyed 50 acres, reserving a strip of 
the Summit coal-vein in the northeast corner to 
Sarah Buyers and John E. Gilchrist, June 12, 1858, 
for $700, 120 acres and the above-mentioned strip 
of coal to Catherine Olkus, February 6, 1865, for 
$3,250, and all his interest in that strip of coal to 
Joseph Sutton, March 1, for $75. The vendor's 
administrator, Stewart Henry, Jr., by order of the 
proper court, conveyed the remaining 68 acres of 
his father's land to Hutchison, September 15, 1851, 
for $619.65. 

The other portion of the David Henry tract, 
200 acres, was conveyed by James Mechling, sher- 
iff, in proceedings in partition, to Alexander Col- 
well, Alexander Henry and Philip Mechling, June 
18, 1829, for $42(3, which.they conveyed to Samuel 
Templeton, Jr., March 9, 1830, for $600. 

Adjoining the Beaty-Henry tract on the north is a 
rectangular one, extending north to the line between 
the depreciation and donation lands, the major 
portion of which is in what is now Washington 
township, where it will be further noticed. Adjoin- 
ing it on the west and the last-mentioned line on 
the north is a hexagonal one, 296;^ acres, on which 
John Crawford was the first settler, and with 100 
acres of which he was assessed in 1805 at $40, and 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



528 



I 



the next year with the same and 1 horse and 1 
cow at $66 ; to whom the patent for the entire 
tract was granted December 15, 1826, which he 
conveyed thus : To Robert G. Crawfoi-d, 1 69 acres 
and 146 perches, October 20, 1828, for llOO, of 
which the latter conveyed 20 acres and 25 perclies 
to Joseph Thomas, July 13, 1857, for $320 ; to An- 
drew Shriver, 129 acres, same day as to Robert G. 
Crawford, for I — , which Shriver conveyed to Jo- 
siah Woodroe, April 13, 1839, which Woodroe con- 
veyed to Sylvanus S. White, April 5, 1841, and 
which White conveyed to Solomon Wolf, Novem- 
ber 8, 1853, for $1,300. 

West of the northern and north and northwest 
of the southern part of that Crawford tract is an 
irregularly shaped one, 390 acres and 91 perches, 
at one time claimed by John Blain, on which Eze- 
kiel Lewis made an improvement in March, 1*793, 
and a settlement in April, lldl, surveyed by Ross, 
April 23, 1802, to whom the warrant was granted 
March 18, 1805, and the patent September 5, 1809, 
in which it is called " Lewisburgh," for $71.78. 
He was assessed with 200 acres, 3 horses and 1 
cow, in 1805, at $176, and the next year with the 
same, less 1 horse, at $156. 

Lewis conveyed " Lewisburgh " thus : To An- 
drew Blair, 190 acres and 97 perches of the eastern 
part, December 8, 1810, for $1, 187 acres of which 
Joseph Brown, sheriff, sold on judgment in favor 
of Andrew Kelly against Blair — debt $118, costs 
$24 — to William Ayres, and conveyed the same to 
him, September 17, 1816, for $167, who conveyed 
the same to George and William Byers, Decem- 
ber 29, 1819, for $400, Blair having agreed to 
sell it to George Byers, in April, 1811, for 
$760. Adam A. Byers conveyed 90 acres and 
114 perches to Joseph Thomas, February 11, 1850, 
for $1,050. George Byers having died intestate, 
William Dickey, his administrator, by order of 
the orphans' court, in proceedings in partition, 
conveyed 108 acres of this parcel of " Lewis- 
burgh" to John Moore, August 28, 1856, for 
$1,730.16, which the latter conveyed to Richard 
Meldrun, September 6, 1864, for $2,160. Lewis 
conveyed 200 acres, the western part of " Lewis- 
burgh," to William Lewis, his son, and Peter 
Pence, his son-in-law, April 17, 1832, for $400 and 
" natural love and affection," which they recon- 
veyed to him, March 6, 1833 ; 125 or 130 acres of 
which the latter conveyed to Pence, April 5, 1837, 
for $800. Pence agreed to convey 3 acres, " a 
rectangular triangle," on the southwest side of the 
Kittanning and Fairview road, to James Witherow, 
September 7, 1846, wliich the latter agreed to sell 
to Samuel Caldwell, March 13, 1847, for $175, 



which, with four more acres, was included in 
Pence's deed to Caldwell for $25. Pence conveyed 
86| acres to Piatt Sutton for $2,600, and 33^^ acres 
to Joseph Thomas, March 3, 1865, for $1,000. 

There was a schoolhouse as early as 1829 in (he 
northeastern portion of "Lewisburgh," near the 
intersection of the old Butler and Watterson 
Ferry road and the one branching northerly from 
the Kittanning and Brady's Bend road, about 1 .} 
miles from the town of Middlesex, among the 
earliest teachers in which were Matthew Brown 
and Cyrus Kilgore. 

Ezekiel Lewis was a citizen of Westmoreland 
county, and, in the early part of the summer of 
1781, volunteered to serve in Captain Campbell's 
company of cavalry, which constituted a part of 
Captain Robert Orr's command, which participated 
in Col. Archibald Lochery's disastrous expedition 
down the Ohio to aid Gen. George Rogers Clark. 

Lewis was, among others, captured by the In- 
dians at the mouth of an inlet, since called Lochery's 
creek, about ten miles below the mouth of the 
Miami river. He and his comrades, with their 
horses, were about landing from their boats to 
cook their breakfasts on shore, when they en- 
countered a shower of bullets from a large force 
of Indians lying in ambush. The men shielded 
themselves as far as they could by placing them- 
selves behind their horses, which were shot down. 
A number of the men were killed and others 
wounded, so they were forced to surrender. After 
being removed to the river-bank, several were 
killed. Lewis may have avoided the fate by the 
dark color of his hair, for the Indians spared none 
with red hair. He ran the gantlet so swiftly that 
the Indians could not hit him. They were then 
taken to Montreal, Canada, and taken over in 
squads and sold to the English. They suffered so 
severely from hunger while on their way, that 
when the Indians killed and dressed a deer and 
cooked the venison with pieces of its unwashed 
entrails, they relished the meal thus prepared. 
The squaws, when the Indians were intoxicated 
witli whisky, hid the prisoners to prevent their 
being killed. After Lewis was sold to the English, 
he was clothed and well fed. He and his comi-ades 
became weary, so he and four of them esca])ed, 
crossed the St. Lawrence and landed near a camp 
where the Indians were jolly, dancing around their 
fire. Lewis and his companions having discovered 
a young bull which the Indians had tied to a tree, 
intending, no doubt, to. feast on him the next day, 
dispatched him, cut out the best of the meat, took 
it with them and concealed themselves all the next 
day, and after traveling all night they were sur- 



524 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



prised to find themselves in the morning at the 
point whence they had started. It so happened 
because clouds obscured the star which they had 
learned to follow as a guide. After seventeen days' 
weary traveling they reached a settlement and 
finally their homes. It is not improbable that 
Lewis subsequently rendered other military services 
during the Indian troubles. In March, 1793, he 
came west of the Allegheny, made an extensive 
examination of the timber-land in what is now 
East Franklin township, especially near that part 
of " Hop Yard " now owned by John Brown, and 
slept, one night, under a white oak which stood 
west of the present Kittanning and Butler turn- 
pike road, with a rock for his pillow ; but, not lik- 
ing what he deemed the scantiness of timber, he 
traveled northward and selected the tract after- 
ward called " Lewisburgh." He was very active 
until his death, which occurred in April, 1850, 
aged 95 years and 2 months, not long before which 
the writer saw him at Kittanning, looking quite 
hale and hearty. 

Adjoining the above-mentioned John Crawford 
tract on the south and the David Henry one on the 
west, is one, a rectangular parallelogram, length- 
wise from north to south, but partly defined on the 
Gapen map, but having the name of John Craig 
inscribed on it, but which was settled by Philip 
Templeton in March, 1796, to whom it was sur- 
veyed as containing 391 acres and 100 perches by 
Ross, deputy surveyor, April 23, 1802, and to whom 
the patent was granted January 30, 1 805, in which 
year he was assessed with this tract, 2 horses and 5 
cattle at $258, and the next year with an additional 
cow at $264. He erected his dwelling-house on 
the eastern part of the tract, where he resided 
when he was elected county commissioner in 1818, 
and until his death, which occurred January 28, 
1826. By his will, dated October 24, 1825, and 
registered February 20, then next, he devised the 
half of the tract on which he then lived to his 
wife until the arrival of his son Philip at the age 
of 21 years, directing the tract to be divided by a 
straight line, beginning at Patrick Graham's line; 
thence to the big road; thence to the foot of a ten- 
acre field; thence to where the line crossed, and 
thence straight to the Crawford line. The eastern 
half he devised to his son Philip, but if he should 
die without legal heirs as he did, September, 1876, 
he directed to be sold and the proceeds to be 
equally divided between his sons and daughters. 
To his son John he devised the western part on 
which tlie new house was, but if he should die 
without lawful heirs, as he did not, he directed 
it to be sold and the proceeds to be divided as in 



the other case. John conveyed his purpart, 194 
acres and 80 perches, to his brother Philip, who had 
been a successful merchant, May 18, 1864, for 
$4,000, and removed to Illinois where he after- 
ward died, and which Philip conveyed to the 
present owner, William Richardson, August 19, 
1865, for $5,400. 

Adjoining the Templeton tract on the south is, 
on the Gapen map, a nearly square one, surveyed 
by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to Patrick Harvey, as 
containing 402 acres, the central part being 
traversed southwardly by Long run, and a south- 
ern strip of which is in what is now East Franklin 
township. The records do not show to whom 
Harvey conveyed his interest. This entire tract 
was surveyed as containing 394 acres and 148 
perches to John Johnston by Ross, deputy sur- 
veyor, March 6, 1805, against whom Absalom 
Woodward had a judgment for £69 14s 7d 
debt, 9d costs on transcripts, and 3s 9d " dam- 
ages by occasion of detention of debt." By vir- 
tue of an execution on that judgment, Jonathan 
King, sheriff, sold Johnston's interest in 250 acres 
of this tract to Woodward for $120, and which he 
conveyed, October 14, 1811, which the latter con- 
veyed to Philip Templeton, December 17, for " a 
stud horse and $50," and which he conveyed to 
David Johnston, August 25, 1812, for $225. The 
records do not show when and for what considera- 
tion the latter conveyed this parcel to Patrick 
Graham. David Johnston obtained a patent for 
153 acres and 60 perches of the eastern part of it, 
February 4, 1815, and conveyed 101 acres and 140 
perches of the southern part to Rev. John Dickey, 
December 6, for $335, to whose estate most of it 
still belongs.* Johnston conveyed 51 acres and 80 
perches of the northern part to John P. Quigley, 
December 20, 1815, for $100, which the latter con- 
veyed to James C. Porterfield, March 14, 1816, for 
$160, 50 acres of which he agreed to sell to Samuel 
Swartzlander, August 31, 1837, for $300, on which 
he soon after erected his blacksmith shop. Patrick 
Graham was first assessed with the other part of it, 
250 acres, 1 horse and 2 cows in 1818 at $157. By 
his will, dated May 22, and registered May 31, 
1831, he did not devise it, but his widow, Margaret 
Graham, by her will, dated May 8, 1833, and regis- 
tered January 24, 1838, devised 50 acres to her son- 
in-law, Edward McKinney, and 150 acres to her 
daughter Polly, with 125 acres of which Leander 
and William Graham are assessed in 1876 at $1,750. 

Adjoining that Harvey-Graham-Johuston tract 
on the west is a rectangular hexagonal one, surveyed 
by Gapen, deputy surveyor, as containing 421 acres 

* See East Franklin. 




CHAT^LES F^EAD. 



Among the first settlers of Armstrong county we find 
the name of Read. Michael Bead, grandfather of Charles 
Bead, emigrated from County Deny, Ireland, in 1794. He 
died in Armstrong county, April 15, 1817, in his fifty-ninth 
year. For three years he resided at Laurel Furnace, east 
of the Allegheny mountains, from whence he came and 
settled where the immediate subject of this biography 
now resides. Five years subsequent to his settlement 
his family came, which consisted of three sons and three 
daughters — Daniel, James, Bridget, Alice, Patrick and 
Catherine — all of whom were born in Ireland. Michael, 
the youngest, was born in Armstrong county. Daniel, 
James and Patrick engaged extensively in the cattle 
trade, and were the first who drove a" herd of cattle 
across the Allegheny river near Kittanning, in 1810, on 
their way " east of the mountains," to find "a market for 
them. 

Patrick Read married Miss Mary Bradley, of Cambria 
county, 1821. She was daughter of Charles Bradley, 
one of the six who built the first church in Cambria 
county for Bev. Demetrius Galitzin. He was a black- 
smith by trade. His last work in Ireland was to shoe a 
general's horse of the English army that was bound for 
colonial service during tlie revolutionary war. The fol-' 
lowing anecdote is given to the writer regarding him : 

As he had finished the shoeing of the general's horse he 
remarked to those present in the shop, "That is the last 
work I will do in Ireland until I oppose that general in 
the cause of freedom in the colonies." Several of his 
companions accepted his cause, and at once sailed for the 
States. During their voyage they were pursued by an 
' English ship, which would eventually have captured 
them were not the impending dangers overcome by the 
skill and tactics of their valiant captain. When they 
landed, they joined the revolutionary soldiers, and op- 
posed and successfully captured the very general whose 
horse he shod in Ireland. 

Patrick Bead succeeded his father in the homestead, 
and in those early days of inconvenience, trials and hard- 
ships, not only contributed to secure the church farm 
attached to St. Patrick's church fSugar creek), but helped 
to build the old log church in 1806. He also helped the 
Rich Hill congregation to build their first church, now 



the United Presbyterian church of Middlesex, notwith- 
standing he was always a practical and devoted Catholic. 
He had two children — Mary, who is married to Cornelius 
Kelly, of Butler county, and Charles, who is the subject 
of this memoir. He died April 25, 1854, aged sixty-four 
years. 

Mr. Charles Read was born November 8, 1822. In 1859 
he was married to Mrs. Mary Gallagher, of Freeport. 
Previous to this marriage Mrs. Gallagher had several 
children with her former husband, and only three sur- 
vive — James and William, who hve in Minnesota, and 
Miss Annie Gallagher, who has always lived in the 
family. Mr. and Mrs. Bead were blessed with four chil- 
dren, two of whom survive — Catherine, born in 1860, 
died in 1879 ; Mary Jane, born in 1862, and Charles, born 
1864, still live with their parents, and Margaret Eliza- 
beth, who was born in 1866, died in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. 
Read and family are practical, devoted and highly- 
honored members of St. Patrick's church, of Sugar Creek 
township. 

Although now exclusively engaged in farming, Mr. 
Read carried on the stilling business nearly all his life 
until 1864. This business was first established in 1804, 
on the homestead, by his grandfather,^ and the famous 
"Charley Read" brand of whisky became extensively 
known because of its well-merited qualities. It was not 
only used by business and professional men generally, 
but found a ready welcome m legislative halls and was 
selected for the army for medical use. 

Mr. C. Read affiliates with the democratic party, and 
has always taken an active part in the politics of his 
county. In 1867 he was candidate for the sheriffalty, 
and came within one hundred and ten ballots of being 
successful, notwithstanding the fact that he had an ad- 
verse majority of eight hundred to overcome, and the 
large number of adherents he drew from the oppos- 
ing political party (republican) attest the esteem and 
popularity of the man. In 1871 he was a candidate on 
the democratic ticket for associate county judge. 

Mr. Read is numbered among the large, progressive 
and prosperous farmers of Armstrong county, and is a 
man whose identification with any enterprise is pro- 
ductive of good. 



SUCJAli CliKliK TOWNSHIP. 



to Nathan Williams, on wliicli Robert Nelson, 
blacksmith, was an early settler, with 400 acres of 
which, 1 horse and 2 cows he was assessed in 1805, 
at $155, and in 1807 with the addition of 1 more 
cow and a yoke of oxen at $186. By his will, 
made in 1826, and registered December 20, 1827, 
he devised this tract, his title to which he had ac- 
quired by improvement and settlement, to his niece 
Sarah Nelson, who was wooed and won by William 
Campbell, to whom she conveyed it, February 20, 
1827, for $5, and in consideration of the solemniza- 
tion of their marriage, which by their mutual agree- 
ment was soon to occur, with which he and his son 
John are still assessed — in 1876, at $4,400. 

Adjoining the Nelson-Campbell tract on the 
north is one, a rectangular parallelogram, surveyed, 
by Gapeu, deputy surveyor, to Joseph Irwin as 
containing 396 'acres and 18 perches, who perhaps 
conve3'"ed his interest to MoCall. James and Will- 
iam Blain made an improvement and settlement 
on it in Augaist, 1797, and to whom it was surveyed 
by Ross, deputy surveyor, as containing 410 acres 
and 20 perches, November 17, 1803. The whole 
of the Blain interest seems to have become vested 
in James, for MoCall, to whom the patent was 
granted October 2, 1828, conveyed 200 acres to 
him, June 22, 1829, for $1, and Blain by his will, 
dated March 27, and registered December 6, 1815, 
devised his purpart equally to his sons, James, John 
and William. The two last-named conveyed their 
interests to their brother James, March 3, 1839, for 
$150 each. 

Adjoining the western part of that Irwin-McCall- 
Blain tract on the north and "Lewisburgh " on the 
west, its northern boundary being the dividing line 
between the depreciation and donation lands, is an 
incompletely defined one, nearly a rectangular paral- 
lelogram, on the Gapen map, to which on it Edward 
McKee appears to have had a claim. John Davis 
had a subsequent interest in it, against whom 
Thomas Collins had a judgment for $300 of debt, 
and $5.20 of costs. By virtue of a vend. ex. 
thei-eon, Alexander Johnston, sheriff of Westmore- 
land county, sold it to Nicholas Day as containing 
200 acres more or less, for $403, and conveyed it 
to him June 30, 1808, which the latter conveyed 
to James Fulton, October 31, for $500. On the 
other map it appears as belonging to Fulton's heirs, 
to whom it still chiefly belongs, and as containing 
182 acres. Nicholas Snow was first assessed as a 
blacksmith on this tract, in 1810, who is said to have 
been the" first one within the present limits of 
Sugar Creek township. 

Adjoining the northern part of the Fulton tract 
on the west and lengthwise along the depreciation 
33 



and donation line on tiie north is one on the Gapen 
map, a rectangular parallelogram, on which is in- 
scribed the name of " John Denniston," a part of 
which became vested in John Brown, thus: The 
patent for it was granted to Charles Campbell and 
Elisha Wick. Campbell and Denniston, before 
the latter's death, became "jointly and severally 
seized of 250 acres " of it. They entered into an 
agreement, February 7, 1804, with Brown, who 
then resided at Salem, Westmoreland county, to 
sell those 250 acres on which Wick then resided, 
at 19 shillings an acre. Brown paid the latter in 
his lifetime $353.14. But the deed not having 
been executed before his death, the agreement hav- 
ing been proven as provided by the act of March 31 , 
1792, the court ordered Denniston's administrators 
to join with Campbell in the conveyance, which 
they did, September 21, 1826, in the payment of 
the balance of the purchase-money, $512, with 
which, as containing 250 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow, 
he was fii-st assessed, in 1806, at $146, where he 
resided when he was commissioned by Governor 
McKean as a justice of the peace, " for district No. 
2, called Buffalo district," January 1, 1807, and he 
took his oath of office February 9. He resided on 
this tract until his death, which, by his will, dated 
February 18 and registered September 22, 1835, he 
devised to his sons, Matthew and Robert. The 
latter conveyed 80 perches on the south side of his 
purpart, where a scboolhouse had been erected, to 
the school directors of this township, October 31, 
1848, for $1. In 1874-5 a new and larger frame 
schoolhouse was erected about 125 rods north- 
westerly from the site of the old one where Joseph 
McElroy's blacksmith shop formerly was, at a 
slight western bend in the Kittanning and Brady's 
Bend road, on the Robert Brown purpart, which is 
adapted to both school and church pm-poses, and is 
used for the latter by the Midway Presbyterian 
church, which was organized by a committee of 
the Kittanning Presbytery, September 4, 1875, 
with 46 members,* and the present pastor, Rev. 
W. J. Wilson,f entered upon his pastoral duties 
April 1, 1876. Members, 49; Sabbath-school 
scholars, 50. John Adams and Daniel L. Rankin 
were the first elders. 

Adjoining the eastern portion of that Brown 
tract on the south is an octagonal one not fully 
defined on the Gapen map, bearing the name of 
"John Barron," but on the other map that of 
"John Orr," and " 400"." What became of Orr's 
interest in it is not manifest from the records. 
Adam Moyers obtained a patent for about 107 

*The membership has increased to 05. Five adults and fifteen 
infants have been bapti;;ed. 
t Since left. 



526 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



acres of the northern part of it, April 13, 1838, 
which he conveyed to James Hutchison, who con- 
veyed 66 acres and 128 perches, January 20, 1839, 
who conveyed 13 acres to Harmon Vasbinder, 
January 16, 1847, for $65, and 57 acres to Matthew 
Brown, February 29, 1848, for $400. A patent for 
the other portion of it and some vacant land, an 
irregulai-ly shaped and comparatively narrow strip 
or tongue standing from the southwestern part of 
the tract beyond the Little Buffalo, aggregating 
400 acres and 52 perches, was granted to Elijah 
Davis, June 28, 1838, surveyed June 3, 1837, in 
pursuance of a warrant granted to Thomas Barr, 
March 5, 1794. Davis conveyed 230 acres and 47 
perches to Joseph Blain, September 1, 1848, for 
11,100, 10 acres of which Blain conveyed to Thos. 
H. Foster August 11, 1855, which the latter con- 
veyed to George Pence, April 3, 1860, for $120. 
Blain conveyed 145 acres and 103 perches to Foster, 
June 28, 1888, for $1,747.50. The rest of the Blain 
purchase has been subsequently owned by Thomas 
Patton and D. C. Mobley. Davis conveyed 150 
acres and 80 perches, including the above-men- 
tioned tongue, and 25 acres and 26 pei'ches of the 
150 acres conveyed by McCall to Ebenezer Davis' 
executors, August 7, 1828, to which their testator 
had acquired title by previous settlement, to John 
Cowan, June 29, 1852, for $2,400. Ebenezer Davis 
"vvas first assessed with a gristmill in 1809, and 
Elijah Davis with a sawmill in 1815 and a grist- 
mill in 1817, which were situated on the northeast- 
ern tributary of Little Buffalo, whose head branches 
rise respectively in the southwestern part of 
" Lewisburgh " and the southeastern of the Brown 
tract. These mills were rebuilt by Cowan after 
his purchase from Davis. Cowan conveyed the 
two parcels and the mills sold to him by Davis, to 
John Burford, April 3, 1856, for $5,000, which the 
latter conveyed to Christopher, James and Thomas 
H. Foster, April 1, 1859, for $4,400, since known 
as Foster's mills, which have been remodeled by 
them, and their store opened soon after. The 
postoffice, James Y. Foster, postmaster, was estab- 
lished here May 5, 1862. About 100 rods north- 
easterly from the mill is the site, 80 perches, " on 
the road from William Campbell's to Cowan's 
mills," which John Cowan conveyed to the school 
directors, February 2, 1849, on which they erected 
a schoolhouse, which has been recently substituted 
by a new one on another site, about 50 rods to the 
north. 

Adjoining that Barrou-Orr-Davis-ei! al. tract on 
the south and the Williams-Nelson-Campbell one 
on the west is one, a rectangular parallelogram, on 
the Gapen map, bearing the name of " John Bell, 



Sr.," and " 403". 24," as surveyed to him by Gapen, 
deputy surveyor, but on the other map is the name 
of " Samuel Templeton," and " 403% about one- 
sixth of which is in what is now West Franklin 
township. Bell probably conveyed his inchoate 
interest in it to Alexander Campbell, which the 
latter transferred to Archibald McCall in Februaiy, 
1800, who claimed an undivided interest, to whom 
the patent was granted, October 2, 1828. He con- 
veyed 150 acres and 38 perches to Samuel Temple- 
ton, October 24, 1832, for $1 and certain notes and 
bonds. Philip Templeton, Sr., claimed a part of 
it as settler's right. It was his intention to con- 
vey the other portion of it to his son, William, but 
inadvertently omitted to do so in his lifetime, and 
doubts having been likely to arise as to his inten- 
tion to make that devise, his other heirs released 
their respective interests to William, July 10, 1836, 
who conveyed it to McCall, July 15, for $250, and 
which was included in his heirs' conveyance toWill- 
iam F. Johnston, of which he conveyed 20 acres to 
John Cowan, Sr., August 9, 1853, for $300, and 115 
acres and 96 perches to Harmon Vasbinder, October 
9, 1866, for $1,600. Twenty acres of this tract hav- 
ing become vested in James C. Burford, he con- 
veyed the same to Christopher Foster April 1, 
1859, which he conveyed to James and Thomas H. 
Foster, March 28, 1865, for $220, being the 20 acres 
conveyed by Johnston to Cowan. Immediately 
west of the last-mentioned tract is a hexagonal one, 
nearly square on the Gapen map, with " Dan'l Mor- 
rison, 432-|- " on its face, and traversed southwest- 
erly by the Little Buffalo, but on the other map 
"Ab'm Bennington & A. McCall, 400," and in 
the northern part " Eben'r Davis, 60"." Lennington 
and Davis, May 18, 1809, made this trade: Len- 
nington sold Davis the gristmill which he had re- 
cently erected and 75 acres of land, in consideration 
of which Davis sold him his interest in 125 acres of 
this tract, on which he then lived, and obtained a 
clear patent therefor as soon as it could be con- 
veniently obtained from McCall, and to pay him 
$400, thus : £25 March 1, 1810, in rye, at 3 shil- 
lings a bushel ; £25 in cash, May 1, 1811 ; £16 13s 
4d, March 1, 1812, in rye, at 3 shillings a bushel, 
and the last-mentioned annually thereafter until 
the whole amount of boot money should be paid. 
Lennington 'agreed to sell 125 acres adjoining- 
Samuel Templeton, April 12, 1817, for $700. The 
patent was granted to McCall JSTovember 22, 1827, 
and he conveyed 150 acres to Davis' executors. 
Davis had agreed in his lifetime to sell those 125 
acres to Jacob Schless, but did not execute a deed. 
Their agreement having been duly proven and the 
court of common pleas of tliis county having ad- 



SUGAR cuel:k township. 



judged the same to be sufficient, March 22, 1827, 
Davis' executors conveyed this parcel to Schless, 
who conveyed it to Thomas Stewart, April 1, 1830, 
for 1)500. His heirs, after his death, released 
their interests in it to Mary Stewart, who con- 
veyed it to Thomas McKee, April 5, 1847, for 
$900, which, and 7 acres and 98 perches adjoining, 
he conveyed to his son, William W. MoKee, January 
17, 1855, for the last-mentioned amount, and he 
conveyed 125 acres to Jehu and John B. Fulton, 
April 2, 1868, for $3,475, with which, and 15 more 
acres, Mrs. Maria Fulton is now assessed. Between 
this parcel and the other parcel of this tract, 247 acres 
and 146 perches, which was included in the sale by 
McCall's heirs to Johnston, is a narrow strip, 45 
acres, belonging to George Elsor, as is seen on J. 
E. Meredith's connected draft of several contigu- 
ous parcels, and extending a few rods south into 
what is now West Franklin township. Elsor also 
occupied a considerable portion of this tract west 
of that strip, and conveyed 225 acres of it to Ben- 
jamin Shaffer, June 28, 1862, for $500, 110 acres of 
which Shaffer conveyed to George Forster, Novem- 
ber 17, 1875, for $300. Elsor's title to which was 
acquired by his " living on it for near 30 yeai's," 
the southeastern part of which being in what is 
now West Franklin township. 

Adjoining that Morrison-Davis-Lennington-Mc- 
Call tract on the north is the above-mentioned 
tongue of land included in the patent to Elijah 
Davis, immediately north of which on the Gapen 
map is a partially bounded tract bearing on its face, 
" Alex'r Craig," but on the other two tracts, one of 
which, a pentagon, 112 acres and 1 3 perches, with 
the name of " R. McDonald," which was included 
in the patent granted to Christian Yockey, No- 
vember 2, 1807, which he and Abraham Yockey 
conveyed to JohnPatton, September 5, 1817, for 
$100, which Patton conveyed to Robei't Orr, Sr., 
for $300, which he conveyed to John Orr, Septem- 
ber 10, 1817, for $800, who conveyed it to James 
Monteith and Philij) Templeton, as guardians and 
executors in trust for the heirs of McDonald, Sep- 
tember 17, for $800. This tract subsequently be- 
came vested in James Monteith, and descended to 
his daughters Mary and Nancy who, with their 
husbands, William F. Johnson and Dr. John Gil- 
pin, conveyed it to Samuel Dinsmore, April 7, 
1840, who conveyed it to Elizabeth Dinsmore, 
September 26, 1845, and she to Matthew Wilson, 
to whose estate it belongs, March 12, 1856, for 
$1,905. It looks on the map as if it had been, 
though it was not, carved out of the southeastern 
part of a larger tract adjoining it on the north and 
west. 



That last-mentioned one, 391;^ acres, a heptagon, 
with which John Patton was first assessed in 1809, 
at $145, and to whom the patent was granted 
February 20, 1810, in the northeastern part of 
which he built his mansion-house, where he resided 
when he was elected county commissioner in 1825, 
near which he established his tannery in 1824. 
About one-third of this tract is west of the Little 
Buffalo. By his will, dated April 4, and regis- 
tered May 8, 1849, he devised to his son James H. 
a part, including the tannery and its stock and 
tools, to his son John the other part of his land 
east, except the sawmill which his three sons were 
to enjoy equally, and to his son Robert, who was 
first assessed as a wheelwright in 1826, all west of 
Little Buffalo creek. 

The third schoolhouse in this townshij) was 
erected in 1821, near John Patton's mansion-house, 
some vestiges of which were recently visible. 

Adjoining that Patton tract on the north is an 
incomplete rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise 
east and west, with the name of " Wm. Dennis- 
ton." On the other map it appears in two pur- 
parts, with the name of " Thos. Foster," '• 260°," 
on the eastern, and " Jno. Gillespie," "150%" the 
western part of the entire tract. Foster was 
assessed with 200 acres, 1 horse, 2 cows, and 1 dis- 
tillery in 1805, at $157. They probably purchased 
Denniston's interest, for the patent was granted to 
Gillespie, May 12, 1818, and he conveyed 250 acres 
of it to Foster June 12, for $1. Foster by his will, 
dated February 25, and registered December 16, 
1839, devised the farm on which he then lived to 
his son Thomas H., his son James to have one-half 
the products until 21 years old, he to do one-half 
the work, and to his sons Christopher and William 
the farms on which they respectively lived, the 
three farms to be valued and made equal. Thos. 
H. is assessed with 242 acres of this tract in 1876 
at $1,356. 

The first schoolhouse, a primitive log one, erect- 
ed in 1812, within the present limits of Sugar 
Creek township, was situated on that part of the 
Foster purpart of this tract, near the Painter spring 
on the farm now owned and occupied bj^ Thomas 
H. Foster, the first teacher in which was Hugh 
Rogers, of Kittanning. 

Gillespie by his will, dated April 5, 1850, and 
registered January 3, 1856, devised his purpart to 
his son Henry, who conveyed it thus : 2 acres and 
80 perches to I. R. Wick, May 10, 1862, for $75, 
and 157 acres to William Devinney, April 6, 1872, 
for $3,950. 

Between the Barron-Orr, the Gillespie-Foster 
tracts and the division line between the deprecia- 



528 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



tion and donation lands, is one, a rectangular 
parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, bearing 
the name of " John Denniston " on the Gapen, but 
of " J. Wick " on the other map, on which Elisha 
and John Wick appear to have been early settlers. 
Elisha, Sr., was assessed with 150 acres, 1 horse and 
3 cattle in 1805, at $151, and the next year with an 
additional horse and cow, at $171. John was 
assessed in both of these years and in 1807 with 
the same quantity of land, 1 horse and 2 cattle, at 
$82, after which his name does not appear on the 
assessment list. 

Elisha Wick, by his will, dated July 17, and 
registered August 17, 1807, devised 75 acres of the 
west end to his son Jeremiah, and the rest, about 
220 acres, to his son Elisha, whose heirs released 
their interests in 99 acres to Chambers Wick, 
September 28, 1854, for $100, and in 121 acres to 
John R. Wick, January 6, 1855, for the same con- 
sideration. Chambers Wick conveyed 99 acres and 
71 perches to Thomas Foster, March 16, 1856, 
for $2,000. 

West of that Wick tract is one partly of the 
same width, which part is nearly a rectangular 
parallelogram, but the other part is a long narrow 
striji, extending along line dividing the deprecia- 
tion and donation lands, vacant on the Gapen, but 
with the name of Reuben Burford on the other 
map, on which he probably settled before 1800, for 
he was assessed with 300 acres, 1 horse and 5 cattle 
in 1805, at $183, and with 2 cattle less the next 
year, at $160. He acquired title thereto by im- 
provement, settlement and residence. By his will, 
dated August 12, 1847, and registered October 28, 
1 852, he directed his farm on which he then lived 
to be divided into three parcels, the eastern one of 
which he devised to his son Reuben, the western 
one to his son David, having previously given the 
central one to his son George, with which parcels 
they are still respectively assessed. 

Adjoining the narrow portion of the Burford 
tract on the south is a quadrilateral, nearly a 
triangular one, having two right angles, one acute, 
and one obtuse angle, contiguous to which on the 
southeast is a pentagonal one, lengthwise from 
northeast to southwest, having three right and two 
obtuse angles, across which on the Gapen map are 
inscribed, " Daniel Brodhead, Esq. — two tracts." 
The records of this county do not show how he 
disposed of his interest in them. The former con- 
sists, on the other map, of two parcels, the smaller 
of which being a quadri but not an equi lateral one, 
in the northeastern part with the inscription, 
"Widow Gallagher, 100"," and the larger parcel of 
similar shape, with the inscription, " John Gillespie 



& A. McCall, 310%" the latter of whom probably 
purchased Brodhead's interest, and the former was 
the settler who probably com.menced occupying it 
about 1797, and was assessed with 400 acres and- 1 
horse in 1805, at $200, and the next year with the 
land only, at $100. The first patent was granted 
to Gillespie, January 8, 1829, who conveyed 215 
acres to McCall, June 20, for 21, and a second one 
to McCall, September 9, 1837. Gillespie conveyed 
the above-mentioned " 100" " p.ircel to Mary Riley, 
formerly widow Gallagher, March 23, 1844, which 
she conveyed to Henry Gallagher the same day for 
$60, to whom the heirs of Adam Gallagher re- 
leased their respective interests, April 9, for $102. 

McCalPs heirs conveyed 55 acres and 40 perches 
to Daniel Black, June 29, 1846, for $386, and 
another portion to William F. Johnston, who con- 
veyed 108 acres and 42 perches to Michael Maley, 
July 2, 1849, for $920.12, and 100 acres and 94 
perches to Patrick Lacey, October 5, 1854, for 
$995.30. 

On the other Brodhead tract is this inscrip- 
tion on the other map, " GrifBth & heirs of Quin, 
410^"." The warrant for this tract was granted to 
James McCoy, February 3, 1794, and the patent to 
A. McCall, May 22, 1835. It was settled and im- 
proved by John Griffin, who was first assessed 
with 300 acres, 1 horse and 2 cows in 1814, at 
$182. Partition having been made between him 
and McCall, the latter conveyed to him 100 acres 
and 80 perches, June 25, 1837, as settler's part, 
who by his will dated February 17, 1840, and 
registered June 2, 1842, devised this purpart to 
his son Andrew, who by his will dated November 
17, 1853, devised it to his son John A., which he 
conveyed to Theresa and Stephen McCue April 2, 
1860, for $1,220. McCall's heirs conTeyed 169 acres 
and 48 perches to William B. Clymer, January 20, 
1852, which the latter by A. N. Mylert, his attor- 
ney-in-fact, conveyed to Patrick Red, December 
23, 1856, for $1,470.65, in pursuance of an agree- 
ment between McCall and Red, June 1, 1852, with 
165 acres of which Red was first assessed in 1843. 
He conveyed 70 perches, including the schoolhouse 
then erected on it, of this parcel to the school direct- 
ors of this township, November 24, 1847, for $1. 
Red conveyed 164 acres to William Robbett, June 
10, 1861, for $3,000. 

A. McCall conveyed 100 acres and 30 perches of 
this tract to John McBride, October 22, 1841, for 
$1,000, which he conveyed to John M. Gillespie, 
March 3, 1871, and which, with other 3 acres, the 
latter conveyed to Francis Miller, April 25, for 
$3,500. 

An early warrant was granted to James Rankin 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



529 



for 385 acres and 86 perches hereabouts, whose 
interest therein Nicholas Day, as Rankin's legal 
representative, conveyed to John Gillespie, Febru- 
ary 17, 1813, for $100. Another somewhat later 
transaction shows the value of personal j)roperty in 
early times in this part of Sugar Creek township. 
Richard Price sold " 1 mare and colt, 3 cows, 3 
calves, 5 year-old steers, 1 two-year-old heifer, 
10 sheep, 4 lambs, 3 beehives, all the grain in the 
ground (on the land occupied by Price), oats and 
and flax, all goods and household stuff, and imple- 
ments of household and husbandry " to Gillespie, 
June 25, 1817, for $135.18. 

West of the narrow portion of the Reuben 
Burford tract and of the Broadhead-McCall-Gil- 
lespie one is vacant land to the county line on the 
Gapen map, except narrow strips of the eastern 
ends of tracts surveyed by Gapen to " Peter Car- 
dan," "Jonathan Craig," "Wm. Craig" and "Mar- 
tha Craig." On the other map, in the angle 
formed by the intersection of the line between the 
depreciation and donation lands with the eastern 
line of the " Peter Cardan " tract, is a nearly square 
tract, "340"." Was it "Burns' Surplus" men- 
tioned in George and Thomas Stewardson's con- 
veyance of 35 acres to John Doulatty, October 

23, 1863, for $100? 

Patrick Boyle settled 150 acres of the vacant 
land next below or south of the last above-men- 
tioned tract in 1807, with which he was then 
assessed at $22.50, 76 acres and %7 perches of 
which he conveyed to Hugh Boyle, May 23, 1846, 
for $214.93. 

Adjoining the before-mentioned Brodhead-Mc- 
Coy-McCall-Griflfin-Quin tract on the southeast is 
an undefined one on the Gapen map, claimed by 
" John Denniston," the patent for which, 400 acres, 
called "Duncannon," was granted to Samuel Den- 
niston for himself and in trust for the heirs of John 
Denniston, June 25, 1807. The latter had agreed, 
March 11, 1797, to convey 150 acres of it to An- 
drew Bullman, part of the tract on which he 
had made a settlement, for 1 penny, and making 
the improvement, settlement, and continuing the 
actual residence required by law. The deed not 
having been made before John Denniston's death, 
the proper court, on due proof of the performance 
by Bullman of his part of the agreement, ordered 
decedent's administrator to execute to him a deed 
for that quantity of land, which they accordingly 
did, June 8, 1809. He, by his will, dated July IS, 
and registered August 5, 1833, devised his purpart 
equally to his sons AndrcAV and Josej)h. The for- 
mer conveyed his interest to the latter, December 

24, 1838, for $400, 100 acres of which the latter 



conveyed to Robert Dickey, June 17, 1839, for 
$875, who died intestate in 1841, leaving one 
daughter, whose guardian, George F. Keener, by 
order of the orphans' court of this county, sold it 
to Connell Boyle and Philip Lowe, on Monday, 
September 1, 1851, for $1,215, 34 acres and 95 
perches of which they conveyed to Daniel Boyle, 
March 15, 1854, for $245, on which he opened 
his store, and 14 acres and 30 perches to Stephen 
McCue, the next day, for $125, which he conveyed 
to his wife, June 29, 1874, for $1,000, which she 
had received from the estate of her brother, Michael 
Maloney. Boyle and Lowe subsequently made 
partition, and Lowe released 54 acres and 132 
perches to Boyle on the last-mentioned day, which 
the latter conveyed to James Forquer, August 13, 
1855, which he conveyed to Patrick McBride, 
March 12, 1859, for $1,000, and which parcel was 
included in the 90 acres which McBride conveyed 
to Martin Wick. 

Joseph Bullman continued to occupy the rest of 
this purpart until shoitly after he was elected 
register of wills, recorder of deeds and clerk of the 
orphans' court of this county in October, 1845. He 
conveyed 56 acres to Jacob He23ler, Sr., July 27, 
1846, for $675, who, by his will, dated June 21, 
1859, and registered Jtine 17, 1864, devised it 
equally to his sons Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Tobias, 
which they conveyed to Archibald Black, Decem- 
ber 18, 1866, and which, with other 12 acres and 88 
perches, a part of the McBride parcel of " Duncan- 
non," he conveyed to Chistopher Malone, April 17, 
1869, for $1,600. 

Samuel Denniston and Nicholas Day, adminis- 
trators, conveyed 250 acres, the Denniston purpart 
of " Duncannon," to Hugh Milligan and Robert 
Wallace, September 11, 1811, for $150, the unpaid 
balance of $500, in pursuance of an agreement 
between John Denniston and them, October 21, 
1803, 150 acres of which they conveyed to Neil 
McBride, November 19, 1811, for $560, who, by his 
will, dated April 30, and registered May 9, 1827, 
devised this parcel equally to his sons John and 
Miles. The latter conveyed 77 acres and 119 
perches to the former. May 22, 1847, for $600, who 
conveyed 24 acres to Enos McBride, February 1, 
1850, for $192, 2 acres and 150 perches to Enos 
McBride, January 2, 1858, for $50. 

Milligan and Wallace conveyed 100 acres of the 
eastern part of " Duncannon " to Robert Boyd, 
November 19, 1811, for the express consideration 
of $1, who, by his will, dated February 16, and 
registered March 22, 1813, devised this parcel to 
his heirs equally, except Elizabeth, after the death 
of his wife, whom, and his son John, he appointed 



530 



HISTOEY or ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



his executors. It continued to be occupied by Mrs. 
Boyd, to whom it was assessed u.ntil 1849, when it 
was transferred to Thomas Burns. 

It may be remarked in passing that Burns was a 
stanch opponent of the county superintendoncy 
until the winter of 1859, because he thought the 
superintendent's salary was paid out of the school 
or county tax. Then he happened to be present 
when that officer visited the school in the Quinn 
school house, and remarked to another citizen of 
this township, that if necessary he would "will- 
ingly pay a dollar more of tax to keep the 
superintendency." 

This tract was named after Duncannon, a mari- 
time village on Waterford harbor, in Leinster, 
county of Wexford, Ireland. 

Immediately east of "Duncannon" is vacant 
land on tlie Gapen map, but on the other it appears 
to have been Abraham Yockey's. He settled on it 
quite early, and built a gristmill on a western 
tributary of Little Buffalo, it is said, in 1800, with 
which, 100 acres, 2 horses and 4 cattle he was 
assessed in 1805, at $142, and the next year with 1 
cow less, at $136. Anthony Cravenor having ob- 
tained judgment against him for $402.43, exclu- 
sive of costs and interest, a writ of fi. fa. was 
issued, by virtue of which Jacob Mechling, sherifiE, 
levied on 110 acres, on which he returned, there 
appeared "to be no cleared land," but "with a 
shingle-roofed house, cabin-house and gristmill 
thereon erected." A writ of vend. ex. was issued 
to No. 86, December term, 1830, on which it was 
sold by James Douglass, then sheriff of this county, 
to Cravenor, the plaintiff, for $450. This property 
afterward became vested — the records do not show 
how— in Rev. R. P. O'Neal, who, by William Galla- 
gher, his attorney-in-fact, conveying 110 acres to 
Stephen McCue, January 20, 1862, for $20. It was 
occupied several years by Francis O'Neal, noted 
for his singularities. 

The vacant land south of that Yockey-O'Neal 
tract and " Duncannon " was settled very early 
by Christian Yockey, to whom 300 acres were 
assessed in 1805-6, at $140. He was some years af- 
terward assessed with only 100 acres — the last time 
in 1827. Peter Yockey was afterward assessed with 
30 and John Yockey with 73 acres, who is still 
assessed with 75 acres, at $975. 

Adjoining the last-mentioned parcel on the east 
or southeast is vacant land on which Nathaniel Pat- 
terson made an improvement and settlement in or 
about 1820.* 

There is a considerable scope of country west 
and southwest of " Duncannon " which appears on 

'' See West Frniililin townsliip. 



both maps to be vacant. It, however, embraces 97 
acres and 35 perches of the "Thomas Hindman 
tract,* which his sole lineal heir, John Hindman, 
conveyed to Daniel Boyle, June 6, 1843, for $900. 
About 320 acres, perhaps more, were vacant. 
Stephen McCue obtained a patent for about 120 
acres adjoining " Duncannon " on the east, which 
George Smith, sheriff, sold to Alexander Colwell, 
on a judgment in favor of William Crow, and con- 
veyed the same to him December 18, 1844, which 
Colwell conveyed to McCue, November 20, 1851, 
for $611, on which he erected his distillery, with 
which he was first assessed in 1864.f 

North of that tract was one of 117 acres, to 
which Owen Quinn acquired title by early improve- 
ment, settlement and residence, with which and 
83 more acres and 4 cattle he was assessed, in 1805, 
at $112. Having died intestate without obtaining 
a patent, it was granted to his son Henry in trust 
for Owen's heirs, September 30, 1847. The inter- 
ests of the other heirs — Owen left eight children — 
were transferred by releases of all but James, 
who devised his interest to James McElroy, to 
Mary Bromfield, James McElroy and Henry 
Quinn, who conveyed 39 acres to Stephen McCue, 
February 15, 1858, for $1,287. By an amicable 
pai'tition Mrs. Bromfield became possessed in 
severalty of 39 acres, which by article of agree- 
ment April 4, 1868, she agreed to sell to William 
Robbitt for $1,000, and which she afterward, 
March 31, 18^4, conveyed to Stephen McCue for 
$1,000. The claims of these two vendees of 
course clashed, which were adjusted by an agree- 
ment between them that McCue should pay Rob- 
bitt $950 out of the money he expected to receive 
from John Graham, Jr., to whom he had sold this 
and some other parcels of land, and if the latter 
neglected to pay, McCue was to pay Robbitt. 
Hence arose litigation on that agreement, namely : 
Robbitt vs. McCue, No. 292, June term, 1875, in 
the common pleas of this county. J; 

McCue conveyed 130 acres and 91 perches, in- 
cluding the last-mentioned parcel, which he had 
purchased from Mrs. Bromfield, to John Graham, 
Jr., April 17, 1875, for $6,000. 

ST. pateick's chuech. 

The above-mentioned church is located in Sugar 
Creek township, and its congregation is composed 
of people of this and Butler counties. The Catholic 
settlers of 1796 mainly located in Butler county. 
The first priest who visited the settlement was 



*See West Franklin. 

tHe conveyed this tract to his son Stephen June 21, 1S77, for87,500. 
JThe verilict was rendered March 12, 1S77, in favor of the phiiu- 
titr for Jl,061. 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



581 



Father Lanigan, who performed baptisms hero in 
1801. The next visit was made by Rev. P. Ileil- 
bron, in 1803, who also performed baptismal services 
at Sugar Creek and Slippery Rock. In 1805,* Rev. 
Lawrence Sylvester Phelan — also known as Father 
Whelen or Whalen — came to Sugar Creek, and 
located where the church was subsequently built. 
The Catholic people were greatly pleased with the 
thought of having a priest among them, and, soon 
after Father Phelan's arrival, held a meeting to 
devise measures for securing him a home and 
building a church. It was decided to send men 
among all the Catholics to solicit donations. The 
tei-ritoi-y to be canvassed was at least fifteen miles 
square. Four collectors were chosen and districts 
assigned them as follows : Casper W. Easly took 
the southern district, near Slate Lick ; James 
Sheridan the southwestern, or Clearfield township ; 
Neil Sweeny took Butler and vicinity, and C. Rod- 
gers McCue the north and northwestern, or Done- 
gal township. These solicitors were successful in 
their mission, although they received no subscrip- 
tion larger than the sum of $2. 

The present farm, consisting of nearly 200 
acres, was purchased and a small log cabin was 
built for the priest. Then, upon a certain day, 
each of the four who had solicited subscriptions 
was required to meet at the farm, bringing with 
him as many men as would be required to cut and 
hew logs enough for one side of the church. 
Patrick McElroy was assigned the work of making 
shingles and obtaining and driving the nails. The 
building was erected the fall after Father Phelan's 
arrival, but, as nails could not be secured, it was 
not roofed until the next spring. It was then put 
under the invocation of the Apostle of Ireland. 
The building is still standing. It is 22X35 feet, 
with a gallery and altar standing against the end 
wall. Each side contains three small windows, 
and each end of the gallery one. This is the oldest 
Catholic church now standing in the entire west- 
ern part of the state. It was attended by people 
from all the surrounding country for ten miles or 
more. People often walked ten or twelve miles, 
fasting, to be present at the services. The sta- 
tions which the priest was obliged to visit were so 
numerous, and so far apart, that mass was not 
celebrated more than once a month, and, in some 
instances, one in two months. There was then 
but one priest in the whole district west of the 
Allegheny river from Erie to Beaver. 

Father Phelan withdrew in 1810. From 1810 
to 1820 the congregation was visited occasionally 



* Ot.liers say 1801'. or 1807 : but the date above given is believed to 
be coiTeet. 



by Fathers 0'J5rien and McGuire, from Pittsburgh, 
and by Father McGirr, from Sportsman's Hill. In 
1821, Rev. Charles Ferry came to the church and 
resided here. He visited all the surrounding dis- 
trict, a territory at least thirty miles square, which 
was then estimated to contain about 140 families. 
He remained until 1827, .when he was succeeded 
by Rev. Patrick O'Neil, the first resident priest at 
St. Patrick's, who also performed missionary work 
in Butler, Armstrong and adjacent counties. He 
remained until 1834, and subsequently was engaged 
in missionary labors in the West. He died in 
1879, in the 84th year of his age, and the 5Sth of 
his ministry. 

In the summer of 1834, Rev. Patrick Rafferty 
was placed in charge of the mission and resided at 
Freeport, visiting St. Patrick's one Sunday in a 
month. He remained in charge about two years, 
then withdrew. He was pastor of St. Francis 
church, Fairmount, Philadelphia, and died in that 
position in 1863. He was a man of great learning 
and ability. St. Patrick's remained without a pastor 
until the summer of 1837, when Rev. Joseph 
Cody was appointed to the pastorate and took up 
his residence at the church. Mass was celebrated 
here two Sundays in the month, the remainder of 
the pastor's time being given to Freeport and 
Butler. By 1840, the congregation had become so 
large that a larger church was needed. A brick 
edifice, 45 X 80 feet, with a sacristy, a separate 
building against the rear of the church, was erected. 
It was dedicated July 29, 1842, by Very Rev. M. 
O'Connor, V. G. In 1844, the pastor's field of 
labor was rendered somewhat smaller by the ap- 
pointment of a pastor at Butler, who also had 
charge of Murrinsville and Mercer. Father Cody, 
however, visited Brady's Bend occasionally, and a 
little later ofiiciated at the newly established church 
at Donegal (now North Oakland). In 1847, Free- 
port and Brady's Bend were assigned to another 
priest, and thenceforth Father Cody gave three- 
fourths of his time to St. Patrick's and the remain- 
der to North Oakland. In 1854, the log parsonage 
was rej)laced by a brick residence. After about 
the year 1861, Father Cody, on account of age and 
failing health, ministered only to St. Patrick's 
congregation. At length he was obliged to cease 
from labor, and at the end of the year 1865, Rev. 
J. O. G. Scanlan was transferred from Kittanning 
to St. Patrick's. Father Cody soon afterward went 
to the Mercy hospital, Pittsburgh, where he died 
August 7, 1871, in the 70th year of his age. He 
was buried from St. Patrick's, and his remains 
repose in front of the church. 

Father Scanlon set about improving the interior 



532 



HISTORY OP ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of the church, but before the -(vork could be accom- 
plished he was transferred to another congregation, 
and Rev. James P. Tahany became pastor in Octo- 
ber, 1868. He collected means and carried out the 
proposed improvements and the church became 
one of the most beautiful in the diocese. In 
November, 1871, Father Tahany was succeeded by 
Rev. S. P. Herman. On the night of January 1, 
1872, the church was destroyed by an incendiary 
fire. It was a severe loss, as there was still a small 
debt and no insurance. The congregation then re- 
turned to tBe old log church as a place of worship. 
Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald became pastor and re- 
mained about a year. He was succeeded by Rev. 
P. M. Doyle, who remained in charge until the fall 
of 1875, when he was obliged to retire on account 
of ill health. He died in July, 1876, in the 47th 
year of his age and the 22d of his ministry. 

On the 9th of January, 1876, Rev. P. J. Quilter 
became the pastor. He at once took measures to 
replace the church which had been destroyed, and 
succeeded well. The corner-stone of the structure 
was laid August 5, 1876, with ceremonies by the 
bishop. The church was finished the next summer 
and dedicated by Very Rev. R. Phelan, adminis- 
trator of Allegheny, on the 3d of July. The 
building is of Gothic style, brick, 45X90 feet, with 
a basement. It is furnished with three altars and 
beautifully finished. Butts, of Pittsburgh, was 
the architect, and William Feigel, of Butler, con- 
tractor. There was perfect harmony between 
Father Quilter and all concerned in building the 
church. It was only by a great effort that the 
congregation was able to erect so large and costly 
an edifice. The debt is now reduced to $1,800. 
The membership is about 100 families at present. 
Oil developments gave the church a temporary in- 
crease. Millerstown, a new parish, is under the 
care of the pastor of St. Patrick's. 

HISTORY OF THE DOWATIOiSr LAIRDS. 

Thus ends the sketch of that part of the present 
township of Sugar Creek south of the division line 
between the depreciation and donation lands. 

Before commencing the sketch of its northern 
half, a brief account of those donation lands is 
here requisite. It was enacted by section 5 of the 
act of assembly of March 12, 1783, for the purpose 
of effectually complying with the letter and inten- 
tion of their resolve of March 7, 1780, promising 
to the officers and privates belonging to this state, 
in the federal army, certain donations and quan- 
tities of land, according to their several ranks, to 
be surveyed and divided off to them severally at 
the end of the war, a donation district be appro- 



priated thus: A certain tract of country, beginning 
at the mouth of " Mogulbughtiton " creek (now 
Mahoning); thence up the Allegheny river to the 
mouth of " Cagnawaga" creek; thence due north 
to the north boundary of the state; thence west to 
the northwest corner of the state; thence south by 
the western boundary of the state to the northwest 
corner of the depreciation lands, and thence by 
these lands to the place of beginning ; and was 
divided into ten districts, which were numbered 1, 
2, 3, and so on. That portion of this county lying 
between the division line separating the deprecia- 
tion and donation lands and a parallel line extend- 
ing due west from a short distance below the foot 
of the bend in the Allegheny river, just above 
Hillville, to the Butler county line, constituted the 
first donation district. The act of March 12, 
1783, further provided that former improvements 
on these donation lands should be null and void ; 
that oflicers and privates entitled to land should 
make their applications within two years after 
peace, which by subsequent acts was extended, the 
last limitation ceasing April 1, 1810; and that they 
should not sell their shares of land before they 
were actually surveyed. By the act of March 16, 
1785, such lands were exempted from taxation 
during the life of the officer or soldier, unless the 
same were aliened to another person or persons. 
The appointment of deputy surveyors to survey 
and lay off in lots the donation lands. It was pro- 
vided by the same act, among other things, that 
all officers and soldiers of Pennsylvania regiments, 
or of independent corps, acknowledged by this 
state as of its quota in the Federal army, officers 
who were citizens of this state when they entered 
the service, not attached to the line of any state, 
who had served therein until the close of the war; 
such officers who had been " deranged by the regu- 
lations and arrangements of the army according to 
the act of congress" of October, 1780, or at any 
subsequent period of the war; and the widows and 
children of those officers and privates who had 
been slain in battle, or died in the service, should 
be entitled to lands according to their pay and 
rank just before they left the service, except 
such rank as was obtained by brevet unless paid in 
accordance therewith by the United States ; that 
the lots should be of four descriptions, one to con. 
tain 500 acres each, another 300 acres each, another 
250 acres each, and another 200 acres each, with 
the usual allowances ; that a quantity equal to 
what might be necessary for the major-generals, 
brigadier-generals, colonels, captains, and two- 
thirds of the lieutenant-colonels, should be laid off 
into lots of 500 acres each ; a quantity equal to 








WlLLIAjV A-V/lLSoH- 



^IF^S.v/lLLIAM ^.\s'\l.SO\l. 




f^ES. 0-F' Wm. ARN1STT^0H& WiLSO^!. 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



533 



what might be necessary for the regimental sur- 
geons and mates, chaplains, majors and ensigns, 
into lots of 300 acres each ; a quantity equal to 
what might be necessary for one-third of the lieu- 
tenant-colonels for the sergeants, sergeant-majors, 
and quarterpiaster-sergeants, into lots of 250 acres 
each ; and a quantity equal to what might be 
necessary for the lieutenants, corporals, drummers, 
fifers, drum-majors, fife-majors and privates, into 
lots of 200 acres each. 

The surveyor-general and each of his deputies 
were required to be sworn or affirmed that in lay- 
ing off those lots he would not select the best land, 
either as to quality or situation, to favor anyone of 
those four classes of lots to the prejudice or injury 
of the others, or of this state, and in running the 
boundary lines cf the lots, each surveyor should 
cause them to be well defined, by marking the trees 
on the lines, at small distances, and particularly 
the angles, and on the northwestern corner-tree of 
each lot should be marked, in Roman figures, the 
number of the lot, but if there should be a post at 
any such corner, on the tree in the lot nearest to 
the post. When all the lots had been laid off, a 
draft of them should be made, which should be 
deposited in Rolls-office after all the applications 
were satisfied. The supreme executive council was 
required to cause numbers, corresponding to each 
of the four classes, to be made on square pieces of 
white paper of uniform size, or as nearly so as 
might be, and in their presence to roll and bind 
well those numbers separately and carefully, with 
silken thread, as uniformly as possible, and deposit 
them in four wheels, " like unto lottery wheels," 
which, before any applicant should be permitted to 
draw therefrom, should be repeatedly "well turned 
round." Those wheels were to be safely kept and 
remain sealed, except when drawn from, under the 
direction of a committee of three members of the 
supreme executive council, who were to judge and 
determine on the right of each applicant to receive 
grants of land, with the right of appeal in all cases 
of doubt and difficulty to the supreme executive 
council, whose decision thereon was final and con- 
clusive. The successful applicants were entitled 
to draw thus: A major-general, 4 tickets from 
the wheel containing the numbers on the 500-acre 
lots; a bi'igadier-general, 3 tickets; a colonel, 2 
tickets; a lieutenant-colonel, 1 from that wheel and 
1 from the wheel containing the numbers on the 
250-acre lots; a surgeon, chajjlain or major, each 2 
tickets from the wheel containing the numbers on 
the 300-acre lots; a captain, 1 ticket from the 
wheel containing the numbers on the 500-acre lots; 
a lieutenant, 2 tickets from the wheel containing 



the numbers on the 200-acre lots; an ensign, or 
regimental surgeon's mate, resjjectively, 1 ticket 
from the wheel containing the numbers on the 300- 
acre lots; a sergeant, sei-geant-major or quarter- 
master-sergeant, respectively, 1 ticket from the 
wheel containing the numbers on the 250-acre lots; 
a drum-major, fife-major, drummer, fifer, corporal 
or private, respectively, 1 ticket from the wheel 
containing the numbers on the 200-acre lots. Be- 
fore the boundary line between Pennsylvania and 
New York was definitely established, some of the 
donation lots were laid off on territory of the latter 
state. It was provided by acts of April 5, 1793, 
and February 23, 1801, that those who had drawn 
lots in that territory should be allowed, under 
prescribed regulations, to draw others in lieu of 
them from, the undrawn ones in any of the donation 
districts within this state. After April 1, 1810, 
the undrawn donation lots reverted to the common- 
wealth, which were to be disposed of in such man- 
ner as the legislature should thereafter by law 
direct. 

By the act of April 9, 1828, the secretary of the 
land office was authorized to extend the provisions 
of the act to encourage the warranting and patent- 
ing of lands north and west of the Ohio and Alle- 
gheny rivers and Conewango creek, passed March 
1, 1811, to the settlers or owners of the undrawn 
donation lands. 

As the Gapen map of surveys does not extend 
northwardly beyond the division line between the 
depreciation and donation lands, the other here- 
tofore-mentioned map is the only one representing 
the early surveys in the west of Sugar Creek town- 
ship, on which at the southwestern part of the do- 
nation lands in this township is one, a rectangular 
parallelogram, 400 acres, for which a warrant was 
granted to John Cox March 1, 1797, whose interest 
was probably purchased by Charles Campbell, to 
whom the patent was granted July 28, 1817. Rob- 
ert McCutcheon settled on it first. He was assessed 
with it, with 2 horses and 2 cows, in 1805 and 1806, 
at |122. There was an early agreement between 
him and Campbell that he should have 200 acres and 
one-half of the excess of 400 acres that might be in 
the tract at the valuation made by two or three re- 
spectable freeholders, with such pi-oof of settle- 
ment as would enable Campbell to obtain the pat- 
ent. McCutcheon conveyed his interest in the 
major i3art on the depreciation and donation line, 
June 7, 1807. It appears from the map that 150 
acres of the northern part were laid off to Mc- 
Cutcheon, who sold or agreed to sell 50 acres of the 
northern part to Dennis Quinn, and agreed to 
convey the other part, 100 acres, to William D. 



534 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



McCutcheon, June 15, 1809, for $500 in annual 
payments. That McCutcheon purpart, 150 acres, 
was sold by Robert Robinson, sheriff, on Ve?id. Ex. 
No. 86, September term, 1823, in Philip Mechling, 
late sheriff, vs. Robert and William D. McCutch- 
eon, to William Ayers and John Bredin for $2.30, 
50 acres of which they conveyed to Dennis Quinn, 
February 5, 1842, for $100, having previously sold 
to him the other 100 acres, which last-mentioned 
parcel he conveyed to John Boyle, January 5, 1846 
for $600, with which the latter is assessed in ISTe 
at $1,400. Quinn appears to have been in posses- 
sion of the Campbell half of the excess over 400 
acres, which Campbell had sold or agreed to sell to 
James Wilson, who instituted an ejectment for it 
against Quinn to No. 64, June term, 1843, in the 
common pleas of this county, which was tried and 
resulted in a verdict for Wilson for 48 acres to be 
released on payment of $1 40.67, in twelve months 
from September 15, 1844, which Wilson conveyed 
to Quinn, October 2, 1845. Quinn conveyed one- 
fourth of an acre on the eastern part of his land to 
the school directors of this township for school 
purposes about April 9, 1839, in which is what is 
known as the Quinn schoolhouse. 

Adjoining the Campbell-McCutcheon tract on the 
north is one of the same shape, 439 acres and 101 
perches, contiguous to which on the north, chiefly 
in what is now Brady's Bend township, is another, 
436 acres and 108 perches, for both of which pat- 
ents were granted to Charles Campbell, and the 
two together were named " Campbelltown," on 
which Nicholas Allimongand his family were early 
settlers, which Campbell, in Allimong's lifetime, 
agreed to convey to him, and which he did convey 
to his executors, Jacob j\llimong and Jonathan 
King, in trust for his legatees, August 19, 1809, 
and those executors the same day conveyed the 
southern tract, or southern half of " Campbell- 
town," and part of the northern, thus : 200 acres by 
King to Jacob Allimong, 100 acres to Elizabeth 
Shectley, and 200 acres to Susanna Wiles. Mrs. 
Wiles, her husband, conveyed 118 acres and 158 
perches of her purpart to Frederick Wiles, Sep- 
tember 21, 1841, for $400, which he conveyed to 
William McCrea, May 14, 1842, for $1,250, and 
117 acres and 40 perches to Samuel S. Sander- 
son, April 16, 1851, for $1,260.43, which by his 
will, dated January 15, and registered May 21, 
1872, devised to his son James. Mrs. Shectley 
conveyed her purpart to David Sheakley, October 
1, 1853, for $850. 

There is a narrow strip of the northern tract of 
" Campbelltown " in this township, on which Har- 
rison Miller resides, being a part of liis purchase 



elsewhere mentioned,* together with the southern 
part of the tract adjoining it on the east. 

Jacob Allimong by his will, dated March 15, and 
registered April 12, 1823, devised and bequeathed 
all his property to his wife so long as she retained 
his name. He directed his real estate to be sold 
after her death for the best price that could be ob- 
tained, and the money arising from its sale to be 
divided among his son John and the latter's four 
children, 151 acres of which Jacob Allimong's 
grandchildren conveyed to James E. Brown, No- 
vember 5, 1852, for $45.25, which he conveyed to 
Samuel Sanderson, March 9, 1852, for $1,510; 15 
acres and 74 perches of which Sanderson conveyed 
to James Patty, November 6, 1858, for $400, 8 acres 
and 44 perches of which Patty conveyed to John 
McSweeney, and which he conveyed to David 
Byers, April 4, 1865, for $325. 

Adjoining South " Campbelltown " on the east 
is a tract which seems to have been originally a 
rectangular parallelogram that contained about 400 
acres, the warrant for which was granted to James 
Buchanan, from the southeastern part of which a 
smaller parallelogram appears to have been laid off 
to John Boyers, but when it was the records do not 
show. It was first settled by Valentine Snyder, 
probably about 1797 or 1798, with 244 acres of 
which and 1 cow he was assessed in 1805-6, at 
$102.60. He transferred his interest in it to Samuel 
Sanderson in 1807, who was then assessed with 369 
acres and one cow, at $169.60. This tract after- 
ward was known as the " Sanderson tract." The 
indication on the map is, that James Ramsey set- 
tled on it, who was first assessed in Sugar Creek 
township in 1809. The inchoate title to this tract 
became vested in Charles Campbell. James Camp- 
bell's executors obtained a judgment against his 
executors for $3,436.95 debt, and for $3.50 costs, on 
which a writ of Vend. Ex. was issued by virtue of 
which Jacob Mechling sold it and several other 
tracts to Daniel Stannard, of the borough of 
Indiana, and conveyed it and them to him, Decem- 
ber 7, 1828, for $780. It was included among the 
three tracts which James Campbell agreed to con- 
vey to Dr. John Gilpin, December 12, 1838, and 
which three tracts Stannard, by Campbell's direc- 
tion, conveyed to Gilpin, January 29, 1840, for 
$4,650, the patent having been granted to the lat- 
ter for 383 acres and 56 perches, January 9, 1839, 
which he conveyed thus: 2 acres to Peter 
Keemeser and Henry Wiles, April 9, 1840, for 
$40; 17 acres and 112 perches to William Morgan, 
August 9, 1847, for $255; and 100 acres and 1 perch 
to Thomas Rockett, January 30, 1848, for $2,400; 54 

■'■ VHc Brady's Bend. 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



535 



acres and 64 perches to William Reese, March 2:2, 
1852, for $800; 19 acres and 120 perches to Cath- 
erine Byers, May 12, 1862, for $439.75; 126 acres 
and 32 perches, reserving 2 acres above mentioned, 
" sold to and occupied by a German churchyard 
and burial-place," to Henry Bolz, May 30, 1866, for 
$3,786, 28 perches of which he convej^ed to Jacob 
Ellenberger, David L. and William Kemerer, 
David King, William Millison, David Sheakley, 
and George Vensel and their successors, consisting 
of St. Paul's Reformed church in the United 
States, August 19, 1871, for $25, and 126 acres and 
32 perches with the reservation of the 2-acre church 
lot, 20 acres theretofore sold to Thomas W. George 
and the privilege of the spring of water southeast 
from the church edifice which had been granted by 
Bolz to St. Paul's church, leaving 106 acres to 
Michael Myers, May 14, 1873, for $13,500. 

About 1835 Rev. Mr. Sweitzerbort of Butler 
county commenced holding religious services 
among the Lutherans, who had settled here and 
hereabout, and were members of the White 
church in that county, preaching at first to con- 
gregations in private houses, barns and the grove, 
which resulted in the organization of the Evangel- 
ical Lutheran church of Sugar Creek township. 
In the course of about four years the congregation 
erected a church edifice, frame, about 40X50 feet, 
hight of ceiling 12 feet, which had not been com- 
pleted and furnished when it was broken down by 
the weight of the heavy snow on New Year's 
night, 1840. Its site was on the above-mentioned 
two-acre parcel, the legal title to which being in 
Henry Wiles and Peter Kemerer, they conveyed 
it to John Ellenberger, Joseph King, John Mar- 
chand, David Snyder and Barnhart Vensel, trus- 
tees of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and John 
Boyers, Adam and Daniel Kemerer, John Mil- 
lison and Frederick Wiles, Jr., trustees of the 
Presbyterian (?) church of Sugar Creek township, 
and their successors, April 20, 1841, for $40, the 
St. Paul's having been organized about that time 
with Rev. Mr. Dale as pastor, and soon after erected 
their present church edifice, frame, 34X50 'feet, 
hight of ceiling 16 feet, substantially built and 
painted white and neatly furnished. The next 
pastor was Rev. J. W. Alspach, who and several 
members of the church presented to the court of 
common pleas of this county a bill in equity, pray- 
ing that the deed from Kemerer and Wiles to the 
trustees of both of the last-mentioned congregations 
might be reformed by striking out the word " Pres- 
byterian " wherever it occurred in the deed, and in- 
serting in lieu thereof the word " Reformed." It 
havi ng been duly proven that the former liad by mis- 



take been inserted instead of the latter, the court 
ordered and decreed, December 22, that the mis- 
take be corrected as prayed for. The membership 
of this church is quite large, probably exceeding 
150 members, with a Sabbath school of about 100 
scholars. The writer regrets that ho has not been 
able to obtain from the records of these churches 
more detailed statements of facts. 

The above-mentioned 100-acre tract, which ajj- 
pears to have been surveyed off the " Sanderson 
Tract," was settled by John Boyers — spelled Buy- 
ers for a few years on the assessment-list — in 1810, 
when he was first assessed with 100 acres at $100, 
to whom the patent was granted, May 5, 1818, 
which he conveyed to David Boyers, February 17, 
1849, with certain reservations during his and his 
wife's lives, on condition and in consideration of 
the grantee's paying him annually certain quanti- 
ties of grain and provisions, and which, as con- 
taining 113 acres and 84 perches, strict measure, 
he conveyed to Thomas Foster, Jr., February 27, 
1868, for $4,600. 

Contiguous to those Boyers and Sanderson tracts 
on the south is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 413 
acres, 46 perches, adjoining the division line between 
depreciation and donation lands on the south, early 
settled by Josiah White, to whom the warrant 
was granted April 19, 1804, surveyed January 29, 
1805, and the patent was issued to him March 25, 
1818. He was assessed with 200 acres and 1 horse 
in 1805 and 1806, at $110. He conveyed 219 acres 
and 49 perches of the northern part to Daniel B. 
Heiner and John Mechling, March 7, 1839, for 
$3,000, which they conveyed- to James Wilson, 
April 1, 1840, for $4,400. He, by his will dated 
November 19, 1870, anjd registered Februaiy 22, 
1871, devised it to his wife during her life, and 
directed it to be sold as soon as convenient after 
her death, and the proceeds of the sale to be 
divided among his children, so that each one's 
share after deducting his or her bequest be equal. 

W^hite conveyed 207 acres of the southern part 
to Andrew Schriver, April 7, 1845, for $1,700, who 
conveyed 50 acres and 12 perches to John McLaugh- 
lin, April 1, 1848, for $500; 105 acres to Thomas 
P. Jenkins, April 1, 1859, for $1,700, and 52 acres 
to David Bish, June 7, 1847, for $500, which the 
latter conveyed to John McLaughlin, Apvil 4, 1857, 
for 8714. 

Adjoining the White tract on the east is one 
of the same shape and area, bounded by the divi- 
sion line between depreciation and donation lands 
on the south, the warrant for which was granted to 
John Chambers March 1, 1794, who probably con- 
veyed his interest in it to Robert Cathcart, and he 



^ 



536 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



to Leonard Trees, who seems to have been the first 
settler. He was assessed with 100 acres, 1 horse and 
3 cows, in 1805, and the next year with an addi- 
tional head of cattle, at $126. The patent was 
granted to him January 24, 1809. He and his step- 
son, Charles Ellenberger, entered into a written 
agreement September 17, 1808, by which he agreed 
to sell to Ellenberger the southern part of this tract, 
including the orchard, upland, meadow and pas- 
ture, and all his live stock, excepting a piece of 
meadow near the house and some of the live stock, 
in consideration of which Ellenberger agreed to 
pay Cathcart what was due on the land, all of 
Trees' debts, and deliver to him annually certain 
quantities of different kinds of grain, provisions, 
and, if required, " ten gallons of good whisky," 
and do certain work in case of Trees' inability to 
do it. Thus continued that domestic arrangement 
respecting that portion of this tract until August 
12, 1812, when Trees conveyed 100 acres to Ellen- 
berger for $100, and 89 acres and 60 perches to 
Peter Hummon for |89. Ellenberger, by agree- 
ment, October 22, 1847, conveyed 200 acres to 
Tobias Hepler, in consideration of maintenance, 
etc., which the latter conveyed to Charles Seckler, 
April 15, 1869, for 86,500, which he conveyed to 
Joseph McElroy, May 15, 1874, for $10,500. Hum- 
mon having removed to Crawford county, Ohio, by 
William Green, his attorney-in-fact, conveyed his 
parcel to William Devinney, January 18, 1833, for 
$700, 14 acres and 38 perches of which he conveyed 
to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, September 7, for $81.87, 
who was the first resident physician within the 
present limits of Sugar Creek township, and as 
such was first assessed in 1827. The site of one 
of the public schoolhouses, called the "Wallace 
schoolhouse," was on the eastern part of this par- 
cel. It appeared like quite an old building in 1855. 
An alHuent farmer of this township accompanied 
the county superintendent in his visit to the school 
in that house, in the winter of 1860, during which 
it so happened that an arithmetical class recited. 
That officer, in the course of his questions and ex- 
planations, so elucidated some of the principles on 
which the rules of arithmetic are founded as on 
another occasion to elicit from that farmer the re- 
mark, " That even if the salary of the superin- 
tendent were paid by the people of the county, he 
had learned enough while in the school with the 
superintendent to pay him for what would be his 
share of it." 

Adjoining that Trees-Ellenberger tract on the 
north was a 400-acre one, the inchoate title to 
which became vested in Nicholas Day, who agreed 
to convey it to Joseph Wiles, July 10, I7f)6, for 



£130, to be paid in installments, and obtain 
a patent to him " clear of all incumbrances," 
which was granted to him July 27, 1818, 50 
acres of the northern part of which he con- 
veyed to Peter Hummon, March 1, 1819, for 
1400, which the latter, with the 89 acres and 60 
perches he had purchased from Trees, conveyed to 
William Devinney, January 18, 1833, for $700, 14 
acres and 38 perches of which the latter conveyed 
to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, September 7, for $81.87. 

By the act of April 11, 1806, Joseph (written 
Jost) Wiles' house was designated as the place for 
holding elections in old Sugar Creek township. 
The portion of this tract of which Joseph died 
seized descended to his son, Plenry, at whose house 
the elections continued to be held until after the 
organization of Brady's Bend township, where, 
says one of the writer's correspondents, there was 
generally "plenty of Paddy's eye-water," — meaning 
Patrick Reed's whisky, — and one or more fisticuffs 
before the voters left the election-ground. 

A call was issued August 19, 1829, " for a meeting 
at Henry Wiles', on Tuesday, September 1, to de- 
liberate and advise, but not to dictate to the people, 
as the opinion was entertained, that there was too 
much intrigue and mystery involved in the man- 
agement of political business in both state and 
county," and requested the people of other town- 
ships to do so. That meeting was held, of which 
John Brown was chairman, and James Adams sec- 
retary, and resolutions were adopted in accord with 
the spirit of the call. 

Henry Wiles conveyed 53 acres and 80 perches 
of this tract to Solomon Rumbaugh, January 3, 
1850, for $1,000, and by his will, dated October 26, 
1852, and registered May 27, 1854, he devised 68 
acres and 89 perches to his son-in-law, David King, 
and 30 acres, on which the testator then resided, to 
his daughter Catherine. The 50 acres which he 
had in his lifetime surveyed to John F. Wiles, the 
latter's heirs conveyed to Jabez Griffith, September 
26, 1874, for $10. 

Adjoining the Joseph Wiles tract on the north 
was another similar one, a considerable portion of 
it being in what is now Brady's Bend township, 
for which a warrant was granted to Samuel 
Buchanan, James C. Campbell and William Mc- 
Coy, February 3, 1794, to whom it was surveyed 
April 19, 1795, on which John Wiles settled 
and made an improvement in November, 1796, to 
whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, 
December 18, 1801, and was one of tracts sold by 
Presley C. Lane, United States marshal of the 
western district of Pennsylvania, and conveyed by 
him to Tliomas Stewardson, May 19, 1802, who 



SUGAR CRKEK TOWNSHIl'. 



537 



conveyed it and three other similar tracts to 
Charles Campbell, February 23, 1801, for $398.1 4. 
John Wiles was the earliest permanent settler on 
this tract, with 400 acres of which, 1 horse and 3 
cattle he was assessed in 1805, at $196, and which 
Campbell conveyed to him, March 14, 1818, for 
$280, to whom the patent was granted January 18, 
1819. It appears on the map to have been divided 
by Wiles into five parcels, rectangular jjarallelo- 
grams, the two southern ones lengthwise east and 
west, each 100 acres, and bearing his own name, 
and the other three lengthwise from north to south, 
the eastern one, 127 acres, bearing the name of 
Peter Wiles, the central one of the same area bear- 
ing the name of Jacob Wiles, and the western one, 
50 acres, bearing the name of Benjamin Swaim, 
the major portion of all three being in what is now 
Brady's Bend township. John Wiles conveyed 
260 acres, mostly in what is now Sugar Creek 
township, to John Crawford, May 8, 1820, for 
$549, which the latter conveyed to Jonathan Muti- 
more, January 10, 1832, for $1,000. One hundred 
and forty-one acres and 40 perches of the Sugar 
Creek jjortion of this parcel became vested in 
David Boyers, which he conveyed to Samuel San- 
derson — the last two conveyances are not on 
record — which he conveyed to Thomas F. Toule, 
August 30, 1849, for $2,030, and which the latter 
conveyed to William D. Watkins, April 27, 1860, 
for $3,300. The latter, by his will, dated May 14, 
and registered Sej)tember 9, 1873, devised and be- 
queathed all his property to his wife and author- 
ized her to sell it, and if she should remarry, the 
property and its effects to be divided equally among 
his children. 

Adjoining the John Wiles tract on the east is 
one similar in shape and area, 421 acres and 92 
perches, the warrant for which was granted to 
William McCoy, February 3, 1794, to whom it was 
surveyed April 19, 1795, and on which Conrad 
Moyers made a settlement and improvement, June 
22, 1796, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy 
surveyor, April 30, 1802. The northei'n half, or 
about that quantity, is in what is now Brady's 
Bend township. Moyer was assessed with 400 
acres of it and 1 cow, in 1805, at $166, and after- 
ward with 200 acres until 1808, when it was trans- 
ferred to John Pontius. Samuel and William 
Crawford subsequently obtained all the interests 
in this tract, to whom the patent was granted 
January 9, 1839. They, having laid the northern 
part of it off into small lots or parcels, conveyed 
the whole tract, 425 acres and 12 perches, to Will- 
iam F. Johnston, May 16, 1840, for $1,675. The 
records show conveyances from him to divers per- 



sons of about 205 acres, in lots and ])arts of lots, 
and parcels, the largest one not exceeding 51 acres, 
from November 19, 1847, to June 16, 1805, for 
$4,608.05. The largest number of conveyances on 
any one day were made August 31, 1854. The 
town or hamlet of Greenville is situate* on this 
tract along the Kittanning and Brady's Bend road. 
^ Adjoining that McCoy-Moyer tract on the south 
is one like it, for which the warrant was granted 
to Thomas Buchanan, February 3, 1794, on which 
it was surveyed to him April 19, 1795, and on which 
Adam Moyer made an improvement in April, and 
a settlement, June 22, 1796. Buchanan having 
leased it to another party who attempted to obtain 
possession, a sui-veyor was employed, either by 
Buchanan or his lessee, to trace the lines, June 1, 
1797. Moyer threatened that he would cripple 
him if he did not desist, and, with a gun in his 
hand which he cocked, declared that he would 
shoot any one who would attempt to settle on this 
tract. Several persons were thus intimidated from 
going on this land to make a settlement. Ross, 
deputy surveyor, surveyed this tract as containing 
437 acres and 24 perches to Adam Moyer, April 30, 
1802. Buchanan's lessee brought an ejectment suit 
against Moyer for 400 acres of this land, then in 
Buffalo township, in Armstrong county, but still 
within the jurisdiction of Westmoreland county, 
Novembei-, 1803. The case was tried before Smith 
and Yeates, ju-stices of the supreme court, who 
charged the jury that, there having been no actual 
settlement anterior to the plaintiff's survey, the 
plaintiff's title must prevail unless it had been 
avoided by his non-performance of the conditions 
of settlement and improvement. But, they asked, 
who prevented that performance ? Who expected 
to derive a benefit from that improper conduct ? 
The defendant. If they counted the period from 
which the settlement was to commence, from De- 
cember 22, 1795, the ratification of the treaty at 
Fort Greenville, the defendant had, within the 
time allowed for making the settlement, obstructed 
the plaintiff or his agents from complying with the 
lawj and, according to all their decisions, should 
reap no advantage therefrom, and, if the case were 
even dubious, the defendant's lawless conduct 
should postpone him, on principles of general pol- 
icy and safety. Verdict for the plaintiff, m- 
stanter* 

Moyer remained in possession and was assessed 
with 400 acres and 5 cattle in 1805 and 1806, at 
$198, to whom, before his death, Charles Campbell 
had agreed to convey whatever title he had ac- 



* See that case reported in Vol. H of Laws of Peiinsylvaniii, cil, 
1810, p. 224. 



538 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



quired, which he did to George Moyer in trust for 
Adam Moyer's heirs, June 22, 1813, for $700, to 
whom the patent was granted March 15, 1816. 
Thomas Buchanan conveyed whatever interest he 
had therein to Philip Moyer, September 28, 18.39. 
Adam Mt)yer, hyhis will, dated March 27, and reg- 
istered June 16, 1S12, devised "the old place of 
200 acres" to his sons, George and Philip, they to 
pay the legatees at the rate of $3.50 per acre, and 
to keep their mother the rest of her life, unless she 
should remarry. He directed that if Gen. Camp- 
bell should not make a title for the land they 
shotild make it themselves, and keep the expense 
out of the price of the land, either in two years 
after their mother's death or in two years after 
they should obtain the title ; and that they should 
take a fatherly care of the little boys, clothe and 
school them until they should be sixteen years old, 
who should be obedient to them, and then " go to 
trades." So it continued to be occupied by these 
heirs until they sold to others. George and Philip 
Moyer conveyed 200 acres of the southern part to 
David Rumbaugh, September 19, 1816, for $1,300, 
who soon erected thereon a large two-story house, 
which he weatherboarded, and a capacious barn, 
which were then the best buildings in that neigh- 
borhood. He had the likeness of a clock painted 
on the gable end of his house next to the public 
road, being what is now the Kittanning and 
Brady's Bend one, the hands representing the time 
to be 11:45 o'clock, and he was occasionally 
amused by travelers comparing the time indicated 
by their watches with and setting them by it. He 
agreed, April 14, 1841, to convey these 200 acres 
to his son Solomon, in consideration of the proper 
maintenance of him and his wife during the rest 
- of their lives, which agreem.ent must have been 
complied with, for the latter conveyed 212 acres to 
James A. Adams and William Varnum, Aj^ril 2, 
1856, for $5,500, 200 acres being assessed to Adams • 
in 1 876 at $3,000, having previously conveyed 1 acre 
and 26 perches to Dr. Wallace. 

George and Philip Moyer conveyed, October 16, 
1839, 115 acres and 30 perches of the northern 
part or " old place," to William Hart for $1,380, 
and 34 acres and 26 perches to John Marchand for 
$155. Frederick Moyer conveyed 131 acres, which 
had become vested in him, reserving one acre for 
his own use, and the use of the spring, to Jacob 
EUenberger, December 8, 1855, for a comfortable 
maintenance. 

Next south of that " disputed territory " is a 
tract, a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise east 
and west, 130 acres, on which is the name of 
Henry Moore, to whom the warrant was probably 



granted, and to whose heirs it was assessed in the 
unseated list in 1812, and for a few years there- 
after. It appears to have been subsequently occu- 
pied by James Adams, who was first assessed with 
50 acres unseated in 1825, having previously pur- 
chased about that quantity from the next herein- 
after-mentioned tract. He was first assessed with 
170 acres of seated land in this township in 1828. 
The interest of Moore's heirs having become vest- 
ed in him, he obtained a warrant for at least the 
greater pai-t of this tract March 27, 1837, and the 
patent June 2, 1840, a portion of which he con- 
veyed to Chambers and Robert Orr, and 35 acres 
and 49 i3erches of which he conveyed to William 
Cowan, October 8, 1841, for $1, which the latter 
conveyed to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, the same day, 
for $215, which, with the 14 acres and 38 perches 
which the doctorTiad purchased from Devinney, and 
the 1 acre and 26 perches which he had purchased 
from Rumbaugh, Dr. Wallace's heirs conveyed to 
Andrew McElroy, April 1, 1873, for $4,500. 

James Adams was first assessed in this township 
as a single man, and with 1 horse, in 1815, at $20, 
and the next year as " storekeeper," the first one in 
this township, and 1 horse, at $50. His store, it 
is said, was at first kept in the loft of a spring- 
house on an adjoining tract, but was afterward re- 
moved to the southern part of this Moore-Adams 
tract, which j^oint has been for many years known 
as " Adams." Hay scales, not common in rural 
districts, were erected heie soon after the Great 
Western or Brady's Bend iron-works went into 
operation, and proved to be very convenient to the 
farmers of this section, who sold their hay and 
(ither products at these works. The postoffice was 
established here September 23, 1853, James Adams 
postmaster. This proj)erty still belongs to the 
Adams estate. 

Next south of that Moore-Adams tract is a square 
one, 300 acres, on which Robert Orr, Sr., settled, 
and with 197 acres, 1 horse and 5 cattle, he was 
assessed in 1805 and 1806 at $146.80. The patent 
for the entire tract was granted to him February 
16, 1815; 140 or more acres of the northern part he 
conveyed to John Conly July 4, 1816, who con- 
veyed 100 acres, including the orchard and meadow, 
to William Brownfield, May 20, 1821, for his 
proper maintenance with an annual supply of " ten 
gallons of good whisky, if required." Conly also 
convejred 50 acres and 62 perches, in three se{)arate 
parcels, to James Adams, July 25, 1822, for $158, 
in Avhom the Brownfield parcel subsequently be- 
came vested. 

Robert Orr, Sr., continued in the occupancy of 
the southern half of this tract until he leased it to 



SUGAK CREKK TOWNSHIP. 



539 



k 



Solomon Rumbaugh about 1825, about which time 
he removed to Kittanning. He convej'ecl this 
parcel to his sons, Chambers and Robert, May 7, 
1831. He died at Kittanning, September 4, 1833, 
in his 89th year. 

Robert Orr, Sr., was a native of the county of 
Derry, Ireland, whence he emigrated to this coun- 
try in 1766, resided in what is now Mifflin county, 
where he married Miss Culbertson, until 1773, 
when he and his wife removed to Hannastown, 
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he 
resided until he settled in what is now this town- 
ship. He espoused the colonial cause on the adop- 
tion of the declaration of independence, and was 
an earnest, active and devoted patriot, and readily 
volunteered his services and encouraged others to 
volunteer theirs, when needed, to protect the west- 
ern frontier from the Indian incursions and at- 
tacks. Gen. George R. Clark, of Virginia, having 
communicated to Archibald Lochery, the lieutenant 
of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, his deter- 
mination to enter upon a campaign against the 
Indians down the Ohio river, in the summer of 
1781, and, having requested him to raise 100 
volunteers and a company of cavalry in his county, 
and Lochery having intimated the same to Orr, the 
latter promptly raised a company of volunteer 
riflemen and furnished such of its members as 
were unable to furnish themselves with necessaries 
for that expedition, chiefly at his own expense, as 
he could not order the company of militia, of 
which he was captain, from home. The force 
consisted of two companies of rangers, com- 
manded, resj^ectively, by Captains Shannon and 
Stokeley, and a company of horse, commanded by 
Captain Campbell, aggregating about 125 men, who 
rendezvoused at Carnahan's blockhouse, eleven 
miles west of Hannastown, July 24, and moved 
the next day, via Pittsburgh, for Fort Henry, 
where Wheeling now is, where, according to a 
prearrangement, they were to join Clark's army, 
which, they ascertained on their arrival, had ad- 
vanced twelve miles down the river, having left 
some provisions and a boat for them. With an 
inadequate supply of ammunition and provisions, 
they proceeded down the river, expecting to meet 
Clark at the mouth of the Kanawha, but were again 
disappointed, as he was obliged to move his force 
before their arrival to prevent desertion. Their 
provisions and forage being nearly exhausted, there 
being no other source of supply than from what Clark 
had, and the stage of water in the river being low, 
Lochery, who was the only field officer in command, 
dispatched Captain Shannon with four men in a 
small boat, hoping that they might overtake the 



main army and secure supplies, who were soon cap- 
tured by the Indians, together with a letter to Clark, 
disclosing the destitute condition of Lochery's 
force, from which, and the accounts given by the 
nineteen deserters from Clark's army, whom Lochery 
had arrested, and who, on being released, joined 
the Indians, they thus learned that Clark and 
Lochery were not together, and ceasing to be awed 
by Clark's artillery, they collected in force below 
tlie mouth of the Great Miami and placed their 
prisoners in a conspicuous position on the right 
bank of the river and promised to spare their lives 
if they would hail their comrades as they should 
pass down, and induce them to surrender. But 
they, being weary and despairing of meeting 
Clark's array, landed about 10 o'clock a.m., August 
25, at the mouth of an inlet, since called Lochery's 
creek, where they landed their horses to feed on 
the grass. While preparing a repast of the meat 
of a buffalo which they had killed, they were as- 
sailed by a volley of rifle balls from an overhang- 
ing bluff, where the Indians had assembled in large 
force. The men, being thus surprised, seized their 
arms and defended themselves until their ammuni- 
tion was exhausted, and then attempted to escape 
in their boats, but, as they were unwieldy, as the 
water was low, and the men too weak to render 
them available, they only 106 strong, were obliged 
to surrender to more than 300 Indians, who hastily 
massacred Lochery and several of their prisoners, 
which Brandt, or whoever their chief commandinsf 
was, condemned. Forty-two of those prisoners 
were killed, and 64 were taken prisoners. Among 
the latter was Captain Orr, whose arm was broken 
in the engagement, who was taken to Sandusky, 
where he was retained for several months, when, 
his captors not being able to properly treat his 
fracture, he was removed to the hospital at Detroit, 
whence he was that winter removed to Montreal, 
and with his fellow prisoners was exchanged after 
the close of the revolutionary war, and returned to 
Westmoreland county in the summer of 1783, his 
house and property having been destroyed by the 
burning of Hannastown, July 13, 1782. He was 
one of the few men who were in Lochery's unfor- 
tunate expedition that ever reached their homes. 
Soon after his return he raised another company 
to sei've two months in the defense of the frontier, 
which advanced to the mouth of Bull creek, on the 
right bank of the Allegheny river, where Tarentum 
now is, where, under his direction, a blockhouse was 
built. Having completed that term of service satis- 
factorily, he was elected the same fall (1783) sherifl: 
of Westmoreland county, and was prompt and faith- 
ful in the discharge of his official duties. From 



540 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the time of his settlement in what is now Sugar 
Creek township he resided on the heretofore-men- 
tioned McDonald-Monteith-Dinsmore-Wilson tract 
until about 1812, when he removed to this tract, 
on which he remained until he rented his farm to 
Solomon Rumbaugh, about 1824, about which time 
he removed to Kittanning. When this county was 
oi'ganiiied for judicial purposes in 1805, he was 
appointed one of the three associate judges of its 
several courts, which position he creditably filled 
until his death. By the act of assembly of March 
30, 1821, the state treasurer of Pennsylvania was 
authorized to pay to him or his order, immediately 
thereafter, $750, in consideration of his services 
and losses during the revolutionary war, which 
was to be considered as a full compensation for 
those services and losses, including all his claims 
for military service. 

In 1818 or 1819 he laid out north of his resi- 
dence on this tract, and west of the present Kit- 
tanning and Brady's Bend road, the town of 
Orrsville, the plan of which is not on record, and 
the writer has not been able to ascertain the exact 
number of the lots which it contained. Its first 
separate assessment list was in 1819, when Henry 
Torringer was assessed with Nos. 44 and 46, seated, 
at $25 each, and William Shea, tailor, with lots 
Nos. 53 and 56, seated, and his occupation at 175. 
Robert Robinson, sheriff, sold Torringer's two lots 
on a judgment in favor of J. E. Brown for $30.20|-, 
of debt, and $6.74 of costs, on the premises, to 
Robert Orr, Sr., September 23, 1822, for $15 each, 
and executed his deed therefor the next day, both 
of which the latter conveyed to James Adams, May 
2, 1831, for $30. These last two conveyances are 
the only ones of lots in that town of Orrsville on 
record. 

The assessment list shows that these Torringer 
lots were " transferred to William Adams," and the 
Shea ones were " taxt to John McClatchey " in 
1824. James Torringer had his blacksmith-shop 
on one of these lots about 1823-4. 

Robert Orr, Sr., conveyed his interest in this 
tract to his sons Chambers and Robert, May 7, 
1831, which, and the parcel of the Moore tract 
which Adams had sold to them, they conveyed to 
Christopher Foster (of Thomas), 199 acres, except 
all the Orrsville lots that had been sold by their 
father, and for which the purchase money had 
been paid. 

The violent tornado that occurred on the 29th or 
30th of May, 1860, began to move with or to 
gather its devastating force on the Kittanning and 
Brady's Bend road on this tract, between Christo- 
Ijher Foster's house and barn, where it swept in a 



course slightly south of east to David C Portei'- 
field's, and turned thence northeasterly to Willjam 
A. Foster's, tearing off the roof and upper story of 
his house. He was absent at the time. As he saw, 
returning from Middlesex, the storm moving 
toward his house, apprehensive for the safety of 
his two young children whom he had left there, he 
hastened thither with utmost speed. The little 
girl, when she saw the storm approaching, took the 
little boy with her from the house, and both, as 
they were just about to encounter it, lay down in 
a gutter which proved to be a place of safety for 
them. It passed thence northeasterly through 
Washington township, crossed the Allegheny river 
a short distance above the mouth of Sugar Camp 
run, through Madison township with slight de- 
flections to Red Bank creek nearly east of Owen 
now Thomas Meredith's residence, moving every- 
thing in its course. 

Lewis Bish said he was standing on a hillside of 
Red Bank creek, between the old Red Bank Fur- 
nace and William Shoemaker's, while the tornado 
passed above him. It did not disturb anything 
where he then was; some sand fell on him while 
viewing it; the hillside is steep and the bench of the 
hill was 100 feet above; he saw the largest trees 
whirling in the air above him, and felt thankful that 
none of them fell on him. William Shoemaker's 
house, near Anthony's tunnel, except the sleepers 
and kitchen floor, was swept away. Two boards 
having been taken out of the floor, a small nursing 
child was dropped down through the opening thus 
made and was unhurt. Neither the cradle in 
which that child was, nor any part of the house or 
spring-house, was ever found, nor any part of the 
barn which was blown away. The orchard, except 
six stumps of apple-trees whose bark was stripped 
off, was uprooted and borne along in the irresist- 
ible current of the tornado. Pieces of stone were 
driven so deeply into these stumps that Lewis W. 
Corbett could not draw them out. The fences 
were strewn all over the farm, and Shoemaker was 
so seriously injured that he was disabled from work 
for several weeks. Passing with increased force 
thi-ough the southern part of Clarion county, it 
swept away everything in its track. Passing about 
half a mile north of New Bethlehem, it reached 
Charles Stewart's place while the family were at 
dinner. Mrs. Stewart, as the door opened, ex- 
claimed: "What a storm is coming!" which struck 
the house while she was attempting to close the 
door, and removed it some distance from its founda- 
tion. She was found lying between two rafters 
and beneath a heavy piece of oak timber, whose 
crushing weio-ht caused her death in three hours. 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSIiir. 



541 



Her child was in the cradle, which dropped into 
the cellar, where it was found in the same position 
in which it had been in the room, with its occu- 
pant uninjured. The rest of the family were scat- 
tered over the meadow and more or less injured. 
Stewart's barn was ignited by what appeared to 
Philip Huffman to be a stream of burning fluid, 
two feet thick, borne along by a dark cloud. The 
grass in some places was burned on the ground. 
Some of the timber, used two years afterward in 
building John Henry's barn, wa.s so imbedded 
with small stones that it could scarcely be worked. 
John Dougherty's daughter, about sixteen, in at- 
tempting to escape from the house was killed by a 
falling log, while those who remained about the 
chimney suffered no injury except a few light 
scratches. Valentine Miller, who resided across 
the hollow from Dougherty's, his mother, wife and 
children were together in a log house which was 
struck by the tornado. The superstructure was 
blown away, but they, having huddled about the 
chimney, were not injured. It struck John 
Mohney's house north of Millville in the absence 
of himself and wife. Their oldest son, when he 
saw it approaching, ordered all the children into 
the cellar; taking the youngest in his arms, he 
sjirang to the foot of the cellar stairs, and before 
he had time to think of anything the house was 
blown away, but neither he.nor any of the children 
were injured. The bank ij.Hrn was nearly leveled 
to the ground, and a heavy iiew four-horse wagon 
standing back of the barn was found crushed 
within the foundation of the barn, and a new 
wheelbarrow at the other end of the barn was 
blown into the top of a maple tree about 75 rods 
distant, where it was found unbroken. John 
Shields and his horses were blown over and over 
through a large field about half a mile east of 
Mohney's without serious harm. 

When the tornado struck Maysville, Dr. Stram- 
ley was having his horses shod at the blacksmith 
shop, which was blown away and the blacksmith 
seriously injured ; the horses were borne some 
distance, and when the storm ceased the doctor 
was found lying in the middle of the street beside 
a large dog ; the latter, which was well enough 
before the storm, was dead. The doctor's boots, 
coat and hat flew away, and were never again seen 
by him ; he never afterward saw any part of his 
buggy but the seat, which was found a quarter of 
a mile up the creek. The bi'idge and every build- 
ing in that town was swef)t away. There were 
three run of buhrs in the gristmill, one set of 
which was turned upside down ; another pair were 
carried up to the dam and left setting as they were 
34 



in the mill; the third pair fell into the mill))it; 
and the gearing was blown away, only pieces of 
the metal part having since been found. The book 
kept by the miller was afterward found Co miles 
distant in Union county. Irvin McFarland's hotel 
was borne diagonally across the street and precipi- 
tated down the bank of the creek above the bridge. 
His wife, who was in it, lived about two and a half 
hours after her removal. He, in searching for his 
little boy,fouryears old, thought he heard a noise like 
his voice, and, in endeavoring to follow the sound, he 
approached a pile of brick — the large brick chimney 
had tumbled into a pile where it stood — and, think- 
ing he could hear the sound more distinctly, he 
began to throw the loose brick off the pile. About 
four feet of the foundation was still standing, at 
the side of the lower part of which he found his 
boy unharmed, with his right hand extended as 
high as he could reach against the chimney. Adam 
Baohman was carried, with his own building, a 
short distance, and died of the injury which he re- 
ceived. All that was ever found of the three new 
wagons at the blacksmith shop, one finished, and 
two unfinished, were the rims of two wheels and a 
few spokes left on the ground where the wagons 
were. 

The width of that tornado varied from 30 rods 
to half a mile. It carried everything before it 
where it was widest, but its force was greatest 
where it was narrowest, plowing up the ground 
three feet deep and from three to five feet wide, 
swinging trees on the ground, large oaks around, 
as if on pivots, one-fourth of a circle, and pruning 
off all the branches within reach. It took a north- 
easterly course three miles south of Brookville, 
and, passing through Clearfield, Union and other 
counties in this state, struck the ocean between 
New York and Philadeljihia. 

Thus sped to the mighty deep that tornado 
which, wherever else it was generated, began its 
devastating career in a whirlwind in the public 
road on this Orr-Foster tract, reminding one of 
DeKay's description of this destructive force of 
nature, which closes thus: 

'^\nd as in court-yard corners on the wind 
Sweep the loose straws, houses and stately trees 
Whirl in a vortex. His unswerving tread 
Winnows the isle bare as a thresher's floor, 
His eyes are fixed ; he looks not once behind, 
But at his back fall silence and the breeze. 
Scarce is he come, the lovely wraith is sped. 
Ashamed the lightning shuts its purple door. 
And heaven still knows the robes of gold and sun 
While placid ruin gently greets the sun."* 



* The church edifice of the Medway Presbyterian congregation, 
frame, one story, 36 -CM feet, ceiling IS feet, was erected in the sum- 
mer of 1S.S0, and its interior is very neatly finished and furnished. 
It was dedicated Friday, October 29, the services being conducted 
by Kev. David HuU, D. D., of Indiana, Pennsylvania. 



542 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Adjoining these Moore and Orr-Conly tracts on 
the east and the division line between the depre- 
ciation and donation lands, is one, a rectangular 
parallelogram, 356 acres and d1 perches, on which 
John Davis was an early settler, with 200 acres of 
which and 1 cow he was assessed, in 1805, at $126. 
Josiah White acquired an early interest in it. 
James Fulton having obtained a judgment against 
White, his interest was sold by John Orr, sheriflE, 
to Robert Brown, for the use of Charles Campbell, 
for $450, to whom the deed was executed June 23, 
1808, Campbell and Nicholas Day having agreed, 
the day before, with Fulton, that Campbell should 
make him the sheriff's deed, including all of Da- 
vis' interest in the 200 acres, and Campbell and 
Day agreed to pay one-half of the purchase money 
and of the fees on the patent, and Fulton agreed 
to make to them a deed in fee simple. That 
agreement was, however, to be void if the sheriff's 
sale should be set aside, unless the sale should be 
again made good, and Fulton also agreed to 
acknowledge satisfaction of the sum at which the 
land was struck down to Brown, in order that the 
sheriff's deed might be acknowledged in court. 
All these preliminaries must have been satisfac- 
torily adjusted, for Campbell conveyed the 200 
acres to Fulton, October 31, for $454. The patent 
was granted to Campbell, January 19, 1819. After 
the latter's death, July 5, 1819, Campbell conveyed 
to Robert Orr, Sr., and John Patton 100 acres and 
36 perches, which he had agreed to sell to Fulton, 
in trust for the persons claiming under Fulton, 
which they conveyed to Andrew McKee, Sr., De- 
cem.ber 25, 1820, who had agreed to purchase, and 
had paid the purchase money for the same. One 
hundred and forty acres of this tract apj^ears to 
have been vested in John Brown, for he conveyed 
that quantity to Andrew and Thomas McKee, Oc- 
tober 25, 1819, for $775, which became vest«d in 
the latter, who conveyed 115 acres to his son, 
Thomas V. McKee, July 17, 1855, for $800, and 
which the latter conveyed to William H. Leard, 
October 20, 1866, for $3,300. Andrew McKee con- 
veyed 100 acres and 36 perches to Andrew Rod- 
gers, December 27, 1830, for $800, which, with 
another parcel, his heirs conveyed to Joseph and 
Samuel Rodgers, November 17, 1849, for $1 "as 
well as other good considerations." 

Next north is a similar tract, 405 acres, on which 
are the names of Robert Buchanan and John 
Clark, to one or both of whom the warrant was 
probably granted in 1794, whose interests having 
become vested in John Orr, the patent was granted 
to him February 19, 1818. He conveyed 122 acres 
and 94 perches to Jacob Bish, Sr., April 17, 1818, 



for $366, which the latter conveyed lo Jacob Bish, 
Jr., April 6, 1853, for $800. Orr conveyed 50 
acres and 113 perches to Henry Buzzard, June 13, 
for $52, which the latter conveyed to Leonard 
Rumbaugh, April 1, 1828, for $125, which he 
conveyed to Jacob Hepler, Sr., September 9, 1837, 
for $150, who conveyed the same to William Hep- 
ler, September 2, 1847, for $800. Orr agreed to 
sell 24 acres to Joseph Blaine, October 15, 1819, for 
$54, to whom the deed for which was made by the 
grantor's administrators November 12, 1826, by 
virtue of a decree of the proper court, and which 
parcel was included in Blaine's conveyance of 134 
acres to Robert Farley and others, trustees of the 
Brady's Bend Iron Company, April 14, 1846, for 
$500. Orr agreed, August 28, 1820, to convey 70 
acres and 87 perches, as surveyed by Robert Orr, 
Jr., September 25, 1819, to Peter Bish, to whom 
the former's administrators, by virtue of a decree 
of the proper court, executed a deed November 12, 
1826, 12 acres and 132 perches of which the latter 
agreed, October 20, 1865, to convey to James Bish, 
and which the latter conveyed to David Harmon, 
June 12, 1868, for $384. In the northwest coi-ner 
on the map, and on Meredith's more recent con- 
nected drafts, is a re".tangular parcel of 40 acres 
bearing the name of Peter Harmon. 

Adjoining the Buchanan-Clark-Orr tract on the 
north is a similar on=!, 416 acres 55 perches, in 
which James McCoy ?''j ad an inchoate interest, 
on which Frederick 'Sli^op was an early settler, 
with 100 acres of wMch, ? horses and 2 cows, he 
was assessed, in 180o, at $102, and the next year 
with 1 cow and 1 horse less at $71. 

On July 18, 1807, Shoop, by wi-itten article of 
agreement, agreed to convey to Peter Harmon, of 
Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, 100 
acres of this tract, then adjoining Nicholas Ponti- 
ous, Jacob Millison and Melchior Buzzard, on 
which Jacob Hepler was then living, for $550, and 
both parties were to occupy the cabin then erected 
thereon until they could erect one suitable for the 
habitation of Harmon and his family, which, 102 
acres 90 perches, Shoop's administrators conveyed 
to Harmon's heirs, Catherine and John Harmon, 
and Hannah, wife of Barnabas Vensel. 

Shoop agreed, October 29, 1813, to sell to James 
Blain 100 acres, for $300, in four annual payments, 
a part of each to consist of 1 cow, to be valued by 
two neighbors, if the parties could not agree upon 
the price. 

Shoop also agreed, November 15, 1813, to sell to 
John Linaberry (Linaberger) 100 acres adjoining 
Conrad Moyers, John Read and Peter Harmon, for 
$100, of which $45 were to be " in good, lawful 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



548 



money," and $55 " in trade or 2>roduce at market 
price." Shoop received the same day $27 in cash 
and |16 in trade. The agreement and payment 
were duly proven in the court of common pleas of 
this county by the affidavit of Peter Wiles, Sep- 
tember 23, 1818, and there ends the record. 

The warrant for the entire tract, about one-third 
of which is in what is now Brady's Bend township, 
was granted to Shoop March 8, 1814, to whom it was 
surveyed, and the patent was granted to John Hep- 
ler, his administrator, and Margaret Shoop, his 
administratrix, September 8, 1819. Shoop's ad- 
ministrators conveyed to Blain the parcel which 
Shoop had sold to him, to Deborah and Joseph 
Blain, executors of James Blain, which he had 
vested in Joseph Blain, and was included in his 
conveyance to the Brady's Bend company. 

Adjoining the McCoy-Shooj) tract on the east is 
one, a rectangular parallelogram, 401 acres and 102 
perches, lengthwise east and west, for which a 
warrant was probably granted to John Buchanan 
in 1794. This tract was conveyed by Presley C 
Lane, United States marshal for the western dis- 
trict of Pennsylvania, to John Reynolds, May 19, 
1802, who conveyed it to John Vensel (formerly 
written Wentzel), June 22, 1805, for £50 "lawful 
money of Pennsylvania." Vensel was assessed 
with 300 acres of this tract and 3 cattle in 1805, 
at $142, and the next year, with an additional head 
of cattle, at $148, and on which he erected his 
sawmill in 1807. By virtue of a writ of Ve/id. 
Ex. No. 9, March term, 1814, on a judgment in 
favor of Samuel S. Harrison for the use of John 
Wells, it was sold by James McCormick, sheriff, 
to Jacob Hershey and Frederick Howard, June 20, 
1814, for $505, and so much thereof as was needed 
was applied to the payment of a prior judgment 
in favor of John Reynolds against Veusil. How- 
ard conveyed his 150 acres to David Snyder, March 
10, 1825, for $250, to whose heirs this parcel still 
belongs, and from whom the run by which the 
tract is traversed has been called Snyder's run. 
Hershey's heirs released their interest in the other 
purpart of 150 acres to Andrew Hershey, Febru- 
ary 17, 1845, for $100. It is probable that Jacob 
Hepler, whose name is on this tract on the map, 
occupied Howard's portion of it until the latter's 
sale to Snyder. 

Adjoining the Moyer portion of that Buchanan- 
Reynolds-Vensel tract is a similarly-shaped one, 
400 acres and 112 perches, lengthwise from north 
to south, the warrant for which was granted prob- 
ably to William Buchanan in 1794, who conveyed 
his inchoate interest to Alexander Blair, who con- 
veyed his interest therein to Josiah White, June 



20, 1811, for $200 paid by Thomas Taylor, and 
$200 paid by White per Taylor, and empowered 
White to take the title-papers out of the land- 
office, to whom the patent was granted December 
5, 1837, and who conveyed 216 acres of the south- 
ern part to Jacob Rumbaugh, January 23, 1840, 
80 acres of which the latter conveyed to Samuel 
Philips, July 1, 1845, for $480. White conveyed 
a parcel covered by his above-mentioned patent 
and his other one, granted November 13, 1839, to 
Thomas Leard, February 26, 1840, which he con- 
veyed to Charles Wick, March 13, 1841, which he 
conveyed to James P. Wick, February 26, 1849, 
who conveyed the same, 133 acres, to John M. 
Gillespie and Charles McKeever, November 21, for 
$950, who and Mannasses McKeever conveyed 20 
acres and 6 pei'ches to Samuel Phillips, January 10, 
1856, for $250, and 41 acres and 106 perches to 
Nimrod Flick, same day, for $500. Charles McKee- 
ver conveyed to Flick 4 acres and 105 perches, 
January 5, 1859, for $93, to whom also Charles 
McKeever's administrator, Stephen McCue, con- 
veyed 26 acres, June 15, 1860, for $384; Hugh 
McKeever, committee of Manasses McKeever, con- 
veyed to Joseph McElroy, June 8, 1861, for $300, 
who conveyed 22 acres to James Brownfield, April 
5, 1863. 

Next south of that Buchanan-Blair- White tract 
was one of a similar shape and of nearly the same 
area, the patent for which was granted to Charles 
Campbell, March 22, 1816, who conveyed 100 acres 
and 22 perches to William Blaney, June 24, 1819, 
for $250. Blaney by his will dated September 6, 
and i-egistered September 16, 1842, devised that and 
another parcel mentioned below, being the farm 
on which he then lived, to his son John. Camp- 
bell conveyed the southern part of this tract, 
200 acres, to James C. Porterfield, September 13, 
1816, for $500, who occupied it for several years, 
and by his will dated November 8, and registered 
December 30, 1837, he devised it to his son, David 
C. The second schoolhouse in this township was 
built on this parcel about 1814, and the first teacher 
in it was David Cunningham, after whom that last- 
mentioned devisee was named. 

Adjoining the Campbell-Blaney-Porterfield tract 
on the east and the depreciation line on the south, 
is another of the same shape, 356 acres and 37 
perches, March 1, 1794, which was conveyed to 
Charles Campbell, June 15, 1814, for $200. The 
early settler on it was Alexander Foster, who was 
assessed with 100 acres, 1 horse and 1 cow in 1805 
at $91. Campbell conveyed to him 100 acres and 
25 perches, June 14, 1821, for $10. Foster acquired 
title to the rest of this tract, except about 90 acres 



544 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



in the northwestern part, which constituteci the 
farm on which he lived at the time of his death, 
and which by his will, dated April 17, 1828, and 
registered May 19, 1838, he devised to his sons, 
Christopher, Thomas and William, which he di- 
rected to be divided in three equal parts as to 
quantity, and allotted the part on which was the 
house, in which he then lived, to Christopher, the 
west end to Thomas, and the northeastern part to 
William. 

William McKean acquired an interest in 93 acres 
in the northwestern part of this tract, which was 
conveyed by Philip Mechling, sheriff, to James 
Monteith, March 23, 1819, who devised it to his 
daughters. The legal title to this parcel having 
become vested temporarily in Thomas Foster and 
Robert Orr, they conveyed it to Dr. John Gilpin 
and William Johnston, who, and their wives, Mon- 
teith's daughters, conveyed it to William Blaney, 
November 13, 1843, for $500. 

Adjoining the Shields-Foster tract on the north 
is a similar one, 405 acres and 112 perches, the 
warrant for which was granted to William Campbell 
and which was improved and settled by John Ci'aw- 
ford, who was assessed with 220 acres and 3 cattle 
in 1805 and 1806, at $1 14. The warrantee's interest 
having been transferred to " Judge James Wilson," 
and vested in Charles Campbell, he and Crawford 
agreed March 25, 1825, on such a division as that 
Crawford's 200 acres should include the settlement 
which he had made and for which he had paid 
taxes for the land, and Crawford agreed to prove 
his settlement on the tract, so as to enable Camp- 
bell to obtain the patent. Campbell and Crawford 
conveyed the entire tract to James Hart for the 
purpose of enabling him to procure the patent for 
them. Crawford, desiring him to make a deed for 
his purpart, brought an ejectment suit therefor to 
No. 4t, December term, 1837, in the common pleas 
of this county, which resulted in a verdict, Sep- 
tember 20, 1838, for the plaintiff, on which judg- 
ment was rendered September 22. By consent of 
the parties the verdict was to be released on the de- 
fendant procuring a patent for the whole tract in 
the name of William Campbell, and executing a 
conveyance to the plaintiff for one-half of the 
whole tract, which was to be delivered within six 
months, and the plaintiff was to furnish the neces- 
sary proof of settlement and conveyances to enable 
the defendant to procure the j)atent, which was 
granted January 9, 1839. Crawford conveyed his 
entire interest in his purpart to his son John, April 
20, 1839, for $1 "and natural love and affection," 
67 acres and 73 perches of which he conveyed to 
Alexander Crawford, February 16, 18G1, for $22.50. 



The Campbell purpart was included in the con- 
veyance of Jacob Mechling, sheriff, to Daniel 
Stannard, December 7, 1828, who conveyed 200 
acres to James Hart, June 5, 1855, for $1,000, who 
conveyed 67 acres and 44 perches to Thomas 
Templeton, May 20, 1841, for $326. 

Adjoining the eastern part of that Campbell- 
Crawford tract on the north and the Buchanan- 
Vensil tract on the east is a hexagonal one, 448 
acres and 89 perches, the southern part of which 
extends, like the short blade of a carpenter's square, 
eastward into what is now Washington township. 
The map indicates that the warrantee was James 
Buchanan. The warrant was granted to him Febru- 
ary 3, 1794, but in one of the conveyances, Charles 
Thompson, is mentioned as the warrantee. Its 
earliest settler was Archibald Thompson, who 
made his improvement in February, and settlement 
on it April 9, 1801, surveyed by Ross, deputy sur- 
veyor, November 3, 1802, and who was assessed 
with 400 acres of it and 1 horse, in 1805 and 1806, 
at $120. It was sold for taxes, and Robert Brown, 
county treasurer, conveyed it to William Brown, 
September 17, 1816, for $9, who assigned his inter- 
est in it to James Monteith, December 11, for $13. 
It is in that treasurer's deed that Charles Thomp- 
son is mentioned' as the warrantee. Monteith ob- 
tained a judgment against Archibald Thompson 
for $56 of debt, on Avhioh it was sold, and was con- 
veyed by Joseph Brown, sheriff, to Monteith, Sep- 
tember 17, 1816, for $20, who conveyed it to Philip 
Templeton, Sr. He, by his will heretofore men- 
tioned, devised it to his sons Samuel and Thomas, 
the former of whom transferred his undivided half 
to the latter in 1829, and conveyed it, July 14, 
1836, for $200, to whom the patent was granted, 
June 26, 1838, he having been first assessed with 
200 acres of it, and 1 cow, in 1824, at $76. He 
erected his sawmill near the mouth of Snyder's 
run, in 1843, which was then assessed at $150. T. 
Templeton & Co. were first assessed with 2 mills, in 
1849, at $300, and 1 factory, at $150 ; T. Temple- 
ton with a furnace in 1852, and with a distillery, 
in 1854, at $50. His last assessment with mills 
was in 1856, at $100. Thomas Templeton con- 
veyed 120 perches to the school directors of this 
township, October 31, 1850, which parcel was to 
revert to him if it should cease to be used for 
schiool-purposes for a period of three years ; and, 
May 13, 1855, 111 acres and 158 perches, nearly all 
off this tract, to his son James S., for $600 " and 
natural love and affection ;" and 106 acres and 56 
perches, small portions of which were taken off the 
parcels which he Iiad purchased from James Hart 
and Thomas McKee, to his son John, for the same 



SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. 



545 



consideration. James conveyed his parcel to his 
uncle, Philip Templeton, October 14, 1864, for 
$1,800; and as administrator, by virtue of an order 
of the orphans' court of this county, he conveyed 
the residue of his father's real estate, about 332 
acres, to the same, June 6, for S4,500; 22 acres of 
which he conveyed to David Hepler, April 12, 
1873, for $1,100. 

In 1865 the Templeton Oil Company was organ- 
ized and drilled a well about 1,500 feet deep, near 
the mouth of Snyder's run, on this tract, at a cost 
of about $6,000. There was in the course of the 
drilling a slight but not remunerative show of oil, 
the " smelling " for which was not of course suc- 
cessful. 

The Sugar Creek and Phillipsburgh Ferry Com- 
pany, with a cajjital stock of $300, each share $10, 
was organized in 1878, for the purpose of trans- 
porting passengers, animals, vehicles and freight 
across the Allegheny river, with its principal filace 
of business at this point, named Ferryton in the 
charter. John Templeton was chosen president, 
Henry C. Pritner secretary and treasurer, John E., 
Thomas and William B. Templeton,- directors of 
the company for the first year. The letters patent 
were granted by Governor Hartranft, January 2, 
1879. 

Adjoining that Buchanan-Thompson tract on the 
east and north is a trapezoidal one, 390 acres, the 
warrant for which was granted to Adam Maxwell, 
and the patent to James Watterson, February 8, 
1820, who, in pursuance of a previous agreement, 
conveyed it to Archibald McCall and Samuel A. 
Gilmore, August 9, 1836, for $1, who conveyed it 
to Joseph White, July 9, 1839, for $300, and which 
he conveyed to Joseph Hicks, March 31, 1846, for 
$1,400, to whose heirs it now belongs, being partly 
in Washington township. 

Contiguous to the Buchanan-Thompson tract on 
the south is one, 447 acres and 116 perches, a rect- 
angular parallelogram, partly in what is now 
Washington township, the warrant for which was 
granted to James Campbell in 1794, on which John 
Elder was the early settler, with 400 acres of 
which and 1 horse he was assessed, in 1805, at 
$185, and the next year, with the same and 1 cow, 
at $190, when it was transferred to Andrew Blair, 
to whom it was assessed until 1812, after which it 
was occupied by James Elder, to whom 100 acres 
of it, 1 horse and 1 cow were assessed, in 1813, at 
$76. The patent for the entire tract was granted 
to Charles Camjjbell, June 2, 1828, who conveyed 
it, the same year, to Thomas Foster, who conveyed 
150 acres of it to James Elder for $1 and the set- 
tler's right, which he conveyed to Robert Thorn, 



shoemaker, March 9, 1833, for $300, which the 
latter conveyed to Joseph Thorn, August 15, 

1844, for $500, 75 acres of which he conveyed to 
David Hays, August 20, 1844, for $750, and S3 
acres to David W. Burk, six days later, for $800, 
which he conveyed to David Hays, April 26, 1847, 
for $550. Hays conveyed 186 acres to Robert 
Hays, May 19, 1852, for $625, and 12 acres and 82 
perches to Henry Coffman, February 6, 1861, which 
the latter conveyed to Robert Hays, February 16, 
1862, for $191. 

Foster conveyed 265 acres and 135 perches of 
his purj^art to Thomas McKee, September 15, 1831, 
for $450, 5 acres and 2 perches of which he con- 
veyed to Thomas Temjjleton, April ' 28, 1832, for 
$14. McKee resided on this tract until his decease, 
where he opened his store prior to 1860. He died 
intestate, and in proceedings in partition the in- 
quest valued the residue of this parcel, 264 acres, 
as surveyed by J. E. Meredith, February 2, 1867, 
at $8,470, which was not taken by any of the heirs 
at the appraisement, but all of them except one 
having conveyed their interests to Thomas V. Mc- 
Kee, the court decreed, June 3, 1867, that this land 
be awarded to him. 

Between that Campbell-Elder tract and the de- 
preciation line is a similar one, 367 acres and 52 
perches, the warrant for which was granted to 
Samuel Dixon, March 1, 1794, who conveyed his 
interest in it to Charles Camjibell, June 19, 1814, 
for $400, to whom the jpatent was granted, June 
16, 1816, on which Samuel Elder was the early set- 
tler, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy sur- 
veyor, March 6, 1805, and with 200 acres of which, 
1 horse and 2 cows he was assessed in 1805, at 
$117, and the next year, with 1 cow less, at $111. 
His widow remained in the tenure of it several 
years after his death, who was succeeded by Abra- 
ham Swartzlandcr in 1827, who was assessed in 
1834, as a shoemaker. This tract was included in 
the conveyance of Jacob Mechling, sheriff, to 
Daniel Stannard, December 7, 1828, and in the 
agreement between James Campbell and Dr. Gil- 
pin, and in Stanuard's conveyance to the latter, 
January 29, 1840. McCall claimed an interest in 
it, which Charles Campbell in his lifetime agreed 
to purchase. George A. McCall, then of Memphis, 
Tennessee, having brought an ejectment against 
Abraham Swartzlander and other occupants in the 
circuit court of the United States to recover it, 
Gilpin purchased his interest, which was conveyed 
to him, October 26, 1839, for $500. Gilpin con- 
veyed 100 acres to Jacob Hepler, Jr., August 25, 

1845, for $650, and 135 acres and 118 perches to 
George Kenworthy, June 21, 1854, for $1,357.77, 



546 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



which Kenworthy conveyed to William B. Srader, 
September 27, for $2,443.27, and which the latter 
conveyed to Isaac C. Steele, August 9, 1871, for 
$6,400. Those two parcels are chiefly, if not wholly, 
in what is now Washington township. Elder, 
widow Elder and Swartzlander probably occupied 
the western part of the tract. The records are 
obscure respecting the disposition of the settler's 
purpart. It is noted on the assessment list for 1837, 
which was made in the fall of 1836, that the 256 
acres that had been assessed to Swartzlander for 
several years were " transferred to Alexander Fos- 
ter, Sr.," of whose farm the western part of this 
tract was a portion included in his devises to his 
sons Christopher and William. 

The first census taken after Sugar Creek was re- 
duced to its present area was that of 1860, when 
its population was 1,101. In 1870, it was: Native, 
969; foreign, 54. Its number of taxables in 1876 
is 287. The assessment list made in the last-men- 
tioned year shows the occupations of the inhabitants 
exclusive of the agricultural portion to have been : 
Laborers, 25; carpenters, 6; blacksmiths, 3; mer- 
chant, 1— there were at least 3; miller, 1; shoe- 
makers, 2. 

1860. Number schools, 9; average number 
months taught, 4; male teachers, 9; average salaries 
per month, $20; male scholars, 196; female schol- 
ars, 163; average number attending school, 204; 
amount levied for school purposes, $884.88; cost of 
teaching each scholar per month, 50 cents; received 



from state appropriation, $143 35; from collectors, 
$520; cost of instruction, $720; fuel, etc., $90; cost 
of schoolhouses, $20. 

1876. Number schools, 9; average number 
months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female teach- 
ers, 4; average number salaries per month, both 
male and female, $30; male scholars, 143; female 
scholars, 129; average number attending school, 200; 
cost per month, $1.06; tax levied, $1,860; received 
from state appropriation, $227.85; from taxes, etc., 
$2,327.90; paid teachers, $1,350; fuel, etc., $771.75. 

The- people of this township voted on the license 
question, February 28, 1873, thus: Against grant- 
ing licenses, 63; for licenses, 39. 

Geological. — The surface rocks in this township 
consist largely of the Lower Barrens. This is 
evident from the smooth condition of its upland 
farms. The lower productive rocks skirt the east- 
ern edge of the township, and in the northeast cor- 
ner, where the river touches the ferriferous lime- 
stone, are also above water-level for a short distance 
on Little Buffalo creek near Foster's mills. The 
upper Freeport coal is small and unimportant in 
this section. Further west below the Catholic 
church it expands to four feet thick, and has its 
limestone underneath it. 

Structure. — An anticlinal axis extends across the 
southeast corner of the township, so that, westward 
from this past Adams, the dip is to the northwest, 
which explains the absence of coal and the presence 
here of the Lower Barrens. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



WASHINGTON. 



The Township Struck off from Sugar Clreek in 1858 — First Election of Officers — Major Part of the Town- 
ship Soutli of the Donation Land Line — The Pioneers and First Owners of the Principal Tracts — 
Church of the Brethren of Christ — Lands North of the Donation Line — Van Buren Laid Out — Watter- 
son\'ille — Methodist Episcopal Church — Statistics — Geology. 



THE petition of citizens of Sugar Creek towDship 
was presented to tlie court of quarter sessions 
of this county April 3, 1858, representing tliat their 
township was entirely too large to be convenient, 
being nearly sixteen bj^ six or seven miles ; that 
many of them living on the river and in the out- 
skirts were virtually disfranchised on account of 
their great distance from the place of holding the 
elections and "the difficulties of the roads," and 
prayed the court to appoint suitable persons to 
divide their township by a line beginning on the 
southern boundary east of William Campbell's 
farm, and extending to or near Nicholas Cook's, 
on the Allegheny river, and to name the part east of 
that line Washington. The course of the proposed 
line was nearly from southwest to northeast. Other 
citizens remonstrated against such a division. The 
court, August 11, 1858, appointed James Douglass, 
Franklin Reynolds and James Stewart the com- 
missioners. Their report, presented September 
18, was adverse to the proposed division, because 
the proposed line would not " divide the township 
fairly ;" would " destroy two school districts and 
disturb a third," " running within eight feet of 
the Templeton schoolhouse and within 17 perches 
of McClatchey's schoolhouse," and would leave 
many of the voters in as " bad if not worse condi- 
tion than they were in before." They believed 
" Sugar Creek township large enough to make two 
good townships, giving to each an area of about 
thirty square miles, by a line running north and 
south." They therefore recommended to the court 
such an alteration in the order given them as 
would make the division satisfactory. Their report 
was held over until October 18, when, by consent 
of the attorneys for the petitioners and the re- 
monstrants, the court granted leave to withdraw 
the petition and the order to be so amended as to 
give those commissioners full power to divide the 
townships by such lines as they should think best, 
and an alias order was accordingly issued. The 
township was then divided by a line beginning at 
a jDoint on the Allegheny river, on the heretofore- 



mentioned Maxwell-White tract,* and extending 
somewhat southeasterly to the Franklin, now the 
East Franklin township line. 

The first election held in Washington township, 
in February, 1859, resulted thus: Leonard Fair and 
David Wolf were elected justices of the peace; Geo. 
W. Cousins, constable; Samuel H. Dickey, treasurer; 
Geo. L. Davis, Jacob Woods and David Wolf, audi- 
tors; James F. Cowan and David Yerty, supervisors; 
John A. Foster, town clerk; William S. Campbell 
and George Claypoole, overseers of the poor; George 
C. Claypoole, James F. Cowan, John A. Foster, 
Philip Templeton (of S.), David Wolf and Jacob 
Woods, school directors; George W. Cousins, 
assessor; Jacob Woods, judge; and John A. Foster 
and Absalom Wolf, inspectors of election. For the 
place of holding elections, Henry Helzel, 69, Adam 
Wyant, 52, and William Groves, 5 votes. 

The greater portion of the territory of Washing- 
ton township is below or south of the depreciation 
and donation line, the original tracts of which will 
be first sketched. The eastern portions of the 
Michael Red and David Henry tracts, as hereto- 
fore mentioned,! are in the southwestern part of 
this township. Adjoining the Henry tract on the 
north is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 407^ 
acres, extending north to the donation line, and 
west into what is now Sugar Creek township, 
which is but partially bounded on the Gapen map, 
on which is the name of "Alexr. Denniston," to 
which Charles McClatchey acquired title by im- 
provement and settlement, to whom it was surveyed 
by Ross, deputy surveyor, April 23, 1805, 407 acres 
and 91 perches, with 400 acres of which, 1 horse 
and 1 cow he was assessed in 1805" and 1806 at 
$191, and which he conveyed to Archibald Dickey, 
March 1, 1834, for |400. The latter conveyed it 
to John McGarvey, October 25, 1836, for $700, 
who conveyed it to his sons: 213 acres and 148 
perches to William, November 16, 1849, for $100, 
in the northeastern part of which is the McClatchey 



*See Sugar Creek township, 
t See Sugar Creek townsbip. 



548 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



schoolhouse. He conveyed 113 acres and 106 
perches to Peter Mobley, June 5, 1850, for $904, 
which he conveyed to John Sutton, April 11, 1855, 

for $ , who conveyed 57 acres to Christopher 

Foster, May 29, for $803.70. John McGarvey to 
his son David, other 213 acres and 138 perches, 
the southern part of the tract, December 13, 1849, 
for $1,000, of which he conveyed 25 acres to James 
B. Morrison, September 8, 1864, for $500, and 38 
acres and 30 perches to John McBride, April 24, 
1860, for $826. 

Adjoining the northern part of that Denniston- 
McClatchey tract on the east is a partially bounded 
one, a rectangular parallelogram, if completely 
bounded, lengthwise, east and west, with the name 
of " Arch'd Denniston." John Kerr was its 
original settler, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, 
deputy surveyor. May 4, 1805, as containing 403 
acres and 123 perches, with 350 acres of which, 
and 1 cow, he was assessed in 1805, at $93.50, and 
the next year with the same and 2 additional cat- 
tle, at 108.50. James Pulton obtained a judgment 
against Kerr, for $109.32 of debt, on which the 
latter's interest in this tract was sold by Jonathan 
King, sheriff, who conveyed it to Robert Orr, 
December 19, 1809, for $46, who conveyed it to 
Paul Morrow, December 21, 1810, for $50, which 
Morrow conveyed to Nathaniel Stewart, April 9, 
1813, for $200, who conveyed it to Joseph Taylor, 
August 12, 1816, for $1,000, the last-mentioned 
names being on it on the other map. The records 
do not show what became of Taylor's interest in it. 

Matthias Buiheimer claimed, acquired an inter- 
terest in, obtained a warrant for about 75 acres of 
the northern part, which David Johnston, county 
treasurer, sold to Alexander Colwell, for taxes, and 
conveyed the same to him, June 26, 1830, for $2, 
which he conveyed to Michael Fair, September 8, 
1838, for $103, which he conveyed to Simon Fair, 
April 8, 1841, for $75, who conveyed 23f acres to 
William McClatchey, September 30, 1843, for $50; 
40 acres to Nicholas Clark, March 16, 1842, for 
$67, both of which parcels have been considerably 
subdivided. 

James Cowan was first assessed with 240 acres 
of it, and 1 cow, in 1825, at $180. He continued 
in the occupancy of it until 1843. That portion of 
it was thereafter assessed to James F. Cowan, to 
whom the warrant was granted April 24, and the 
patent July 3, 1848, for 241 acres and 156 perches 
for 39 cents, exclusive of the amount paid on 
obtaining the warrant, to whom Orr conveyed 
whatever interest he had in it by virtue of Sheriff 
King's sale to him, November 23, 1867, for $1. 
Cowan conveyed 7 acres Marcli 9, 18C8, and 241 



acres and 56 perches, the same day, to John W. 
Littey, for $7,500, and removed to the West. The 
northern part began to be cleared about 1856, and 
it has since been occupied by divers persons, whose 
proper title is not apparent from the records. A 
portion of the northwestern part became vested in 
David Hays, which he conveyed to John Donnell, 
who conveyed it to William Donnell, who conveyed 
67 acres and 100 perches of it to Michael Fair, Feb- 
ruary 1, 1865, for $500, reserving 1 acre and 40 
perches, the Methodist church lot, on which a 
frame church edifice was erected in 1854, while 
Hays owned it, as stated by David J. Reed, who 
was the contractor and builder. 

Adjoining that Archibald Deuniston-Kerr tract 
on the south is an incompletely bounded one on 
the Gapen map, bearing the name of " Jas. Nich- 
ols." On the other map is a hexagonal one, the 
northern part, like the short blade of a square, ex- 
tending eastwardly, and the other part, like the long 
blade, extending southwardly along the Henry, 
and the northei-n part of the Red tract, on which 
the original settler appears to have been Robert 
Galbraith, who was assessed with 400 acres in 1805 
and 1806, at $100. He probably had some one else 
on as settler for him, for he had a tannery near 
where Worthington now is, where he died in 1807, 
when the 75 acres which he had there occupied 
were " rated to David Graham, doctor." Gal- 
braith's interest in this tract, 150 acres, was sold 
by Jonathan King, sheriff, on a judgment in favor 
of Samuel Matthews for $50 of debt, and $2.50 of 
costs which the sheriff conveyed to James Mateer, 
September 16, 1811, for $60.25, and which Mateer 
agreed to sell to William Gibson, tailor, June 8, 
1813, for $200, one-half in cash and the other half 
in trade, who was first assessed with 400 acres 
in 1814, at $100, to whom it continued to be as- 
sessed until 1828, when it was noted on the assess- 
ment list as " seated by John Green." John 
Remor was also a settler on this tract, against 
whom James Monteith obtained a judgment for 
$27.37 of debt, on which f,. fa. to No. 41, June 
term, was issued and a levy taken on 400 acres, 
about 4 acres of which were cleared, on which a 
cabin house and barn were erected. Inquisition 
was held and the land was appraised at $744 and 
condemned. It was sold by Robert Robinson, 
sheriff, to Monteith for $55, who devised it to his 
daughters, whose husbands, Gilpin and Johnston, 
obtained a patent for the entire tract March 29, 
1837. They and their wives conveyed 121 acres 
and 64 perches in the central part, including the 
settler's improvement, to Nancy McGregor, to 
whose husband, Allen McGregor, it was assessed 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



549 



after John Green left, July 25, 1837, for $75, which 
she conveyed to Conrad Helm, August I, who con- 
veyed the same to Jacob Helm, June 12, 1849, 
for $200. They aiad their wives conveyed 137 acres 
and 32 perches of the southern part to William 
Dickey, July 25, for $411, to whose estate it still 
belongs. They also conveyed 55 acres of the 
northern part to James Porterfield, August 12, 1848, 
which he the same day conveyed to his son James 
C. Porterfield, which he conveyed to Robert 
Dickey, April 8, 1854, which he conveyed to Philip 
Templeton, July 25, 1857, for $1,200. 

Adjoining that Nichols-Galbraith tract on the 
south, vacant on the Gapen map, is one on the 
other map, a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise 
north and south, 399 acres and 146 perches, on 
which Jacob Steelsmith began an improvement in 
1793, a settlement May 7, 1796, which Ross, 
deputy surveyor, sm-veyed to him July 9, 1801, and 
for which, called " Smith's Choice," the patent was 
granted to him September 3, 1810, who conveyed 100 
acres and 8 perches to John Leard, April 11, 1814, 
*for $325, which the latter by Ms will, dated No- 
vember 29, 1814, and registered March 16, 1821, 
devised to his son Oliver. 

Steelsmith conveyed that portion of " Smith's 
Choice " on which he then lived, 110 acres, to his 
son Simon, August 16, 1816, for natural love and 
maintenance; also the 116 acres and 116 perches 
heretofore mentioned,* which latter parcel he con- 
veyed to Michael Fair, who conveyed to John Fair, 
who conveyed 56 acres of that part of it in what is 
now Washington township, Ai^ril 16, 1866, for the 
comfortable maintenance of himself and wife the 
reftt of their lives. 

East of " Smith's Choice " on the Gapen map is 
vacant territory, but on the other is a square tract, 
331 acres, on which Anderson Truitt was the origi- 
nal settler. Pie was assessed with 300 acres of it, 
1 horse and 1 cow, in 1805, at $101. On the assess- 
ment list of that the land is noted as "trans- 
ferred." He and Elijah Mounts agreed July 30, 
to sell and purchase 150 acres of it for $350, in 
payments : £50 in hand, and the rest in annual 
payments of £50, except the last, which was to be 
£17 10s, Truitt to make "a clear deed" by May 
1, 1806, which he did not do. The wan-ant was 
not granted to him until February 5, and the pat- 
ent July 5, 1810. He conveyed this tract, called 
"Albany," to John Beatty, November 15, 1813, 
for $220, which he conveyed to Robert Beatty and 
David Rankin, November 15, 1813. Rankin hav- 
ing released his interest therein to Beatty, the lat- 
ter conveyed the entire tract, 353 acres, to Martin 

*See East Franklin. 



John, Jr., January 13, 1833, in pursuance of an 
agreement made November 10, 1827, for $430, 20 
acres and 6 perches of the western part of which 
he conveyed to Oliver Leard, July 3, for $50, and 
85 acres and 90 perches to his oldest son, Michael, 
April 19, 1855, for $1 and " natural love and affec- 
tion," with which the latter is assessed in 1870 at 
$1,190, and by his will dated March 8 and regis- 
tered April 30, 1856, devised the rest to his wife 
"to have and to hold for her living and to dispose 
of as she pleases," and which she by her will, dated 
December 27, 1860, and registered September 12, 
1870, devised to her son Christman John, who con- 
veyed 100 acres to George H. Foster, June 10, 
1873, for $3,930. 

Adjoining " Albany " and " Smith's Choice " 
on the north is vacant territory on the Gapen 
map, with the name of " Allan McCard," for 400 
acres of which, a rectangular parallelogram length- 
wise east and west, John Mounts obtained a war- 
rant November 13, 1807, and the patent January 
10, 1809, 200 acres of the western part of which 
he conveyed to Leonard Hearley, June 6, for $800, 
which he conveyed to Christian Ruffner, October 
17, 1812, for $1,809, which he occupied until his 
death. All his heirs except Hannah Marvin and 
Daniel Ruffner released their interests to Alex- 
ander and Solomon Ruffner. December 15, 1843, 
for $500. In subsequent jaroceedings in partition 
this parcel was divided by the inquest. May 26, 
1859, into two purparts, "A," 91 acres and 70 
perches, valued at $731.50, and " B," 121 acres and 
20 perches, at $969. " A " was awarded by the 
court to Alexander, and " B " was accepted by 
Solomon, September 7, at the valuation. Daniel 
was absent and had not been heard from for more 
than twenty years prior to the inquisition, and was 
supposed to be dead. 

Mounts conveyed the eastern part of this tract, 
200 acres, to Martin John, Sr., Sejitember 20, 
1809, for $250, which, and 325 acres in Toby town- 
ship, he conveyed to his sons John and Peter, and 
his sons-in-law, John Christman and Henry Helsel, 
June 4, 1830, for $5 and "natural love and affec- 
tion." 

Adjoining that Mounts-John-Rutfuer tract on 
the north is a hexagonal one, " 435%" bounded on 
the north by the depreciation line, surveyed by 
Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Arthur Denuiston," 
on which the original settler was William Free- 
man, to whom and A. McCall it was surveyed by 
Ross, deputy surveyor. May 3, 1805, 422 acres. 
Freeman was assessed with 400 acres of it and 2 
cows, in 1805, at $112, and the next year, with the 
same and 1 horse, at $122, and the last time with 



550 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the same in 1812, at $125. What disposition he 
made of his settler's right is not apparent from 
the records. Henry Heltzell was assessed with it 
and 1 cow, in 1825, at $106. The patent was 
granted to him and McCall, October 29, 1831, 200 
acres and 50 perches of which McCall conveyed 
to Heltzell, June 21, 1832, for $1, 31 acres of 
which the latter conveyed to Valentine Bowser, 
who conveyed the same parcel to John Ellen- 
berger, Sr., which the latter conveyed to John 
Ellenberger, Jr., and was included in his convey- 
ance of 108 acres and 30 perches, the major part 
of which was included in the survey on warrant to 
John Elleubergei-, Sr., April 16, 1830, to Simon 
Ellenberger, June 4, 1859, for $2,200. Heltzell by his 
will dated July 15, and registered August 4, 1866, 
devised the rest of his purpart, about 160 acres, to 
his stepson, " Emanuel Rydybush " (Roudabush). 
McCall conveyed 100 acres and 122 perches of his 
purpart to Peter John, July 10, 1834, for $250. 
The other portion, 130 acres and 18 perches, was 
included in the sale by McCall's heirs to William 
F. Johnston, 80 acres and 16 perches of which he 
conveyed to Gideon Morrow, June 24, 1856, for 
$568. "70, which the latter had occupied for several 
previous years, where he opened a store in 1860 
and started a distillery in 1865, and 50 acres and 
100 perches to Alexander Chilcott, August 9, 1853, 
for 1354.38, 

The place for holding the elections in this 
township has been since its organization at 
Heltzell's, and since his death at Roudabush's 
house. 

Adjoining that Denniston-Heltzel-McCall tract on 
the east is one, nearly a rectangular parallelogram, 
extending south and lengthwise from the deprecia- 
tion line, which appears on the Gapenmap to have 
been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " Simon 
Hovey, 400M20." Contiguous to it on the east and 
the depreciation line on the north is one just like 
it, except a slight southern j)rojection of its south- 
eastern part, which appears from that map to have 
been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to 
" John Elliott, Jr., 410.80." The original settler 
on the former of these two tracts was Valentine 
Bowser, with 100 acres of which, 2 horses and 1 
cow he was assessed, in 1804, at $55, and the 
next year at $67. This tract was surveyed to him 
and McCall as containing 375 acres and 63 perches, 
by Ross, deputy surveyor. May 4,1805. He was 
assessed with 400 acres and the same stock, in 
1806, at $182, and the next year at $186. One or 
another of his sons appears to have been afterward 
assessed with it, or a portion of it. The name on 
the latter of these two tracts in not legible; on the 



other map there is nothing but its boundary lines 
and "410"." 

James Sloan, " farmer," appears from Ross' de- 
scriptions of the lands surveyed to Bowser and 
McCall to have been the original settler, for 
" James Sloan," there mentioned as the eastern 
adjoiner, and in his survey to McCall and Elijah 
Mounts as a southern adjoiner. He was assessed 
with 400 acres, 2 horses and 2 cows, in 1804, at 
$172, and the next year with the same, less 1 horse, 
at $172. Patents for these two tracts were granted 
to McCall October 29, 1829. He conveyed 185 
acres to Valentine Bowser, June 21, 1832, for |1, 
who by his will, dated October 21, 1835, and regis- 
tered March 12, 1836, devised this land, on which 
he then resided, to his children " as tenants in com- 
mon, and not as joint-tenants," in equal portions, 
except that his daughter Christina should have $50 
over the otherwise equal projsortion. All or nearly 
all of this purpart still belongs to his heirs. 

McCall conveyed 150 acres and 94 perches of his 
purpart of this tract to John McCauley, July 16, 
1 834, for $602. Sixty-one acres and 110 perches of it 
were included in the conveyance from McCall's 
heirs to William F. Johnston, which he agreed to 
sell to William Neville, who failed to pay the pur- 
chase money, so that an ejectment was brought to 
recover either the land or the purchase money. The 
land was restored to the vendor by a writ of 
habere facias, which was subsequently purchased 
by John McCullough, the stepfather of Neville's 
heirs. It is not apparent from the records what 
disposition was made of the settler's right to 
a portion of these two tracts. A. and Daniel 
Bowser appear to have acquired it, for they con- 
veyed 85 acres and 8 perches of it to Christian 
Yerty June 20, 1831, who conveyed 108 perches, 
including the cold spring, on which schoolhouse 
No. 13, then in Suga.r Creek township, was to be 
erected, to the school directors, September 8, 1849, 
for $1. Yerty's heirs conveyed this Bowser- Yerty 
parcel to Benjamin S. Bowser, July 13, 1863, for 
$725. Daniel Bowser conveyed 94 acres and 28 
perches to McCall, June 17, 1833, for $330. Mc- 
Call's heirs conveyed 338 acres and 64 perches of 
this tract, among other parcels, to William F. 
Johnston, 120 acres and 118 perches of which he 
conveyed to William Grover, August 9, 1833, for 
$955.90, on which the latter opened his store and 
hotel ; 101 acres and 45 perches to John John, Au- 
gust 2, 1854, for $706.40, which the latter's heirs 
conveyed to Benjamin S. Bowser, March 22, 1862, 
for $1,350 ; 103^ acres to Frederick R. Bowser, 
June 27, 1856, for $826. 

Adjoining these two last-described tracts on the 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



south is a very nearly square one on the Gapon 
map, which was surveyed by Gapen, deputy sur- 
veyor, to " Sam'l Kincade, 400.38." Kincade's 
interest in it having become vested in Archibald 
McCall, by the transfer to him of Kincade's survey 
and obtaining a warrant of acceptance, McCall 
and Elijah Mounts entered into an agreement re- 
specting it, August 30, 1796, the terras of which 
were: McCall having paid the purchase money. 
Mounts agreed to improve, settle, and reside on it 
as required by law, to enable McCall to obtain a 
patent for it, who agreed to make title to Mounts 
for 120 acres, " including Kincade's improvement," 
" to be taken of good and bad according to the 
quantity and quality of the whole tract." It was 
accordingly settled by Mounts, to whom it was sur- 
veyed as containing 399 acres and 93 perches, by 
Ross, deputy surveyor, March 5,1 805, and resurveyed 
by him as containing the same quantity, December 
18, 1806. Three hundred acres were assessed to 
Mounts in 1805, at $105. The warrant was granted 
to McCall and Mounts' administrators, John Mounts 
and Jesse Young, March 6, 1809, to whom McCall 
conveyed 120 acres of the western part of the tract, 
making a hexagonal parcel, March 5, 1815, which 
they conveyed to Martin John, Sr., May 16, 1817, 
for $450, and which was included in his above- 
mentioned conveyance to his children, being a part 
of the 320 acres which they agreed to sell to Jacob 
Frick in his lifetime, who by his will, dated Octo- 
ber 12, and registered November 6, 1838, bequeathed 
and devised all his personal and real estate to his 
wife Elizabeth during her life or widowhood, to 
be divided equally among his children, except 
Michael, who had received his share, after her 
death or marriage. This parcel of 1 20 acres and 
the 200 acres which John had purchased from John 
Mounts were conveyed by John's heirs to Mrs. 
Frick, May 4, 1839, for $3,000. Some of Jacob 
Frick's heirs subsequently conveyed their interests 
in the residue of the real estate which their father 
and mother had left, to Adam Wyant, some of 
which he conveyed to Christian Wyant, March 
21, 1864. 

The patent for this tract was granted to McCall, 
November 2, 1827, whose purpart was included in 
his heirs' sale to William F. Johnston, who con- 
veyed it, October 5, 1854, thus: 134 acres and 85 
perches to Peter Bowser, for $1,100, and 173 acres 
and 51 perches to David J. and Samuel M. Reed, 
for $1,473.20. Bowser conveyed his parcel to 
Henry Isaman, April 13, 1857, for $2,152, whose 
widow, guardian of his children, conveyed 114 
acres and 85 perches of it to Christopher Wyant, 
by virtue of an order of the orphans' court of this 



county of March 13, 1865, for $1,000. The Reeds 
conveyed portions of their parcel, March 28, 1863, 
92 acres to Bartholomew Wyant, for$l,472; 4 acres 
to Adam Wyant, for $80, and 20 acres to Bartholo- 
mew Bucher, for $360. 

Adjoining that Kincade-McCall-Mounts tract on 
the south is the northern and major part of the 
Francis Johnston tract heretofore mentioned.* 
Alexander W. Johnston, executor of Alice Johns- 
ton, who was the sole executrix of Francis Johns- 
ton, conveyed the Johnston purpart of this tract, 
February 26, 1839; 106 acres and 7 perches to Eli 
Fair for $212, who traded 7 acres with Martin 
John for an equal quantity, June 17, 1845; con- 
veyed 4 acres to George S. King, September I, 
1847, for $40, and 95 acres and 7 perches to Philip 
Christman, May 2, 1849, for $650, Johnston con- 
veyed 108 acres and 146 perches to Peter Fair the 
same day as to Eli, for $217.75, which the latter 
for $1 " and natural love and affection " conveyed 
to Leonard Fair, August 17, 1849. 

The early settlers in this section were Lutherans, 
to whom Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert occasionally 
preached in private houses, barns and groves in his 
early ministerial itinerations. In February, 1824, 
he organized the Limestone Evangelical Lutheran 
church, of which John Christman and Michael 
Fair were the first elders. They and their wives, 
Frederick Christman, John Ellenberger, Peter 
Fair, Peter and William Toy, David and John 
Wolf, and their wives, and Jacob Wolf were the 
original members. The religious services were 
held at the house of John Crissman from 1824 un- 
til 1844, and at the house of Leonard Fair there- 
after until 1855. The name of this church was 
changed in 1844 to Bethlehem, and in 1855 to St. 
Mark's, its present one. The present number of 
members is 150, and Sabbath-school scholars 50. 
The various pastors of this church have been Rev. 
G. A. Reichert from 1824 till 1837; Rev. John 
Errenser, from 1843 till 1844; Rev. Krantz, from 
1844 till 1847; Rev. J. A. Miner, from 1847 till 
1851; Rev. M. Steck, from 1851 till 1854; Rev. A. 
C. Ehrenfeld, from 1855 till 1858; Rev. F. Ruther- 
auff, from 1858 till 1859; Rev. C. Whitmer, from 
1860 till 1862; Rev. J. Singer in 1863; Rev. H. J. 
II. Leneke, from 1864 till 1866, and from then Rev. 
J. W. Schwartz, the present one, to whom the 
writer is under obligations for these facts. The 
present church edifice, frame, painted white, 30X-tO 
feet, on the right bank of the Limestone, was 
erected on the Johnston purpart of this tract. 
Leonard Fair conveyed 135 square perches 
of the parcel which his father conveyed to 

*See East Franklin township. 



552 



HISTORY OP ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



him to John Fair, Jn, and Jacob Toy, trustees of 
this congregation, November 1, 1859, and Philijj 
Chrissman, 34^ square perches of the parcel which 
he purchased from Eli Fair, to these trustees, 
March 17, 1860, each for $1. 

Adjoining the central part of that Johnston- 
McKee tract on the east in what is now Washing- 
ton township, about one-third of the heretofore 
described Ingersolt-Henry tract,* contiguous to 
which on the north is a hexagonal one wliicli ap- 
pears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed by 
Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Alex'r Trimble, 
431.60," whose interest became vested in Archibald 
McCall, on which Benjamin Leasure was the ori- 
ginal settler, who was assessed with 400 acres of it 
and 1 cow in 1804, at $86, and the next year with 
the land only, at $80. The patent was granted to 
him and McCall, February 13, 1809, in which this 
tract is named " Canton." McCall not having re- 
leased the settler's portion to Leasure before his 
assignment to Du Pont, the latter by Thomas 
White, his attorney-in-fact, conveyed 150 acres of 
the southern part to Benjamin Leasure, as his 
purpart, June 21, 1832, to whom Du Pont himself 
conveyed it, May 24, 1836. Leasure conveyed 85 
perches off the north side of his purpart, including 
schoolhouse No. 23, to the school directors of 
Sugar Creek township, in January, 1846. Leasure 
by his will, not dated, but registered March 19, 
1847, devised his "plantation on which George 
Hooks lived," which was this purpart of " Canton," 
to his son George, who became satisfied from his 
father's acts and declarations, both before and after 
making his will, that the person who wrote it had 
erred in limiting the devise to George — that his 
intention was to devise it to both him and his 
brother Abraham. They, therefore, made an ami- 
cable partition, and George conveyed one parcel of 
29 and another of 34 acres to Abraham, August 
19, 1853. 

The Brethren in Christ church was organized in 
this part of what is now Washington township, 
about 1842, by Rev. George Shoemaker, and was 
sometimes called the " Shoemakerian church." 
The church edifice, frame, was erected in 1858 on 
the above-mentioned portion of "Canton," con- 
veyed by George to Abraham Leasure. For the 
purpose of convening a moiety of the edifice and 
ground to the Church of God, Abraham Leasure 
conveyed the lot to Nicholas Leasure, Samuel 
Stouffer and Adam Wyant, February 13, 1864, 
which they conveyed, the same day, to Abraham 
Leasure and J. C. Plowman, who conveyed 
"one half of a house of worship and graveyard 

* See East Fi'anklin townsliip. 



with all the appurtenances " and the 80 square 
perches on which they were situated, to " John 
Hovis, chairman of the Standing Committee of the 
West Pennsylvania Eldership of the Church of 
God," March 26, 1866, for $302.67, since when the 
property has been jointly owned by both congre- 
gations. The membership of the Brethren in 
Christ church is about 25 ; number of Sabbath- 
school scholars, 15. 

The McCall purpart of " Canton," 272 acres and 
130 perches, passed from his heirs to William F. 
Johnston, a part of which he conveyed to Abraham 
Leasure, Jr., July 19, 1852, 61 acres and 150 acres 
of which, including about 32 acres previously con- 
veyed, he conveyed to Abraham Leasure, Sr., 
August 25, 1853, for $587.50, that is for both par- 
cels. Johnston conveyed a portion of the land to 
John John, June 27, 1856, whose heirs conveyed 
72 acres and 27 perches to Philip John, January 
26, 1869, for $500, which their father in his life- 
time had agreed to sell to him. 

Adjoining "Canton" on the north is another 
hexagonal tract, which aj^pears on the Gapen map 
to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, 
to " Jas. Trimble,* 354 " aci'es, whose interest be- 
came vested in McCall. The original settler was 
Samuel Clark, to whom and McCall it was sur- 
veyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, as containing 361 
acres and 43 perches. May 3, 1805, who was 
assessed that and the previous year with 400 acres 
and 1 cow, at $106, to whom it continued to be 
assessed until 1816, then to Robert Colgan until 
1817, when it was transferred to John Wolf, who 



» Alexander Trimble, father of the one of that name above men- 
tioned, came, it is supposed, from the north of Ireland. Little is 
known of him, says Mrs. Paul Graff in her contribution to the Penn- 
sijlvania Maciazinc of History and Bioifrapfty. He ^\'as member of 
the Second Presbyterian church of Pliiladelphia, while it was under 
the pastorate of Eev. Gilbert Tennent. He died prior to 1709, leaving 
several children, of whom James, above mentioned, was the eldest. 
Mr. Ilamilton states that he was apprenticed in the land office about 
1770, when he was fifteen years old. He was a subordinate clerk of 
the state council as early as 1775. When Timothy Matlack became 
secretary of the commonwealth, March 6, 1777, James Trimble was 
appointed deputy secretary, or assistant secretary, of the supreme 
executive council. Alexander J. Dallas, the first secretary of the 
commonwealth, under the constitution of 1790, appointed Trimble 
deputy secretary March 12, 1791. He was deputy secretary through 
all the administrations from 1777 until 1837. " In the judgment of liis 
cotemporaries he was a faitliful public servant ; a man of unim- 
peaoliable integrity, of obliging manners, respected by the community 
at large, and beloved by his family, to whom lie greatly endeared 
himself by his kindness and affection." 

James Trimble married the widow of John Hastings April 22, 17.S2. 
Her maiden name was Clarissa Claypoole, a descendant of James 
Claypoole, an intimate friend of William Penn, who emigrated from 
England in 1082, acconipanyingthe first settlers of German town, on 
the Concord, and a brother of John Claypoole, who married Oliver 
Croiiiwell's daughter Elizabeth. James "Trimble aided in packing 
and removing the state papers when the British occupied Philadel- 
phia, and when the seat of government was removed to Lancaster in 
1799, and thence to Harrisburg in 1812. He was a member of and a 
pewhijder in the Second Presbyterian church in Pliiladelphia, which 
he attended until he removed to Laneasterin 1799. After his removal 
to Harrisburg he was appointed trustee and treasurer of tlie Presby- 
terian congregation there, which position he held until his death, 
January 20, 1S37, in his eighty-third year, having served his state 
faithfully for sixtv-seven years. The mortification of his removal 
from the position" which he had so long and creditably filled, al- 
though for mere partisan reasons, was too intense, for he died of a 
broken heart in eleven days after it occurred. There is a portrait 
of him, painted by Waugh from an original by Eieholz, in Ihe 
eliamber of the secretary of the commonwealth. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



553 



probably acquired the settler's purpart, which 
chiefly belongs to his heirs. 

The patent for it was granted to McCall May 
28, 1833, 203 acres and 47 perches of which his 
heirs conveyed to William F. John-ston, of which 
he conveyed 134 acres and 34 perches to Bartholo- 
mew Wyant, April 15, 1852, for $739.52, and 64 
acres and 156 perches, August 16, for $505.80, who 
soon afterward sold 6 acres to John Wolf for $10 
an acre, and about three years later 25 acres to 
Matthias Wolf at |1V.40 an acre. Johnston con- 
veyed 72 acres and 77 perches to Daniel Woods, 
August 31, 1854, for $497.37, which the latter con- 
veyed to Barbara Woods, October 19, 1857, at the 
same price, which she and her husband, Jacob 
Woods, conveyed to Bartholomew Wyant, March 
17, 1866, which he conveyed to Jeremiah Wyant, 
April 5, 1879, for $2,900. There must have been 
a considerable surplus in this tract. 

Adjoining that James Trimble-McCall tract on 
the north is a pentagonal one, the boundary of 
whose northwestern part is the depreciation line, 
its northeastern side being skirted by the Alle- 
gheny river. From the Gapen map it appears to 
liave been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, 
to "Thos. Patterson, 334.132." William Fish ap- 
pears to have had an early claim to it, to whose 
son John it was assessed as containing 370 acres, 
in 1804 and 1805, at $92, on which another of his 
sons, Robert Fish, settled in 1809, and was then as- 
sessed with 330 acres, 1 horse and 1 cow, at $100. 
He became its permanent occupant, to whom John 
Fish and Rebecca, his wife, as legatees of William 
Fish, September 23, 1814, released all manner of ac- 
tions and claims which they ever had or might there- 
after have, concerning the management and dis- 
position of the lands and tenements of William 
Fish in Sugar Creek township, or of any money, 
rents, issues and profits received therefrom by him, 
or by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatso- 
ever, " from the beginning of worlds until the 
date" thereof, and to whom this tract continued 
to be assessed until his death in 1824, which was 
thereafter assessed to his widow until 1841. Pat- 
erson's interest became vested in McCall, to whom 
the patent was granted November 11, 1830, and to 
whose heirs Fish's heirs conveyed their interest in 
190 acres, August 13, 1849, who by Amos N. 
Mylert, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 179 acres 
and 100 perches, the settler's purpart, to Robert 
Fish's six heirs, October 5, 1849, for $1. There 
was probably a surplus of 18 acres and 96 perches 
in this purpart, as each heir's share seems to have 
been subsequently ascertained to have been 33 
acres and 6 perches. The heirs released to one 



another: Elsa Phillips and her husband conveyed 
her share to William Hooks ; William Fish con- 
veyed his interest in 86 acres and 80 perches to 
Andrew Henry, July 5, 1851, for $10 ; Mary Bow- 
ser and her husband conveyed her share, 33 acres 
and 6 perches, to John Paxton, September 1, 1849, 
for $440, which he conveyed to John McClatchey, 
May 23, 1863, for $700, which the latter conveyed 
to JosejA and Simon Fair, and William T. Rich- 
ardson, February IS, 1865, for $1,000; Sarah 
Adams and her husband conveyed her interest 
in her father's heirs' purpart to Matthew S. Adams, 
November 30, 1843, who conveyed it to Andrew 
Henry, March 22, 1844, for $75 ; Alexander 
Adams' interest was conveyed by John Tuly, sher- 
iff, to David Wolf, March 23, 1842, for $57, which 
he conveyed to Henry, May 4, 1848, for $100. 

McCall's purpart was conveyed by his heirs to 
William F. Johnston, who conveyed 86 acres and 
126 perches to Andrew Henry, October 5, 1854, 
for $683.90. The interest of Henry and his wife 
in this parcel, and in their share of her father's 
heii's' purpart, that is in 120 acres, was conveyed 
by George B. Sloan, sheriff, to Philip Templeton, 
of Kittanning, September 9, 1861, for $480, who 
reoonveyed it to them June 1, 1863, " for value 
received." David Wolf conveyed one-fifth of 129 
acres of the Fish estate, which John Tuly, sher- 
iff, had conveyed to him, March 23, 1842, to 
Andrew Henry, May 9, 1848, for $100. He, his 
wife and her mother, Elsie Guld, formerly widow 
of Robert Fish, joined in conveyance of 123 acres, 
partly of the Fish and partly of the McCall pur- 
part, to Joseph and Simon Fair, and William T. 
Richardson, February 20, 1865, for $10,000, which 
Joseph Fair conveyed to Samuel Fair, August 26, 
1868, for $3,500, subject to the payment of a 
mortgage on the land to Walter Titley for $1,200. 

Between the Patterson-McCall-Fish tract, the 
James Trimble-McCall tract and the Allegheny 
river and other as yet unraentioned tracts, is a 
pentagonal one, which apjsears on the Gapen map 
to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, 
to " George Elliot, 402 " acres, on which John John 
was an early settler, who was first assessed in 
Sugar Creek township as a single man and with 1 
horse, in 1810, at $25, and in 1815 with 400 acres, 
1 horse and 1 cow, at $66. He acquired title to the 
southern half of this tract, about 200 acres, by im- 
provement and setttement, one-half acre in the 
eastern corner of which he conveyed, January 5, 
1838, to the school directors of Sugar Creek town- 
ship, so long as it should be used for school 
purposes, on which schoolhouse No. 1 had 
been erected in accordance with the provisions 



554. 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



of the scliool law of April 1, 1834, and its 
supplements. He agreed to sell about 50 acres 
of the eastern part of this parcel to his daugh- 
ter Esther, wife of Elijah Flanner, but did 
not execute the deed before his death, which his 
heirs conveyed to her daughter Esther Florence 
March 1, 1866. He conveyed about the same quan- 
tity of the western part to his son Adam C. John. 
There were 119 acres left undisposed of at his 
death. The inquest in subsequent proceedings in 
partition valued this parcel at $20.41 per acre, June 
28, 1867, at which it was taken by his eldest son, 
Martin John, on which is the first brick house 
erected in what is now "Washington township. 

The legal title to the rest of this tract became 
vested in John W. Johnston, which, 202 acres and 
118 perches, he by John Gilpin, his attorney-in- 
fact, conveyed to Robert L. Brown, George F. 
Frishcorn, William H. H. Piper and Simon Truby, 
Jr., April 28, 1871, for $3,097.82, in pursuance of a 
previous agreement with William Bartheld and 
Piper. 

Next south of the Elliott-John tract is a hex- 
agonal one, its southern part projecting eastward, 
which appears on the Gapen map to have been 
surveyed to " William Trimble, 432.65%" on which 
William McAnninch was the original settler, who 
was assessed with 400 acres of it, in 1804 and 
1805, at $80, who conveyed his interest in it to 
Mordecai McDonald, July 9, 1806, for $300, which 
he conveyed to John McNickle, August 7, for the 
same consideration, but what became of his inter- 
est the records show not. The patent, in which 
it is called " Williamsburg," nevertheless, was 
granted to McAnninch and McCall, to the latter of 
whom Trimble's interest had passed. " Williams- 
burgh " was included in McCall's assignment to 
Du Pont. Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, sold 
it for taxes to William Wylie, to whom he con- 
veyed it September 17, 1820. Du Pont reconveyed 
it to McCall January 17, 1833, whose heirs con- 
veyed whatever interest they had in it to Wylie, 
July 27, 1847, for $500, who conveyed a portion of 
it to John J. John July 2, 1857, a portion of the 
northwestern part of which he conveyed to Adam 
C. John, and another parcel he agreed to sell to his 
son Isaac, to whom his heirs conveyed it after his 
death. A small parcel of it, 9 acres and 105 
perches, remained undisposed of at his death, 
which the inquest valued at $36.66 per acre, at 
which it was taken by John J. John. Wylie con- 
veyed the remainder of " Williamsburgh," 212 
acres and 47 perches, to George Leasure, Septem- 
ber 30, 1852, for $615. John John agreed in his 
lifetime to convey parcels of his part of " Will- 



iamsburgh," but not having done so before he died 
intestate, his heirs, March 1, 1866, conveyed 88 
acres and 14 perches to Isaac John, for $790 ; 72 
acres and 27 perches to Philip John, for $500. 

Contiguous to "Williamsburgh" on the south 
is an octagonal tract, about one-fifth of which ex- 
tends south into what is now East Franklin town- 
ship, which appears on the Gapen map to have 
been surveyed to "David Cooper, 413" acres, 
whose interest passed to McCall, which appears to 
have been seated by Joseph McKee, who was 
assessed with 400 acres of it in 1804 at $80, to 
whom and McCall it was surveyed as containing 
411 acres and 89 perches by Ross, deputy surveyor. 
May 1, 1805. McKee was afterward assessed with 
a less quantity, the last time in 1810, with 200 
acres, when it was noted on the assessment list 
"transferred to Jacob Andoni" (Anthony). John 
Christman must have acquired the settler's interest, 
for McCall, to whom the patent was granted May 
28, 1833, conveyed 200 acres of the "south end" 
to him July 16, 1835, for $1, who conveyed 100 
acres " partly in Franklin township," to ex-sheriff 
George Smith, February 28, 1848, in consideration 
of the proper maintenance of his son, Michael 
Christman, during his natural life, who had been 
tried for arson and acquitted on the ground of in- 
sanity, and was then a charge upon Franklin town- 
ship, which parcel Smith conveyed to John P. 
Davis, April 6, 1850, for $600. Christman con- 
veyed 6 acres in Franklin township to his son 
John, April 20, 1866, for $284, and by his will, 
dated December 11, 1860, and registered March 
13, 1862, devised the remaining part of this pur- 
part and his other real estate to his daughters, 
Catherine, Jane, Margaret and Susannah, for " the 
valuable services " which they had rendered as 
well as for " natural love and affection." 

McCall conveyed his purpart, 210 acres, of this 
tract to John John, June 14, 1839, for $1,050, 
which he parceled out to his sons in his lifetime, 
for two parcels of which he did not execute deeds. 
Hence his heirs, March 1, 1866, conveyed 71 acres 
and 52 perches to Frederick John for $356.62, and 
69 acres and 88 perches to Peter John for $436.76. 

The site of the German Baptist or Dunkard 
church edifice is in the southwestern part of " Will- 
iamsburgh," which is frame, 30 X 40 feet, one story, 
erected in 1865. The present pastor of this church 
is Rev. J. B. Wampler. Its membership is 75 ; 
Sabbath-school scholars, 40. 

Between " Williamsburgh " and the Cooper-Mc- 
Call-McKee tract and the Allegheny river is a 
hexagonal one, "Vacant" on the Gapen map, on 
which Caleb Paull was an early settler, who was 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



555 



assessed in 1804 with 1 liorse and 3 cows at $66. 
On the other map this tract bears the name of 
"John Orr, 400^" of which and the Mahoning 
island, about 27 acres in the Allegheny river, op- 
posite the northern part of this tract, he became 
seized, but did not obtain a patent for the same 
before his death, after which his administra- 
tors, Robert Orr, Jr., and Samuel C. Orr, by virtue 
of an order of the orphans' court of this county, to 
sell his real estate on the first Monday, Tuesday 
and Wednesday of April, 1825, for the payment of 
his debts and the maintenance of his children, con- 
veyed both this tract, 410 acres and 144 perches, 
and that island and another small one near it, to 
Archibald Dickey, February 12, 1838, for $671, to 
whom the warrant and patent were subsequently 
granted, who agreed. May 14, 1830, to sell the 
same to Ezekiel Dickey for $800, which the latter 
paid in the former's lifetime, who did not execute 
a^eed therefor. The specific performance of that 
agreement was decreed by the proper court De- 
cember 15, 1845, whereupon George Means, admin- 
istrator, the same day conveyed this tract and the 
island to the vendee. The latter conveyed 117 
acres of this tract to Rev. John Dickey, May 21, 
1846, for $500, which he conveyed to Samuel H. 
Dickey, June 12, 1849, for $300. Ezekiel conveyed 
8 acres and 121 perches to Charles Morrall, May 6, 
1853, for $87, and 96 acres and 38 perches to Sam- 
uel H. Dickey, May 26, 1853, for $886, to whom he 
agreed, June 18, 1868, to convey 200 acres more 
for the consideration of working the farm and 
providing him with proper maintenance during the 
rest of his life. Simon Torney either leased or 
owned 57 acres of the northeastern part of this 
tract, on which he drilled a salt-well in 1831, which 
does not appear to have been opei-ated after his 
death, which soon after occurred. 

Mahoning Island was early surveyed to Thomas 
Thompson, whose interest became vested in John 
Orr, who conveyed it to Hans J. Huidekooper, Sep- 
tember 22, 1813, for 5 shillings and a debt of $320, 
whose reconveyance to Orr, if any was made, is not 
on record. 

North of the Orr-Diokey tract, north and east of 
" Williamsburgh," and east of the southern part 
of the George Elliot-John John tract, is one, nearly 
a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise from east 
to west on the right bank of the Allegheny river, 
which appears on the Gapen map to have been sur- 
veyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Jane Den- 
niston, 434 " acres, on which Thomas Thompson 
made an actual settlement and improvement, 
March 21, 1796, who conveyed his interest to Henry 
Christman, of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, 



January 1, 1810, for £200. Thompson was suc- 
ceeded by John Burns, to whom the land, 1 horse 
and 2 cows were assessed in 1805, at $112, and the 
next year, at $127. It was surveyed as containing 
430 acres to Henry Gristman (Christman) by Ross, 
deputy surveyor, January 2, 1808. The patent, 
in which it is called " Coll Hill," was, howe.ver, 
granted to Burns and McCall, February 13, 1809. 
Burns remained thereon several years. Christman 
retained the settler's and acquired nearly all of the 
McCall purpart. His heirs in their conveyance to 
John Christman, August 7, 1845, state that their 
father, late of Franklin county, died intestate, 
seized of 404 acres, that is, " Coll Hill," leaving 
nine children, of which John conveyed 350 acres 
to Charles Bonner, May 15, 1850, for $2,806.80, of 
which he conveyed 170 acres and 90 perches to 
Thomas D. M. Gibson, May 31, 1862, for $2,065.54, 
which he conveyed to James Mosgrove, April 19, 
1864, for $3,000. Bonner conveyed 186 acres and 
25 perches to George Best, September 17, for $3,500, 
who conveyed 48^ acres to John K. Best, for 
$862.84, which he conveyed to Mosgrove, April 19, 
1864, for $1,213. George Best conveyed 48^- acres 
to John L. Ganghegan, September 26, 1864, 
for $1,000, and 100 acres to Brown and Mosgrove, 
for $3,000. 

The McCall purpart of " Coll Hill " was included 
in the sale by McCall's heirs to William F. Johns- 
ton, stated in their deed to be 239 acres, which 
must be a mistake as to quantity, for 33 acres that 
he conveyed to Peninch Hooks, November 1 9, 1856, 
for $330, appears to be all thereof that he really 
had to convey. 

" Coll Hill " was included in McCall's and Du 
Pont's conveyance and reconveyance. 

Contiguous to " Coll Hill " on the north is a 
hexagonal, almost pentagonal tract, surveyed by 
Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " William Elliot, Jr., 
353f " acres, whose interest became vested in Mc- 
Call. The early settler on this tract was Frederick 
Christman, who was assessed with 350 acres, 2 
horses and 1 cosv in 1804-5, at $198. Ross, deputy 
surveyor, January 2, 1808, surveyed 170 acres and 
88 perches of the southern part to Christman, and 
175 acres and 81 perches of the northern part to 
McCall. The patent was granted to both of them 
for the entire tract, March 7, 1820, and they re- 
leased and quit-claimed to each other, May 29, 1835. 
Frederick and Henry Christman entered into a 
written agreement, January 5, 1810, "by and in 
company with Peter Pence and James Thompson," 
for the exchange of an equal quantity of land. 
Frederick to leave an open road on the parcel con- 
veyed to him by Henry, and to have the use of the 



556 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



improvement on the parcel conveyed by liim to 
Henry for three years. Frederick and John Clirist- 
man exchanged 128 acres, July 4, 1840. Frederick 
conveyed 51 acres and 59 perches to his daughter, 
Katy Wyant, December 28, 1848, for $8 "and 
natural love and affection." By his will, dated 
June 6, 1850, and registered, January 22, 1851, he 
devised all the rest of his real estate to his " poor 
dumb son, Henry Christman." 

McCall conveyed his purpart with those of other 
tracts to George A. McCall, November 4, 1834, 
which was included in the latter's conveyance to 
William F. Johnston, July 10, 1847, which now 
appears to belong to Brown & Mosgrove, and on 
which is the western terminus of a ferry across 
the Allegheny river. 

Contiguous to the Elliot-McCall-Christman tract 
on the north is one on the Gapen map, which ap- 
pears to have been surveyed on warrant to "Wm. 
Denniston, " 371" 80," whose interest passed to Mc- 
Call, on which Francis Thompson was the original 
settler, who was assessed with 380 acres and 1 cow, 
in 1804, at $158, and the next year at $150. Ross, 
deputy surveyor, December 31, 1807, surveyed 187 
acres and 21 perches, the northern part, to McCall, 
and 181 acres and 80 perches to Thompson, to both 
of whom the patent was granted March 7, 1820. 
Thompson having conveyed his interest to Jacob 
Wolf, McCall conveyed to him the Thompson pur- 
part, June 20, 1845, for $1. Wolf by his will, not 
dated, registered December 19, 1838, devised his 
real estate to his wife during her life or widow- 
hood, and to be sold after her death — if she re- 
mained till then his widow — and the proceeds to 
be equally divided among his sons, David, George, 
Jacob, Joseph, Matthias and Solomon, and his 
daughters, Christina and Elizabeth. But if she 
should remarry, all his real estate was to vest in 
his children, which was the case, for his heirs, 
children and grandchildren and the alienee of one 
of them conveyed their respective interests to and 
in this purpart and in other 42 acres to David 
Wolf, at different times from May 4, 1S48, till May 
11, 1867, for |1,578. The Wolf sohoolhouse is on 
this purpart. The other purpart, extending to the 
foot of the deep northern bend or loop in the Alle- 
gheny river, was conveyed, among others, by Mc- 
Call's heirs to William F. Johnston, which he con- 
veyed to Thomas Armstrong, who, by his will, dated 
September 2, 1847, and registered November 19, 
1851, devised 30 acres of the npper or northwest- 
ern corner to his daughter, Eleanor Shall, 30 acres 
adjoining Mrs. Shall's to his son John, 30 acres 
adjoining John's to his son William, and the rest 
of this purpart to his son Adam. There is a ham- 



let of a few years' growth along the south side of 
the public road, near the foot of that loop, con- 
sisting of eight or nine dwelling-houses, one store, 
opened this year (1876) by Benjamin McElroy, 
and a frame church edifice, called Union, because 
erected by the contributions of and used by vari- 
ous religious denominations. There appears to be 
the conveyance of only one of the lots in this 
hamlet on record, which is the one consisting of 1 
acre that William B. Summers conveyed to Rebecca 
Summers, January 19, 1866, for $150, which she 
conveyed to Robert Fulton, May 26, 1873, for $750, 
which he conveyed to McElravy, September 11, 
1875, for $600. It was then ascertained that the 
first of the above-mentioned conveyances of this 
lot had not been acknowledged so as to make it a 
legal conveyance, so that William B. and Rebecca 
Summers joined in a legally acknowledged deed 
therefor to McElravy, September 13, 1875, for the 
nominal consideration of $1. Fulton was first 
assessed with a store on this lot, in 1870, whose 
successor is McElravy. 

There is on the Gapen map a rather narrow 
strip of land between those William Denniston 
atid William Elliot, Jr., tracts and the Allegheny 
river on the west, whose southeast corner touches 
the southwest corner of " Coll Hill," and its south- 
western corner is on the right bank at the foot of 
the sharp southern bend in the Allegheny river, 
noted " vacant," but on the other is the name of 
" Benjamin Edwards," which does not appear on 
the either early or late assessment lists of Sugar 
Creek township. It is noted- on the assessment list 
of 1817, "Three hundred acres transferred from 
Maria Edwards to Frederick Christman." Jacob 
Wolf acquired a title to at least a portion of the 
northern part of this strip, and Frederick Christ- 
man to southern part, for which he obtained a war- 
rant January 15, and the patent June 7, 1836. He 
conveyed 105 acres to Simon Singer, May 9, 1838, 
for $100, which passed under the sheriff's hammer 
to Thomas Williams, and which he conveyed to 
Alexander Reynolds, November 28, 1864, for $350, 
as the alienee of the interests of John Jamison 
therein under an agreement between him and 
Williams, June 26, 1856. 

The remainder of Washington township is north 
of the depreciation line and consists of what were 
formerly donation lands, so that the Gapen map 
again and finally ceases to be used in developing 
the early land history of the remaining portion of 
this county. The Lawson & Orr map of surveys 
is the only one meant in subsequent i-eferences to 
such a map. 

About 550 rods above the heretofore-mentioned 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



557 



sharp southern bend in the Allegheny river is the 
depreciation line, adjoining which on the north is 
a long and comparatively narrow tract, lengthwise 
from east to west, rendered trapezoidal by the 
southeasterly course of the river, which skirts it on 
the northeast, bearing on its face on the map 
"Charles Campbell, 361". 67"," whose interest in 
which or a part of which probably became vested 
in Michael Fair, who was first assessed with 100 
acres, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 1806, at $66, and with a 
distiller)" first in 1831. The patent was granted 
to him February 4, 1831. He conveyed 189 acres 
and 33 perches of this tract to his son Isaac, May 
10, 1836, for $1, "and natural love and affection," 
on which, opposite the American furnace, now 
Rimerton, he erected his sawmill in 1855, now 
operated by steam. Isaac Fair leased all the land 
thus conveyed to him, except 20 acres, on which 
were his orchard and improvements, to J. M. Gil- 
lette and A. J. Warner, June 18, 18*70, for the term 
of 30 years, for oil and mining purposes, for |1, 
and one-eighth of all oil and minerals obtained 
therefrom. Those lessees soon after drilled a well, 
which was unproductive. 

Michael Fair also conveyed 127 acres and 25 
perches of the western part of this tract to his son 
Simon, May 10, 1836, for $1, "and natural love and 
affection." 

Adjoining that Campbell-Fair tract on the north 
is an irregularly shaped one, with 400 acres of 
which, 1 distillery, 1 horse and 1 cow, Thomas 
Miller appears to have been assessed in 1804, at 
$241, and the next and the following year for the 
last time with the same, less the horse and cow, at 
$160. On the map this tract bears the name of 
"Peter Miller, 404^ 65''," whose interest probably 
became vested in Robert Brown, who is mentioned 
as an adjoiner in conveyances of portions of some 
of the contiguous tracts. John Foster, Jr., was 
first assessed with this tract in 1827-8, to whom 
and James E. Brown the patent was granted Octo- 
ber 18, 1831. Foster was assessed with 150 acres at 
the time of his death. He, by his will, dated October 
1, and registered November 5, 1851, devised all his 
real estate to his wife as long as she should remain 
his widow, and one-third if she should remarry, 
and the rest to be equally divided among his 
children. The other purpart, about 250 acres, 
belongs to Brown & Mosgrove, who leased a strip 
along the river to J. M. Gillette and A. J. Warner, 
August 2, 1870, to be used by the lessees "for oil 
and saline purposes only," for one-eighth of all oil 
and salt-water" that they might therefrom pro- 
duce. 

Stretching north along the river is a narrow 
35 



strip of land bearing the name of " John Fulton " 
on the map, the warrant for which was granted to 
Daniel Dahle, February 27-, 1838, who conveyed 
his interest to John Evans, August 7, 1841, which 
the latter conveyed to Nicholas Cloak, to whom the 
patent for about 105 acres was granted September 
23, 1853, 17 acres and 61 perches of which he con- 
veyed to John D. Mhelly February 17, 1854, which 
he conveyed to David Kelly May 19, and which he 
conveyed to Walter Litley, May 24, 1855, for $300. 
Cloak conveyed the rest of this tract, 88 acres and 
25 perches, to Joseph Fair, April 1, 1865, for 
$2,900, to whose heirs it now belongs. 

Adjoining that Fulton-Dahle tract on the north, 
and extending to a point on the right bank of the 
Allegheny river about 80 rods below the mouth of 
Red Bank creek, is another narrow tract which be- 
came fully vested in James McClatchey, Sr. He 
was probably the original settler on this and one 
of the hereipafter-mentioned contiguous tracts, for 
he was assessed with 600 acres, 1 horse and 1 
cow, in 1804, at $271, and the next year with the 
same and 3 more cattle, at $291. He made his 
first improvement on that contiguous tract proba- 
bly before 1800. He was first assessed with 200 
acres in 1810, probably soon after he commenced 
his exclusive occupancy of this tract, for which he 
obtained a patent April 2, 1831, and which, 225 
acres and 33 perches, he conveyed to his son James, 
May 10, 1831, for $75, who conveyed 47 acres and 
23 perches to William McClatchey, July 5, 1841, 
for $424.22. He also conveyed 91 acres and 42 
perches to Hugh, James and Stephen Forrester, 
which they conveyed to David Lewis, November 
14, 1848, for $1,025. He may have conveyed an- 
other small parcel or two to others. There were 
about 50 acres left at the time of his death. By 
his will, dated July 8, 1841, and registered May 7, 
1842, he directed that his land should be sold im- 
mediately after the death of his wife, and the 
money arising from the sale should be divided 
equally among his seven children, and in case of 
the death of any of them before the sale, the chil- 
dren of each deceased should receive his or her 
share, that is, one-seventh, and appointed his wife 
Elizabeth executrix, and his son James executor. 
The former survived the latter, so that the land 
was not sold during the life of either.* Both the 
Fulton and McClatchey portions of this narrow 
strip are denominated " the Adam Maxwell Im- 



*It remained unsold several years after her death. Samuel Mc- 
Laughlin, the executor's administrator, declined to sell that land, 
and in his written declination suggested the appointment of James 
Watterson as trustee for that purpose, who, having been appointed 
by the orphans' court of this county, and, after taking all the re- 
quired jireliminary steps, sold this parcel to Mrs. Margaret Tyler, 
May -lo, 1S80, for *900. 



558 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



provement" on the map of connected drafts of 
surveys made by James Buclianan. 

The rest of the territory of Washington town- 
ship, except the eastern strips of three tracts already 
mentioned in Sugar Creek township, among which 
is the presently again-mentioned Adam Maxwell 
tract, consists of six tracts between the deprecia- 
tion line on the south and the large northern bend 
in the Allegheny river, which were warranted and 
settled thus : Archibald Denniston, warrantee, 
James Watterson, succeeded by William Holder, 
settler ; John Elliott, warrantee, John Foster, set- 
tler ; Robert Patrick, warrantee, James Craig, 
settler ; Samuel Kincade, warrantee, John Bowser, 
settler; Alexander Denniston, warrantee, Michael 
Guyer, settler ; William Denniston, warrantee, 
Hugh Gillespie, settler. These six tracts and the 
Adam Maxwell one became vested in Levi Hol- 
lingsworth, of Philadelphia, who entered into a 
written agreement, November 15, 1819,'with James 
Craig, John Foster, Hugh Gillespie and James 
Watterson, the terms and conditions of which 
were : These settlers having settled on several of 
these tracts, and desiring to compromise their 
respective claims, were to furnish Hollingsworth 
with the proper, necessary proof of the settlement 
of such tracts as they respectively had settled. 
The patents were to be issued in the names of the 
settlers for the warrantees, who were each to have 
150 acres of the tract he had thus settled, to in- 
clude the improvement he had made, and to be of 
equal quality with the rest of the tract, and to be 
included between parallel lines so as not to in- 
jure the rest of the tract, which was to be con- 
veyed to Hollingsworth or his assigns in fee 
simple, who was to refund to them their respective 
proportionate shares of the faxes which they had 
paid on the entire tracts. 

The southwestern one of these tracts adjoins the 
depreciation line on the south, and its central part 
is traversed from south to north by Denniston's 
run, the original name of Huling's or Riggle's 
run. The warrant for 376 acres and 71 perches 
was granted to Archibald, February 28, 1794, on 
which James Watterson settled a few years later, 
who was assessed with it, 2 horses and .3 cattle, in 
1804, at $248, and the next year with the same, 
less one cow, at $236. In October, 1815, he and 
William Holder entered into a written agreement, 
the terms of which were that Watterson should be 
at one-half of the expense and furnish one-half of 
the material for building a mill on this tract, then 
occupied by Holder, who was to furnish the other 
half for building and keeping it in repair, and to 
have the privilege of taking all the timber needed 



for its erection from this tract, and each party was 
bound in the penal sum of $100 for the due per- 
formance of his part of the contract. Holder 
erected a log mill, and was assessed with this tract 
from 1815 until 1817, when it was transferred from 
him to John Crawford. Watterson, it will be 
borne in mind, was one of the parties to the above- 
mentioned contract with Hollingsworth. The pat- 
ent for this tract was granted to Watterson, Febru- 
ary 7, 1820, who conveyed 205 acres and 59 perches 
of it to James McClatchey, March 25, 1843, prob- 
ably in pursuance of a previous agreement for the 
sale and purchase from Watterson to him, for he 
was first assessed with the gristmill thereon in 
1832-3, which was known as " McClatchey's mill" 
for tliirty years afterward, and which with 205 
acres and 59 perches McClatchey conveyed to 
George B. Sloan, April 7, 1863, which he conveyed 
to David Shields, April 9, 1864, for $4,050, who 
subsequently rebuilt the mill on an enlarged and 
improved scale, and it was known for several 
years as the Shields mill. He conveyed several 
parcels, aggregating 64 acres and 1 1 6 23erches, to 
Christopher, James and Thomas PI. Foster, Janu- 
ary 14, 1868, for $2,100, and D. S. Reed, sheriff, 
conveyed to Christopher and James Foster 50 acres, 
another parcel of Shield's land, April 4, 1868, for 
$1>445, which he sold on a judgment in favor of 
James Y. Foster for $346.84 of debt. Christopher 
and James Foster conveyed the undivided one- 
third part of 63 acres, that is of two of the first of 
the above-mentioned parcels, to James Y. Foster, 
May 13, 1869, for $4,590. The heirs of James Foster 
conveyed one undivided third of 193 acres, the 
" McClatchey mill property," to Thomas V. McKee, 
in 1875, for $8,200. The present steam and water 
mill with two runs of stone, was erected in 1868-9. 
Redick, Foster & Co. were first assessed as mer- 
chants here in 1866. The mill property was first 
assessed to James Foster & Co., in 1867 ; to Foster, 
McKee & Co., in 1873; to McKee & Foster, in 
1876, when MoKee & Litley were first assessed 
with their store. 

The Hollingsworth purpart of this tract became 
vested in McCall, whose heirs by Amos N. Mylert, 
their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 100 acres of the 
western part to Alexander Foster, August 10, 1848, 
for $100, which was included in his devises to his 
sons,* and to Robert Foster the rest of the tract, 
supposed to be 113 acres, after deducting Watter- 
son's 197 acres and 55 perches, and Alexander 
Foster's 100 acres, July 13, 1848, for $340. There 
must have been a surplus of nearly 39 acres in 
this tract. 



* See Sugar Creek. 



WASI 1 1 NGT( )N TOWNSHIP. 



Af)!) 



Adjoining the Denniston-Watterson tract is 
anotlier similar one, a rectangular parallelogram, 
lengthwise from the depreciation line north, war- 
ranted in the name of John Elliott, 382 acres, on 
which John Foster was the original settler, who 
was assessed with 400 acres in 1804, at 176, and the 
next year, at 184. He afterward resided per- 
manently on this tract, and his residence on the 
Watterson Ferry road was the beginning of the cir- 
cle for a circular fox hunt in the spring of 1828. 
It extended thence to Andrew Harshy's; thence to 
Henry Wiles'; thence to Thomas Hindman's; thence 
to Joseph Shields'; thence to John McDowell's; 
thence to Thomas Milliken's; thence to John 
Mateer's, and thence along the Watterson Ferry 
road to John Foster's, the entire circle being 
within the then limits of Sugar Creek township. 
The coming-in place was at Bushy run near the 
present site of the Templeton schoolhouse. The 
chronicles of these times do not state whether 
these huntsmen were silentljr intent upon encir- 
cling coveted game, or were too carelessly colloquial 
to prevent its escape.* They captured one deer, 
which they did not retain, and either five or seven 
foxes. 

The patent for this tract was granted to John 
Foster in 1837, who transferred the 150 acres to 
which he was entitled by the Hollingsworth agree- 
ment to his son Robert, November 19, 1850. 

The other purpart became vested in John 
Graham, of Butler, who conveyed 59 acres and 32^ 
perches to Thomas Morrow, February 28, 1853, for 
$181.85, who was the first postmaster of the Sher- 
rett postoffice, which was established here, August 
5, 1861, and was afterward removed to McKee & 
Foster's mills, D. C. Mobley being the present 
postmaster. 

Adjoining . that Elliott-Foster tract on the north 
is one like it, 423 acres, the warrant for which was 
granted to Robert Patrick, on which James Craig 
settled in 1815, when he was assessed with 100 
acres, 2 horses and 1 cow, at $51. In 1818 he was 
assessed with 350 acres, at $87.50, and was a party 
to the Hollingsworth agreement, and to whom the 
patent was granted in February, 1820. Robert Ran- 
dolph was assessed with 400 acres of it in 1826, at 
$200, and conveyed whatever interest he had in it 
to Robert Thompson, May 3, 1827, for $20, to whom 
it was not thereafter assessed. 

The Craig purpart consists of the northern por- 
tion, and still belongs to his heirs. The Hollings- 
worth purpart become vested in McCall's heirs 
who by Mylert, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 64 
acres and 125 perches off the south end to John 

* Vide Kittanning township. 



Foster, August 10, 1848, which he assigned to his 
son Robert, November 19, 1850. Mylert conveyed 
176 acres adjoining that Foster parcel on the north 
to John Graham, October 8, 1857, which he con- 
veyed to Rev. John Sherrett, a BajJtist clergyman, 
August 10, 1859, for $603.25, who released all his 
interest as tenant by courtesy to Mrs. Rose Ann 
Sherrett, August 4, " for a full and valuable con- 
sideration." They conveyed 33 acres and 119 
perches to Thomas Hopper, April 9, 1865, for $200; 
100 acres of this Sherrett parcel are now assessed 
to Mrs. Sarah Litley. 

Adjoining that Patrick-Craig tract on the west 
is one like it, 400 acres, warranted to Samuel Kin- 
kead, the patent for which was granted to John 
Foster February 7, 1820, the western part being tra- 
versed meanderingly by Denniston's run, on which 
John Bowser appears to have settled in 1815, and 
George Reickle, in the southern part, in 1825, on 
which the latter commenced building a grist- 
mill, which was never completed. Reickle acquired 
title to 159 acres — probably Foster's purpart, the 
records show not how — which, in proceedings in 
partition, was valued by the inquest, August 26, 
1859, at $1,000, at which it was taken by Henry 
Reickle, and was awarded to him by the decree of 
the proper court December 14. The other purpart 
became vested in Amos N. Mylevt, who agreed to 
sell it to John E. Barnaby June 30, 1851.' The lat- 
ter's interest in it passed by sheriff's sale to George 
B. Sloan, which he conveyed to John Graham De- 
cember 20, 1856, 120 acres of which the latter con- 
veyed to Georg J. Bert, July 29, 1861, for $870.24; 
49 atjres and 23 perches of which Bert conveyed to 
James McClatohey, October 10, 1863, for $300. 

Adjoining that Kinkead-Foster tract on the 
north is another, trapezoidal, nearly a rectangular 
parallelogram, 440 acres, extending lengthwise 
north to the Allegheny river, the warrant for which 
was granted to Alexander Denniston, the western 
part of which is meanderingly traversed by Den- 
niston's run, on which Michael Guyer was the 
original settler. He probably made an improve- 
ment and settlement on it prior to 1800. He was 
assessed with 200 acres, 1 horse and 4 cattle, in 
1804 and 1805, at $120, and as a potter in 1812. 
This entire tract was afterward assessed to him un- 
til 1817, when it was "transferred to Hugh Gilles- 
pie," that is, Guyer's interest in it. The patent 
for the whole tract was granted to Gillespie 
February 7, 1820, who was a party to the contract 
with Hollingsworth, whose interest became vested 
in McCall's heirs. J. G. McClatchey owned or was 
in possession at one time of 127 acres and 50 
perches, and William Holder 50 acres and 46 perches, 



5(30 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the two parcels aggregating 177 acres and 06 
perches of the southern part, conveyances either to 
or from whom are not on record. Mj'lert, as attor- 
ney-in-fact forMcCall's heirs and John E. Barnaby, 
agreed, June 30, 1851, to sell and jjurchase the rest 
of the Hollingsworth-McCall purpart, 2-34 acres 
and 75 perches, which Mylert conveyed to John 
Graham October 8, subject to Barnaby's interest, 
which afterward passed by sheriflf's sale to Samuel 
Owens and Darwin Phelps, which they conveyed 
to Graham December 1 2, 1855, which he reconveyed 
to them December 30, 1856, and which they con- 
veyed to Mary Stephens January 15, 1858, who, 
and her husband, Robert Stephens, granted the ore 
privilege and so much timber as was needed for 
mining the ore, to Thomas McCulIough and Alex- 
ander Reynolds April 25, 1863, and, subject to that 
grant, they conveyed 102 acres and 34 perches to 
Marius Hulings, Januai-y 10, 1865, for 1771, of 
which he conveyed the undivided fourteen- 
twentieths to Andrew Barron, Jacob Boolyer, S. 
A. Chamberlin, Evans Davis, William A. Lee, 
John Rees and Thomas Scundreth, November 28, 
at $40 pier aci'e. 

Gillespie appropriated the northeastern part of 
his purpart of thig, and the northwestern part of 
his parcel of the tract adjoining on the east, to a 
town, which he named Van Buren, after the then 
president — the eighth president — of the United 
States. This toAvn was surveyed or laid out by 
Gillespie, prior to March, and surveyed by J. E. 
Mei-edith^on Wednesday and Thursday, July 19 
and 20, 1837, "dry and very warm." The 96 in- 
lots were laid out in two sections, between which 
is a parcel containing territory for nine lots of 
various areas called the reserve. The first tier of 
lots in the section above, that is the tier nearest the 
river, are 62X100 feet; those in the second and 
third tiers, 62X95 feet; those in the fourth tier, 
62X92 feet. That first section bears along down 
the river north 75 degrees east, and back south 15 
degrees east. The section below the reserve bears 
down the river north 87 degrees east and back south 
3 degrees west. The area of each lot in the first 
tier is 62|X100 feet; in the second tier, 62-|-X95; 
in the third tier, 62+X93. The streets parallel 
with the river are Back, Carroll, 30 feet wide, and 
Water. Those extending back from Water, First, 
Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth, each 18 
feet wide. The alleys, Bredin and Jackson, paral- 
lel with the river, 12 feet wide. The gristmill and 
sawmill lots, each 10 acres, are several rods above 
the mouth of Denniston's run. The twelve out-lots 
each 4X40 rods, are several rods below the lower 
section of in-lots, on the adjoining tract. 



Gillespie conveyed in-lots Nos. 52 and 53 to 
Marcus Hulings, March 8, 1837, for |18 and |13, 
respectively, and one of those mill-lots, 10 acres, 
August 21, 1847, for $200, "with the privilege of 
using the stream of water running through from 
the line of the same to the Allegheny river," 
probably in pursuance of a previous agreement, for 
Hulings had erected his grist and saw mills thereon 
in 1845. 

The records do not show how many other lots 
and to whom Gillespie sold. Pie conveyed his 
remaining interest in this purpart and other 50 
acres and 20 perches to the Brady's Bend Iron 
Company, April 20, 1849, for $1,282.38. James 
Craig purchased in-lots Nos. 45, 46 and 95, which 
he conveyed to John Craig, which the latter con- 
veyed to William P. Connor, February 4, 1851, for 
$100, who conveyed them to JohnE. Barnaby, May 
9, 1853, for $75. A number of them became vested 
in Nicholas Liebling, who conveyed Nos. 33, 35, 
38, 40, 41, 48 to Barnaby, September 25, 1853, for 
$120, and Nos. 49, 55, 56 and the reserve, April 
14, 1854, for $105, of which Nos. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 
43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 55 were sold on John Thomas' 
judgment against Barnaby, and conveyed by Jo- 
seph Clark, sherifl:, to Samuel Weir, December 12, 
1855, for $55, who otherwise acquired four others, 
for he conveyed the eleven last-mentioned ones and 
Nos. 33, 34, 50 and 56 to John Truby, Jr., Septem- 
ber 28, 1859, for $107.26. Truby conveyed lot No. 
28 to Mary Montgomery, February 22, 1860, for 
$1. A much larger number of lots was owned by 
John Truby than those above mentioned, over 30 
which were afterward assessed to Henry Crum. 
Twenty-three were for a few years assessed to 
Simon Truby, Jr. The first and only resident phy- 
sician at Van Buren is Dr. A. M. Barnaby, who 
settled here in 1867. The first separate assessment 
list was in 1838, on which are the names of eighteen 
owners of lots, some of one and others of several, 
more or less. It never attained the inagnitude 
and importance which its founder undoubtedly 
desired and anticipated. 

The most important industrial enterprise in this 
place was the large cooperage business carried on 
by Barnaby, William Geddes and John Meyer, 
who entered into a copartnership for the term of 
five years, from April 1, ] 853, for carrying on " the 
business of coopering and all things thereto belong- 
ing, buying and selling all goods necessary for 
carrying on this business." 

The assessment list for 1876 shows only six or 
seven taxables, 1 of whom is a physician, 3 are la- 
borers, and 1 a brakeman. 

Adjoining that Denniston-McGuyer tract on the 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



r^CA 



k 



east is one similar, 440 acres, for wliich tlie war- 
rant was granted to William Deniiiston, February 
28, 1794, on which the original settler was probably 
James McClatchey, Sr., that is, the first James Mc- 
Clatchey, Sr., for after his death his son James be- 
came Sr. Indeed James has been a continuous 
name in the McClatcTiey family. The first one, as 
before stated, was assessed with 600 acres, which 
must have included this tract and the one between 
it and the river. He was, perhaps, employed by 
James Watterson to keep up the settlement to 
enable him to procure the patent for it, which was 
granted to him June 28, 1837. The Hollingsworth 
purpart becam.e vested in McCall's heirs, who by 
their attorney-in-fact conveyed 240 acres of the 
southern part to William McClatchey, July 12, 
1848, for $700, which he conveyed to Joseph 
Thomas, October .3, for $1,100, two parcels of 
which, 25 acres and 32 perches, and 115 acres and 
128 perches, he conveyed to John E. Barnaby, June 
10, 1849, for $500; 115 acres of which, more or 
less. Sheriff Clai-k conveyed to John Graham, of 
Butler, December 20, 1855, for $495; of which 15 
acres were cleared and on which a coalbank had 
been opened — which Graham conveyed to George 
Swisher, March 10, 1860, for |1,002, and which 
Swisher conveyed to Thomas McCulloch and 
Alexander Reynolds, April 4, 1863, for $1,400, and 
which is now a part of the Red Bank Furnace 
property. Another parcel of this tract which 
Barnaby had purchased was conveyed by Sheriff 
Clark as containing 75 acres, of which 70 were 
cleared and fenced, 12 in meadow, and on which 
there were a two-story plank dwelling-house and 
kitchen attached, and barn, etc., to Jonathan H. 
Sloan, December 5, 1855, for $1,380, who conveyed 
to H. A. S. D. Dudley, October 24, 1861, for $1,700. 
The same parcel was conveyed by Sheriff Sloan to 
E. S. Golden, who purchased for H. A. S. D. Dud- 
ley the interest of Barnaby, William Geddes and 
John Meyer, December 8, 1860, for $25, which 
Dudley conveyed to S. J. Carr, June 30, 1863, for 
$1,500; the judgment on which this last sale was 
made being against the defendants as copartners. 
Thomas conveyed 101 acres of this purjjart to 
Benjamin and John Fellows, July 26, 1849, for 
$1,200. Benjamin released his interest to John, 
May 22, 1858, who conveyed this entire parcel to 
McCulloch and Reynolds, June 23, 1864, for $3,900, 
and which is now a part of the Red Bank Furnace 
property. Thomas also conveyed 40 acres to Will- 
iam Lambert, July 26, 1849, for $400, 6 acres of 
which he agreed, July 27, to sell to Mary Wilkin- 
son, and which John Morris, his administrator, in 
pursuance of a decree of the proper court for the 



specific performance of that agreement, conveyed 
to her. The rest of this parcel was conveyed by 
A. J. Montgomery, trustee, in proceedings in parti- 
tion by virtue of an order of the orphans' court to 
sell to Levi Ilenkey, June 17, 1871, for $40. 

McCall's heirs by Mylert conveyed 50 acres and 
20 perches of the northwestern part of this tract 
to Hugh Gillespie, April 4, 1849, for $1, on the 
northwestern part of which are the 1 2 out-lots in the 
town of Van Buren. Gillespie conveyed this par- 
cel to the Brady's Bend Iron Company, April 20. 

James Watterson conveyed his purpart of this 
tract, J51 acres and 40 perches, a hexagonal parcel, 
mostly in the northeastern part of the tract, to 
Henry Watterson, May 16, 1833, for £125, "Penn- 
sylvania currency," in the northeastern jjart of 
which, opposite them outh of Red Bank creek, the 
latter laid out the town of Wattersonville, which 
was surveyed oft' into 44 lots by Marcus Hulings, 
Jr., August 6, 1842. No. 25 contains 20 perches; 
No. 27, 34 perches; No. 28, 19 perches; No. 32, 35 
perches. The area of each of the rest is 4X6 
perches. The streets parallel to the river are 
Water, McConnell and Fish; those extending from 
Water to Fish are Apple, Market and Mulberry. 
The two alleys are parallel to Water, McConnell 
and Pish streets. The first sale of a lot on record 
is that of No. 1, to James Pinks, March 1, 1856, 
fpr $25. He sold lots from time to time until 
October 31, 1871, when he conveyed Nos. 18 and 
23 to William Hileman, for $175. If deeds for all 
the lots which he sold before his deatfc are on 
record, the aggregate amount of sales is $1,- 
938.67. The first separate assessment list of Wat- 
tersonville was in 1862, when there were only three 
taxables; the valuation of real estate, $920, and of 
personal property, $106. John Donnell opened his 
store here in 1865. The assessment list for 1876 
shows the number of taxables to be 39; occupations 
— laborers, 6 ; car insjjectors, 2; agent, 1; black- 
smith, 1 ; carpenter, 1 ; dentist, 1 ; engineer, 1 ; 
freight agent, 1 ; innkeeper, 1 ; operator, 1 ; tinner, 1 ; 
tool-dresser, 1. 

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized 
here in 18 — . 

The church edifice, frame, one story, was erected 
on ground that belonged to James Watterson, who 
conveyed 41 square perches to Alexander N. Chil- 
cott, George W. Cousins, F. A. Dietrich, John 
Donnell, John M. Perkins, Andrew Sehall and 
George Steen, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal 
church of Wattersonville, and their successors in 
office, for church purposes. May 30, 1872, for $100. 
The public schoolhouse is situated at the upper 
part of the town. Watterson conveyed other or 



562 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



rural portions of the land purchased from James 
Watterson in small parcels at various times before 
his death for $4,864.46, if the deeds for all the 
parcels which were sold are recorded.* Among 
these conveyances was that of one-half acre about 
half a mile below Wattersonville, along the public 
road, to the school directors, for $1. 

Occupations of the inhabitants of Washington 
township other than agricultural, and exclusive of 
Van Buren and Wattersonville, in IS'JQ : Laborers, 
56 ; carpenters, 4 ; blacksmiths, 3 ; plasterer, 1 ; 
merchant, 1 ; wagon maker, 1. According to the 
mercantile appraiser's list for the same year there 
were then 2 merchants in the thirteenth and 3 
in the fourteenth class. 

The population of this township including that 
of Van Bureu and Wattersonville, in 1860, was : 
white, 988. In 1870, native, 1,140 ; foreign, 40. 
Taxables, in 1876, 340. 

Schools. — In 1860, numberj^ 6; average number 
of months taught, 4 ; male teachers, 6 ; average sal- 
aries per month, $18,50 ; m.ale scholars, 175 ; female 
scholars, 185 ; average number attending school, 
168 ; cost of teaching each per month, 61 cents. 
Levied for school purposes, |597.58 ; received from 
collectors, $880.33 ; cost of instruction, $444 ; cost 
of fuel, etc., $84.55. In 1876: Schools, 8; aver- 
age number of months taught, 5 ; male teachers, 
7 ; female teachers, 1 ; average salaries of male 

* He left about 12 acres which John Donnell, his executor, by vir- 
tue of an order of the orphans' court, sold for the payment of debts, 
which he conveyed to William Donnell, August 3, 1880, for $600. 



and female per month, $33 ; male scholars, 220 I 
female scholars, 170; average number attending 
school, 240 ; cost per month, 61 cents ; levied for 
school and building purposes, $2,531.32 ; received 
from state appropriation, $272.49 ; from taxes and 
other sources, $2,419.25 ; paid for teachers' wages, 
$1,122; fuel and other expenses, $1,569.74. The 
people of this township voted, February 28, 1873, 
on the license question— for, 77 ; against, 59. 

Geological. — Says Piatt : The surface rocks are 
mainly the lower productions in the highlands. 
Along the river from the mouth of Red Bank 
to the mouth of Mahoning and beyond oppo- 
site Templeton the conglomerate and sub-con- 
glomerate measures occupy the greater part, of the 
slopes. The upper Freeport coal is known only in 
the southeastern, part of the township, unless there 
is a small patch of it on the extreme hilltop over- 
looking Watterson 's ferry. The lower Kittanning 
coal is the bed chiefly worked, but the upper Kit- 
tanning also assumes prominence in places. The 
free ferriferous limestone supplies its iron ore. 
Both are valuable and have been worked along 
Limestone run from the Lutheran church across 
into East Franklin township. 

Structure. — An anticlinal axis extends through 
the southeastern portion of the township, crossing 
the river near the mouth of Mahoning. Another 
and similar axis crosses the northwestern corner of 
the township, so that the central part of the area 
lies within its synclinal. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



BRADY'S BEND. 



Erection and Organization in 1845 — First OfBcers Elected — Successive Owners of and Residents on the several 
Land Tracts — The Great AVestern Iron AA'orks and Brady's Bend Iron Company — Mention of Founders and 
Managers. 

Samuel M. Bell, Daniel Kemerer, M. C. Sedwick, 
John A. Thompson and John Triiby, school direct- 
ors — thei'e was a tie vote between Peter Brenne- 
nan and Joseph King; Thomas Donaldson, over- 
seer of tlie poor — a tie vote between Jacob Mil- 
lison, Patrick Mehan, Andrew McKee and M. C. 
Sedwick; Samuel M. Bell, townshij) clerk; Thos. 
Donaldson and John Quinn, fence viewers. 

In the southwestern part of what is now Brady's 
Bend township is a strip of the northern part of 
South " Campbelltown," mentioned in Sugar Creek 
township, and the whole of a similar tract, a rec- 
tangular parallelogram, lengthwise from south to 
north, 436 acres and 108 perches, warranted to 
James T. Campbell, whose interest became vested 
in Charles Campbell, to whom the patent was 
granted simultaneously with the one adjoining it 
on the south, to distinguish it from which it is here 
called Xorth " Campbelltown," which with South 
" Campbelltown," it will be remembered, Campbell 
conveyed to Nicholas Allimong's executors in 
trust for his legatees. These executors conveyed 
88 acres to Margaret Yorkey, wife of Abraham 
Yorkey, which they conveyed to Adam Kemerer, 
October 29, 1811, for $80. Those executors con- 
veyed 149 acres at the same time, August 19, 1809, 
to Barbara Lauffer, which she probably conveyed 
to Adam Kemerer. Jacob Allimong conveyed 
53^ acres of the parcel devised to him to Kemerer 
June 8, 1811, for $142.66, who was first assessed in 
Sugar Creek township, of which this was then a' 
part, with 266 acres in 1816, at $130.25. The par- 
cel which he purchased from Mrs. Yorkey he 
conveyed to David Kemerer May 20, 1818, who 
conveyed it, as containing 96 acres, to Samuel 
Kamerer, January 18, 1869, for $250. This entire 
tract appears to belong to the Kamerers, except 
.the portion owned by Adam Barnhart. 

Adjoining North " Campbelltown" on the north 
is a square tract, 400 acres, the warrant for 
which was granted to David Nixon, probably in 
1794, on which George King appears to have made 
an early improvement and settlement. He and 
Leonharte Kealor entered into a written acrreement 



BRADY'S BEND township was organized by 
virtue of the 59th section of the act of April 
16, 1845, and bounded thus: Beginning at a point 
on the Allegheny river, where the line dividing- 
Perry and Sugar Creek townships stretches (touch- 
es) the same; thence by the line of Perry township 
to the Butler county line; thence by the Butler 
county line to the house of Daniel Kemerer, or 
near it; thence by a direct line to the Allegheny 
river, at the mouth of Snyder's i-un, on the farm of 
Thomas Templeton; and thence by the Allegheny 
river to the place of beginning. The citizens of 
this township were authorized to hold the general 
and township elections at the house then occupied 
by John R. Johnston, and to elect township officers 
and two justices of the peace, as provided for other 
townships, on Saturday, July 6, 1845, at Johnston's, 
who were to hold their offices until the then next 
spring election — notice of that special election to 
be given by the constable of Sugar Creek town- 
ship. By the act of April 11, 1850, the place of 
holding elections was changed to schoolhouse No. 
4, "near the public house kept by James Morrison," 
where they are still held. 

At the election July 6, 1845, the following citi- 
zens were elected to the various offices: Joseph 
King and John A. Thompson, justices of the 
peace; Daniel B. Balliet, constable: Andrew Kay- 
ler and Andrew McKee, supervisors; Ephraim 
Myers, judge of election; George Duncan and 
William Hagerson, inspectors of election; William 
H. Davis, Daniel Kemerer, Jacob Millison, Robert 
A. Phillips, John Truby and Simon Wiles, school 
directors; James E. Crawford and Thomas Don- 
aldson, overseers of the poor; Thomas S. Johnston, 
township clerk. Four persons had each 1 vote for 
township auditor. 

At the spring election, 1846: Daniel B. Balliet, 
constable; IJeter Kemerer, judge of election; 
Leonard Rumbaugh and John Truby, inspectors of 
election; Andrew Kayler and Andrew McKee, 
supervisors; James Summerville, assessor; Joseph 
King and Matthias C. Sedwick, assistant assessors; 
Hugh Moore and John Wiles, township auditors; 



564 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



February 1, 1815, for the sale and purchase of 200 
acres of it for $200, each to bear one-lialf the 
expense of the survey and patent. If there should 
prove to be an excess of more than 50 acres within 
the designated boundaries, Kealer was to pay $2 
an acre for such excess, and defray one-third of the 
expense of the patent. They mutually bound 
themselves in the penal sum of $300 for the due 
performance each of his part of the contract. 
Peter Kealer was assessed with a sawmill on this 
tract, first in 181V. John McCullough, of the 
adjoining township of Donnegal, had some interest 
in or claim to this tract, that he had acquired from 
Jacob and John Spangler " by article of bargain 
and sale," which he conveyed to King August 15, 
1816, for $150. The Spanglers' interests in lands 
in this region originated thus : John Elliott, Jr., 
of Derry, Westmoreland county, was empowered by 
John Denniston and McCall to settle their bodies 
of lands on the waters of Buffalo and Sugar creeks. 
He as their agent entered into an agreement May 
27 and June 23, 1796, with James Craig, George 
and John Spangler, and nearly twenty others. He 
agreed that each party who signed that agreement 
should have 200 acres of the tract on which he 
should settle. Each settler was to pay his own 
share of the purchase money due the common- 
wealth, to live at least five years on and cultivate 
not less than 8 acres of his chosen tract, and 
the parties were mutually bound in the penal sum 
of £100 for the performance of their respective 
parts of the contract, and that there was no prior 
claim to the land. 

King conveyed 20 acres to John Richard, May 
18, 1818, for $80, on which he was first assessed 
with his carding machine, in 1822. 

George King conveyed 70 acres of this tract, 
October 24, 1818, to Jonathan King, Sr., for $3.50 
per acre. This tract was sold by Robert Brown, 
county treasurer, for taxes, and conveyed by him 
to Joseph Brown September 17, 1816, as a tract of 
400 acres "surveyed on a warrant to John 
Spangler." Joseph Brown conveyed it to Alexan- 
der Colwell January 24, 1818, who conveyed to 
Daniel Torringer 100 acres, to James Torringer 100 
acres, to Andrew Kayler 70 acres and to Jacob 
Kayler 40 acres, those being the quantities of which 
they were respectively in possession, September 15, 
1832, for $71. Nixon's warrant, having been prior 
to Spangler's, prevailed. Nixon's interest became 
vested in McCall, to whom the patent was granted 
December 6, 1827. He conveyed August 8, 1829 : 
To Samuel McCartney, 115 acres, more or less, for 
$76f , which he conveyed to John Y. McCartney, 
November 13, 1853, a part of which, on which is 



the Torringer schoolhouse, with some that he had 
bought from John Sybert, in all 150 acres and 67 
perches, he conveyed to Joseph Torringer, Febru- 
ary 20, 1856, for $2,000^ where he was first assessed 
with a fulling-mill, in 1 844, afterward with 1 and 
then with 2 carding machines, and last as a 
" woolen," in 1867, and with a store in 1868 ; Mc- 
Call to Daniel Torringer, a pai-cel of which the 
latter conveyed, 18 acres and 47 perches, to Jonas 
Grove, November 19, 1863, for $262 ; McCall to 
James Torringer, 100 acres, which the latter con- 
veyed to Michael Barnliart, July 11, 1837, on which 
was a schoolhouse, built while this was in Sugar 
Creek township, which he conveyed to Moses 
Copier August 17, 1839, and which he conveyed to 
Isaac Myers, April 27, 1850, for $800, which Myers 
conveyed to John Barr, January 5, 1865, and 
he to Daniel Carney, April 14, 1871, for $3,500; 
McCall to Jacob Kayler, a parcel of which the lat- 
ter conveyed, 38 acres and 121 perches, to Thomas 
Butler, September 13, 1866, for $425 ; McCall to 
Jacob King, 42 acres, for $36. McCall's heirs, by 
Lloyd Mifflin, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 70 
acres and 74 perches to John Y. McCartney, July 
26, 1843, for $1 and other land conveyed to them 
by him the same day, 66 acres of which he con- 
veyed to John Wassol, July 1, 1848, for $125. A 
portion of this tract, consisting of several parcels, 
was included in the conveyance from McCall's 
heirs to William F. Johnston. He conveyed one of 
them, 42 acres and 95 perches, to Thomas Butler, 
July 5, 1849, for $510; another, 50 acres and 64 
perches, to Henry Fennel, October 10, 1863, for 
$684.18, 45 acres and 64 perches of which Christo- 
pher Fennel conveyed to Matthias Olcus, July 6, 
1870, for $1,800 ; Johnston to Jacob Snow, Octo- 
ber 10, 1863,106acres and 110 perches, for $1,280.18, 
5 acres of which Elizabeth Snow conveyed to 
Christopher Fennel, November 1, 1867, for $200. 
The mineral rights were excepted in those several 
conveyances from Johnston and in the subsequent 
ones. 

Adjoining that Nixon-Spangler tract on the 
north is a similar one, extending to the Perry 
township line, the warrant for which was granted 
to Thomas Elder, probably in 1794, whose interest 
became vested in McCall. 

Adjoining that Elder-McCall tract on the east 
is a similar one, 405 acres, for which the warrant 
was granted to John B. Elder, oa which John 
Linaberger was the original settler, and with 
which he was assessed in 1804 and 1805, at $100, 
and the next year, with the land and one cow, at 
$106. He acquired title to the settler's share, 
which descended to his children. Eli Linaberger 




ThCViAvS eU'i LER. 



BRADY'S BEND TOWNSHIP. 



na; 



released his interest in J 50 acres of the northern 
part to liis brother John, January 29, 1859, for 
$50, and Adam Linaberger released his interest 
to John, March 2, for §00, with the major part of 
which the latter is still assessed. The patent for 
this tract was granted to McCall, March 9, 1820, 
whose heirs conveyed 285 acres and 80 perches 
more or less to William F. Johnston, who conveyed 
50 acres and 97 perches to William Torringer, 
October 5, 1854, for $607.50, and 135 acres and 118 
perches to Jacob J. Hallabaugh, for $1,608.10. 
Matthew Smith, of Fairview, Butler county, had a 
claim to 200 acres of the southern part, which 
appears to have been recognized as valid, which 
William G. Watson, who was appointed a trustee 
by the orphans' court of this county, conveyed to 
William MoGarvey, in trust for Smith's heirs, 
March 22, 1854, for $500, who conveyed 75 acres 
and 20 perches to George Heath, December 5, 
1855, for $806, which his executors sold by order 
of the proper court for the payment of debts, and 
conveyed to John Lloyd, March 2, 1858, for $802. 

McGarvey, as trustee, conveyed 136 acres and 24 
perches to Joseph Jenkins, July 6, 1865, for 
$1,413.40. 

Adjoining that Spangler-McCall tract on the 
south is a similar one, 439 acres and 118 perches, 
on which George Spangler was the original settler, 
with 400 hundred acres of which and 2 cows he 
was assessed in 1804 at $120, and the next year, 
with the land and 1 cow, at $190. He applied to 
the land oiBce and obtained a warrant for that 
quantity May 3, 1814, which was surveyed to him 
September 3, for which the patent was granted 
November 22, 1816. He conveyed 302 acres and 
140 perches to Henry Sybert, January 3, 1817, for 
$957 "in hand paid." He had probably settled on 
this parcel several years before, for he was assessed 
with a mill and 1 cow on the Sugar Creek town- 
ship list in 1812, and afterward with a grist and 
sawmill. In 1830 he died, and the land and the 
gristmill were noted as transferred to his heirs 
on the assessment list, after which it was assessed 
to Adam Sybert until 1834-5. A second patent 
for this entire tract was granted to McCall, Decem- 
ber 6, 1827. Mrs. David Rumbaugh, Daniel and 
Barnard Sybert conveyed their interest in 30 
acres to John Truby, in 1843, for $400. Bernard 
Sybert conveyed his interest in 33 acres "and 
the old mill seat, race and dam, and all the land 
alleged to have belonged" thereto, "and all the 
water privilege of the creek passing through the 
land." Hamilton Kelly as trustee conveyed Daniel 
Sybert's interest to Truby, January 14, 1859. 
Truby conveyed one-half his interest to David and 



Michael Truby, which they conveyed to Simon 
Truby, Jr., February 24, 1800, to whom Jonathan 
Myers, sheriff, conveyed John Truby's interest, 
which, 30 acres and 120 perches, the latter conveyed 
to Joseph Rodgers, September 6, 1864, for $4,000. 
Eighteen acres a short distance below, on Sugar 
Creek, became vested in Peter Brenneman, on which 
he opened his store in 1874. In the near vicinity of 
this mill, chiefly along the creek, is a population 
dense and numerous enough for a town or village, 
in which are, in 1876, 2 stores and 3 hotels. 

McCall's heirs conveyed another portion of this 
tract, 63 acres and 75 perches, to Sebastian Sybert, 
which he conveyed to Michael McClosky, May 23, 
1853, for $700, six parcels of which, aggregating 
48 aoi'es and 82 perches, he and his widow sold to 
various parties, from December 7, 1854, till October 
4, 1867, for $1,488.80, besides leasing 10 acres to a 
coal company, October 17, 1863, who were to 
pay him 15 cents per ton of clear merchantable 
coal taken therefrom. 

George Sj^angler conveyed 145 acres and 44 
perches in the form of a trapezoid, partly in the 
eastern but chiefly in the southeastern j)art of 
this tract, to John Barnhart, April 25, 1829, for 
$435. McCall's heirs compromised with Barn- 
hart, John Y. McCartney, and Henry Sybert's 
heirs, July 26, 1843, for a nominal money con- 
sideration and the mutual exchanges of certain 
parcels of this and another tract. 

Adjoining that Spangler-McCall tract on the 
south is a similar one, 400 acres, the warrant for 
which was granted to James C. Campbell, a por- 
tion of whose land history is given* in the sketch 
of Sugar Creek tOAvnship, a considerable portion of 
its southern part being still in that township. The 
warrantee's interest became vested in Charles 
Campbell. Its original settler was Jonathan King, 
who was assessed with 200 acres, 1 horse and 3 cat- 
tle in 1804, at $148, and with the same and an ad- 
ditional horse the next year, at $158. He was re- 
siding on this tract when he was elected the second 
sheriff of this county in 1808. After the close of 
his term, on being asked if he had made or saved 
any money from the income of his office, replied 
that he had not, but that he had had " a good liv- 
ing" during his term. He was in his early life a 
soldier in the revolutionary war, and was at the 
time of his death, which occurred here June 16, 
1837, aged 79 years 8 months and 14 days. There 
is not any conveyance on record of any part of this 
tract either to or from him, which was on his 
tenure when Jacob Mechling conveyed it to Daniel 
Stannard, December 7, 1828, when 100 acres were 

* See Sugar Creek township. 



56(1 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



cleared, and there were on it four cabiu-houses and 
a cabin-barn. Dr. Gilpin conveyed 90 acres of the 
part in this township to Abraham F. Myers, March 
25, 1858, for $975; 31 acres and 40 perches to 
David T. Lewis, December 24, 1859, for $468.75, 
and Lewis to Thomas W. George, October 18, 1862, 
for $331; Gilpin to Jacob Ellenberger, 70 acres, 
March 15, 1848, and he to Isaac Myers, April 9, 
1861, for $1,400; Gilpin to Thomas W. Ginge, 155 
acres, March 25, 1858, for $2,3^33.75; he to William 
Llewellyn and William P. E. Stevens, 131 acres 
and 60 perches, January 23, 1863, and they to 
David, John and William Williams, July 22, 1863, 
for $2,364.75; Gilpin to Philip King, 25 acres, 
partly in Sugar Creek township, February 19, 1840, 
for $10, which King by his will, dated August 12, 
and registered August 24, 1842, devised to his son- 
in-law and daughter, John and Mary Yockey, which 
they conveyed to John Jenkins, April 8, 1845, for 
$170, and which he conveyed to Joseph Hertwick, 
May 1, 1869, for $1,450. If there have been other 
conveyances of parcels of this tract by Gilpin they 
have not been recorded. 

The early history of the next tract east of that 
Campbell-King one has already been given.* John 
Weil conveyed 76 acres and 26 perches, chiefly in 
what is now Brady's Bend township, in two par- 
cels, to Benjamin Swain, May 8, 1820, for $437. 
Swain's interest in about 78 acres was sold by 
Robert Robinson, sheriff, on a judgment against 
Swain in favor of Alexander Colwell, to whom the 
sheriff conveyed that quantity, December 19, 1821, 
for $101, on which there were then a cabin-house 
and barn and about 20 acres cleared, and which 
Colwell conveyed to James Summerville, Jr., March 
25, 1834, for $250. Adjoining that Swain parcel 
on the east were the 260 acres which Weil conveyed 
to John Crawford, May 8, 1820, for $549, which the 
latter conveyed to Jonathan Mortimer, January 10, 
1832, for $1,000, on which the latter built a fourth- 
rate log gristmill in 1833, which and 91 acres and 
145 perches he conveyed to William Holder, Nov- 
ember 4, 1845, for $1, and a deed for 101 acres and 
55 perches of other land, after which the run on 
which that mill was situated was called Holder's 
run. Holder conveyed 2f acres to James Sum- 
merville, May 23, 1846, for $18, and 50 acres, ex- 
cept 1 acre marked to David Boyes, to Jacob and 
John Millison, September 15, 1858, for $300, and 
15 acres with the gristmill and water privileges, 
excepting the mineral j^rivilege, to George Howser, 
April 17, 1860, for $900, which he conveyed to 
James Summerville, October 4, 1865, for $1,000. 

Moi'timer conveyed 72 acres of his purchase 

* See Sugar Creek. 



from Crawford to F. W. Redmond, January 13, 
1844, for $430.61. 

Next north is a similar tract, covered by a war- 
rant to John Nixon, February 3, 1794, on which 
Nicholas Snow was the original settler, with 63 
acres of which and 1 cow he was assessed in 1804 
and 1805 at $41.20, and in later years with 400 
acres. Whether Snow purchased Nixon's interest 
is not manifest from the records. If he did not, 
he acquired a title to the whole tract by improve- 
ment and occupancy. By section 5 of the act of 
April 18, 1853, the surveyoi'-general was authorized 
to issue a patent on payment of office fees and any 
balance of purchase-money that might be due, to 
Nicholas Snow's heirs, or to his administrators, for 
their use, for this tract which he owned and on 
which he resided at the time of his death, contain- 
ing 405 acres and 112 perches, more or less. The 
patent was accordingly granted to J. Alexander 
Fulton, administrator, for the use of those heirs. 
Nicholas Snow, before his death, which occurred 
prior to May 29, 1852, when his administrator was 
appointed, agreed to sell parcels of this tract to his 
sons and others, but did not execute the deeds there- 
for, but which were subsequently executed and de- 
livered bj^ the administrator by virtue of the decrees 
of the proper court for the specific performance of 
the decedent's agreements. He conveyed 45 acres 
to James Sage, August 6, 1853, for $90; 57 acres 
and 24 perches to James Parker, September 12, for 
$114.30; 10 acres to the Brady's Bend Iron Com- 
pany. Jacob Snow conveyed parcels of his portion 
thus: 44 acres and 84 perches to Daniel Jenkins, 
May 11, 1858, for $890, and 32 acres and 88 perches 
to John E. Rees, November 19, 1856, for $552, 
which (39-j acres) the latter conveyed to David R. 
Lewis, March 14, 1865, for $1,000. Samuel Snow 
conveyed 48 acres of his share to Chai-les Boyle 
September 13, 1854, which the latter conveyed to 
Patrick Cusick, September 23, 1857, for $550. 
Sage conveyed his parcel to Henry Dyerman and 
Harrison Miller, November 19, 1856, for $850, who 
made an amicable partition April 4, 1859, by which 
Miller took 21 acres and 118 perches, which he 
conveyed to John Snow, Jr., Apiil 8, 1859, for 
$6,400. 

Adjoining that Nixon-Snow tract on the east is 
a similar one, covered by the warrant to Simon 
Nixon, February 3, 1794, who conveyed his interest 
in it to Jacob Millison, to whom the patent was 
granted March 25, 1816, who conveyed 405 acres 
and 112 perches to the Brady's Bend Iron Company, 
September 17, 1845, for $3,000. It was afterward 
ascertained that a small parcel of 11^ square 
perches, diminutive as it was in quantity, was 



BRADY'S BEND TOWNSHIP. 



5(1 7 



nevertheless important on account of its locality, 
for then every site for a store or other business 
stand outside that company's lands was eagerly 
sought, was not included in that conveyance, and 
which Millison conveyed to his sons, John and 
Jacob, April 23, 1846, for $1. Millison was the 
original settler on this tract. He was assessed 
with it and 2 cows in 1804, at $132, and the next 
year with 1 horse and 2 cattle besides, at $156. 
After his sale to that company he removed to what 
is now Valley township.* 

Adjoining that Nixon-Millison tract on the south- 
is the one heretofore mentioned,f a portion of 
which is in this township, included in the sale of 
Samuel and William Crawford to William P. 
Johnston, parcels of which he conveyed to Richard 
Charles, Thomas Griffith, Evan A. James, William 
Hart, Adam Myers, John McBride, John Richards 
and Paul Rosser, most of whom have transferred 
their interests to others. There are on this part 
of the Johnston purchase a dozen or more houses, 
two stores and a hotel. 

Adjoining the northern part of that McCoy- 
Moyers-Crawford-Johnston tract in this township 
is the northern part of James McCoy-Frederick 
Shoop tract, heretofoi'e mentioned, 112 acres of 
which Shoop conveyed to Jacob Hepler, October 19, 
182.5, which he conveyed to F. W. Redmond, June 
26, 1846, for $1,500, except 6 acres and 40 perches 
which he had conveyed to Andrew Snyder. 

Adjoining the northeastern part of that Shoop 
tract is a hexagonal one, 297 acres, covered by a 
warrant to David McCoy, February 3, 1794, whose 
interest became vested in Jacob Hepler, to whom 
the patent was granted August 6, 1836, 150 acres 
of which he conveyed to Leonard Rumbaugh, Sep- 
tember 9, 1837, for $150, 57 acres of which and the 
ore and coal on 100 acres Rumbaugh conveyed to 
Philander Raymond, of Geauga county, Ohio, Feb- 
ruary 4, for $10; Hepler to Raymond, February 16, 
1839, 57 acres and 157 perches, February 16, 1839, 
for $145; and 100 acres to F. W. Redmond, 
June 26, 1846, for $1,500, in pursuance of an agree- 
ment, made June 2, 1845, who conveyed 106 acres 
and 40 perches to Raymond, December 29, 1846, 
for $3,000. This tract has been chiefly occupied 
by the operatives of the Brady's Bend Iron 
Company, who were engaged in working the Sum- 
mit colliery, the coke yard and the Greenfield ore 
hill, which are on it. 

Passing over to the deep eastern horseshoe bend, 
the first above Brady's bend, is a tract, 350 acres, 
covered by a warrant to John Denniston, which 



* See Valley township. 

t See Siignr Creek townsliip. 



was early settled by John Weems (Major), who 
was assessed with 400 acres in 1804 and 1805 at 
$160. He conveyed his jnterest in it to Sarah 
Weems, April 26, 1807, who afterward married 
Francis Lease. They conveyed to William Fer- 
guson, May 12, 1820, for $16 per acre. The patent 
was, however, granted to Charles Campbell, who 
conveyed 150 acres to Ferguson, February 6, 1826, 
for $375, which and 94 acres in Toby township he 
conveyed to Andrew Grinder, March 21, 1832, for 
$574, and which the latter conveyed to Henry 
Sybert, 'April 3, 1845, for $2,800, who laid out five 
lots varying in quantity from 1 to 10 acres. He hav- 
ing died intestate in 1863-4, proceedings in parti- 
tion were instituted. The inquest valued this par- 
cel, exclusive of those five lots, July 12-13, 1864, 
at $11,018.75. It having been suggested that a 
portion of the land is claimed absolutely, the court 
ordered, December 14, 1864, that proceedings be 
stayed until the title should be tried by an actioli 
of ejectment, and if that should not be brought 
within three months the right would be adjudged 
against the demandants. 

Chambers Orr, sheriff, conveyed 200 acres, the 
Campbell purpart of this tract, to Matthew Pugh 
and John Truby, Jr., March 20, 1835, for $600. 
They conveyed 90 acres to John Richards, which 
they had purchased for him, Aj)ril 28, 1844, for 
$1, which (97 acres and 60 perches) he conveyed to 
Henry, Sr. and Jr., and Sebastian Sybert, February 
12, 1849, for $600. John Mechling conveyed 
Truby's interest in 50 acres, on which were one 
hewed log cabin house, two carding-machine 
houses and one spinning jenny, to Matthias C. Sed- 
wick, September 17, 1849, for $450, on a judgment 
in favor of E. & F. Faber & Co., for $210.86 of 
debt. Sedwick having agreed to sell 10 acres to 
H. J. Thompson, they united in conveying that 
quantity to H. A. S. D. Dudley, July 7, 1857, for 
$500, which the latter conveyed to William J. 
Chiswell, July 13, for $1,100, on which is a quarry 
of sandstone, which Criswell leased to John Har- 
rison, of Pittsburgh, the latter to pay 15 cents for 
every perch quarried and removed, but, if a railroad 
should be constructed along this side of the river, 
25 cents per perch, for the term of five j^ears, 
and five years longer Harrison to jaay Criswell 
whatever the stone should be valued at in the same 
neighborhood with equal facilities for shipping. 
Some of the stone from this quarry was used in the 
construction of the new jail at Kittanning. 

Hamilton Kelly, sheriff, conveyed 41 acres, on 
which were a two-story frame dwelling-house, a 
frame stable, a sawmill, and two acres cleared, to 
Dudley, March 11, 1857, for $560, on judgment in 



568 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



favor of Samuel Lowrey against Sedwick. Dudley 
having conveyed these two parcels to Criswell, the 
latter conveyed them, 51 acres, to Henry H. Cum- 
niings and John Hnnter, April 18, 1876, for $4,000. 
Matthias Pugh having died intestate, the inquest 
in proceedings in partition valued the 61 acres and 
62 perches which he left at $.3,560.4Y|, July 12, 
1864, which was taken by Henry Sybert, the 
alienee of three of Pugh's heirs, at the appraised 
valuation, by virtue of the decree of the court, 
December 16, 1864. 

Certain relics and vestiges found on this tract 
indicate that the Indians formerly had a town or 
camp on it. Among the relics which the writer 
has seen are a completely finished small arrow- 
head and an implement for skinning animals. 
The latter is trap or green stone, very neatly 
wrought, its lower end wedge-shaped, from which 
to the other end it. is tapering and rounding, and 
very accurately proportioned. Its length is about 
seven inches, and it is well adapted to the purpose 
for which it was designed. 

Henry Sybert, Jr., was first assessed with his 
distillery on this tract in 1849. 

Adjoining that Denniston-Weems tract on the 
west is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 327 
acres, partly in the neck of the horseshoe bend, 
covered by a warrant to Robert Campbell, on which 
Thomas Armstrong was the original settler, and 
which was claimed by him by virtue of his actual 
settlement. He and Campbell's executors, how- 
ever, compromised, made an amicable partition, 
and they conveyed to him 16-3^- acres of the eastern 
part to him, December 1, 1840, which he conveyed 
to Robert Farley and others, trustees of the Bra- 
dy's Bend Iron Company, October 23, 1845, for 
$2,200. The Campbell purpart also became vested 
in that company. 

Adjoining that Campbell-Armstong tract on the 
west and southwest, and the heretofore-mentioned 
William Jameson, Simon Nixon and John Nixon 
tracts on the north is a large area of vacant terri- 
tory on the map, containing about 1,800 acres. 
A warrant for 200 acres in the northwestern part 
was granted to William Benson July 22, 1836, 
which were surveyed to him by Meredith, deputy 
surveyor, September 17, which, or most of which, be- 
longs to his heirs. William Benson, by his will 
dated October 12, 1858, and registered June 20,1859, 
devised that part of his land north of Peters' Spring 
run to his daughter, Eleanor Hooks, which 28 acres 
and 128 perches she conveyed to TJiomas Hooks, 
September 6, 1873, for $100 ; 5 acres south of 
that run to his daughter Susannah Snow, and the 
rest of his tract equally to his three sons — John 



to have the southwestern part, Thomas the east 
end, and William the northwestern part. South of 
the Benson tract are three smaller contiguous ones. 
James Barrickman improved and settled 100 acres 
hereabouts, " including a part of Pine run," which 
he conveyed to Raymond, December 4, 1836, for 
$150. For one of which, an octagon, 144 acres 
and 37 perches, a warrant was granted to Philander 
Raymond, December 17, 1836, was surveyed to 
him by Meredith, deputy surveyor. May 30, 1838, a 
tongue of which, 34 perches wide, one side 100 
perches, and the other or westei-n side 83 perches, 
extends between Robert A. Phillips' and Philip 
Snow's tracts, to the southern line of the Benson 
tract, on which, near the mouth of Pine river, is a 
public schoolhouse, which, and the Benson, Phillips 
and Snow tracts, make an area of the usual size of 
tracts as they were originally surveyed in this part 
of this surveyor district. Adjoining the southern 
half that tract is a hexagonal one, 160 acres, for 
which a warrant was granted to Robert A. Phil- 
lips, December 17, 1836, and surveyed to him by 
Meredith, deputy surveyor, January 26, 1838, which 
with other 27 acres and 156 perches he conveyed to 
Raymond, February 17, 1839, for $35, having 
.previously conveyed 100 acres for $150. 

Paul Woolcot seems to have claimed 100 acres 
pentagonal on the east of Phillips, which he agreed 
to sell to Thomas Roberts, April 13, 1840, for 
$8 an acre, the warrant for which had been granted 
to Randolph Lawrence, November 4, 1837, and for 
which the patent was granted to him February 10, 
.1844, and which he conveyed to Roberts, May 6, 
for $800; east of which, and of the Robert A. Phil- 
lips tract, is a long, narrow one, a rectangular par- 
allelogram, the patent for which was granted to 
Thomas McClure, August 6, 1836, who conveyed 
45 acres and 111 perches to John Millison, January 
26, 1838, for $150, and July 30, 30 acres to William 
Holden for $400, and 54 acres and 81 perches to 
Samuel Le Fevre, for $327. 

North of these Lawrence and McClure tracts is 
a hexagonal one, 99 acres and 140 perches, covered 
by a warrant to Elisha Lawrence, October 6, 1837, 
and surveyed to him by Meredith, deputy surveyor, 
January 25, 1838, and to whom the patent was 
granted, December 6, 1840, 99 acres of which he 
conveyed to Peter Townsend, July 23, 1841, for 
$900, and 1 acre in the southeast corner, touching 
the northeast corner of the McClure tract, to Will- 
iam Morgan, Jr., July 22, 1842, for $100, which he 
conveyed to Philip Temjsleton, August 9, 1847, for 
$300, on which he and his nephews have since done 
a prosperous mercantile business. 

The rest of that area, vacant on the map, was in 



BRADY'S BEND TOWNSHIP. 



5()9 



the early times disputed territory — disputed be- 
tween Joseph Pliillips and Dr. Elislia Wall, that is, 
there was an interference of their surveys. The 
former settled on the part adjoining the Benson 
tract on the east, and was assessed with 400 acres, 
1 horse and 3 cattle in 1804, at $211, and the next 
year with 200 acres less, |135. He conveyed 130 
acres of that part of the 400 acres of which he had 
" become seized and possessed by settlement and 
improvement," adjoining Henry Sybert on the 
south, William Horton on the east, and Jacob 
Millison on the west, to John Phillips, October 31, 
1826, for 850, and 200 acres, including the old im- 
provement made by him, adjoining land then in 
the tenure of William Dougherty on the west, 
Samuel Phillips on the north, and Thomas McClure 
on the south, to Randolph Lawrence, October 7, 
1831, for $350, in twelve annual payments, but the 
records do not show any conveyance thereof from 
Lawrence, except his conveyance of 100 acres to 
Thomas Roberts. The rest of Phillips' land seems 
to have descended to his son John, who conveyed 
200 acres to Raymond, December 5, 1836, for $125. 
After John Phillips' death, in proceedings in par- 
tition, the inquest, February 19, 1856, valued 67 
acres and 92 perches adjoining William Benson on 
the west, and the eastern part traversed by Cove 
run, at $643.32, which John C. Ahner, alienee of 
Thomas G. Phillips one of the decedent's heirs, 
took at the valuation, June 15. Ahner conveyed 2 
acres to Thomas Griffiths, March 18, 1858, for 
$6,000, which he conveyed to William G. Jones, 
August 25, 1870, for $125, and he to William 
Dando, August 12, 1871, for $160; Ahner to John 
Worthington, March 18, 1858, 2 acres for $50, and 
the latter to Dando, May 28, 1873, for $200; same 
day to George Heath 1 acre and 40 perches, for 
$31.75, to William G. Jones 1 acre and 148 perches, 
for $53.12^-. 

The remaining portion of the vacant territory — 
that is, appears to be so on the map — are 800 acres, 
two tracts, sui-veyed to Dr. Elisha Wall, April 4, 
1795, in pursuance of his "actual settlement." He 
resided near the mouth of Sugar creek, and he was 
assessed in 1804 with 400 acres, 1 horse and 3 cattle, 
at $211, with same less 1 head of cattle, at $205. He 
must have made the improvement on what was called 
" the green " on the left bank of Sugar creek near 
its mouth. Another early improvement was on the 
hill, afterward the site of Raymond's house. 

The Great Western Ironworks * commenced 
oper,;tions at Brady's Bend in August, 1839, under 
charge of Mr. Raymond. This company acquired 
possession of several hundred acres of land lying 

* Contributed by a resident of Brady's Bend. 



along the valley of Sugar creek, and in that year 
selected the site of their first blast furnace, which 
was completed and blown in about Christmas of 
the following year. A merchant-mill was also 
erected ; the first intention being to manufacture 
merchant iron and nails. Several machines for the 
latter purpose were erected, but on trial the iron 
was found not adapted for this branch of manufac- 
ture. The manufacture of strap-rails was then 
commenced, and continued until the dissolution 
of the Great Western Iron Company, in 1843. 

The Brady's Bend Iron Company acquired pos- 
session of the property in 1844, erecting a second 
blast furnace, which was completed in 1845. The 
manufacture of strap-rails was continued till 1846, 
in the latter part of which year the works were al- 
tered for the manufacture of T-rails, which has 
continued to be sole product during their succeed- 
ing operation. They are entitled to the credit of 
rolling the first T-rail made west of the Alle- 
ghenies. With a short stoppage from the fall of 
1848 to the summer of 1849, the works were in 
prosjDerous operation until 1858, when, owing to 
the death of the principal proprietor, they were 
completely shut down for five years. 

A new organization was effected in the fall of 1862, 
and work was commenced in all departments in 
February, 1863, continuing with no noticeable in- 
terruption until October, 1873. 

From a small beginning, this industry grew to 
be a blessing to the whole surrounding country, 
giving employment to from 1,200 to 1,500 opera- 
tives, supporting a population of over 5,000, and 
benefiting not only Armstrong county, but the 
neighboring counties of Clarion and Butler. The 
output of coal for the sole use of these works rose 
to the aggregate of upward of 110,000 tons per 
annum ; of ore, to over 70,000 tons. The product 
of the mill was shipped to all parts of the country, 
returning millions of dollars to enrich the laborer, 
and which, circulating through all the channels of 
trade, proved a source of wealth to hundreds not 
connected with the works. From a dense wilder- 
ness sprung up a town, built by the proprietors for 
their employes, of about 700 houses, with 
churches of every denomination, and schoolhouses 
which rank with the best in the county for size and 
convenience, while the neighboring town of East 
Brady can also be said to owe its existence to this 
great enterprise. 

This hasty sketch would be incomplete without 
a mention of the managers, to whom in a great 
measure the success attending the operation of the 
works was due. Although now the hum of the 
mill is silent and the furnaces are cold, these differ- 



570 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ent managers can feel the proud satisfaction that 
this result is due to no fault of theirs. 

Foremost on the list stands the honored name of 
Mr. H. A. S. D. Dudley, a gentleman whose name is 
nowhere mentioned but with respect by all who 
knew him. From 1850 to 1864, under his manage- 
ment, the works rose to their highest state of 
prosperity, ably seconded as he was by Mr. Joseph 
Winslow in the management of the mill, and by 
Mr. Richard Jennings in the management of the 
furnaces and internal development of the lands. 
His successor, Mr. John H. Haines, sustained the 
high reputation of these works, and on his retire- 
ment in 1869 to engage in other business, Col. W. 
D. Slack took charge, a gentleman whose energy 
was liberally expended in sustaining, under most 
adverse circumstances, the falling fortunes of the 
place. This was a task beyond any one man's 
powers, and in October, 1873, when the financial 
crash, whose effects ai-e yet but slowly disappear- 
ing, burst upon the country, these works succumbed 
to the pressure. 

It would have been difficult to find in any part 
of this country a corps of employes more devoted 
to the interests of their locality or who could show 
longer terms of sei'V'ice. Among those who for 
over twenty-five years occupied responsible posi- 
tions, can be named Mr. Alexander Campbell, 
whose hand guided the first T-rail rolled west of 
the Allegheny mountains, and who very appro- 
priately in this centennial year, thirty years from 
the date of this achievement, assisted at the Edgar 
Thompson steelworks in rolling the enormous steel 
rail exhibited at the centennial exposition, meas- 



uring 120 feet in length and weighing 64 pounds 
to the yard ; the Hon. A. W. Bell, who has just 
been returned for the second time to our state leg- 
islature, and Mr. James Keen, whose skillful hand 
shaped the rolls through whose massive jaws 
passed the hundreds of thousands of tons of rails 
which have borne the iron horse to the remotest 
sections of this country. 

In closing, a few words as to the resources of 
this property will be very appropriate. Com- 
prising in all about 6,000 acres of diversified sur- 
face, covered with much valuable timber and dotted 
with highly cultivated farms, it is the hidden 
I'iches which make its great value as a manufac- 
turing center. The beds of bituminous coal have 
been pronounced by experts capable of withstand- 
ing the same drain as in the past for a hundred 
years longer, with valuable ores in proportion, 
while the beds of limestone, whetstone, fireclay, 
etc., etc., are practicably inexhaustible. The oil 
development is yet in its infancy, but enough has 
been shown to make it probable that the wealth 
from this source may yet comjsare favorably with, 
if not surpass, its other mineral riches. 

With all these abundant resources it certainly 
seems but a question of time when the valley 
shall again be alive with the tread of thousands 
of prosperous operatives, and the present stagna- 
tion and decay seem but a nightmare, which has 
vanished before the dawn of a brighter day. 

That such may be the future fortune of these 
works must be the earnest prayer of all who have 
ever been connected with them. 



CHAPTER XXVII, 



PERRY. 



Organization of the Township — The Pioneers — Their Work and their Hardships — Early Roads and Primitive 
Manufactures — The Pioneer Schools — Truby's Mill — The Borough of Queenstown. 

D. Binkerd, now of Cincinnati, Ohio, is well 
known in this county, having practiced medicine 
in Parker several years, besides being long identi- 
fied with the interests of Perry township. 

Binkerd was of German descent, as were most 
of his neighbors. Chistophel Truby, best known 
as "Stophel" Truby, settled upon an adjoining 
tract, and owned the land which is now the Wal- 
ley and George farms. He once offered to sell 
"Dogwood flat," containing over 200 acres, for 
John Binkerd's small black horse, but the offer 
was declined. After some years Truby sold his 
property here and moved to Catfish, where he died. 
He left no children. 

Jacob Truby, a brother of Stophel, was likewise 
an early settler and lived upon the farm now be- 
longing to John Williamson. He reared a large 
family. Four of his daughters, Mrs. Rambaugh, 
Mrs. Seibert, Mrs. Barger and Mrs. Walley, still 
reside in the neighborhood. 

William Parker* built the first gristmill in this 
part of the county. It stood on Bear creek, nearly 
a mile from its mouth. A few years later Stophel 
Truby's log mill was erected. 

These mills proved a great convenience to the 
settlers, who, prior to their erection, had depended 
for flour and meal either upon the few mills run 
by horse-power then in the county, or else upon the 
result of long journeys on horseback to the distant 
mills of Westmoreland county. Mr. Isaac Steele 
states that Truby's mill, occupying the site of Bar- 
net Fletcher's present mill on Binkerd's run, was 
erected by William Love some years after the 
arrival of the first settlers. 

About the year 1797 Isaac Steele came from 
Westmoreland county and took up a tract of land 
in the woods of this township. He brought all of 
his goods and his family (consisting of his wife 
and two children) by means of two horses and 
packsaddles. Michael Shakeley had settled on a 
tract in the edge of Butler county a few years 
before and had made a small improvement which 
Steele had agreed to purchase. But when the lat- 



PERRY TOWNSHIP was formerly a part of 
Sugar Creek. In 1845 it was organized as 
Perry, with the following limits : Brady's Bend 
townshif) on the south ; Butler county on the west 
and the Allegheny river on the east, thus includ- 
ing all that part of the county lying north of 
Brady's Bend township. In 1870 that portion 
lying north of Bear Creek was taken from Perry 
and erected into a township by the name of Hovey. 
The land lying west of the Allegheny river in 
the northern part of this county, on account of 
its rugged and hilly character, was little sought by 
the pioneers of Western Pennsylvania. Conse- 
quently few settlements were made within the 
territory of Perry townshij) until after other por- 
tions of the county had become considerably 
populated. The progress of settlement and im- 
provement was very slow, and this part of the 
county remained the favorite hunting-grounds of 
the early settlers and the wandering Indians many 
years after the encroaching population had banished 
game from the surrounding neighborhoods. 

A few courageous pioneers located in this town- 
ship as early as 1796, and began the arduous task 
of subduing its stubborn soil. They subsisted 
largely upon game at first; but as years went by 
their strong arms and axes made perceptible in- 
roads upon the forests, and here and there small 
fields appeared to brighten the monotonous aspect 
of the surrounding wilderness. 

William Love was among the first settlers. He 
located on a 400-acre tract and made a small im- 
provement, for which he received a deed for the 
land from its owner, Charles Campbell. Charles, 
James, Robert and Samuel Campbell each owned 
a tract of 400 acres. The land lay in a body, and 
was settled by Love, Truby and others. Love sold 
his right to the land to John Binkerd, who came 
to this township about 1798. Binkerd was a native 
of Virginia, who moved from Eastern Pennsylva- 
nia to Butler county, and thence with his father 
and mother to the tract above mentioned. The 
original farm is now mainly owned by his sons, 
Isaac and John K. Binkerd. Another son, Dr. A. 



■^ See history of Parker City. 



572 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ter arrived he found that Shakeley had changed 
his mind, conchiding that the price agreed upon 
was too little. The Steele family sought admis- 
sion to the house, which was refused. Shakeley 
was inside and had the door fastened. Steele 
found a mallet and broke in the door. A consulta- 
tion ensued, during which ' Shakeley persuaded 
Steele to settle upon another tract. Mr. Steele 
resided in this township until his death, and reared 
eight children, two of whom are still living — Isaac 
and Elizabeth (Hyle). Isaac Steele, born in 1805, 
is the oldest native resident of this township, and 
has a vivid recollection of the experiences of 
pioneer life. Despite his advanced age he proved 
himself too smart for a gang of burglars who, a 
few years ago, broke into his house and sought to 
rob him of a large sura of money. Mr. Steele 
fought them single-handed until the neighbors 
were summoned and arrived, and the robbers fled 
without having accomplished their purpose. 

The early settlers found game abundant, and very 
little hunting enabled them to keep a constant 
supply of fresh meat on hand. Grain food was not 
so easily procured. The farmer's supply of wheat 
and flour was often exhausted before harvest-time; 
and in such cases wheat was cut while in the milk, 
and boiled, making a very palatable and wholesome 
food. Salt was a valuable commodity and very 
scarce. The settlers were obliged to go to the 
eastern counties to obtain it. When a man made 
a trip " east of the mountains," or to Pittsburgh or 
Westmoreland county, he went literally loaded 
with errands, generally taking several jjackhorses 
along to bring back supplies. 

Cabins were made without nails being used in 
any part of the structure. The principal imple- 
ment employed in constructing them was the ax. 
With this tool the timbers for walls, floors and 
doors were fashioned. A saw and a drawshave 
shaped the shingles for the roof. When the 
weight-poles had been adjusted and the open 
spaces between the logs forming the walls carefully 
chinked with mud, the cabin was warm and com- 
fortable. Chimneys of sticks and mud, fireplaces 
of stone and mortar, greased paper in place of 
windows added the finishing touches to the dwell- 
ing. Rude benches served as chairs and tables, 
and troughs hewed fi'om logs largely took the place 
of pans, pails, tubs and other kitchen vessels. 

On the farm wooden plows were used after one 
or two crops had been planted with the hoe and 
mattock. The first scythes wei'e known as the 
" Dutch scythes " and were of soft material. They 
were sharpened by means of a hammer and an 
anvil. When clearing, it was customary to burn 



the brush at night. As soon as the fires were 
lighted the wolves set up their mournful howls 
from every hilltop and valley, nor did they cease 
as long as the brush continued burning. Such 
were some of the accompaniments of pioneer life. 

George Knox, whose descendants are very nu- 
merous in Armstrong and Butler counties, was one 
of the earliest pioneers of old Sugar Creek town- 
ship. He had one of the first orchards in the new 
settlement and visitors came many miles to test 
the qualitj' of his fruit. Not infrequently were 
these visits made without the knowledge or con- 
sent of the proprietor of the orchard. He manu- 
factured apple and peach brandy, which articles 
were in great demand. 

Thomas Miller and Jacob Edinburg were the 
first settlers at Miller's eddy. Dr. Hovey was the 
proprietor of considerable land in that neighbor- 
hood. 

About 1808 Jonathan Hyle came from West- 
moreland county with his family and located on 
land adjoining the Steele tract. The family lived 
seven weeks in a wagon while a cabin was being 
erected. 

In early days every cabin was a factory where 
clothing was manufactured. Busy hands kept the 
spinning-wheel and loom buzzing and slamming 
early and late. In almost every household there 
were a large number of mouths to feed and bodies 
to clothe. Shoes were used sparingly by the lucky 
few who possessed them, for leather was high and 
money scarce. Often girls and women could be 
seen walking to church barefooted, carrying shoes 
and stockings, which they put on when near the 
house. Tow and linen, buckskin and similar 
home-made goods formed the clothing worn by 
males of all ages. The girls' best dresses were 
frequently spun, woven, dyed, cut and made by the 
wearers. An old resident remarks: "The girls 
were just as pretty in those days as they are now, 
but could one of our fashionably-dressed belles 
have stepped among them, some might have gone 
wild with envy and excitement." 

All the travel of the settlers was performed on 
foot or on horseback. Wagons were almost un- 
known within the memory of men now living, 
while carriages are a comparatively modern inno- 
vation. As in most new settlements, the first lines 
of travel were paths marked by blazed trees. After- 
ward trees and underbrush were cut away, and 
some of the principal routes of travel were con- 
verted into highways. There is, however, scarcely 
a road in the township that follow its course as 
originally traced. Thoroughfares were built at the 
cost of a great expenditure of time and labor. 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



i73 



John Beatty and Daniel Revere were among the 
early settlers of this township, and resided here 
nutil their deaths. Gideon Gibson, near the river, 
was an early settler and had a fine farm. 

Henry Byers located in this township about fifty 
years ago. Samuel and William Crawford and 
David Hutchison are also among tlie oldest resi- 
dents. 

James Steele and John Hyle were the noted 
hunters of early years. A man named Foster was 
the first settler on the farm afterward owned by 
David White. White erected a frame house, which 
was perhaps the first in the township. No later 
than 1845 nearly everybody lived in log houses. 

The oil developments in this township since 18*70 
have produced many changes. Many old residents 
disposed of their farms and moved away. Others 
remained, and received in one year such incomes 
as the results of scores of years of labor in tilling 
the soil had not produced. The little oil village 
of Criswell sprang up on the farms of James A. 
Parker and Sidney Crawford. All the wells in 
that vicinity are fourth sand-wells, and two of 
them were very large. A few are still producing, 
though the yield is small. 

In 1880 the population of Perry township was 
1,309. The oil business largely increased the 
number of inhabitants. 

SCHOOLS. 

Perry townshij^ now contains six schoolhouses, 
and the schools are generally well conducted. At 
Miller's eddy there is a school building which is 
also used as a church, and is free for all religious 
denominations, having been specially constructed 
for the double purpose of affording educational 
and religious privileges. 

Before the free school system was inaugurated, 
the schoolhouses of the township were few and 
far aj)art. Many of the children of the pioneers 
attended schools in Butler county, and were taught 
by Archibald Kelly, " Dominie " Cook, Thomas 
McCleary, and others of the " old masters." 

One of the earliest schoolhouses stood on the 
farm of James Hunter, near Queenstown. Hunter 
was the teacher. He was jovial, good-natured and 
popular. Edward Jennings was an early teacher 
at the Peters schoolhouse. .He taught several 
years. At noon he often gave a very long recess 
that he might go to Jacob Peters' distillery and 
fortify himself with whisky for the remaining 
duties of the day. Any man who could read and 
write, and possessed a very slight knowledge of 
arithmetic, was a competent teacher in those 
days. 

36 



QUEENfSTOWN. 

The borough of Queenstown was incorporated 
in 1858. The town was named after John Queen, 
who located in the place in 1S4S. At that date 
the only persons residing within the present limits 
of the borough were Daniel Day and Abraham 
Teegard and their families. Teegard, now de- 
ceased, was a farmer. Day is now a resident of 
East Brady. While he resided at Queenstown, he 
worked for the Brady's Bend Iron Company, build- 
ing log houses for employes, and j)erforming other 
kinds of work. 

The first houses built in the place were the log 
buildings of Day and Teegard. Day's cabin stood 
on a six-aci'e lot, afterward owned by Rev. David 
R. Davis. Teegard's house stood where Edward 
Jennings now lives. ISTo regular survey of lots 
was ever made, but pieces of land were sold to 
purchasers as they were wanted, by J. Queen, R. 
Jennings and Daniel Day, who owned the land 
now comprised in the borough. These lots were 
taken uj) by employes of the Brady's Bend Iron 
Works, and in a few years Queenstown became a 
small but flourishing village. 

The first store was established by R. Jennings, 
in 1851. It stood a short distance north of his 
j)resent place of business. The second store was 
started in 1866, by John Queen, who still continues 
the mercantile business. When he first 6ame to 
the place, Mr. Queen followed carpentry and 
building. The third store was established also in 

1866, by M. H. J. Meldron. Mr. Meldron died in 

1867, and the business has since been conducted 
by his brother, William J. Meldron. The stores 
receive custom from a wide extent of country, and 
do a much larger business than is usual in small 
places. 

The first hotel in Queenstown was opened by 
James Morley, in 1852. Subsequently it was con- 
ducted by Richard Meldron, Jr., then by Thomas 
Jennings. Mrs. Mitchell, daughter of Thomas 
Jennings, is the present proprietor. 

In 1853, a gristmill, ruji by steam power, was 
erected by J. Queen, R. Jennings and Daniel 
Evans, who operated it until 1866 under the firm 
name of Queen & Co. J. L. Meldron is the present 
owner. 

The first blacksmith in Queenstown was Giles 
Morgan, who began business soon after the settle- 
ment of the place. 

Oil production, while it did not greatly increase 
the population of Queenstown, materially aided its 
•business interests. The Armstrong well, on the 
Meldron farm, was the first producing well struck 
in the neighborhood. This well began flowing 



574 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



April 17, ISlO. It caught fire and burned three or 
four days. Good judges estimated the first day's 
flow at one thousand barrels. Other wells were 
soon com2:)leted in the vicinity of Queenstown, 
some of which are still producing. In 1872, Chas. 
Phillips began manufacturing all kinds of oil pro- 
ducers' implements atQueenstown. He employed 
from eight to ten men, and carried on a very 
successful business until 1881, when he moved 
away. 

The first schoolhouse was erected soon after the 
borough was incorporated, and continued to be 
used until 1876, when the present school building 



took its place. The new schoolhouse was erected 
partly by subscription and partly by taxation. It 
is two stories in hight. The lower story is used 
for school purposes, and the upper part as a place 
for public worship, free to all religious denomina- 
tions. There are no churches in the place. A 
Catholic church, ei'ected in 1845, was occupied 
until 1864, when its congregation united with other 
churches more conveniently situated. 

Queenstown is situated on a small tributary of 
Sugar creek. The southern limit of the borough 
is the northern line of Brady's Bend township. 
In 1860, the population was 127; in 1880, 217. 



OHAPTEK XXVIII 



HOVEY. 



Organization — Dr. Simon Hovey — The Early Settlers — Discovery of Oil — Wonderful Production of the Robin- 
son Farm — Thorn's Run — The Bridge Across the Allegheny — Miscellaneous Information. 



HOVEY is a new township, formed in IS'/O, 
from a part of Perry. In ISTS its dimen- 
sions were much reduced by the formation of 
Parker City from the southern part of its 
territory. 

The township derives its name from. Dr. Simeon 
Hovey, who was one of the pioneer settlers, and a 
very prominent man in the early history of the 
county. Dr. Hovey was a native of Connecticut, a 
man of liberal education and fine abilities. He 
served as a surgeon under Gen. Wayne during the 
Indian campaigns of the latter, and afterward 
settled at Greensburg. In 11Q1 he came into the 
then sparsely settled region west of the Allegheny 
river, and located on a tract of land within the 
present limits of this township. Why a man of 
his talents should desire to escape from civilization 
and bury himself in the wilderness, it is not our 
jirovince to determine. It may have been that he 
was actuated by a love of adventure. He estab- 
lished himself upon his land and remained about 
three years. He then returned to Greensburg, 
where he practiced medicine about five years, then 
retui-ned to his former habitation in this county. 
His knowledge and skill as a medical adviser be- 
came known, and as phj^sicians were then very few 
in this section, he was kept constantly busy minis- 
tering to the- sick and afflicted in all the surround- 
ing region. His opinions were highly valued, and 
he ranked among the best and most skilled physi- 
cians in the county. He was employed night and 
day visiting patients in localities far remote from 
his home, besides often being called to consult with 
the physicians of Kittanning, Clarion, Butler and 
neighboring towns. His life was one of usefulness 
and good works, and he was widely esteemed. He 
was a perfect gentleman in appearance and charac- 
ter. Pie died about 1837, in the seventy-eighth 
year of his age. His nephew, Elisha Robinson, 
inherited his property. Dr. Hovey was married, 
but left no children, and, but for the memory of 
the older jseople of this county who knew him and 
rightly estimated his worth, his name might long 
since have been forgotten. 



Alexander Gibson was one of the first settlers of 
the townshij). He took up land and made a small 
improvement, but disposed of it to Dr. Hovey. 

Elisha Robinson, a native of Windham, Con- 
necticut, came to this county in 1812, while a 
yoimg man, and began improving a part of 
the tract belonging to his uncle. Dr. Hovey. 
Soon after his arrival he started a tannery, 
where he carried on the business of tanning 
and making shoes for over fifty years. He was 
a man j)ossessed of true Yankee spirit and enter- 
prise. Commencing life with nothing but his hands 
and his trade as a means of support, he gradu- 
ally acquired land and property until he became 
the possessor of 1,100 acres in his home farm, be- 
sides holding other interests which it is not neces- 
sary to sf)ecify. He was honest, upright and 
benevolent. He married Elizabeth Rohrer, of 
Greensburg, a niece of Dr. Hovey's wife, and had 
a family of six children, who reached mature 
years : Mary A. (Bovard), Manorville ; Olive 
(McConnell), deceased ; William D., Kittanning ; 
Simeon H., Samuel M. and Elisha, Hovey town- 
ship. 

Mr. Robinson died in 1874 at a very advanced 
age. His sons, Elisha and Samuel, wealthy and 
prominent farmers, now own the homestead farm. 

Mr. Robinson's first purchase of land was the 
" Thorn's run " property, a 400-acre tract, which he 
paid for in shoes and leather. The Grant farm in 
Butler county, which became famous as oil terri- 
tory and produced from §200,000 to $300,000 worth 
of petroleum, was sold by Mr. Robinson to Abel 
Grant for $100, and was never paid for until its 
value as oil property was discovered. The Robin- 
son farm became one of the most noted properties 
in the entire oil region. Upon it was made the 
first discovery of oil which led to the development 
of the Parker and Butler county fields. In 1805 a 
portion of the farm was purchased bj- a Philadel- 
phia company and a well was sunk under the super- 
intendence of W. D. Robinson. Oil was struck 
October 10, 1805. The well proved to have a pro- 
duction of about twenty-five barrels per day, which 



576 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



was an important yield at the price of oil which 
then prevailed — $8.50 per barrel. This well was 
controlled by the Clarion and Allegheny River Oil 
Company, and was known as Clarion No. 1. Three 
other wells were put down in the neighborhood 
prior to 1869, one on the Robinson farm and two 
on the Parker farm. Then came the excitement 
and wells multiplied in every direction. Mr. Rob- 
inson received one-eighth royalty fi'om the produc- 
tion of tlie wells as his share, and for a continuous 
period of six or seven months this royalty netted 
him from $.30,000 to $40,000 per month. Mr. W. 
D. Robinson, of Kittanuing, estimates that the oil 
pumped from this farm from the first discovery up 
to the present time must have reached the value 
of nearly $2,000,000. There are still several pro- 
ducing wells yielding from 200 to 800 barrels 
daily. 

Robert Mena and Hamilton Redick were the 
first settlers upon the land which subsequently 
became the Graham farm. Gen. Thomas Graham, 
a land surveyor, came from the eastern part of the 
state and settled upon this farm soon after Robin- 
son settled in the township. Graham had been a 
militia general in former years. He devoted him- 
self to farming and surveying. He was a man of 
contentious disposition and did not get along well 
with his neighbors. He once sued Dr. Hovey, charg- 
ing him with slander. The case attracted much at- 
tention. Distinguished counsel were employed on 
both sides. The jury brought in a verdict for the 
plaintiff, placing the damage at six cents. Gen. 
Graham's death resulted from a horse kicking him 
upon the head. After this sad event, his family 
scattered. The farm is now owned by the Fox 
heirs and others, and has proved valuable oil 
territory. 

James Fowler, a prominent and respected citizen 
of this township, purchased that part of the Gra- 
ham tract which is his present home in 1850. Mr. 



Fowler is a native of Parker township, Butler 
county, where his father, John Fowler, was one of 
the pioneer settlers. A small oil town was built 
upon his farm, opposite Foxburg. The first dis- 
covery of oil on this farm was made in 1869 by the 
Ridgeway Oil Company. 

John Lowrie, a Scotchman, settled in Butler 
county, near Emlenton, in 1796. His land extend- 
ed to the river and included the most northern por- 
tion of Armstrong county. He was the father of 
Hon. Walter Lowrie, afterward United States sena- 
tor, secretary of the senate, and secretary of the 
American Board of Foreign Missions of the Pres- 
byterian church. Another of his sons, Hon. Mat- 
thew B. Lowrie, became a laromineut citizen of 
Pittsburgh, and was the father of the late Judge 
Lowrie, of the supreme court of this state. 

A revolutionary soldier named Josejsh Thom was 
a pioneer settler on the stream which is still known 
as Thorn's run. He built the first sawmill in this 
part of the county and operated it for several years. 
He sold his tract to Elisha Robinson and moved 
away. 

Hovey is a small township both in territory and 
in population. In 1880 the inhabitants numbered 
560. There are two schools in the townshij) but 
no churches. 

In 1873 a strong iron bridge was built over the 
Allegheny river . between Foxburg and Hovey 
township. Its cost was $64,000. James Fowler 
and the Fox estate were the largest stockholders 
in the enterprise, each having invested $20,000. 
The bridge has recently been sold for $50,000 to 
the Pittsburgh & Western and the Pittsburgh, 
Bradford & Buffalo Railroad Companies. These 
owners have removed the iron bridge and are now 
replacing it by a wooden structure which is to 
have a railroad, carriage-road and foot-walk across 
it. The railroad from Foxburg to Parker was 
built in 1881-2. 







JAfvlES FOVA^LER,. 



[VtP^S. JAMES FOV/LEf^. 



JAMES FOWLER. 

John Fowler, father of the subject of this sketch, was 
born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, Jul}^ 4, 1776. He 
lived for several years in Westmoreland county, and 
married there, in 1802, Miss Margaret Carson. His wife 
died the following year, leaving one child, and Mr. 
Fowler soon afterward removed to Butler county, where 
he followed, as he had in Westmoreland, the occupations 
of millwright and carpenter. In 1807 he married as his 
second wife, Frances Turner. The fruits of this union 
were six children, of whom three are living: James, 
Sarah and Mai'garet C. 

James Fowler was born in 1817, and reared upon a farm 
in Parker township, Butler county. His chief employ- 
ment was that incidental to farm life, but he was engaged 
for several years in cabinetmaking and carpentry, in 
both of which trades he attained considerable skill. 
His advantages for obtaining an education were quite 
limited, as he could only attend the common country 
schools of the neighborhood, which were far inferior to 
those of the present day. Nevertheless, he obtained 
through other channels a fair ftind of information while 
he was still a young man. On February 22, 1844, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Ann L. Leonard, and in 
1851 he came to Armstrong county, purchasing and 
settling upon 29 acres of rough, unimproved land, in 
what is now Hovey township. This he cleared and 
brought into good condition, handling some of the tim- 
ber upon it, and much more besides, in a sawmill which 
he put up in 1852, and which he operated for six years. In 
1859 he went across the Allegheny and leased a hotel in 
Foxburg, which he carried on for seven years. In the 



meantime it had been found that the lands in the 
northwestern part of Armstrong county were valuable 
oil territory, and he sold his hotel lease and began leas- 
ing his land in small parcels to the operators who 
thronged into the country. Soon some test wells were 
put down and petroleum found in abundance. He 
received from one-sixth to one-fourth of the oil produced 
upon his land as royalty, and it was only a comparatively 
short time before he had 140,000 in the bank as a result. 
Not long afterward he and the Messrs. Fox, of Foxburg, 
established the ferry at that place, which proved a profit- 
able investment. The amount of travel, however, be- 
came so great that an iron bridge was thrown across the 
river to accommodate it, and in this he invested about 
|)20,000. He retained his interest in this until quite 
recently, when it was sold to the railroad company. 
Mr. Fowler has at this time, in addition to the place 
where he resides, a good farm of about 128 acres in Kit- 
tanning township, a farm in Plum Creek township, and a 
valuable property in Manorville. He ranks among the 
most enterprising citizens of the county, is a man of large 
usefulness to the people among whom he lives, and his 
friendly and kindly disposition have made him generally 
esteemed. Both Mr. Fowler and his wife are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

They have been the parents of six children, four of 
whom are living: Marion L., Charlotte A., James T. 
and Nelson M. Charlotte A. married Philip Foust, 
and resides at St. Petersburg, Clarion county. James T. 
married Hannah E. Roof, and resides with his parents. 
Nelson M. married Jennie R. Reed, and lives near 
Manorville, in which village he carries on a drug store. 



CHAPTER XXIX, 



PARKEE CITY. 



An Oil Town of Phenomenal Growth — Settlement of the Parker Family — An Indian Village on the River Bot- 
tom — Bear Creek Furnace — Lawreneeburg — Its Origin and Decline — Parker's Landing — The Discovery of 
Oil and the Rapid Upbuilding of a City — Important Events — Leading Industries — The Past and tlie Present 
Contrasted — Educational and Religious Institutions. 



THE discovery of oil was one of the most im- 
portant events in the history of Armstrong 
county. As a result of that discovery, land that 
was worthless, or nearly so, for agricultural pur- 
poses, appreciated in value a thousand fold; a new 
industry of manifold branches sprang into being, 
and great social and commercial changes followed. 
The northern portion of the country was most 
affected by the oil excitement. Here in a region, 
hitherto thinly peopled, there suddenly sprang up 
a thriving and populous town, which soon became 
the chief emporium of the lower oil region. 

Parker City is situated on the western bank of 
the Allegheny river, eighty-two miles above Pitts- 
burgh, and about three miles from the most north- 
ern limit of Armstrong county. It takes its name 
from Hon. John Parker, who originally owned nearly 
all the land now included within its limits and was 
the first settler of the neighborhood. " About the 
year 1786, acting as a deputy under Moore, John 
Parker left his home in Washington county and 
came into the wilds of Western Pennsylvania in 
the capacity of a surveyor. He surveyed much of 
the land west of the river now included in the 
northern portions of Armstrong and Butler coun- 
ties. At the same time his brother William was 
engaged in the same work east of the river. There 
were Indians in the country, and on one occasion 
a man named Elliot, one of the surveying party, 
getting into a difficulty with them, shot an Indian 
at the mouth of Bear creek. The surveyors were 
greatly alarmed and fled. The Indians followed 
them for a considerable distance, but at length 
abandoned the pursuit and gave the whites no 
further trouble. 

At the time of the survey, the " flat " on which 
now stands the main portion of the first ward of 
Parker was occupied by an Indian village. No 
account of this bottom-land was taken by the sur- 
veyors, they considering it worthless, and extend- 
ing their surveys only to the toj) of the bluflf. 
Afterward, a man named Baird purchased the flat 



from the Indians, and then sold it to Parker after 
the latter had settled here. 

About the year 1*797, Mr. Parker, who had been 
granted several hundred acres for his services in 
surveying, removed to his land and thenceforth re- 
sided here. His house stood on the hill in the edge 
of Butler county. The old homestead is now the 
property of his son George. The elder Parker was 
appointed one of the first associate judges of But- 
ler county, and held the office thirty-five years. He 
was a man of prudence and sagacity in business 
affairs, and one of the most prominent and re- 
spected citizens of his day. He devoted himself to 
farming and stock-raising j)rincipally, and was very 
successful in business. He greatly encouraged and 
promoted the settlement of the surrounding terri- 
tory by his advice and example, and many of the 
early pioneers found in him a true and trustworthy 
friend. He reared a large family, but two members 
of which are now living — Fullerton, of Parker 
City, and George, of Parker township, Butler 
county. All of the sons were intimately identified 
with the business interests of this section, and 
Fullerton Parker,* though he has long since passed 
the age when most men retire from active partici- 
pation in business affairs, is still interested in many 
public enterprises of the city, which is mainly built 
upon his land. 

William Parker, the father of Judge Parker, 
moved from Washington county with his family 
about the year 1798, and settled upon Bear creek. 
Several families came in company with him, mak- 
ing their way up the river from Pittsburgh on keel- 
boats, which also carried their goods. When ojjpo- 
site the garrison at Pittsburgh one of the boats 
upset and several persons were drowned, among 
them a son of William Parker. Several children 
of the party saved their lives by getting upon 
feather-beds which kept afloat until they were res- 
cued. Mr. Parker erected a mill soon after his 
arrival on Bear creek, not far from the spot where 

* Born in 1806. 



578 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



the furnrxc was afterward built. It was built of 
logs and contained only the rudest machinery; 
nevertheless it proved very valuable to the scat- 
tered settlers who came many miles to avail them- 
selves of its privileges. It was the first mill erected 
in the northern part of the county. 

THE BEAE CEEEK 'FTJENACE, 

One of the pioneer industries of Armstrong- 
county was a charcoal blast-furnace for the reduc- 
tion of iron ore, erected at a date ijrobably not 
later than 1820. The old stack was torn down 
years ago, and now nothing remains of the once 
important industry save the memory existing in 
the minds of old residents. The furnace stood on 
the north side of Bear creek, about three-fourths 
of a mile from the mouth of the stream. It was 
built by Whiting & Stackpole, who failed after 
conducting the business for a time. Col. Robin- 
son, Henry Baldwin (afterwai-d Judge Baldwin), 
and a Mr. Beltzhoover were the next managers. 
They also failed, and were succeeded by John and 
Alexander McNicoll. A Mr. Davis, of Pittsburgh, 
next tried the business, and failed. Samuel and 
Reuben Leonard became the owners of the fur- 
nace, and carried on a successful business until 
about the year 1840, when they ceased operations 
on account- of the scarcity of timber and the in- 
creased cost of conducting the business. The fur- 
nace was run by steam, and had a large capacity 
for those days. The product was frequently sev- 
enty-five tons of pig iron per week. 

LAWRENCEBUEG. 

This village was brought into existence by the 
Bear Creek furnace, and consisted mainly of rude 
dwellings occupied by employes of the company 
operating the furnace. The closing up of business 
by the Leonards was the death-blow of the place, 
which steadily declined until, at the commence- 
ment of the oil excitement, only three or four 
houses and two churches remained. 

Lawrenceburg was laid out by Judge Parker 
about the year 1819. John Conway, a wheelwright, 
built the first house, and was the first settler. He 
was soon followed by William Cartwright. The 
old stone house erected by him was used while he 
owned it as a blacksmith shop, and also contained 
a carding machine. It is now the oldest building 
in Parker, and is owned by Elisha H. Bailey. 

The first store in Lawrenceburg was established 
about 1 820, and was conducted by Judges Parker 
and Bovard, of Butler county. It was run on the 
cooperative plan, and many settlers of the neigh- 
borhood were interested. It flourished a number 
of years. James Reed opened the first tavern. 



The number of stores and taverns increased as the 
village grew, and it was not long until there were 
three stores and three taverns, each doing a thriv- 
ing business for those days, and attracting cus- 
tomers from points many miles distant. There 
was a large amount of trafl&c and travel upon the 
river, by means of canoes and keel-boats, and all 
who had business to transact at Parker's landing 
naturally came to Lawrenceburg to do their tra- 
ding, as there was no village at the former place. 

Besides those already mentioned, Michael Mc- 
Cullough, John Andrews, Edward Carleton, Dr. 
Beggs and John McCaslin were among the first 
residents of the place. McCullough kept store and 
built the first brick house. John Marshall, now 
the oldest living resident of Lawrenceburg, came 
to the place in 1825, and bought 20 acres of land 
at $1 per acre, of which he is still the possessor. 
His land was not included in the original plot of 
the village, but was adjacent to the northern line 
of the town. When his land was found to be val- 
uable oil territory, $45,000 was offered for it, but 
Mr. Marshall concluded not to sell._ Mr. Marshall 
is a native of Greensburg, and was born in 1802. 
His sister, Mrs. Bailey, is also one of the old resi- 
dents, having resided here forty-six years. 

From the closing up of the furnace business in 
1840 until the discovery of oil in 1865, Lawrence- 
burg continued to exist in name, but was a place of 
no importance. At the latter date there were, at 
a liberal estimate, less than fifty inhabitants. By 
1870 thousands of people had located here cither as 
permanent or transient residents, while all the sur- 
rounding oil fields were thickly populated. No 
one who has not witnessed the rapid up-building 
of towns in the oil region can form an adequate 
idea of the growth of the place. The importance 
of the oil discoveries was not fully realized until 
midsummer of 1869, and that date really marks 
the beginning of Parker City. Lawrenceburg be- 
came a part of the second ward of Parker City in 

1873. 

paekee's landing. 

In the early years of the settlement of this part 
of the country, Parker's landing was an unimport- 
ant station, occasionally visited by the canoes and 
keel-boats flying upon the river. Subsequently it 
became a steamboat landing and a lumber station. 
A store was kept at the landing many years, but no 
village ever sprang up around it. In 1824, Judge 
Parker erected a large building which was used as 
a warehouse. It is still standing and is the oldest 
house in this part of the city. It has been con- 
verted into a hotel, and is now known as the Parker 
House. 



PARKER CITY. 



579 



Samuel Craig, who oijcned a blacksmith's shop 
at the landing in 1851, thus summarizes the indus- 
tries and the inhabitants at that date: Fullerton 
Parker was the proprietor of the warehouse and 
ran a tannery; Peter McGufi: and William Rogers 
acted as storekeepers; Thomas M. Parker kept 
hotel, and James P. Parker ran a ferry. The con- 
dition of tlie place at the beginning of 1869 was 
substantially unchanged. 

W. D. Robinson, now of Kittanning, ran a store 
at Parker's. landing from 18-13 until 1869, not con- 
ducting the business personally all the time, 
however. 

The few industries just enumerated and two or 
three dwelling-houses — these were all that the 
"flat" comprised in 1869. A few years later the 
same spot becomes the heart of a busy mart. Here 
is a railroad, a city, daily newspapers, banks, hotels, 
hundreds of flourishing industries ! All this grand 
transformation has been wrought by one potent 
factor — petroleum. 

DISCOVEET OP OIL AND THE RESULTS. 

The first oil discovered in Armstrong county was 
struck at the Clarion well. No. 1, on the Robinson 
farm one mile north of Parker City, on October 10, 
1S65. Prom that discovery no important results 
immediately followed. It was not until the latter 
half of the year 1869 that a genuine oil excitement 
revealed the importance of the oil fields surround- 
ing Parker. About a dozen wells had been put 
down on the hill near Parker prior to the time 
mentioned. But these test wells had proclaimed 
the value of the Butler county oil territory in ad- 
dition to that of Armstrong, and such an impetus 
was given to the business that it speedily became 
evident that Parker was to become an important 
point as a base of operations for producers and 
operators. Lawrenceburg had already become a 
thrifty village, and in 1869 and 18'70 the landing 
rapidly became the scene of the busiest activity. 
Rude shanties were constructed in which business 
was commenced before the echoes from the car- 
penter's hammer had died away. Saloons, stores, 
hotels, machine-shops and shops of every kind soon 
crowded every available space between the bluff 
and the river. Fires raged and destroyed whole 
blocks of these box-like structures, but others were 
built in their jjlaces and business was resumed al- 
most before the ashes were cold. November 4, 1870, 
there was a fire which destroyed the greater part 
of the buildings at the landing, and on the 4th of 
December following the central part of Lawrence- 
burg was burned. January 19, 1873, and again on 
the 4th of April of the same year, the business 



poi'tion of the first ward was almost entirely de- 
stroyed. But fires counted for little in those days; 
the buildings were replaced in a few days and 
everything went on as usual. After the last fire of 
1873, the streets of the flat were laid out on a new 
plan, and gradually substantial and more costly 
buildings were erected. River avenue was built 
up on both sides, and consisted of business houses 
for almost its entire length. The efl:ects of the 
great fire of 1879 will be noticed further on. 



TUB CITY. 



The lawlessness and loose movals characteristic 
of the followers of the oil excitement did not fail 
to pervad,e the new town with a contaminating 
influence. Good citizens soon saw that there was 
every necessity for strict and vigilant government. 
The rajiid influx of i3023ulation naturally led to the 
belief that Parker was destined to become a large 
and important place. Accordingly a petition for 
a city charter was jsresented to the legislature ; it 
was favorably received, and by an act approved 
March 1, 1873, all that portion of Arrnstrong 
county, from the Butler county line to the river, 
situated between Bear creek on the south and 
" Thorn's Run " on the north, became incorporated 
into the city of Parker. By a sup23lementary act, 
approved March 23, 1873, it was ordered that the 
first municipal election of the city be held Friday, 
March 28, 1873. 

The mayors of the city have been as follows : 

J. W. McFarland, 1873-4; George S. Kelly, 
1875-6 ; H. R. Fullerton, 1877-8 ; E. H. Ran- 
dolph, 1879-80-1-2. 

Until 1872 there was no means of reaching 
Parker station on the Allegheny Valley Railroad, 
except by the ferry j)lying between that station 
and Parker City. But in the year mentioned, 
three of the most enterprising business men of 
Parker, S. D. Karns, H. R. Fullerton and Fuller- 
ton Parker, caused a superb iron bridge to be con- 
structed. The structure cost §80,000. It is a toll- 
bridge, and serves also as a means for the Pitts- 
burgh & Western trains to cross to the junction. 
Mr. Karns, who was the leading spirit in this as 
well as many other important public enterprises, 
disposed of his interest in the bridge (one-half ) t<^- 
James E. Brown, whose heirs now own it 
other owners still retain their shares. 

The importance of having furthe- 
ities became apj^arant to the 
after the town had attai •' 
degree of prosperitv 
ing the Parker 
road was '• 



580 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



as far as Petrolia early in 1874, and in April of 
the same year trains began running to Karns City. 
The Butler and Karns City extension was built in 
1876, largely increasing the business of the road. 
This railroad was the result of an enterj^rise of 
which S. D. Karns, H. R. FuUerton and FuUerton 
Parker were the chief projectors and supporters. 
In 1881 the road became a part of the Pittsburgh 
& Western company's lines, and during 1881-2 it 
was extended up the river to Foxburg, there to be 
connected with the Pittsburgh, Bradford & Buf- 
falo road. From Butler another extension was built 
dui-ing the summer of 1882, joining with the 
main line at CoUery junction. On the 1st of 
January , 1883, through trains began running from 
Parker City to Allegheny. Parker is thus placed 
on the direct through line of the Pittsburgh & 
Western. The repair shops and carworks of the 
railroad have been located at Parker from the 
commencement of the Parker & Karns City 
road and have formed one of the most important 
industries of the city. 

The Parker City waterworks were built in 1872 
by Miller & Vesey, who sold out to Coulter & 
Overy. In 1874 H. R. FuUerton purchased the 
works, greatly enlarged their capacity and laid 
several miles of new pipe. In 1882 the present 
owners, Tinsman & Russell, purchased the property 
of Mr. FuUerton. The works consist of two large 
Cameron pumps, with a capacity for raising the 
water 280 feet and amply supply all parts of the 
city. A. Randolph and John Walker have had 
the management of the works for the last six 
years. 

The rapid growth of the town and the conse- 
quent increase of business soon rendered the estab- 
lishment of a bank a necessity. The Parker 
Savings Bank was opened in 1869, and continued 
to do business until July, 1882, when it failed, 
involving large losses to its depositors. The 
Exchange Bank was established in 1871, and quit 
business in 1880. In October, 1882, Parker, Ful- 
lertou & Co. began the banking business, and their 
bank is now the only one in the city. 

Parker City gasworks were built in 1877 by a 

stock company, in which W. C. Mobley, William 

Smith, M. Naylor and J. Dougheity were most 

i-nvno^Y interested. Gas is manufactured from 

>ijinder the process known as Smith's 

"■ pipes extend to the principal part of 

and to the residences on the bluff. 

'rtment of the city consists of two 

npanies, one in each ward. First 

^ine and Ilose Company, John 

nd ward, ..Citizens' Hook, 



Ladder and Hose Company, S. M. Brewer, fore- 
man. 

In the fall of 1869 the first machine-shop was 
opened by Bradley & Duff, in Lawrenceburg. A 
large business was carried on, affording employ- 
ment to many hands. The firm continued to do a 
successful business until 1882, when the shop was 
closed. Two machine-shops in the first ward are 
still in operation, those of John Sweeny and 
Tinsman & Russell. Sweeny's machine-shop, a 
three-story building, was erected in 1872. Mr. 
Sweeny started a foundry in 1875, which is still 
running, giving employment to seven men. J. 
McNutt also has a foundry. Evans & Foster are 
the proprietors of a carriage factory. 

Another business interest is the establishment of 
Wilkins & FuUerton, manufacturers and dealei-s in 
lumber. The business began in 1875 with the 
starting of a sawmill. In 1880 the proprietors 
added a planing-mill and box factory. They are 
now doing a business of $12,000 to $15,000 per 
year. 

One of the most important industrial enterprises 
ever undertaken in Parker is the Parker City 
glassworks. The company, as at first formed, 
consisted of over 100 members, of whom the fol- 
lowing gentlemen were the most largely interested: 
John Duff, John Leonard, FuUerton Parker, W. 
C. Mobley, C. P. Hatch, William Morgan, James 
P. Parker, Wilson & Manifold, and others. 

The works were built in 1880 and set in operation 
in September of that year. The first board of 
managers of the company was as follows: John B. 
Leonard, president; William Morgan, J. P. Parker, 
A. Sheidemantle and C. P. Hatch. The present 
managers are John Duff, president; J. J. Campbell, 
secretary; S. PI. Manifold, treasurer; FuUerton 
Parker and W. C. Mobley. The product of the 
works for the past year is estimated at $100,000. 
Twenty-six blowers are employed; 20 to 25 laborers 
about the works and 40 men and boys in other 
departments. 

Diffenbacher's directory of the oil region for the 
years 1875-6 places the population of Parker City 
at over 4,000. At the same time an equally large 
number of people were residing in the immediate 
vicinity and dependent upon the city for supplies 
and commercial facilities. The years 1878-9 wit- 
nessed a decline in the oil business, resulting from 
the partial exhaustion of the wells and the low 
price of oil. It does not require a long time for an 
oil town to fall from the bight of prosperity to a 
position of comparative unimportance. The popu- 
lation of Parker today is probably little more than 
1,500. Property has depreciated in value to au 





ELISH-. FfOBlSSOM. 



V.PvS. ELISHA I^0BINS0^I. 



ELISHA ROBINSON. 

Elisha Robinson, one of the best known of the earlj' 
settlers in Armstrong county, was born in Windham, 
Connecticut, December 4, 1791. His parents, Andrew 
and Olive Robinson, were of English descent, and of a 
family which had been for several generations in New 
England. The subject of our sketch learned a trade with 
a Mr. Bingham of his native town, and in 1814 came out 
to what was then known as the AVest to seek his fortune, 
his only capital being that trade. He located in that 
portion of old Perr}' township now constituting Hovey, 
upon the land where his son Elisha now lives. His first 
occupation was tanning and shoemaking, and his tannery 
was undoubtedly the first one in the northern part of the 
county. He followed these industries until about 1846, 
working hard, saving money and securing land. Shortly 
after his settlement in this count}' he had married, and 
by this time had sons who had nearly attained their ma- 
jority. To one of them, Samuel M., be transferred his 
tannery, and henceforth devoted his whole attention and 
energy to farming. He followed this quiet avocation 
until 1870, by which time pioneer or "wild cat" oil op- 
erations had demonstrated beyond a doubt that the 
region around Parker's landing was rich in petroleum. 
Pie then began to lease his land to operators for one- 
fourth and one-eighth royalties, and as a large number 
of good wells were soon struck, he found himself in re- 
ceipt of a heavy income. The production in 1870 and 
1871 was very large, and in some of the months in the 
latter year Mr. Robinson received as high as 20,000 bar- 
rels of oil as his share. In the fall of that year he placed 
the business under the control of his son Elisha, who 
succeeded him upon his death three years later. The ex- 
act date of his decease was October 17, 1874. He passed 
away after a comparatively short sickness. His life was 
one of activity and well directed industry, and he 
achieved by his own labors an independency before the 
great value of the lands he owned was proven Ijy the 
drill. Mr. Robinson was a man of sturdy and sterling 
character, a very moral man, scrupulously honoi-able in 
his dealings, and actuated in all the affairs of his life bv 



the principle of the golden rule. He was not a church 
member. Politically he was a democrat, and one of life- 
long standing. 

Mr. Robinson's marriage, which has been already 
alluded to, occurred January 7, 1816. His wife was Eliz- 
abeth Rohrer, of Greensburg. She survived her husband 
several years, iiassing away at a ripe old age, upon SejD- 
tembei' 21, 1881. Mr! andMrs. Robinson were the par- 
ents of ten children, whose names, with the dates of 
their births, are as follows, viz. : Simeon H., born March 
20, 1817 (deceased); Mary Ann (Bovard), January 14, 
1819 ; W. D., October 20, 1820 (now a resident of Kit- 
tanning) ; Olive (McConnell), June 28, 1822 (deceased! ; 
Simeon H., May 2, 1824 (a resident of Hovey township) ; 
Frederick Augustus, May 22, 1826 (deceased) ; Andrew 
Jackson, April 17, 1828 (deceased) ; Samuel M.. March 
10, 1830; Elisha, December 4, 1832 (both residents of 
Hovey township); and Frederick Rohrer, May 29,1835 
(deceased). 

Elisha Robinson, who has been mentioned as taking 
charge of his father's business in 1871, and succeeding 
him upon his death, has since carried on a large farm 
and continued his oil business. He has operated but 
little himself, but has leased land on royalty. There are 
now about twenty producing wells upon his farm. He 
has a finely improved and valuable farm of about 400 
acres,- and is regarded as one of the most advanced and 
successful agriculturists and stock-raisers in the county. 
His carriage and horse barn is probably unsurpassed, in 
fine appearance, perfection of detail and convenient 
arrangement, by any to be found in the rural regions of 
Western Pennsylvania. For about five years — from 1861 
to 1866 — Mr. Robinson carried on a store at a point 
between his residence and the site of Parker City. Like 
his father, his political predilections have been with the 
democratic party. He is one of the oldest members and 
a steward of the Parker City Methodist Episcopal 
church . 

Mr. Robinson was united in marriage with Miss Caro- 
line Truby, of Brookville, Jefierson county, November 
24, 1857. Ten children have been born of this \inion, of 
whom eight are living. 









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PABKER CITY. 



581 



alarming extent. During the period of greatest 
prosperity many costly and elegant residences 
were erected on the beautiful sites which the crest 
of the bluff affords. To-day their value is reckoned 
in hundreds of dollars instead of thousands.* 

On October 30, 1879, River avenue, from Smul- 
lin's building to the site of the glassworks, was 
entirely destroyed by fire. The state of business 
at that time did not warrant the erection of new 
buildings, and consequently but a small portion of 
the burned district has been rebuilt. 

In ten years Parker has experienced more vicis- 
situdes than has fallen to the lot of many other 
towns whose years amount to half a century. 

THE PRESS. 

A number of unsuccessful newspaper enterprises 
originated in Parker during the prosperous period 
of the city's history. A daily paper was estab- 
lished by Johns & Jackson, and published a short 
time in 1871-2. Clark Wilson condrhsted the 
Oilman's Joxvrnal several years. These papers, 
and several others which were started, were never 
financially successful. 

The Parker City Daily, however, had an excep- 
tionally prosperous career. Established in Sep- 
tember, 1874, by G. A. Needle, it soon became 
recognized as one of the most reliable and influen- 
tial journals of the oil regions, and its circulation 
rapidly increased. The Daily was started as a rival 
of the Oil Oity Derrick, and was of the same size 
as the latter journal. It was controlled by able 
editors, who were assisted by a staff of enterpris- 
ing reporters and correspondents. The Daily con- 
tained the Associated Press dispatches and much 
general information, in addition to its careful 
digest of news from every part of the oil region. 
It was published as a morning pa2Jer until 1879, 
when it was issued as an evening journal for about 
three months. The office was destroyed by fire in 
that year, and the paper ceased to exist. Mr. 
Needle, who had for some years been issuing a 
weekly edition of his journal, at once began the 
publication of Tlie Phoenix, a weekly local news- 
paper, which is still flourishing. 

PHYSICIANS. 

For many years Dr. Simeon Hovey was the only 
medical adviser for the entire northern region of 
Butler and Armstrong counties, as well as consid- 
erable portions of Venango and Clarion counties. 
Some account of his seiwices will be found in the 
history of Hovey township. 

The first physician who settled in Lawrenceburg 



* As an example the fact may be stated that a house costing at 
least S4,6U0 recently sold for the small sum of 8400 ! 



was Dr. Joseph Boggs, who came from Ireland and 
located at this place about the year 18ii4. lie was 
accounted a good and skillful doctor, and won many 
friends and a most excellent reputation. He prac- 
ticed in Lawrenceburg several years, and died at 
Miller's eddy. 

Dr. James Goe, a cousin of Dr. Beggs, came 
from Ireland a little later, and joined his uncle in 
the practice of his profession. After the death of 
Dr. Beggs he moved to Callansburg, Clarion 
county, and thence moved west and died. 

After 1869 physicians became so numerous in 
Parker that it would be useless to attempt to cata- 
logue their names. Scores took up their abode 
here, some of whom remained a few days, others a 
few weeks or months. The principle of " the 
survival of the fittest," however, appeared to pre- 
vail, and the number of those whose stay length- 
ened into years was not large. We mention the 
names of those who have practiced longest and most 
successfully : Dr. A. M. Hoover, who has been a 
resident physician of Parker longer than any other 
member of the profession in the city, located at 
this place in 1870, coming from Freeport. Dr. 
Hoover is a native of Butler county, and a gradu- 
ate of the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. 

Dr. J. Eggert is the second oldest physician in 
Parker. He came in 1870, after having practiced 
for some years in neighboring towns. His son is 
now associated with him in practice. 

Since 1870 the following physicians have located 
in Parker City : Dr. J. Eggert & Son, Dr. Mur- 
doch, Dr. J. R. Murray, Dr. J. E. Hall, Dr. B. F. 
Goheen, Dr. J. Y. McCulloch, Dr. A. M. Hoover 
and Dr. W. B. Wynne. All are still practicing, 
with the exceptions of Drs. Murdoch, Hall and 
McCulloch. 

PETEOLBUM AGEICULTUEAL ASSOCIATIOK. 

Application for a charter for the above association 
was made to the county court in May, 1881, by E. 
Robinson, G. A. Needle, Samuel Robinson, J. P. 
Parker, Dr. J. W. Wick, William Dee and others — 
J. SmuUin, attorney for the application — and on 
the 26th of the month a decree was granted by the 
court, approving the proposed charter. 

The following directors were chosen for the first 
year: Elisha Robinson, Hovey township, Arm- 
strong county ; Henry Kohlmeyer, Crawford's 
Corners, Butler county ; Ira D. McCoy, Crawford's 
Corners, Butler county ; John M. Shira, North 
Hope, Butler county ; J. S. Grant, Perry township, 
Clarion county ; William Crawford, Emlenton, 
Venango county ; Dr. J. W. Wick, William Dee 
and W. J. Parker, Parker City. 



582 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



The association leased thirteen acres of land for 
the fair grounds, and erected suitable buildings. 
The capital stock is divided into 1,000 shares, 
and has been largely taken by farmers of Arm- 
strong, Butler, Venango and Clarion counties, at 
$5 a share. 

Two successful exhibitions have been held, at 
each of which the exhibits were creditable, and 
much interest was manifested. 

The officers of the association consist of a presi- 
dent, vice-president, nine directoi's (one of whom 
shall be president), a secretary and a treasurer. 
The following are the officers and directors for 
1882 : Officers — A. Tippery, president; Ira D. 
McCoy, vice-president ; G. A. Needle, secretary ; 
E. Y. Fidlerton, treasurer. Directors — A. Tippery, 
Foxburg, Clarion county ; E. Robinson, Hovey 
township, Armstong county ; J. M. Shira, North 
Washington, Butler county ; J. M. Fox, Foxburg, 
Clarion county ; H. R. Fullerton, Parker City, 
Armstrong county; J. P. Parker, Parker township, 
Butler county ; William Dee, Parker City, Arm- 
strong county ; Joseph Grant, Pollock, Clarion 
county ; William Martin, Crawford's Corners, 
Venango county. 

SECRET SOCIETIES. 

Masonic. — Parker City Lodge, No. 521, F. and 
A. M., was instituted Octobei' 28, 1873, with 14 
charter members. The present membership is 
about 75. 

Odd-Felloios. —Pavker Lodge, No. 761, I. O. O. 
F., was instituted June 13, 1871, with 20 charter 
members. There are now about 30 members in 
good standing. 

Lawrenceburg Lodge, No. 782, I. O. O. F., was 
instituted November 22, 1871. The membership, 
which has numbered over 100, is now reduced 
to 64. 

Workmen. — Penn Lodge, No. 10, A. O. U. W., 
instituted December 21, 1871, now has about 50 
members. 

Royal Templars of Temperance. — Hughes Council, 
No. 37, R. T. of T., was instituted April 4, 1879, 
with 32 charter members. Present membership, 
about 75. 

Knights of Honor. — Parker City Lodge, No. 
580, K. of H., was instituted April 6, 1877, with 
22 charter members. 

Knights and Ladies of Honor. — Parker City 
Lodge, No. 103, K. and L. of H., was instituted 
December 12, 1878, with 27 charter members. 

Grand Army. — Calvin A. Craig Post, No. 75, 
G. A. R., was chartered April 21, 1880. Sixteen 
names appear on the charter. The post is now 
large and flourishing, numbering 65 members. 



Royal Arcanum. — Parker Council, No. 179» 
Royal Arcanum, was organized October 17, 1878, 
with 32 charter members. The membership Janu- 
ary 1, 1883, was 46. 

Aid Union. — Parker Union, No. 420, Equitable 
Aid Union, was organized in March, 1882, with 
175 charter members. The present membership is 
about 130, 74 of the number being beneficiary 
members. 

Labor Union. — Garver Assembly, No. 2370, was 
organized November 2, 1882. Meetings are held 
in Odd-Fellows' hall, in the Second ward, every 
Thursday evening. 

SCHOOLS. 

The first school building erected within the 
present limits of Parker was a log structure which 
stood in Lawrenceburg. The school was supported 
by subscription, and presided over by the itinerant 
schoolmasters of pioneer days. Later, a union 
school district was formed, and the schools jointly 
supported by Perry (afterward Hovey) township, 
Armstrong county, and Parker township, Butler 
county. 

During the past eight years the city schools 
have consisted of three school buildings, in which 
schools have been conducted at an annual cost of 
about $3,400. For six years the schools have been 
thus divided as to grades : one grammar school, 
two intermediate and two primary. The fact that 
the three school buildings are situated about half 
a mile apart has prevented thorough grading. The 
schools have generally been well managed, and 
the 2)upils have made fair progress. The value of 
the schoolhouses is~about $5,000. Seven teachers 
are employed, T. J. Moffitt being the principal. 

In 1882 the school board, against strong opposi- 
tion, began the erection of a large two-story brick 
schoolhouse, which is to be completed and occu- 
pied by the 1st of September, 1883. The opposi- 
tion came from citizens who feared an increase of 
taxes, but all dissatisfaction seems to have passed 
away, and the new school building is pointed out 
with pride by some who strongly opposed the pro- 
ject of building. The house contains eight school- 
rooms, and will afford ample accommodations for 
all the pupils of the city. Its cost is |1 1,000. 

At last reports, the school population was 497. 

PBESBYTEEIAN CHTJECH. 

The earliest Presbyterian church in the northern 
part of the county was the church of- Ebenezer, 
organized at Lawrenceburg in 1819. William 
Redick and Gideon Gibson were the first elders. 
The congregation was largely composed of resi- 
dents of Butler county, though the church was 



PARKEK CITY. 



583 



attended by all the Presbyterians of tlic surround- 
ing country. A meeting-house was erected in 
1882. For several years tlie congregation was 
without a pastor, buu there was preaching by sup- 
plies at stated intervals. 

The pastors have been as follows : Rev. Ebe- 
nezer Henry, 1847-55; Rev. James Coulter, 1860-9; 
Rev. Samuel A. Hughes, 1870-7; Rev. James N. 
McGonigle, 1878-80; Rev. H. W. Lowry, 1881, 
now in charge. The present church edifice was 
erected in 1867. The church enjoyed great pros- 
perity during the period of oil development. 
There has since been some decline, but the congre- 
gation is still a strong body, numbering 205 mem- 
bers. The membership of the Sabbath school is 
215. 

UNITED PEESBYTEEIAN CHURCH. 

In 1834 the Lawrenceburg Associate Reformed 
Church was organized by Rev. Joseph Johnston. 
A house of worship was erected the following 
year. Rev. Mr. Johnston became pastor, and after 
getting the church well established returned to 
his native country, Ireland, and his friends never 
again heard from him. There are but scanty records 
of this ancient organization. James Turner, Thos. 
Allen and Samuel Hutchison were among the first 
elders. 

Rev. James Green succeeded Johnston as pas- 
tor, and was followed by Revs. Robert Oliver, 
Riddle and Fife. The congregation became so 
reduced as to be unable to support a pastor, and 
there were no regular services for a number of 
years prior to the oil excitement. 

The present United Presbyterian organization 
was formed May 12, 1871, by a committee appointed 
by the Presbytery, and consisting of Rev. M. 
Clark, and Elders Robert Campbell, Robert Black 
and Joseph Rosenberry. The number of members 
was about 35. The first elders elected were E. Mc- 
Henry and G. W. Weller. The first pagtor, Rev. 
W. G. Nevin, was installed in May, 1872, and 
served during 1872-3. Rev. J. T. Wilson was 
pastor in 1874-9. The present pastor. Rev. Will- 
iam Robertson, was installed in 1879. The pres- 
ent membership is about 60. The number of Sab- 
bath-school scholars is about 65. 

The new church edifice is a commodious and 
costly building, erected during the years 1877-8, 
at a cost of $8,500. 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

At the first session of the Erie conference in 
1836, Lawi'enceburg and vicinity was missionary 
territory. From 1836 to 1840 the following minis- 
ters were appointed to the mission: Revs. D. 



Richey, II. Elliot, A. S. Ilitclicock, .Stc-'pheii Heard 
and W. S. AVinaus. 

The closing up of business by the company 
operating the Bear Creek Furnace caused the ap- 
pointment to be discontinued. In the winter of 
1858-9, M. S. Adams, a local preacher, held a scries 
of meetings at Lawrenceburg, which awakened 
great interest. Rev. John McCombs, then iu 
charge of the North Washington (Butler county) 
circuit joined with Mr. Adams in carrying forward 
the work. As a result of their labors, a society 
was formed and Elisha Myers became class-leader. 
The charge was added to the North Washington 
circuit and continued a part of the same from 1859 
to 1869. During this period tlie circuit was sup- 
plied by the following ministers: Revs. Milray, 
Johnson, Paden, Boyd, Bennett, Clai'k, Moore, 
Hubbard, Domer, Perry, Hays, Hicks and Menden- 
hall. The following were the class-leaders during 
the same period: Elisha R. Robinson, Reuben 
Leonard and George W. Morrow. 

In 1870, the Lawrenceburg charge was removed 
from the circuit and made a station. The first pastor, 
Rev. R. W. Crane, served until 1873, and has been 
succeeded by the following ministers: R. M. Baird, 
1873-4; R. N. Stubbs, 1874-6; J. S. Lytle, 1876-9; 
E. D. McCreary, 1880; J. M. Bray, 1881-3. 

No church edifice was built by the society until 
1870, when the present house was erected. The 
dedication took jslace January 15, 1871, with ser- 
vices conducted by Rev. Dr. Pershing. A parson- 
age was subsequently erected. Many improvements 
in the church property have since been made. 
Since April, 1882, the sum of |1,400 has been ex- 
pended in improvements. The church is out of 
debt and in good financial condition. 

The present membership is 240, and the number 
of Sabbath-school scholars, 230. A number of re- 
vivals have blessed the labors of the pastors. 

CHUECH OP THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 

The first Catholic services in Lawrenceburg, so 
far as there is any record, took place September 6, 
1831, when Bishop Kenrick visited the place and 
confirmed eighty-three persons, gathered from a 
wide extent of surrounding country. Few if any 
Catholics were residents of the place until the dis- 
covery of oil. In 1869, Rev. Joseph Ilaney, of 
Murrinsville, visited Lawrenceburg and conducted 
services. He continued his labors until July of the 
following year, when lots were purchased and the 
work of erecting a church was begun. Though 
the building was not completed until the summer 
of 1871, it was occupied in October, 1870. It was 
then a frame building 45X30 feet. In March, 1871, 



584 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Rev. J. Stillericli became pastor. He remained 
until November of the same year, when li.e was 
succeeded by Rev. James P. Tahany. To Father 
Tahany's labors much of the temporal prosperity 
of the church was due. He built a neat house to 
be occupied as a parsonage; and after the congre- 
gation had increased, enlarged the church by an 
addition IS feet to the front and 24 feet to the rear. 
The belfry was added and the interior of the church 
finished. The edifice was dedicated by the bishop 
as the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 
November 24, 1874. Father Tahany also organized 
a church in Petrolia, and the two formed one 
pastorate. In December, 1875, Father Tahany was 
succeeded by Rev. James Donelly, who acted as 
pastor until October, 1877. Rev. P. M. Garvey 
then became pastor, and in August, 1879, was suc- 
ceeded by Rev. F. X. McCarthy. Father Melady 
is the present pastor. The church is in a prosper- 
ous condition, although its membership has been 
greatly diminished by the decline of the town. 

BAPTIST CHUECH. 

While Parker was most flourishing, a Baptist 
congregation was organized, which during 1875-6 



enjoyed great prosperity. A church was erected 
and the congregation became quite large. But 
with the decline of the oil interests, the member- 
ship diminished rapidly, and the organization 
ceased to e.xist. 

ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHUECH. 

Christ's Evangelical Lutheran church of Par- 
ker City was organized in the fall of 1879. During 
the summer of that year R. M. Zimmerman, a 
theological student, had conducted services in the 
place, and succeeded in awakening an interest 
which resulted in the formation of the church. 
The congregation was organized by Rev. W. A. 
Passavant, D. D., of Pittsburgh, with twenty-one 
members. A house of worship was erected 
during the fall of 1879, at a cost of $3,300, and 
was dedicated about the close of the same year. 
Rev. J. H. Kline became pastor in 1880, and 
resigned after serving one year. The congre- 
gation finding it impossible to support a pastor 
any longer, the church was taken under the care 
of the Pittsburgh synod as a mission, and the 
appointment has since been filled by regular 
supplies. 




(jzy 



n/)n 



U.(X( 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



GENERAL DANIEL BRODHEAD* 

General Daniel Brodliead, of revolutionary fame, 
wliose jjortrait appears elsewhere in this volume, 
was horn in Marhletown, Ulster county, New York, 
in 1736, and died and was buried in Milford, Penn- 
sylvania, November 15, 1809. He was the great- 
grandson of Capt. Daniel Brodhead, of the Eng- 
lish army, who came to this country in 1664, as a 
member of the expedition commanded by Col. 
Richard Nichols, in the service of King Charles II, 
after the Restoration. After the surrender of 
Stuyvesant Capt. Brodhead was sent up to 
Albany, in September, 1664, and was a witness to 
the treaty made with the Indians there in that 
month. He was afterward promoted to the com- 
mand of the military forces of Ulster county, by 
commission from King Charles, dated September 14, 
1665, which position he held till his death in 1670. 
He left one daughter and two sons — Ann Brodhead, 
Charles Brodhead and Richard Brodhead. The 
latter was born at Marbletowu, New York, in 1666, 
and was tlie grandfather of General Brodhead. 
Richard Brodhead had two sons, Richai-d Brod- 
head, Jr., and Daniel Brodhead, born in Marble- 
town, Ulster county. New York, in the year 1698, 
and died at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the year 
1755. This Daniel Brodhead, the father of the 
subject of this biography, removed with his family 
from Ulster county. New York, in the year 1737, 
to Danville, Pennsylvania, while the subject of this 
biography was but an infant. Inured to the dan- 
gers of the Indian frontier from his very cradle, 
the impression made as he grew up among the 
scenes of Indian barbarities, and the outrages of 
the savages, helped to forni his future character 
and to mold him into the grand, successful soldier 
and Indian fighter which his subsequent history 
proved him to be. 

General Brodhead first appeared prominently in 
public life when he was elected a deputy from 
Berks county to a provincial meeting which met at 
Philadelphia, July 15, 1774, and served on a com- 
mittee which reported sixteen resolutions, one of 
which recommended the calling of a continental 
congress and acts of non-importation and non-ex- 



* Prepared by Capt. Robert G. Heiner. 



portation from Great Britain. These were among 
the first steps toward the revolution whicli fol- 
lowed. 

At the beginning of the war of the revolution 
he was commissioned by the assembly of Pennsyl- 
vania at Philadelphia as colonel of the 8th regt. 
Pa. Colonial Troops. He first participated in the 
battle of Long Island. Before the close of this 
battle he commanded the whole of the Pennsylva- 
nia contingent troops, composed of several battal- 
ions. He was especially mentioned by Washing- 
ton in his report to congress on this battle, for 
brave and meritorious conduct. He also partici- 
pated in several other battles of the revolution. 
Having received the approbation of Washington, 
he was sent by him, in June, 1778, with his troops 
to Fort Muncy, where he rebuilt that fort formerly 
destroyed by the Indians, which command he held 
until Washington, on the following spring, recom- 
mended his selection to congress for the command 
of the western department. Washington, being 
personally acquainted and warmly attached to 
him, knew well his qualifications as a brave, judi- 
cious and competent general. Washington, by 
sanction of congress, issued an order, dated March 
5, 1779, directing him to proceed to Fort Pitt, 
Pennsylvania, and take charge of the western de- 
partment, extending from the British possessions, 
at Detroit, on the north, to the French possessions 
(Louisiana) on the south, ' a command and re- 
sponsibility equal to any in the revolutionary army. 

Gen. Brodhead established the headquarters of 
his department at Port Pitt, now Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania. He had under his command the 
posts of Fort Pitt, Fort Mcintosh, Fort Laurens, 
Fort Tuscrora, Fort Wheeling, Foit Armstrong 
and Fort Holliday's Cove. He made a number of 
successful expeditions in person against the In- 
dians with a large part of his command. In 1779 
he executed a brilliant march up the Allegheny 
with 605 men, penetrating into New York, over- 
coming almost insurmountable difliculties, through 
a wilderness without roads, driving the Indians be- 
fore him, depopulating and destroying their vil- 
lages all along his route, killing and capturing many. 
This expedition began August 11 and ended Sep- 
tember 14, 1779, between 300 and 400 miles in 



586 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



thirty-tliree clays, through a wilderness without a 
road. Gen. Brodhead received the thanks of 
congress for this expedition, and the following 
acknowledgment from Gen. Washington : " The 
activity, perseverance and firmness which marked 
the conduct -of Gen. Brodhead, and that of all the 
officers and men of every description in this expe- 
dition, do them great honor, and their services 
entitle them to the thanks and to this testimonial 
of the general's acknowledgement." 

A great number of the thrilling Indian stories of 
which we read in the present day occurred under 
Gen. Brodhead's command. The famous Capt. 
Brady was a captain in Gen. Brodhead's eighth 
regiment, and seldom ever went out on a scout but 
by orders from the general. Gen. Brodhead's 
devotion to the cause of liberty was untiring. He 
never doubted the result of the war, and his letters 
of encouragement to Gen. Washington and others 
are part of the history of our country. In one, 
lamenting the coldness of some former patriots, 
he writes : " There is nothing I so much fear as a 
dishonorable peace. For heaven's sake, let every 
good man hold up his hands against it. We have 
never suflt'ered half I expected we should, and I am 
willing to suffer much more for the glorious cause 
for which I have and wish to bleed." 

Gen. Brodhead had a treble warfare to wage — 
a warfare which required the genius and daring 
of a soldier, the diplomacy of a statesman and the 
good, hard sense and clear judgment of an inde- 
pendent ruler over an extensive country composed 
of a variety of elements. He waged war ujjon the 
unfriendly Indians, and held as allies in friendship 
several friendly nations. He watched and con- 
trolled, to a great extent, the British influence 
upon the Indians in the direction of Detroit. He 
kept in subjection a large tory element west of the 
mountains in sympathy with Great Britain, and 
punished them by confiscating their surplus stores 
and provisions for the benefit of his starving 
soldiers, when they had refused to sell to his com- 
missary officers on the credit of the government ; 
but he never resorted to this punishment until his 
starving soldiers paraded in a body in front of his 
quarters and announced they had had no bread for 
five days. 

On June 24, 17T9, Gen. Brodhead issued his 
famous order directing Col. Bayard to proceed to 
Kittanning and erect a fort at that point for the 
protection of all settleis desiring to settle in that 
vicinity, and for the better protection of the 
frontier. 

After the erection of this fort settlers took up 
land and built their houses Jvround and in the vi- 



cinity of this fort, under its protection, until the 
accumulation of houses and homes in the vicinity 
transformed the Indian town of Kittanning into 
the present thriving capital of Armstrong county, 
which can only justly and truthfully be acknowl- 
edged the result of the fort erected by command of 
Gen. Brodhead, and which he was too modest to 
have called after himself, regardless of the impor- 
tunate efforts of Col. Bayard, whom history shows 
to have earnestly entreated Brodhead to permit 
him to call it Fort Brodhead. 

Gen. B.'s untiring watchfulness of the settle- 
ments along the Allegheny, the building of his 
fort at Kittanning, his protection of the inhabi- 
tants in its vicinity until they became numerous 
enough to defend themselves, his modesty in not 
permitting the fort to be called after himself, justly 
entitle him to the credit of being the founder of 
Kittanning, just as the erecting of every fort on 
our western frontier from that day to this has been 
the foundation of a city or town which invariably 
sprang from such a planting, as Pittsburgh, Fort 
Wayne, Leavenworth, Fort Dodge, Detroit, for 
never until that time had Kittanning any white 
inhabitants, and never from that time until the 
present has it been without white inhabitants. 

In 1781 Gen. B. was given command of the 1st 
Pa. Colonial regt., and during that year received 
his full commission as general. His services ex- 
tended through the entire war of the revolution, 
and at its close he was elected by the officers 
assembled at the cantonment of the American army 
on the Hudson River, May 10, l^S-S, as one of a 
committee to prepare the necessary papers for the 
organization of the Society of the Cincinnati. In 
'1789 Gen. Brodhead was elected by the Pennsyl- 
vania assembly surveyor-general of the State of 
Pennsylvania, which position he held for nearly 
twelve years. 

For his services in the revolution Gen. B. re- 
ceived several thousand acres of land, which he 
located in Western Pennsylvania. Besides this he 
purchased largely of land through Western Penn- 
sylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. .He located 
much land in the vicinity of Kittanning and on 
the Allegheny, the scenes of his former exploits, 
which he never ceased to love. His second mar- 
riage was to the widow of Gen. Samuel Mifflin. 
He had but one child, Ann Garton Brodhead. She 
married Casper Heiner, of Reading, Pennsylvania, 
a surveyor by profession and an author of a series 
of mathematics. 

To Ann Garton Heiner and her children Gen. 
Brodhead left all his lands and property. Ann 
Garton Heiner had but one son, John Heiner, who 



lilOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



r)87 



removed to Kittanning in 1812, and took posses- 
sion of all tlie lands left bim by his grandfather, 
Gen. Brodhead. 

Captain John Heiner died and was buried in 
Indiana, Pennsylvania, in 1833. He left but one 
son, Daniel Brodhead Heiner, late of Kittanning, 
Pennsylvania, and three daughters, Ann Eliza, 
who married John Mechling, sheriff of Armstrong 
county from 1845 to 1848; Margaret Heiner (Car- 
son), of Sidney, Illinois, and Catherine Heiner 
Smith, wife of Gov. George W. Smith, of Law- 
rence, Kansas. 

Ann Garton Brodhead Heiner had, beside her son 
John Heiner, four daughters, Rebecca Heiner, who 
was the.motheroftheHon. Henry Johnson, of Mun- 
cy, Pennsylvania, presidential elector in 1848 on the 
whig ticket ; state senator of Pennsylvania, from 
1 861 to 1864, and chairman of the judiciary com- 
mittee and author of the bill to entitle soldiers to 
vote in the field (after the supreme court of Penn- 
sylvania had decided their voting unconstitutional). 
She was the grandmother of Hon. Henry John 
Brodhead Cummings, colonel of the 39th la. Inf. 
during the war of the rebellion, and member of 
congress from the Des Moines district from 1877 to 
1879. Ann Gorton Brodhead Heiuer's second 
daughter (Margaret Heiner) married John Faulk, 
and was the mother of Hon. Andrew J. Faulk, 
governor of Dakota, from August 4, 1866, to May 
1, 1869, also superintendent of Indian affairs for 
Dakota, and member of the committee, with Gen. 
William T. Sherman, Gen. Stanley and others, 
which made the famous treaty with the Sioux 
Indians at Fort Sully, Dakota, in 1868. Ann Gar- 
ton Brodhead Heiner's third daughter (Catherine 
Heiner) married Col. Brodhead, a distant cousin, 
descended of a brother of Gen. Daniel Brodhead. 
Gen. Brodhead's descendants by this marriage are 
the children of Geo. Brodhead, of Kittanning ; 
Mark Brodhead, of Washington ; Mrs. Kate Van 
Wyke, wife of United States Senator Van Wyke, 
of Nebraska, and Mrs. Van Auken, wife of John 
Van Auken, member of congress from Pike county 
from 1867 to 1871, and Ann Gorton Brodhead 
Heiner's fourth daughter (Mary Heiner), married 
John Weitzel, late of Reading, Pennsylvania. 

■ GEN. ROBERT ORR. 

Robert Orr was born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania (probably in Hannahstown), upon 
March 5, 1786. His father,* whose name de- 
scended to the subject of our sketch, had been one 
of the defenders of" the Pennsylvania frontier ; 

* A sketch of Robert Orr, Sr., appears in the chapter devoted to 
Sugar Creek township. 



had enjoyed some official distinction in West- 
moreland county, and was one of the earliest 
pioneers of Armstrong county west of the Alle- 
gheny. His mother's maiden name was Fannie 
Culbertson. Coming with his parents to what was 
then almost the verge of the inhabited portion 
of the country while still a minor, Robert Orr 
entered upon his manhood as a pioneer, and had 
considerable experience in that rugged condition 
of life for which the strong alone were fitted. 
His boyhood had been passed in a region which 
afforded educational and other opportunities 
scarcely in advance of those he found in sparsely- 
settled Armstrong county. His instruction had 
been very meager, his schoolmasters few and, 
doubtless, of limited talent ; but as boy he had 
been (and as man ever continued to be) an apt 
pupil in that great and thorough school wherein 
the teachers are observation and experience. To 
this fact, in conjunction with strong native ability, 
strict honesty and more than average energy of 
character, may be attributed both his usefulness 
and his success in life. The young man resided 
with his parents in Sugar Creek township for a few 
years, and in 1805, when the county was organized 
for judicial purposes, came to Kittanning to serve 
as deputy for his brother .John, who was the first 
sheriff of the county. Subsequently he studied and 
followed surveying, and in still later years was ap- 
pointed deputy district surveyor. 

Gen. Orr inherited from his father the strongest 
spirit of patriotism and a fondness for military 
pursuits. When the war of 1812 broke out he was 
very naturally found among tBe defenders of our 
country, and rendered valuable services. History 
states that the second brigade of the army ren- 
dezvoused at Pittsburgh on October 2, 1812 — where 
the subject of this sketch was elected major, — and 
left that place the same fall under command of 
Gen. Crooks to join the northwestern armj' undei' 
Gen. Harrison, on the Miami river, where Fort 
Meigs was afterward built. At Upper Sandusky 
they were joined by a brigade of militia from Vir- 
ginia. From that place Maj. Orr, by the direc- 
tion of the general, took charge of the artillery, 
munitions, stores, etc., and set off with about 300 
men to headquarters of Gen. Harrison. While on 
the march he was met by an express from Harrison, 
brino-ina information of the defeat of Gen. Win- 
Chester on the River Raisin, and requesting him 
to bring on his force as rapidly as possible. After 
consolidation with the balance of the army from 
Upper Sandusky, they proceeded to the rapids of 
the INIiami (Maumee), where they remained until 
the six-months term of duty of the Pennsyl- 



588 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



vania and Virginia militia had expired. Gen. 
Harrison tlien appealed for volunteers to remain 
fifteen days longer, until he should^ receive rein- 
forcements from Kentucky. Maj. Orr and about 
200 other Pennsylvanians did volunteer and re- 
mained until they were discharged, after the 
battle at Fort Meigs, upon April 19, 1813. 

It was not long after Gen. Orr's return from 
Fort Meigs that he received his first honor in civil 
life. He was elected to the legislature in 1817. 
He served two terms in that body and was then 
(1821) sent to the state- senate to represent the 
large, but comparatively thinly settled, district 
composed of the counties of Armstrong, Warren, 
Indiana, Jefferson, Cambria and Venango, the 
latter county including much of the territory now 
in Clarion. After serving one term he was led to 
enter the contest for election to congress, and, 
doing so, defeated Gen. Abner Laycock. He thus 
became the representative in the nineteenth and 
twentieth congresses of the district composed of 
Armstrong, Butler, Beaver and Allegheny counties. 
In the legislature, in the state senate and in the 
congress of the United States he served satisfac- 
torily to his people and with unwavering integrity 
of purpose. Calm, judicious and experienced, his 
presence in the national counsels could not but 
exert a beneficial influence in the direction and 
control of the affairs of the country, which at that 
time witnessed the earlier symptoms of the dis- 
turbance that eventually culminated in the tragical 
events of 1861. 

Later in life Gen. Orr was appointed by the 
governor associate Judge of Armstrong county and 
served very acceptably to the people. He retained 
his interest in military affairs and was active in 
the militia organizations of Western Pennsylvania, 
thereby acquiring the rank and title of general. 

After all, it was not in official life that Gen. Orr 
was greatest or that he was most useful to his 
people. He was one of those men who needed not 
the dignity of office to give him a name among his 
fellow citizens, or to command their love and 
respect. His true loftiness and kindliness of 
character were daily attested by little acts, which 
in his long lifetime aggregated an immense good. 

Gen. Orr became possessed of a large number of 
land tracts in Armstrong and adjoining counties, 
which he leased or sold as he had opportunity. 
During the years he was most extensively engaged 
in his land business, money was scarce and it 
was very frequently the case that purchasers were 
unable to meet their payments. Debtor never had 
better creditor than Robert Orr. When those to 
whom he sold were embarrassed and could not 



meet their obligations, he extended their time and 
gave them easier terms. With many individuals 
this was done again and again, until at last they 
were able to pay. Gen. Orr never dispossessed a 
man of property on which he was toiling to dis- 
charge his indebtedness. Often the sons of the 
men who contracted with him for lands completed 
the payment for them. Through this leniency and 
lack of oppression in the subject of our sketch 
many families were enabled to gain homes. He 
was in a very literal sense the steward of his riches, 
holding them for others' good as well as his own. 
His kindness of heart and practical philanthropy 
found expression in many ways beside the one on 
which we have dwelt. He was unostentatiously 
and judiciouslj' charitable throughout his life. He 
did much to advance the interests of the school 
and church, and for many years prior to his death 
was a member of the Presbyterian church. 

Gen. Orr's whole life was identified with Arm- 
strong county. For about three years (1848-52) 
he resided in Allegheny City, and for a short time, 
about 1845, he lived at Orrsville (mouth of Mahon- 
ing), but the greater number of his years were 
passed in Kittanning. He was interested in and 
helped to advance almost every local public im- 
provement inaugurated during his time. Laboring 
zealously for the construction of the A. V. R. R., 
he lived to realize his hope in that direction and to 
see the wealth of his county practically increased 
by its mineral and agricultural resources being 
made more easily available to the uses of the 
world. 

In politics Gen. Orr was a Democrat, in 1861 a 
War Democrat. He used his influence and con- 
tributed liberally of his means to assist the organi- 
zation of the military, and the camp where the 78th 
and the 103d regts. rendezvoused was appropriately 
named in his honor.* His appearance upon the 
ground, when the soldiers were encamped there, 
was always the signal for an ovation, or at least 
hearty ohe.ers, and all who knew him gathered 
I'ound him to shake the hand of the old soldier of 
1812. 

Gen. Orr lived to see the war ended and the 
country he loved so much still preserved in union. 
He lived to witness the nation recover from the 
worst effects of that war and in the centennial year 
rejoice in peace and prosperity. 

Upon May 22, 1876, this grand, good old man 
passed away at his residence in Kittanning, after 
a lingering but not severe illness, " full of riches, 
full of honors and full of years." 

Gen. Orr was married in 1836 to Martha, sister 



*See intl'OcUiction to Chapter II. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



589 



of the late Judge Robert C. Grier, of tlie United 
States supreme court, who died December "7, 1881. 
Two children were the offspring of this propitious 
union — Grier C. Orr, Esq., and Fannie E. Orr. The 
last-named, of most esteemed memory, died March 
14, 1882, after a brief illness. 

HON. JOSEPH BITFFINGTON. 

Joseph BufRngton, for many years judge of the 
"old tenth" district, and whose life was intimately 
connected with the history of Armstrong ccRmty, 
was born in the town of West Chester, county of 
Chester, on the 2'7th of November, 1803, and died 
at Kittanning on the 3d of February, 1872. The 
ancestors of Judge Buffington were Quakers or 
Friends, who left England several years before 
Wm. Penn, and in 1677, five years before the arri- 
val of Penn, we find one of them, Richard Buffing- 
ton, among the list of " tydables " at Upland, which 
same Richard was the father of the first-born child 
of English descent in the Province of Pennsyl- 
vania. From Hazard's Annals, page 468, as well 
as from the Pennsylvania Gazette from June 28 to 
July 5, 1730, we learn that, " on the 30th of May 
past, the children, grandchildren and great-grand- 
children of Richard Buffington, Sr., to the number 
of 115, met together at his home in Chester county, 
as also his 9 sons and daughters-in-law, and 12 
great-grandchildreu-in-law. The old man is from 
Great Marie upou the Thames, in Bucking- 
hamshire, in Old England, aged about 85, and 
is still hearty, active and of perfect memory. His 
eldest son, now in the 60th year of his age, was 
the first-born son of English descent in this 
Province." 

The second son, Thomas, was born about 1680, 
and died in December, 1739. He was married to 
Ruth Cope, and among other children left a son 
William, who was first married to Lena Ferree, as 
appears in Rupip's History of Lancaster county, 
page 112, and afterward to a second wife, Alice, 
whose maiden name is unknown. By this second 
wife there was born in 1736 a son Jonathan, who 
died October 18, 1801. This Jonathan Buffington 
was the grandfather of Judge Buffington. He 
owned and operated a gristmill which is still stand- 
ing at North Brook, near the site of the battle of 
the Brandywine. At the time of that battle (Sep- 
tember, 1777) his mill was taken possession of by 
the British troops, and the non-combatant Friend 
compelled to furnish food for the British. 

Jonathan Buffington was mari-ied to Ann (born 
1739, died June 16, 1811), daughter of Edward and 
Ann Clayton. Their third child, Ephraim Buf- 
fington, was born March 23, 1767, and died Decem- 



ber 30, 1832. Ephraim Buffington was married to 
Rebecca Francis, March 4, 1790, at the old Swedes 
church, Wilmington, Delaware. He kept a hotel 
at West Chester, at a tavern stand known as the 
"White Hall," a venerable hostelry, and well 
known throughout that region for many years. It 
was here that Judge Buffington was born and lived 
until his tenth year, when his father, in hopes of 
bettering his fortunes in the then West, left Ches- 
ter county, came over the mountains and settled at 
Pine creek, about five miles above Pittsburgh, on 
the Allegheny river. When about 1 8 years of age 
he entered the Western University at Pittsburgh, 
then under the charge of Dr. Bruce, at which place 
he also enjoyed the instructions of the venerableDr. 
Josef)h Stockton. After finishing a liberal course of 
studies he went to Butler, Pennsylvania, and for 
some time prior to studying law, edited a weekly 
newspaper called the Butler Repository, and in 
company with Samuel A. Purviance, afterward a 
well-known member of the Alleghenjr county bar 
and attorney-general of the commonwealth, he 
engaged in keeping a small grocery store. Soon 
afterward he entered, as a student of law, the office 
of Gen. William Ayers, at that time one of the 
celebrated lawyers of Western Pennsylvania, under 
whose careful training he laid a thorough founda- 
tion for his chosen life work. During his student 
life he married Miss Catharine Mechling, a daugh- 
ter of Hon. Jacob Mechling, of Butler county, a 
prominent f)olitician of that region, and for many 
years a member of the house of representatives 
and the senate of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Buffington 
survived her husband, dying ^ptember 11, 1873. 
They left no children, their only child, Mary, hav- 
ing died in infancy. 

In July, 1826, he was admitted to practice in 
Butler county, and in the supreme court on Sep- 
tember 10, 1828. He remained at the Butler bar 
for about a year, but finding that the business was 
largely absorbed by older and more experienced 
practitioners, he determined to seek some new field 
of labor and finally decided upon Armstrong 
county, to which he removed and settled at Kittan- 
ning, where he continued to reside until his death. 
Shortly after his coming he purchased from his 
perceptor, Gen. Ayers, the lots on Water street 
which afterward became his home and on which 
he built the old homestead. 

Though the first years of his professional life 
were ones of hardship and narrow means, yet his 
industry, integrity and close application soon 
brought him to the front of the bar, and in a few 
years he was in possession of a practice that ab- 
sorbed his time and aflforded him a comfortable 



590 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



income. During the years that intervened between 
his coming to Kittanning and 1843 he was closely 
engaged in the line of his profession. Patient, 
laborious and attentive, full of zeal and energy for 
his clients' causes, he acquired an extensive prac- 
tice. He was constantly in attendance upon the 
courts of Clarion, Jefferson, Armstrong and Indiana, 
and his services were often in demand in other 
counties. He was connected with all the import- 
ant land trials of these regions, and his knowledge 
of this intricate branch of the law was thorough 
and exhaustive. To jjractice successfully in these 
counties indicated no meager abilities as one recalls 
to mind the array of legal talent of those days, 
among whom may be mentioned Thomas Blair, 
Gov. Wm. F. Johnston, H. N. Lee, Darwin Phelps, 
of Armstrong county; Hon. Samuel A. Gilmore, 
Hon. Charles C. Sullivan, Hon. Samuel A. Pur- 
viance, Gen. I. N. Purviance, of Butler county; 
Hon. Thomas White, Daniel Stannard, William 
Banks, of Indiana county; Hon. Henry D. Foster, 
Edgar A. Cowan, of Westmoreland county; Hon. 
James Campbell and Thomas Sutton, of Clarion 
county. 

Ujjon coming to manhood. Judge Buffington 
took a strong interest in politics. At the inception 
of the anti-masonic party in 1831 or thereabouts 
he became one of its members and served as a 
delegate to the national convention of that body 
which met at Baltimore in 1832 and nominated 
William Wirt for the presidency. 

During these and the few succeeding years he 
was several times nominated for the position of 
state senator or member of the house of repre- 
sentatives, but without success, his party being 
largely in the minority. In 1840 he became a 
whig, taking an active part in the election of Gen. 
Harrison and serving as one of the presidential 
electors on the whig ticket. 

In the fall of 1843 he was elected a member of 
congress as the whig candidate in the district com- 
posed of the counties of Armstrong, Butler, Clear- 
field and Indiana, his competitor being Dr. Lorain, 
of Clearfield county. In 1844 he was again elected 
in the same district, his competitor being Judge 
McKeunan, of Indiana county. During his mem- 
bership of the house he voted with the Whigs in 
all important measures, among others voting 
against the admission of Texas on the ground of 
opposition to the extension of slave territory.- 

His fellow townsman and warm personal friend, 
Hon. W. F. Johnston, having been elected gover- 
nor, he appointed Mr. Buffington in 1849 to the 
position of president-judge of the eighteenth judi- 
cial district, composed of Clarion, Elk, Jefferson 



and Venango counties. This position he held un- 
til 1851, when he was defeated in the judicial elec- 
tion by Hon. John C. Knox, the district being 
largely democratic. 

In 1852 he was nominated by the whig state 
convention for the judgeship of the supreme 
court. In the general overthrow of the whig 
party which resulted in the defeat of Gen. Scott 
for the presidency. Judge Buffington was defeated, 
his competitor being the late Chief Justice Wood- 
ward, of Luzerne covinty. 

The same year he was appointed, by President 
Fillmore, chief justice of Utah territory, then just 
organized. He was strongly urged by the presi- 
dent personally to accept, as the position was a 
trying one and the administration wished it to be 
filled by one in whom it had confidence. Its great 
distance from civilization and the customs of the 
country, which were so abhorrent to his ideas, led 
him, however, to decline the proffered honor. 

In the year 1855, on the resignation of Hon. 
John Murray Burrill, judge of the tenth district, 
he was appointed to that position by Gov. Pollock, 
with whom he had been a fellow-member of con- 
gress. In the fall of 1856 he was elected to fill 
the position to which he had been appointed, for a 
teiTu of ten years. In this election he had no 
contestant, the opposition declining to nominate. 
This position he held until 1866, when he was 
again elected to fill the judgeship for another term 
of ten years. His position during these years was 
one of hard and constant labor, and the growing 
business of the three counties of Armstrong, Indi- 
ana and Westmoreland kept his mind and time 
fully occupied. In 18*71 failing health admonished 
him that the judicial labors, already too great for 
any one man to perform, were certainly too severe 
for one who had passed the meridian of life, and 
had borne the burden and heat of the day. It 
was indeed hard for him to listen to the demands 
of a feeble frame, but, sustained by the consciousness 
of duty well done, and cheered by imited voices 
from without, proclaiming his life-mission to the 
public nobly performed, he left the busy scenes of 
labor and retired to pi'ivate life after forty-six 
years' connection with the bench and bar of the 
commonwealth, to the thoroughness and industrj' 
of which the state reports of Pennsylvania bear 
silent but eloquent testimony. Surrounded by 
friends and every comfort of life the following 
year passed quickly, but as in the case of many 
an overworked professional man, the final sum- 
mons came without warning. On Saturday, Feb- 
ruary 3, 1872, he was in his usual health, and, 
rising from dinner, he went to an adjoining room. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



501 



across whicli he commenced walking as was his 
custom. His wife, coming in a few moments later, 
found him lying peacefully upon the sofa in the 
sleep of death. He was buried according to the 
services of the Episcopal church, of which he had 
been an attendant, officer and liberal supporter for 
many years. He was buried in the cemetery at 
Kittanning, where his resting-place has been 
marked by a substantial granite monument, a 
fitting emblem of the completeness of his own 
life. 

Said one of his life-long friends, Gov. William 
F. Johnston, " To speak of Judge Buffington's 
career as a lawyer would be a history of the judi- 
cial contests in this section of the state for more 
than a quarter of a century. He had a large 
practice in Armstrong, Jefferson, Clarion and 
Indiana counties, the courts of which counties he 
regularly attended. It was a pleasure to be with 
him, either as assisting or opposing counsel, in 
any of those counties. It may not be forgotten 
that in those early times, in the judicial history of 
Middle Western Pennsylvania, the bar constituted 
a kind of peripatetic association, each and all 
contributing his share to the social enjoyments of 
the occasion, and to the instruction of the un- 
learned in law of the obligations that were imposed 
uj)on them. These unions at different places crea- 
ted necessarily many happy reminiscences. But, 
like the schoolmaster of the village, ' tlie very 
spot where once they triumphed is forgot.' " 

Of Judge BufRngton as a lawyer we have spoken ; 
as a citizen he was public-spirited and gave a ready 
support to every undertaking calculated to bene- 
fit the community. In common with Gen. Orr, 
Gov. Johnston and others, he took an active part 
in jjrocuring the building of the Allegheny Valley 
Railroad, and served for some time as one of its 
directors. 

In his younger days he took much pleasure in 
hunting and fishing. Naturally fond of an out- 
door life, he took kindly to agricultural pursuits. 
From time to time he acquired farming lands in 
the neighborhood of Kittanning, and their care and 
cultivation absorbed most of his leisure time. Of 
industrious habits, and a hard worker. Judge Buff- 
ington gradually added to his worldly possessions. 
Fond of making money, he never cared for it for 
the purpose of hoarding it, but only for the pleas- 
ure its expenditure gave himself and those around 
him. 

It was in private life and in the familiar inter- 
course of friends that he is best remembered. 
His courtesy to all, joined to the natural, courtly 
dignity of the man, stamped him at once in the 



minds of all witli whom he came in contact as a 
gentleman in the truest sense of the word, while 
his well-stored mind and fine conversational pow- 
ers lent a charm to his acquaintance that drew 
around him a circle of warm and intimate friends. 
While his words were to the point and his lan- 
guage incisive, his naturally kind heart kept him 
from bitterness, and his judgment of others was 
never harsh or prompted by ill will. Kind, sym- 
pathetic and generous, he was always ready to 
listen to and aid those in distress. He never lost 
sympathy for the young, and there are venerable 
men at the bar today who will tell how the kind- 
ness of Judge Buffington in the early days of 
their professional career was a real help when 
they needed friends and encouragement. 

A grateful tribute was paid to his memory at 
March court, 1883, by the Hon. James B. Neale, 
president judge of the district, and son of his 
esteemed neighbor and life-long friend. Dr. S. S. 
Neale. 

Judge Neale had an excellent oil portrait of the 
judge painted, and at that time presented it to the 
county of Armstrong. It was placed, with appro- 
priate remarks, above the judge's bench in the 
court-room where he had so long presided. 

JOHN RALSTON. 

Concerning the ancestors of the subject of this 
biography but little need be here said, as they have 
prominent places elsewhere in this volume. His 
father, David Ralston, a pioneer of Scotch-Irish 
descent, settled in Plum Creek township, Arm- 
strong county, in 1800, and me^with a tragical 
death nine years later.* His grandfather, upon 
the maternal side, was the famous Capt. Andrew 
Sharpf, an officer in the revolutionary army, who, 
coming from Cumberland county to what is now 
Indiana county, settled near the Armstrong line in 
1*784, and subsequently had some thrilling adven- 
tures with the Indians. His mother, Agnes Sharj), 
second daughter of the gallant captain, born Febru- 
ary 21, 1785 — the first white child who had its 
nativity in the region — was married to David 
Ralston in 1803. John Ralston was their third 
son, and was born January .30, 1807, in Plum Creek 
township. His life was spent upon the farm which 
was his birthplace, and in the near-by village of 
Elderton; but although thus passing his days in 
rural or semi-rural quietude, and never seeking 
public honor, he became one of the best known 
citizens of Armstrong county. As he was also one 



* See chapter upon Plum Creek township. 

t For an account of Captain Sharp's settlement and his adveuturcs 
with the Indians, see Chapter I. 



592 



HISTORY OF AKMSTEONG COUNTY. 



of the most respected and mucli loved, it is fitting 
that these pages should contain a few lines to re- 
vive the recollection of those who knew him, and 
convey some idea of the man to those who come 
after. 

His life was without important events — unless 
we call important those seemingly little incidents 
which tend to develop the sturdy character — to 
make the manly man. 

When about 22 years of age he entered the dry- 
goods store of William Lytle at Elderton as clerk, 
and he doubtless exhibited in that capacity the 
qualities in embryo which eventually made him 
the successful man of business, for we find that he 
was taken into partnership in 1832. This partner- 
ship was dissolved in 1838, and Mr. Ralston im- 
mediately opened a business house of his own, 
which he carried on with signal ability and suc- 
cess. Keeping apace with the growing wants of 
the people, he increased his business until he made 
it tributary to the patronage from the farmers for 
many miles in every direction. Fair and honora- 
ble dealing made him extremely popular. He pro- 
cured for and supplied to the agricultural popula- 
tion everything they needed, and in return bought 
and shipped their produce of all kinds. 

We will remark here that upon June 26, 1833, 
Mr. Ralston was united in marriage with Miss 
Jane Sloan, of Blairsville. Through her good 
management and good judgment, she was a very 
efiicient helper to Mr. Ralston in his eiforts. His 
business required him to be much away from home, 
and thus more than usual care and responsibility 
fell to her, whi^h she proved fully competent to 
assume. Their family consisted of four sons — 
Andrew S., now in Titusville; D. Alexander, now 
a citizen of Kittanning; William M. and Thomas 
N., both residents of Elderton. 

These sons, as they arrived at suitable age, were 
taken into the business by their father, and thus 
obtained a practical knowledge of business affairs, 
and a successful start in life. 

Mr. Ralston was identified with the business of 
producing petroleum from the time of its discovery 
on Oil creek, and was one of the original members 
of the Ralston Oil Company, which consisted of 
himself, his brother and the Kirkpatricks of Pitts- 
burgh. Later in life he was a member of the whole- 
sale house of Romberger, Long & Co., of Philadel- 
phia. He was one of the original stockholders in 
the Indiana County Deposit Bank, of Indiana; had 
an interest in the banking house of John Ralston 
& Co., of Elderton, and also in the Fainaew De- 
posit Bank. 

Mr. Ralston was far too large a man to be suc- 



cessful in naught but business. His life was a 
blessing upon the community in which he lived, 
and one rich in good results, material and moral, 
to individuals and to society. His kindly counsel 
was the impetus of many a good career entered 
upon by young men, and his influence was one 
which had much effect upon men who were abreast 
of him in the march through years. His liberality 
was proverbial. He was one of the original mem- 
bers of the Elderton United Presbyterian church, 
and until the close of his life one of its strongest 
supporters. For a number of years he sustained 
with a few others an advanced school, and -he was 
afterward one of the promoters and steadfast 
friends of the Elderton academy. Public-spirited 
in a high degree, he was the leader in almost, and 
the hearty assistant in all, measures for the good 
of the people among whom he dwelt. His own 
farms — he owned several — were among the best 
improved in the county, and the same spirit of 
neatness and order which made them so led him 
to take advanced steps in beautifying and pi-aoti- 
cally benefiting the village of Elderton. 

Ever a friend of peace and harmony, he stopped 
many a lawsuit by his friendly intercession. His 
intervention was effective because he was liigTily 
esteemed by all who knew him. Owing to his un- 
swerving integrity he was often called upon to act 
in the capacity of arbitrator when difliculties arose 
between people in the neighborhood. 

One of the marked characteristics of the subject 
of our sketch was his faculty of close observation 
and reflection upon what he saw. The difiioulty 
attending the shipment of petroleum during the 
early years of its production set him to thinking 
whether some more economic method might not 
be devised than that of barreling it. He was not 
long in arriving at the idea of building tanks upon 
platform cars. Not long afterward, the plan 
occurring to someone else, such tanks were con- 
structed and proved a success. He traveled much, 
was quite an assiduous reader, and by these and 
other means he secured the varied stock of infor- 
mation which proved a greater education to him 
than many possessed who had better school advan- 
tages. 

Politically Mr. Ralston was a republican and an 
active worker in politics. Although frequently 
urged to become a candidate for the higher oflices, 
he was unwilling, by accepting them, to break in 
upon a successful business career, for which he 
considered himself better adapted. 

He took a warm interest in the prosecution of 
the war, and aided, by his influence, the raising of 
troops in his vicinity. He personally took supplies 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



598 



to the troops, visiting them in Virginia, and later, 
during the invasion of Pennsylvania, he accom- 
panied to the field a company raised in the imme- 
diate vicinity of Elderton, and went with the 
organization subsequently to Ohio, where it was 
engaged in the movements which led to the cap- 
ture of Morgan. Although not subject to the 
draft, he paid a large bounty to one man and sent 
him into the field, as in a certain sense his repre- 
sentative, for which he received an acknowledg- 
ment from the government in the form of a 
diploma. 

The death of John Ralston occurred at his home 
in Elderton, August 24, 1879, and was preceded by 
that of his wife, who died August 9, 1874. 

The following tribute to the memory of John 
Ralston is contributed by Judge James B. Neale : 

Experience shows that a successful career is often 
denied to some, not on account of natural deficiencies 
unfitting them for every vocation, but because of special 
disqualification for certain kinds of labor or enterprise. 
We often recognize in the successful, even distinguished 
professional man, one who has utterly failed in other 
undertakings, and as often we discover in the professions 
men who have wholly mistaken their calling. They 
fail, and we attribute their want of success to general in- 
competency. A criterion of success in any pursuit, in a 
majority of cases, is adaptation. This, In the individual 
instance of John Ralston, was peculiarly true; his 
was a successful career, because he was admirably 
adapted, by natural inclination and talent, to the duties 
which he had undertaken. He was essentially a busi- 
ness man, and whether his field of labor was limited or 
extended, he was bound to succeed, and he was as certain 
in the end to embrace all that his circumstances and sur- 
roundings would admit of — even if a whole community 
must be built up to accomplish that result. 

He made business a study, andlife and experience was 
a constant development of business capacity. He did 
not wait for opportunities ; he created them. Out of the 
unpromising materials of an inland rural village he de- 
veloped sources of income, thrift and enterprise. The 
mere trading that could be carried on in a village store did 
not satisfy him. He reached out for more, and a whole sec- 
tion of country responded. He made a market for the en- 
tire productions of a wide extent of country, and in order 
to increase that i^roduction and to improve its quality to 
the highest standard, he took a personal interest in the 
seed that was planted, and in all the stock that was 
raised upon every farm. He instilled into the mind of 
everj' man the true idea that it cost but little more, and 
that only in the original outlay, to produce the superior 
qualities of grain or to raise the better grades of stock 
than the inferior. He managed his own farms upon this 
principle, and the example was widely contagious. He 
did not barter with his neighbors by the narrow methods 
usually pursued, but dealt with tliem always with a view 
to their own advantage as well as his own ; by allowing 
higher prices for the better articles, he made it an in- 
ducement to excel, and excited a competition that pro- 



duced most beneficial results. Standing at the head of 
tlie community in wliicb lie lived, his inlkience was felt 
in every direction ; the higher grade of schools were estab- 
lished and liberally patronized, churches were erected, and 
religious observances earnestly encouraged. In the course 
of time he was recognized as the arbiti'atorof all disputes 
among his neighbors, and by his instrumentality litiga- 
tion and strife w-ere measurably restrained. In nearly 
everything his counsel was sought, and his advice im- 
plicith' followed. It was so fully understood that he was 
acting for the good of all, that in everything lie did his 
conduct was beyond cavil, and his influence prevailed at 
all times with old and young alike, and when death 
finally laid his hand upon him to remove him from a 
field of so much usefulness, it was regarded as a 
bereavement to ever}' household — the taking off of its 
truest, most devoted benefactor. 

HON. JAMES MOSGROVE. 

John Mosgrove, father of the subject of this 
sketch, was a native of Ireland, and one of the first 
settlers of Kittanning, coming to the locality as a 
young man about the time the town was laid out. 
He was a carpenter by trade, and followed that oc- 
cupation during the greater part of his residence 
in Kittanning, which only terminated with his 
death. His wife, Mary Gillespie, was the daughter 
of John Gillespie, one of the pioneers of Arm- 
strong county. They were the parents of five 
children. Andrew' J. Mosgrove, the only brother 
of our subject, was by profession an attorney. He 
entered the service of the United States as a volun- 
teer soldier and met his death in the Mexican war. 
Of the three sisters, Margaret, the eldest, is the 
wife of Thomas B. Storey; Phebe Isabella is the 
widow of the late Judge Jackson Boggs, and Anna 
Jane is the wife of Simon Truby. 

James Mosgrove was born in Kittanning, June 
14, 1822. At a very early age he engaged in the 
iron business, accepting the position of clerk at the 
Buffalo Furnace in this county. Combining a well 
regulated and fine business capacity with the 
qualities of integrity and perseverance, he at once 
commanded the respect and confidence of his em- 
ployers, and the management of the furnace was 
soon placed in his hands. In 1845 he married Miss 
Rebecca Jane, daughter of Robert Brown. About 
the same time he entered into a partnership with 
his brother-in-law, the late James E. Brown, of 
Kittanning, and became part owner and active 
manager of Pine Creek Furnace, which position 
he held from 1845 to 1880, passing throiigh all the 
different phases and vicissitudes of the iron busi- 
ness during that long period of thirty-five years. 
He has also been engaged quite extensively in oil 
production. Mr. Mosgrove's superior ability as 
a practical, strong and enterprising business man 



594 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONO COUNTY. 



is universally admitted. Few men can be found 
in Armstrong county, or for that matter in "West- 
ern Pennsylvania, who equal him in the possession 
of the combination of characteristics which com- 
mancl success. He is now largely interested in the 
business affairs of the county, being president of 
the Kittanning Ironworks and president of the 
National Bank of Kittanning. He was the prin- 
cipal organizer of this financial institution, and 
from the death of James E. Brown until July, 1882, 
when its charter expired, was president of the old 
First National Bank. 

In politics Mr. Mosgrove has alwaj^s been a 
democrat. He accepted the nomination of the 
greenback party for congress in 1878, when it was 
tendered to him, not because he had abandoned any 
of his democratic principles, but because he had 
for years advocated the financial doctrines of the 
greenback party. In that campaign he ran far 
ahead of his ticket, but was defeated on account of 
the failure of the democrats to indorse his nomina- 
tion, which he had a right to expect they would do. 
He never sought a political office in his life, and 
he furnishes a notable example of the office seeking 
the man instead of the man seeking the ofiice. 

In 1880 he was nominated for congress by both 
the democratic and greenback parties without any 
solicitation on his part, and was elected by a 
majority of 756 votes over his competitor, and 
that, too, in a repviblican district. He served his 
constituency intelligently and efficiently — credit- 
ably to himself and acceptably to the people of the 
twenty-fifth congressional district of Pennsylvania. 

In 1882 he was renominated, but declined to 
serve as a candidate. 

ROBERT WALTER SMITH.* 

Robert Walter Smith was born at Litchfield, 
New Hampshire, June 16, 1816, at the residence of 
his grandfather (on the maternal side). Judge 
Parker. His great-grandfather, Capt. Ebenezer 
Smith, was an officer throughout the whole of the 
revolutionary war, and was appointed captain of 
the guard over Maj. Andre the night before his 
execution. His grandfather, the Rev. David Smith, 
D. D., was at the time of his death in his ninety- 
fifth year, probably the oldest Yale College grad- 
uate in the United States. His father, the late 
Rev. David M. Smith, was also a graduate of Yale 
College, being a member of the class of 1811. He 
studied theology at Andover, Massachusetts, and 
was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian 



* It is a matter of regret to the publishers that they eannot present 
in tliis volume a portrait of the author. The only one extant is not 
suitable for production, being a daguerreotype taken when Mr. Smith 
was about thirty years of age. 



church. For many years he was the stated mis- 
sionary to the Tuscarora Indians. He settled at 
Lewiston, and in connection with his missionary 
duties he presided for twelve years over a large 
school. It was there that Robert Walter Smith 
laid the foundation for his future course. He was 
a very resolute, methodical and active boy. After 
leaving Lewiston, his father removed to Clinton, 
Oneida county, New York, and after preaching a 
year or so at Little Falls he removed to Stock- 
bridge, in the same county ; took charge of a very- 
flourishing academy and also officiated as pastor of 
the Presbyterian church. At this place the sub- 
ject of our sketch was very thoroughly prepared 
for Hamilton College, from which he graduated in 
1837. He afterward read law in the otfice of Hon. 
Darius Pecet, a noted lawyer of Warsaw, New 
York. After leaving there he was for awhile 
principal of the Red Hood seminary. From there 
he found his way to Saugerties, New York, but 
not being satisfied there he soon removed. He 
next went to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from that 
place came to Kittanning. 

The time of Mr. Smith's location in Kittanning, 
where it was destined he was to pass the remain- 
der of his days, was the year 1846. Soon after his 
arrival he was associated in a law partnership with 
the late Judge Buffington, and remained with him 
for several years, afterward practicing alone. He 
was the first county superintendent of schools, be- 
ing appointed to fill that position by the governor 
of the state in 1856. He served* until 1860; was 
elected to the same office in 1863, and altogether 
occupied it over six years. During that period he 
devoted himself very conscientiously to the duties 
of the office, and made an admirable superintend- 
ent. From 1863 to 1876 he was editor of the 
Union Free Press, and performed his newspaper 
labors with the same care and thoroughness for 
which he was noted in other lines of employment. 
He was mayor or burgess of the town for two 
terms, and held other municipal offices as well as 
many positions of private trust. 

He was a man of studious habits and literary 
tastes. Very naturally, therefore, he was the chief 
promoter of the several fine lecture courses which 
the people of Kittanning enjoyed during the sev- 
enties. Appropriately and by common consent the 
duty of introducing the lecturers was assigned to 
him, and it was one which he well performed. He 
was also frequently called upon to address the 
people upon various subjects, and his history of 
Armstrong county in reality grew out of one of 
these addresses — the one delivered upon the cen- 
tennial anniversary of independence at Cherry 



BIOGRAPI^ICAL SKBTCIIES. 



595 



Run, ill Plum Creek township. Conceiving tlie 
idea of writing an elaborate history of the county, 
lie entered upon his arduous, self-imposed task 
with the determination of making it thorough and 
reliable. Toward this end he toiled patiently for 
full five years. How minute and painstaking was 
his research, and how devotedly he followed the 
tedious labor of collecting and collating facts, can 
be in some measui-e appreciated by whoever reads 
even a small portion of the volume, but the full 
measure of difficulty attending the work can only 
be understood by one who has attempted a similar 
production. Mr. Smith labored with conscien- 
tiousness and zeal. How deeply he was absorbed 
in his work (and also a glimpse of his method in 
writing the history and the regard which at least 
one man entertained for it) is shown by a para- 
graph from a letter written by him to the editor 
of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History aad 
Biography, under date of April 5, 1880. Mr. 
Smith says r 

I hope to finish my manuscript, if not too much in- 
terrupted, in a few months. I have maps of all the origi- 
nal surveys of tracts of land in this county, and have 
become much interested in tracing up whatever of inter- 
est has occurred on each one and locating the same on it, 
so that every original tract is touched more or less 
minutely, according to what has transpired on it. You 
may readily conclude that I occasionally get on to a stick- 
ing place which detains me for a considerable time. It 
is encouraging to know that the facts which I have col- 
lected deeply interest people from different parts of the 
county, to whom I have read a few pages here and there 
of what I have ^tritten. For instance, a farmer to whom 
I read a few pages one day, respecting a diffterent locality 
from his own, became so deei^iy interested in the facts 
that he told another person that he meant to have a copy 
of the work if it should cost him §25. So you see there 
are some very interesting facts connected with the 
history of this county. 

Sadly enough the author was not permitted the 
quiet satisfaction of seeing the book on which he 
had so long toiled come from the press. He could 
not have been fully recompensed for his labor had 
he lived, but he might have been in some measure 
rewarded by the knowledge that its results were 
j)laced before the people. He worked without 
expectation of adequate pecuniary return, but 
whether wittingly or not reared for himself a mon- 
ument which will ever perpetuate his name among 
the people of the county in which he spent the last 
half of his life. 

Robert W. Smith, Esq., died December 6, 1881, 
at the home of his brother at Bronxville, West- 
chester county, NewYork, aged sixty-four years. He 
had been in poor health for about two years prior to 
that time, and for a much briefer period so ill as 



to be incapacitated for his duties. He had gone 
to his brother's upon a visit, thinking that change 
of scenery and air would restore his health, and 
his death was not expected by his friends. 

A meeting of the bar of Armstrong county was 
held upon the 9th of December, over which Ed- 
ward S. Golden, Esq., presided, to take action upon 
the death of their deceased brother. Appropriate 
remarks were made and tributes of respect paid to 
Mr. Smith's memory by Judge James B. Neale and 
others, and a committee was appointed to draft 
suitable resolutions to be engrossed upon the 
journal. 

Mr. Smith never attained a large law practice. 
He had not that kind of eloquence or art of speak- 
ing which is effective in fbe court-room, but he 
possessed a good knowledge of the law, and it was 
generally conceded was an able counselor. His 
character was untarnished, and he held the respect 
of all with whom he was associated, whether pro- 
fessionally or otherwise. 

JAMES E. BROWN, ESQ. 

A history of Armstrong county would be radi- 
cally incomplete without a sketch of James E. 
Brown, Esq., who, more than any other individual 
person, was identified and connected with its 
growth and development; nearly its entire history 
was compassed by his life and included within the 
period of his active business experiences. 

Mr. Brown's ancestry has been traced back two 
hundred years. His remote progenitor was James 
Brown, a Scotchman and a soldier in the famous 
Enniskillen dragoons (according to an old song, 
composed entirely of men " six feet two without 
a shoe"), killed at the battle of the Boyne. He 
left a son James, who had two sons — John by his 
first wife and James by his second. John Brown 
had a son John, who married Margaret Eaton, and 
after her death an Irwin. His children were, by 
his first wife : Mrs. Betty Thompson, Jane Hughes, 
Nancy Montgomery, John, Joseph, Robert, George, 
James and Williani; by his second wife: Thomas, 
Frank, Irwin,Margaret and Mary. John Brown,who 
became the father of these children, was fourteen 
years of age when his uncle James Brown, son of 
Grazilla Kennedy, was born, and these two, uncle 
and nephew, were the grandfathers of James E. 
Brown, who was the fifth possessor of the name in 
the direct line of the family.* His father was 
Robert Brown, a true type of the Scotch-Irish, was 
born in Ireland in 1T75, and came to this country 
about the year 1795. Soon thereafter he was mar- 



*James E. Brown, Jr., is the sixth James Brown in regular snoces- 
sion from the one who fell at the battle of the Boyiie. 



596 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



lied to Rebecca, daughter of James Brown, a sol- 
dier of the revolutionary war, then living in Car- 
lisle. 

After his marriage he settled near Ebenezer, in 
the adjoining county of Indiana, where, on the 5th 
day of May, 1799, his first child, James E., was 
born. 

About this period the eyes of the frontier set- 
tlers were directed to the valley of the Allegheny 
river, and to the new county of Armstrong, through 
which it extended, then recently organized. 

The father, Robert Brown, after several visits to 
the new settlement, moved his family thither and 
took up his residence at the mouth of the Cowan- 
shannock creek. The town of Kittanning was 
laid out in the year 1804, and at about that time he 
removed to it, becoming one of its earliest citizens. 
He soon acquired a large amount of property 
within and adjoining the village, and contributed 
very much to its improvement by the erection of 
many of the houses, the first tenements in the 
place. Dui'ing life he occupied a prominent posi- 
tion as a citizen. For many years at the beginning 
of this century he held a commission as justice of 
the peace, and after a long and useful life died on 
Easter Sunday, April 4, 1858, at the advanced age 
of 83. 

In the first years of the settlement of the new 
town, extremely few facilities for education ex- 
isted ; civilized life had then barely a foothold on 
this frontier soil, but the boy James E., already 
ambitious and restless even in childhood, availed 
himself of every attainable means to advance his 
education, totally ignoring the usual amusements 
and devoting\the whole time of his juvenile years 
to the reading and study of such books as the 
scanty settlement could supply, at a very early 
period manifesting an aptitude for mathematics, 
in which he always excelled, as evidenced by the 
accuracy of the numerous and extensive surveys 
subsequently made by him throughout his own 
and the adjoining counties. 

In the course of time a select school was estab- 
lished, over which the then accomplished teacher. 
Master 'Elliott, as he was called, presided. An un- 
plastered room in the then unfinished jail was set 
apart for the purpose. In this place many of the 
future prominent citizens of the town received 
their first regular instruction. The youthful stu- 
dent was one of the first enrolled, and was soon 
recognized as the first in scholarship, retaining his 
precedence till the teacher had no longer a place or 
anything to teach his precocious pupil. 

In those days penmanship was regarded an in- 
dispensable requisite to a good education, the 



teachers themselves rating more by their hand- 
writing and good spelling than by any other test 
of scholarship. In this the pupil also excelled, an 
accomplishment that early in life brought him into 
prominence as the village scribe, copyist and ac- 
countant, youthful employments tending to fit and 
prepare him for the active duties of his subsequent 
career. 

At an early age he opened a store on his own 
account on the northeast corner of Market and 
Water streets. While thus engaged, on March 2, • 
1819, he was married to Miss Phebe Bratton, 
daughter of the late venerable Robert Parks, one 
of the original settlers of Armstrong county. Two 
years later he was appointed prothonotary of the 
county, a position in which he acquired consider- 
able practical and legal knowledge, but was not 
admitted to the bar until 1860. 

Before this he had secured the agency from some 
of the large landed proprietors living in the East, 
who were owners of many undivided tracts of land 
in this section of the state; the care, subdivision 
and sale of these tracts was committed to him. 
Many of these he afterward purchased or received 
in payment for his services. 

After his term of office expired he was commis- 
sioned as a justice of the peace. He also formed 
a mercantile partnership with the late Alexander 
Colwell, a gentleman of large means and excellent 
business judgment. In a few years this firm was 
dissolved, and he then became associated with the 
late Andrew Arnold, and with him and others 
undertook several experiments in boring wells for 
salt, which, however, were unsuccessful. 

In the year 1841 he formed another partnership 
with Thomas McConnell and the late David Pat- 
terson, under the firm name of Brown, McConnell 
& Patterson. Retiring from this firm, his atten- 
tion was next directed to the development of the 
rich mineral resources of the county. 

In 1 845, in conjunction with his brother, John P., 
and brother-in-law, James Mosgrove, he erected 
and put into operation the well known Pine Creek 
Furnace, which proved throughout many subse- 
quent years a most successful and profitable enter- 
prise. 

In 1847 he organized the Kittanning Iron Com- 
pany, and erected the rolling-mill and factory at 
Kittanning, which, under various partnership 
changes, he continued to superintend and control 
till the year 1858. 

In 1856 the first bank in Kittanning was estab- 
lished, known as the Kittanning Bank. He was 
its principal stockholder and continued to be its 
president during its chartered existence. Imme- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



r)U7 



diately after tlie passage of the national banking 
act he organized the First National Bank of Kit- 
tanning, only fifty-five preceding it. Of this he 
was also nearly the exclusive owner, and his recog- 
nized financial experience and large means con- 
tributed to establish it as one of the most undoubted 
and secure institutions in the country. During 
the later years of his life his attention was chiefly 
directed to its management, and he continued its 
president till his death. 

His business judgment was unsui-passed and 
enabled him to discern successful results from the 
very inception of his multifarious enterprises, and 
so strong was his own confidence in this discern- 
ment that he did not hesitate to engage in projects 
from which the more timid would cautiously 
shrink, so that in the course of his tireless and busy 
life he had become identified directly or indirectly 
with an almost inconceivable variety of enterprises 
and duties. He had delved into the hills for their 
hidden minerals and made them largely contribute 
to his wealth. He had bored into the deptlis of 
the earth years ago to tap the undercurrents of 
salt water, wholly unconscious then that from a 
lower stratum he would subsequently be largely 
engaged in extracting a much more valuable de- 
posit of petroleum. He wa,| the projector and 
principal owner of the bridge spanning the Alle- 
gheny river at Kittanning and the chief owner of 
the one at Parker. He was largely interested in 
the railroad from Parker to Butler, a stockholder 
and director in several pipe line and transporting 
companies, and more recently in a refining com- 
pany, and in the year preceding his death reorga- 
nized a company to erect a large blast furnace and 
rebuild the long dismantled rolling-mill at Kittan- 
ning, all now in successful opei-ation. 

Energy, enterprise and a fearless and indomit- 
able will were the predominant traits of his char- 
acter. To these qualities, in a life commenced in 
unpropitious poverty and beset throughout with 
many obstacles, may be attributed the ultimate 
financial success that crowned its close. 

His first wife and most faithful partner through- 
out many years of his ceaseless toil died Novem- 
ber 1, 1864, leaving surviving her an only daughter, 
Mrs. Jane B. Finlay, who also died on December 
30, 1876. Afterward, on November 27, 1865, 
he was married to Miss Kate L. Hughes, who 
with one son, James E. Brown, their only offspring, 
still survives. His own unexpected death, after a 
brief illness, occurred on November 27, 1880. 

Mr. Brown was throughout the greater part of 
his life a member of the Presbyterian church, and 
always took a deep interest in all that tended to 
38 



its success. From its earliest organization he was 
connected with the Sunday-school work of his 
church, and for upward of forty years preceding liis 
death had been its constant superintendent and 
head. He contributed very largely to the mission 
work of his church, and gave largely and always 
unostentatiously to many charities. In social 
intercourse Mr. Brown was always kind, consid- 
erate, courteous, unassuming in manner, and as free 
from display as the plainest citizen. 

The Rev. A. Donaldson, in his remarks at the 
funeral of Mr. Brown, thus spoke of the religious 
element in his life : " Whilst unremitting in 
attention to his vast and complicated business con- 
cerns during six days of the week, on the Sabbath 
of the Lord he was a diligent, devoted and suc- 
cessful student of his Bible. * * * As an 
elder, beyond most others, he was determined to 
uphold his paster's hands." He was further spoken 
of as " an elder whose place can never be sap- 
plied." Dr. Donaldson further said : " In the Pres- 
bytery often, in the synod several times, and in the 
general assembly his presence .was prized and his 
influence was great and good." 

In personal appearance Mr. Brown united char- 
acteristics of form and feature that would attract 
attention from every observer. He was very erect, 
upward of six feet in hight, of symmetrical pro- 
portion, quick and active in his movements, and 
physically a perfect specimen of that sturdy man- 
hood that can assert its power by merely external 
influences. His features were of the true Scotch- 
Irish type, regular and at the same time promi- 
nent, with a florid complexion, clean blue eyes and 
light-brown hair. 

- DR. SAMUEL S. NEALE. 

Di-. Samuel S. Neale was born in Burlington, 
New Jersey, on January 15, 1792, where he re- 
ceived the usual education afforded by the excellent 
academy of that city. Afterward he commenced 
the study of medicine in the city of Philadelphia, 
under such eminent physicians as Dr. Rush and 
Dr. Physic, and also attended the course^ of lec- 
tures in the University of Pennsylvania. 

About the year 1814, he settled in Connellsville, 
Pennsylvania, and in the course of two or three 
years thereafter located in Kittanning, where he 
continued to practice his profession till the time of 
his death, with but a single interruption of a short 
residence in the city of Pittsburgh. 

He was married on July 4, 1826, to Margaret E., 
daughter of Robert Brown, Esq. Her death oc- 
curred March 18, 1851. 

He died on August 22, 1857, leaving surviving 



598 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



him two daughters and three sons — Rebecca B., 
Phebe I., Charles T., James B. and Alonzo P. 
Neale. 

As a physician he commanded the respect of his 
professional brethren as well by his skill as by his 
uniform courtesy and constant observance of pro- 
fessional etiquette ; but, more than all, he became 
greatly endeared to those to whom he bore the re- 
lation of family physician. Constant and devoted 
in every case of illness, skillful in his treatment of 
disease, kind and thoughtful in his manner, and 
gentle and sympathetic in times of distress and , 
affliction, his presence and words could always 
soften the grief and allay the sorrows, even at the 
bedside of the dying. 

In social life he was always genial and open, re- 
fined in his manner and conversation, and warm 
and sincere in his friendships. In his death he bore 
with him the respect and good wilt of all who had 
known him. 

COL. WILLIAM SIRWELL. 

William Sirwell, son of Richard and Elizabeth 
(Graham) Sirwell, both natives of England, was 
born in the United States army, at the Allegheny 
arsenal, on August 10, 1820, his father, who had 
been principal musician, at that time being armorer 
at the arsenal. Of a military turn of mind he 
entered the militia service in 1839, and commanded 
in succession the City Blues, of Pittsburgh, and 
the Washington Blues, Brady Alpines and Kit- 
tanning Yeagers, of Kittanning, to which place he 
removed in 1855. He was also for ten years 
brigade inspector of Armstrong county. In person 
he is six feet in hight, broad shouldered and 
robust. He was married on November 6, 1840, to 
Miss Elizabeth McCandless, of Butler county. 
They have had eight children, viz.: Lucinda Ann, 
Alexander Nelson (dead), Sarah C, Mary H., 
William Mitchell, Samuel (dead), Elizabeth M., 
and Emma J. (dead). 

In 1854 being in Iowa, he raised at Davenport 
the first military company in the state, and in 
1855, while on his way home, he organized in 
Pittsburgh the first military company of colored 
men known to have been formed in the United 
States. They were called the Hannibal Guards. 

On the breaking out of the rebellion Col. Sirwell 
with his company, the Brady Alpines above men- 
tioned, were the first company in Western Penn- 
sylvania to offer their services to the United States 
government, and were at once accepted and served 
through the three months compaign in the 9th regt. 
Pa. Vol. Inf., under Gen. Patterson, in Virginia. 
Upon the expiration of their term of service and 



return home, Capt. Sirwell at once proceeded to 
organize the 78th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., was commis- 
sioned colonel of the same, and with his brigade, 
under the command of Gen. James S. Negley, or- 
dered to the army then stationed in Kentucky. In 
the affair at Lavergne, one of the actions for the 
defense of Nashville, the regiment particularly 
distinguished itself, and its commander was com- 
plimented by Gen. Negley and by Andrew John- 
son, then military governor of Tennessee. At Stone 
River the regiment captured the White Horse 
Artillery, of New Orleans, consisting of four 
twelve-pounder brass Napoleon guns, the regi- 
mental colors of the 26th Rebel Tennessee, and 
the guidon of the 4th Florida. As a reward of 
his service here. Col. Sirwell was made provost mar- 
shall of Murfreesboro, and was afterward placed in 
command of the 3d brigade, 2d division, of the 14tli 
corps, department of the Cumberland. In the 
terrible conflicts of Chickamauga and Missionary 
Ridge, and in the subsequent campaign of Atlanta, 
he rendered valuable services. At New Hope 
Church so marked was his gallantry that he was 
commended by Gen. Thomas. When Atlanta 
finally was taken after a campaign of a hundred 
days in which the smoke of battle scarcely cleared 
away, it became difficult to keep open the base of 
supplies, stretching away to Chattanooga. Col. 
Sirwell was assigned to this duty and preserved 
unbroken the line of transportation, supjjlies being 
rapidly brought up. After his term of service 
expired, at the solicitation of the commander of 
the department. Col. Sirwell remained in the field, 
his regiment as mounted infantry being employed 
in attacking and pursuing Forrest's cavalry 
through Middle and Southern Tennessee. 

Col. Sirwell was a gallant but prudent officer. 
He was much admired by his brother officers and 
the men of his command. He was made the re- 
cipient of two swords, both handsome and valu- 
able ones, but prized by him more dearly for their 
associations than aught else. 

At one time Col. Sirwell saw fit to resign his 
command (which, however, he almost immediately 
resumed), and the officers of the 78th regt. at 
that time, November 20, 1863, presented him with 
the following resolutions: 

Whereas, Col. William Sirwell has felt it his duty to 
resign his commission as colonel of this regiment, we, 
the commissioned officers, do resolve, 

1. That we sustain Col. Sirwell in the cause that in- 
duced him to take this step which sunders the reciprocal 
ties which for over two years have held him and his mil- 
itary family together. Declining health induced by hard 
service in the field entitle " the old soldier " to an hon- 
orable retirement. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



599 



2. That the history of this regiment from its organi- 
zation to this time, its superior discipline, its undaunted 
courage on the field of battle, and its complete appoint- 
ment in every department are the handiwork of Col. 
Sirwell, and stamp hiili as a military commander of the 
first order. 

3. That the name and services of Col. Sirwell will ever 
be associated in our minds with recollections of Lamb's 
Ferry, White Creek, Neely's Bend, Goodletsville, La- 
vergne, Brentwood and Stone River, Dug Gap, Chicka- 
mauga. 

4. That the kindness of disposition and the frankness 
of Col. Sirwell have endeared him both to officers and 
men, and in parting with him they feel that they are 
losing a father who watched over them with fond care. 

5. That we each and all resolve here tonight in taking 
the parting hand of Col. Sirwell that we will do our ut- 
most to bring this regiment home to him with its colors 
flying and its bright escutcheon untarnished. 

6. To William Sirwell, late colonel of this regiment, 
the strict disciplinarian, the accomplished soldier, the 
high-toned gentleman, the kind and genial companion — 
you have toiled with us, you have endured all the suffer- 
ings and enjoyed many of the glories of the soldier's 
life— to you we say farewell, and God bless you. 

7. Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be for- 
warded to Col. Sirwell and to the papers in Kittanning 
(except the Mentor), Indiana, Clarion, Butler, Law- 
rence and Pittsburgh. 

(Signed by the commissioned officers of the 78th 
Regiment). 

Having performed his duties faithfully to the 
government during the time of war, Col. Sirwell 
has since resided in Kittanning, and has held the 
offices of postmaster and justice of the peace. He 
has spent much time in collecting curiosities and 
relics, especially those which pertain to Armstrong 
county, and has perhaps the most valuable private 
cabinet in Western Pennsylvania. 

^-REDERICK ROHRER. 

Frederick Rohrer was born in Westmoreland 
county about 1794. He learned the printing busi- 
ness in Pittsburgh in the Mercury office and came 
to Kittanning in the latter part of the year 1818 or 
in the early part of the year 1819, during which 
year or about the month of February, 1819, he 
started the then only paper published in the county, 
called The Columbian. He was appointed by Gov. 
Schultz register and recorder of the county, and 
afterward was appointed by Gov. Wolf prothono- 
tary. He held the office of postmaster during the 
time he was prothonotary, and was after the expira- 
tion of his term engaged in mercantile pursuits. 
He ceased the publication of TJie Columbian dur- 
ing the year 1831 or 1832. He afterward was 
appointed a justice of the peace, and was holding 
that office at the time of his death, which occun-ed 
in 1837. 



HON. JOHN CALHOUN. 

James Calhoun, the father of the old and hon- 
ored resident of Armstrong county whose name 
stands at the head of this sketch and of whom a 
portrait appears, came from Ireland to this country 
prior to the issuance of the declaration of inde- 
pendence, and settled in Lancaster county, Penn- 
sylvania, where he married a Miss Ellen Temple- 
ton, by whom he had two children, Samuel and 
William. James Calhoun served through the revo- 
lutionary war and was wounded in one of its 
battles. After the close of the struggle he settled 
in what is now Indiana county, and his first wife 
having died he there married a Mrs. Mary Walker, 
whose maiden name was Abrams. She had a large 
family of children by her first husband, of whom 
Col. Robert Walker, well known as a spy in the 
Allegheny valley during the long period of Indian 
hostility, was one. He subsequently became a set- 
tler in what is now Boggs township. 

Our subject, John Calhoun, was born in Arm- 
strong township, Indiana county, January 16, 
1784. In his youth his parents moved to the 
region now known as Boggs township, Armstrong 
county, and he of course accompanied them. He 
purchased a tract of land in that township and 
improved it. In 1806 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Elizabeth Anthony, with whom he con- 
tinued to reside upon his original purchase until 
the spring of 1814, when he sold it. He imme- 
diately bought another tract in Wayne township, 
south of the site of Dayton, to which he moved in 
the spring of 1815. He lived upon this farm until 
the spring of 1839, in the meantime, September 1, 
1827, losing his wife. His final removal was to a 
fine body of land in the northwestern part of 
Wayne township, about seven miles from Dayton, 
which he purchased from Gen. Robert Orr. To 
this place his children by his first marriage and his 
second wife, Catharine Marshall, whom he had 
married January 1, 1828, went with him. Her 
death occurred upon April 26, 1865. Mr. Calhoun 
departed this life ten years later, in his ninety-first 
year. 

In his early years Mr. Calhoun was a great 
hunter, and in his old age he delighted in relating 
reminiscences of adventure in that sport, which 
was the pioneer's chief means of relaxation from 
arduous toil. He had learned the carpenter's trade, 
but his occupation throughout life was farming. 
He was a man of sturdy character, of great useful- 
ness to the people around him, widely known and 
universally respected. He held office during a 
large portion of his active life. Upon August 30, 
1811, he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, and 



600 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



upon Marcli 30, 1813, captain of militia, by Gov. 
Snyder. He was commissioned by Gov. Heister 
in 1822 as justice of the peace for district No. 7, 
composed of Plum Creek and Wayne townships, a 
position which he filled for many years. In 1840 
he was appointed and commissioned associate 
judge of Armstrong county, serving out the unex- 
pired term of an incumbent of the office removed 
by death. In 1842 he was commissioned to the 
same office for a full term by Gov. D. R. Porter, 
and again appointed by Gov. Shunk in 1848. He 
gave the utmost satisfaction in this and other 
offices which he held. Politically he was a demo- 
crat and a life-long adherent of the party, taking 
a deep interest in its success and the measures 
which tended toward it. He was one of the 
founders of the Glade Run and the Concord Pres- 
byterian churches, and served as an elder in each. 
He was a man of strong and practical religious 
tendencies and exerted a valuable influence in the 
community. 

■ The children of John and Elizabeth (Anthony) 
Calhoun, with the dates of their respective births, 
were as follows : Noah A., born December 26, 1806; 
William J., July 22, 1809 ; Mary (Ritchey), Janu- 
ary 15, 1812 ; Nancy (Porter), September 18, 1814; 
James R., March 25, 1817 ; Sarah (wife of James 
Calhoun), October 4, 1819 ; Samuel S. N., March 
22, 1823, and John K., February 26, 1825. Of 
these, all are deceased except Noah A., James R. 
and Samuel S. N. The first and last named of 
these three live upon the old farm, Samuel S. N. 
having the.homestead-place, and James R., having 
retired from active farming, lives in Dayton. All 
of the daughtei's married farmers, and all of the 
sons followed farming, except John K., who was 
an attorney. 

When quite young, this son went to Kittanning 
to obtain an academical education. He studied law 
in the office of Judge Buffington, and was admitted 
to practice December 18, 1850, upon motion of Hon. 
Thomas White. He soon exhibited unusual talent, 
and rose rapidly in his profession. In 1856 he was 
elected, upon the Democratic ticket, to represent 
Armstrong county in the legislature, and served 
during the session of 1856-7. By re-election he 
became a member of the legislature of 1857-8. 
When the war broke out he took a deep interest in 
the success of the Unionists, and was elected cap- 
tain of a Kittanning company of militia or 

emergency men. While attending court in Pitts- 
bui-gh in the fall of 1863, he fell ill with what 
proved to be typhoid fever, from which his death 
resulted upon December 5 of that year. He was 
deeply lamented by his professional colleagues ^.nd 



a wide circle of friends, who appreciated his ability 
and sterling, manly qualities. 

By his second marriage John Calhoun had one 
child, a daughter, Elizabeth — Anthony — born 
October 30, 1830. 

The grandchildren of John Calhoun number 
fifty-seven. Of this number thi-oe have studied 
divinity, three law, four medicine, and six were in 
the war for the Union. The names of the latter 
were : Ephraim, son of James R. Calhoun, killed 
in the battle of the Wilderness ; James Robert, 
son of William J. Calhoun, who died in the hos- 
pital at Wheeling, West Virginia ; William D. 
Porter, John A. Ritchey, John A: and John C. 
Calhoun. 

REV. THOMAS McCONNELL ELDER. 

The grandfather of the well-known citizen of 
Dayton whose name heads this sketch, Robert 
Elder, was a soldier through all of those seven 
long years of the revolutionary war, and, soon after 
the close of that great struggle for liberty, moved 
with his family from the vicinity of Harrisburg 
to Westmoreland county, where he was one of the 
earliest settlers. He took up an exceedingly fine 
tract of land near New Alexandria, known as "the 
Richlands," which is still owned by his descend- 
ants. His son Thomas, father of the subject of 
this biography, who was two years old when the 
family settled in Westmoreland county, was born 
in or near Harrisburg. He was reared upon " the 
Richlands," and on arriving at manhood's estate 
married Mary McConnell, a native of Lancaster 
county. Their son, Thomas McConnell Elder, 
was born March 24, 1826, near New Alexandria, 
Westmoreland county. After a good common 
school education he commenced a inore advanced 
literary course under the tuition of the Rev. Dr. 
James Milligan, an old Scotchman of fine scholar- 
ship, who resided in the neighborhood. He was 
for some time engaged in school teaching at this 
period of his life. He was the first teacher of 
the female seminary at Northwood, Ohio, and 
principal of the Loyal Hanna Institute in West- 
moreland county for "two years. He then took a 
collegiate course at Geneva College, Logan county, 
Ohio, and finished in 1855. During the period he 
was in attendance at that college he exhibited 
something of the energy and influence which 
characterized him in after-life. He spent one 
summer in traveling in the western, eastern and 
middle states, and succeeded in raising for the 
college an endowment of $18,000. After his 
course at the Ohio college, he spent four years at 
the theological seminary of the Reformed Pres- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



601 



byterian cliurch at Allegheny City, graduating 
and being licensed to preach in 1858. He was 
ordained to the ministry May 11, 1859, previous to 
which time he had been regularly called to churches 
at Baltimore and Boston. He was then called to 
Rehoboth congregation in Armstrong county, a 
charge which also embraced territory in the coun- 
ties of Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson, and in 
which two or three pastors now preach. Subse- 
quently he received another call from Boston, one 
from Kossuth, Iowa, and a number from other con- 
gregations in various localities. Mr. Elder settled 
in Dayton about 1 860. In 1862 he became principal 
of Dayton Union Male and Female Academy, a 
position which he held until 1866. In 1863 he was 
appointed by his church to take charge .of mission 
shcools among the freedmen at Fernandina, Florida, 
where he spent the summer of that year, serving 
also as chaplain of the 11th regt. Me. Vols., then 
stationed there. In 1864 he was appointed to take 
charge of missionary operations in Washington, 
District of Columbia, where he remained until the 
spring of 1865. During these absences from 
home his place in the academy was supplied by 
subordinates. Returning in the spring of 1865, 
he resigned his position as principal of the 
academy in 1866, to take charge as principal of 
the Dayton Soldiers' Orphans' School, which he 
opened in the building now known as the Exchange 
Hotel. He had labored zealously for the establish- 
ment of this institution, and now labors with 
equal ardor and effectiveness to insure its useful- 
ness. During the time he was principal, build- 
ings were erected where those now in use stand, 
and the school was put ujjon a firm and sure basis, 
very largely owing to his efforts. He may be 
called in fact the successful originator of this 
valuable institution. During the second year of 
his connection with the school, in the fall of 1867, 
Mr. Elder met with a very serious accident. 
While watching a game of baseball among the 
children, he was struck with great force by a heavy 
bat which flew from the grasp of one of the larger 
boys who was striking at the ball. He was knocked 
senseless, and for a time it was thought could not 
recover from the effects of the terrific blow. Pro- 
videntially his life was spared, but he had received 
permanent injury from the concussion. The shock 
was very severe upon his nervous system, and he 
found to his sorrow that it incapacitated him in a 
great measure for hard and protracted study. He 
was thus compelled reluctantly to give up active 
duty as a preacher, which he had always enjoyed, 
and to abstain from long-continued and hard study. 
Shortly after this accident, in the fall of 1868, Mr. 



Elder met with another great misfortune — the loss 
of his second wife. In consequence of the com- 
bined effects of this bereavement and of the 
injury which he had received, he resigned the 
principalship of the Orphans' School, although 
strongly urged to remain, in 18*71. Since that 
time he has resided in Dayton, leading a some- 
what retired life, but giving his attention to 
business, and still taking a deep interest in all that 
pertains to the welfare of his fellow men. He is 
still a stockholder m and a member of the board 
of managers of the Soldiers' Orphans' School. 
In 1880 he was the principal organizer of the 
Dayton Agricultural and Mechanical Association, 
and was elected its first 'president, which office he 
held for two years. Subsequently he became vice- 
president, and now holds that office. He is also 
editor of the Dayton JVews, a recently established 
but prosperous local journal, which he ably con- 
ducts. 

In his chosen high calling, the ministry, Rev. 
Elder was very successful, his labors being attended 
with the best results. He combined the advan- 
tages of broad and thorough scholarship with great 
native ability, and his discourses were interesting, 
instructive and full of force, logical and lucid. 
He is said to have possessed marked eloquence. 
The genial qualities of nature and the earnestness 
which were valuable in the varied labors of the 
minister outside of the pulpit have been preserved, 
and with his other characteristics command for 
him the respect and esteem of the people among 
whom he has dwelt, as well as render him useful 
to all with whom he comes in contact. He is a 
man looked up to in the community where he 
is best known, and has an influence for good 
which is exerted in many ways, among other^ in 
allaying local strife and obviating litigation be- 
tween neighbors. As a teacher Mr. Elder has 
been almost or quite as successful as a preacher, 
and he is held in most respectful remembrance by 
many who have made the beginnings of their in- 
tellectual life under his guidance. He excels 
most men in executive ability. 

Mr. Elder was united in marriagi&with Miss 
Tirzah Mason, of Westmoreland county, September 
14, 1848. One son by this marriage, M. M. Elder, 
is a successful business man of New Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania, and has a most estimable wife in 
Miss Hannah Knox, granddaughter of Sheriff 
Chambers Orr. Mr. Elder's first wife died in 1851, 
and upon October 10, 1854, he was joined in wed- 
lock with his second wife, Miss Mary P. Lindsay, 
of Philadelphia, whose death, hitherto referred to, 
occurred upon September 12, 1868. She left two 



602 



HISTOEY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



children : Tirzali (wife of C. S. Marshall, of the 
firm of C. S. Marshall & Co., Dayton), a graduate of 
Union Academy, and a most esteemed lady in the 
community, and A. W. Elder, who is pursuing a 
medical education, and has already spent two 
years at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. 
Mr. Elder is still living in Dayton, and it is to 
be hoped may be spared for many years. And 
when the time comes that he must pass away, this 
at least will be said of him, he was a worker of 
more than ordinary ability in his day and gener- 
ation. 

GLENN FAMILY— HON. A. D. GLENN. 

John Glenn, the progenitor of the Glenn family 
in Armstrong county and the great-grandfather of 
A. D. Glenn, came from Ireland when eighteen 
years of age and settled in Center county, Penn- 
sylvania. He married Mary Borland by whom he 
had two daughters, Ann and Mary, and four sons, 
Robert, John, James and Joseph. The latter, of 
whose family we shall here give a brief history, 
was born February 10, nsY, and was married, date 
unknown, to Mary Thompson who was born the 
same day as himself. The fruits of this union 
were three children, Archy, William Turner and 
Mary Ann. In 1818 he moved to Indiana county 
where he remained for three years, after which he 
located near Mahoning creek in Wayne township, 
Armstrong county, about two miles from Dayton. 
On this farm to which he came while the region 
was almost a wilderness, he lived xmtil his death 
in April, 1852, seeing the country cleared up, the 
game destroyed and villages spring up all around 
him. He was a strongly religious man, a member 
of the Methodist church, and particularly zealous 
in Sunday-school wovk, superintending at different 
times many schools at quite a distance from home, 
one of them being on Pine creek, twelve miles 
away. His family were all of the same religious 
faith as himself. After his death his wife lived 
with her children until her own demise in 1866. 

Of the three children, Archy, the father of A. D. 
Glenn, was married January 28, 1828, to Miss 
Susannah W, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth 
Coursin, who lived near Curlsville, Clarion county. 
William Turner was married to his cousin, Mary 
Jane Thompson, in 1849, and died inthe army in 
eastern Virginia in 1864. His widow and family 
still reside in Milton, this county. Mary Ann was 
married in 1856 to Isaac Hopkins, who died in De- 
cember, 1882. She and her family now live at 
West Decatur, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. 

Archy Glenn first settled at Rockport in Clarion 
county, but subsequently lived at various places in 



Armstrong county, among them Milton, Eddyville, 
and Putneyville, where he now resides. He was 
elected to the office of county commissioner in 
1849, and served efficiently and acceptably to the 
people for three years. This is the only public 
oflSce of consequence he ever held except that of 
jury commissioner to which he was elected in 1873, 
and from which he resigned before the expiration 
of the term because his private business conflicted 
with its duties. He has held various township 
offices and has been justice of the peace for about 
fifteen years. 

While Mr. and Mrs. Glenn were living at Camp 
Run about three miles from Dayton, their son A. D. 
was bom, January 30, 1842. He attended the pub- 
lic school at Milton, the Dayton Union Academy 
and the Iron City College. He engaged in teaching 
when between fifteen and sixteen years of age, tak- 
ing a place in Milton which the directors had left 
vacant. Subsequently he taught in Red Bank and 
Brady's Bend townships in this county. West 
Mahoning in Indiana county and Robinson town- 
ship in Allegheny county. In the latter "he taught 
four consecutive terms of seven months each. 
When he ceased teaching he was principal of the 
Woods Run school in Allegheny City. In 1861 he 
and all of his brothers living, namely, Abraham R., 
Elijah, C. T., James A. and William T., went into 
the Union army. The first two named and our sub- 
ject went into Co. B, '78th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf.; James 
A. into Co. I, 62d regt., and William T. into the 
48th regt. By the spring of 1862, the vicissitudes 
of war had so separated the family that no two of 
them were within a hundred miles of each other. 
On account of continued sickness, A. D. Glenn was 
discharged from duty, February 16, 1863. William 
T. was also discharged the same spring for the 
same cause, but re-enlisted in the spring of 1864 in 
Co. M, 2d Pa. Cav., and on account of inflammatory 
rheumatism was unable to get home until six 
months after the close of the war. Subsequently 
he enlisted in Co. L, 2d U. S. Cav., and spent sev- 
eral years in the Rocky Mountain region. He re- 
turned much broken down, and died at Eddyville 
in April, 1875. The other brothers passed through 
three years' service, James A. being badly wounded 
in the battle of the Wilderness. A brother-in-law 
and two uncles were also in the service. 

Returning to Mr. A.- D. Glenn's civil life we find 
that when he ceased teaching he traveled as the 
representative of Wilson, Hinkle & Co. (now Van 
Antwerp, Bragg & Co.), of Cincinnati, one of the 
largest schoolbook publishing houses in the United 
States. He remained with this house from April, 
1868, to July 1, 1810, having his headquarters sue- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



603 



cessively at Pittsburgh, Crestline (Ohio), Cleve- 
land and Meadville. After quitting the agency he 
was engaged with his father in the mercantile 
business at Eddyville. In 1872 he was elected over 
six competitors to the office of county superintend- 
ent of public schools, to which be was re-elected 
with comparatively little opposition in ISYS and in 
1878, serving nine years — the longest continuous 
term served by any incumbent since the establish- 
ment of the office. At his first re-election the salary 
was increased from $1,000 to $1,200 per annum. 
Mr. Glenn's services were very valuable in'the way 
of elevating the standard of public instruction, 
and were generally so recognized, a fact which was 
attested by the offer of a fourth election, which, 
however, he declined. He was editor of the Kittan- 
niug Union Free Press from June, 1879, to April, 
1881, and ably conducted that well known journal. 
He served as D.D.G.M. of the I.O.O.F. in Arm- 
strong county for two terms and was urged by 
sevei'al lodges to longer continue in that capacity. 
He was nominated without opposition by the re- 
publicans of Armstrong county for the assembly 
in 1882, and was elected to the legislature by a 
majority of 180 votes, while his colleague on the 
ticket for the same office had a much smaller 
majority. The career of Mr. Glenn which has 
carried him to the halls of legislation now, 
when he has but scarcely reached the prime 
of his manhood, will doubtless be fruitful of greater 
successes in the future. At least the beginning 
augurs well for his filling a broad field of usefulness 
and attaining the eminence that* his intellectual 
and moral merits entitle him to. "Whatever he has 
thus far attained is traceable to his good character 
and to his own exertions. Enjoying only limited 
advantages in his boyhood he obtained, however, 
a thorough education, and has made his way in 
the world by close application and energetic, manly 
endeavor. 

The family of Archy and Susannah (Coursin) 
Glenn consisted of six sons and one daughter, A. 
D. being next to the youngest. Their names in 
order of birth are as follows: John Coursin, Abra- 
ham R., Elijah C. T., James Alexander, Mary 
Jane, Archy D. and William Turner. John C. died 
unmarried in Illinois in 1855. Abraham R. married 
Sarah E. McCurdy in 1853, and now lives in 
Smicksburg, Indiana county^ Elijah married Louisa 
Allen in 1858. He died in February, 1871, and 
his widow and family now live in Dayton. James 
A. was married to Mary Broombaugh in 1875, and 
now lives in Eddyville. Mary J. was married in 
1857 to John S. Oyler, and now lives near Murrys- 
ville, Westmoreland county. 



THOMAS H. MARSHALL. 
The subject of this sketch, second son of Robert 
and Mary (Hindman) Marshall, was born July 29, 
1824, about one and one-half miles from Dayton. 
When he was about twenty years of age, his father 
purchased the land on which a part of the village 
of Dayton now stands, and six years later took into 
partnership his sons, William and Thomas H., the 
subject of this biography. The stock owned by 
this firm consisted of the personal property on a 
farm of about 400 acres and a store which was es- 
tablished, by them. It was the especial duty of 
Thomas H. Marshall to attend to this store, his 
father and brother carrying on the farm, and this 
he did until 1861, a period of about eleven years, 
when a half interest was sold to J. Campbell, who 
has since conducted the business under the firm 
name of J. Campbell & Co., the Marshall brothers 
still retaining a half interest. The partnership 
of father and sons in the farming interest was con- 
tinued until April 9, 1868, when Robert Marshall 
sold his real estate to his sons. The west end of 
the faiTQ adjoining and around Dayton, and 
amounting to about 136 acres, was purchased by 
Thomas H. Marshall. It included the land on 
which his grandfather, William Marshall, the 
pioneer of Glade run, had settled in 1803. Since 
he has been in business for himself Mr. Marshall 
has gradually increased the amount of his real 
estate possessions, until at present he owns about 
520 acres of fine farming land in the immediate 
vicinity of Dayton. He has been remarkably suc- 
cessful and is recognized as a model farmer. His 
land has been carefully improved and has thus in- 
creased in value from year to year. Building im- 
provements have kept pace with his increase in 
real estate ownership, his barn at Dayton, for 
instance, being one of the largest and best in the 
county, and sheltering as fine stock as one could 
wish to see. He carries on farming in what might 
be called a wholesale waj-, giving employment to 
many men and raising upon the average about 
4,000 bushels of corn, 1,000 of wheat and 100 tons 
of hay per year. Besides his extensive farming he 
carries on in Dayton one of the best tanneries in 
the county, butchers about 100 head of cattle per 
year, is a partner in the store of J. Campbell »fc 
Co., owns considerable timber land, is interested in 
the Enterprise Lumber Company, the Dayton 
Agricultural and Mechanical Association, and is a 
stockholder in the Dayton Union Academy and 
the Dayton Soldiers' Orphans' School. He has 
been treasurer of the last-named institution from 
its organization, and took the first contract looking 
toward the erection of the buildings — that of get- 



604 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



ting out the stone for foundations. Mr. Marshall 
has served as justice of the peace for two terms — 
ten years — from 1864 to 1874, and has held other 
offices of honor and trust, although he has never 
been in any sense a place-seeker, and has taken only 
the interest of a good citizen in politics. He is a 
republican. His church connection is with the 
United Presbyterians, and he has been one of the 
chief suj^porters of the Dayton church of this de- 
nomination. 

Thomas H. Marshall was united in marriage, 
March 14, 1850, with Miss Rosetta P., daughter of 
Robert Neal, of Cowanshannock township, who 
was born September 26, 1827. The offspring of 
this union are five children, living: Silas W. and 
David Duff, both married, and following farming; 
Robert Neal, who is engaged in the study of medi- 
cine; Clark Hindman, who has graduated after a 
four years' course at Princeton, and has been one 
year at the U. P. Theological Seminary at Alle- 
gheny City, and Mary Samantha. 

WILLIAM McBRYAR, M. D. 

The subject of this sketch was born of a gen- 
erous strain of sturdy Scotch-Irish blood, both of 
his parents being descended from those races, 
though both natives of Pennsylvania. His father 
was born July 18, 1784, in Westmoreland county, 
and his mother, Elizabeth Dickey, near Carlisle, 
Franklin county. They were married June 28, 
1811. In their old age, in 1868, they removed to 
this county. The offspring of their auspicious 
union were eight children, four sons and four 
daughters, of whom five are living — Nancy L. 
(widow of Charles McLaughlin), resides in West- 
moreland county, and Samuel, William, Mary and 
Sarah P. McQuilkin), in Apollo. Those deceased 
are Margaret, Watson and David D. 

William, the subject of this sketch, was born 
November 29, 1822. He remained at home upon 
his father's farm until 1842, and obtained the 
rudiments of an education in such schools as the 
neighborhood possessed. He was, however, de- 
termined to obtain a greater store of knowledge, 
and with that end in view, upon May 1, 1844, 
entered the Richmond Classical Institute, of Jef- 
ferson county, Ohio, where he remained until he 
graduated in September, 1847. On the 1st of the 
following November he commenced reading med- 
icine under Dr. 'John Dixon, of Allegheny City 
(now of Pittsburgh), with whom he remained until 
October, 1848, and rejoined in the summer of 
1849. During the winter of 1848-9 he taught 
school, an employment in which, by the way, he 
had gained some valuable experience in 1842 and 



1843. Upon October 18, 1849, he left the office 
of Dr. Dixon to attend the medical department of 
the university, city of New York, from which he 
returned home in February, 1850. In July of the 
same year he engaged in the practice of medicine 
at New Salem, Westmoreland county, in partner- 
ship with Dr. John McNeal, with whom he re- 
mained associated until April 1, 1852. He then 
went to Congruity Church, Westmoreland county, 
where, however, he sojourned but two or three 
months, going in June to Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, 
and forming a partnership with Dr. Allison, of that 
place. The death of this physician took place 
August 3, 1852, and in September Dr. McBryar 
went to New York, where he completed his medical 
education in the spring of the ensuing year, gradu- 
ating under the allopathic system. On April 19, 
1853, he located in Apollo, where he has ever since 
been engaged in an active and lucrative practice, 
enjoying the respect both as man and physician of 
the people of the town and surrounding country. 

Extensive and onerous as his professional duties 
have been, his energy has not been wholly confined 
to them, and he has found time to assist in the ad- 
vancement of several enterprises, as well as to give 
attention to important educational and other inter- 
ests, such as it is the duty of the good citizen to 
foster. He was one of the principal promoters of 
the Apollo Savings Bank, which was organized 
May 27, 1871, and has ever since been one of its 
directors, being elected successively each year. In 
1878 he was elected a director of the academy 
at Kittanning, and president of the academy board 
the same year. In 1874 he was very favorably con- 
sidered as a candidate for the assembly by the re- 
publicans. In October, 1880, he was one of the 
organizers of the Du Bois Savings Bank, of Clear- 
field county, this state, was chosen president of the 
institution, and has held that office ever since by 
repeated re-election. He was prominently identi- 
fied with the construction of the new iron bridge 
at Apollo, purchasing the old abutments of several 
owners for the sum of $5,000, and receiving $4,000 
from the county commissioners of Westmoreland 
and Armstrong, and $1,000 from citizens of Apollo. 
The doctor is president of the Westmoreland and 
Armstrong County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
which has its offices at Apollo, and is medical ex- 
aminer for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Com- 
pany, of Philadelphia. He owns about 300 acres 
of valuable land. 

Dr. McBryar was united in marriage October 4, 
1855, with Miss Sarah Jane Callen, daughter of 
Matthew and Jane (Paul) Callen. Her mother's 
parents were 'Squire Samuel and Jane (Porterfield) 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



605 



Paul ; the fatlier was born in Ireland, and the 
mother in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, both 
being of Scotch-Irish descent. To Mrs. Dr. Mc- 
Bryar's parents were born six children, besides her- 
self, she being the oldest. Their names are : 
Eliza M., Harriet C, Emeline S., Samuel P., Anna 
Maria (deceased) and Johanna (deceased). 

To Dr. McBryar and wife were born five chil- 
dren — Lizzie J. (deceased), James C. (deceased), 
Ada M., William Lyle and Hattie Dickey. 

ROBERT P. HUNTER, M. D. 

Robert Hunter, grandfather of our subject, was 
born in Westmoreland county, in 1782, and was 
one of the first settlers of Indiana county. He 
married Miss Mary Lawrence, a native of New 
Jersey, born in the year 1'781. There were born 
to this pair fourteen children, nearly all of whom 
grew to maturity. The father died in Jacksonville, 
Indiana county, in 1861, sui-viving his wife three 
years. 

John M. Hunter, father of the subject of this 
sketch, was born June 12, 1807, and lived all of his 
life in his native county, dying in Blairsville March 
28, 1868. He was married May SO, 1830, to Miss 
Annie Reese Banks, who was born in this state Oc- 
tober 10, 1810. She died August 16, 1875, in 
Leechburgh, where she had come to reside with her 
son. Nine children were born of this union, whose 
names, together with dates of their births, are as 
follows : Joshua Banks, born November 5, 1832; 
Mary A., born October 23, 1835 ; Robert P., Janu- 
ary 23, 1887 ; William I., September 29, 1839 ; 
Ella M. (wife of Dr. W. H. Kern, of McKeesport), 
August 16, 1842 ; Morgan R., April 4, 1844 ; John 
A., August 20, 1846 (the last-named became a 
physician; was elected to the legislature, and died 
upon the day he became a member of that body) ; 
Milton C. was born August 7, 1850, and J. Irwin, 
June 19, 1852. 

Of the above, Joshua Banks, Morgan R. and 
John A. served their country in the war for the 
Union. 

Of the above, those who are deceased, besides 
John A., are William I. and Maiy A., who became 
the wife of William F. Boyer, in 1855. John M. 
Hunter, the father of these children, followed 
shoemaking most of his life, but during the years 
1854 and 1855 was a foreman on the Pennsylvania 
canal, under his son-in-law, Mr. Boyer, who was its 
superintendent. 

Robert P. Hunter began the study of medicine 
under his uncle. Dr. M. R. Banks, of Livermore, 
Westmoreland county, in 1862. Prior to this time 
he had worked on the Pennsylvania canal under 



his father for two years, and had taught school 
during the winter months for five years. The 
proceeds of both his manual and intellectual labor 
were saved with commendable economy and pru- 
dence, and, supplemented by his limited earnings 
from the practice of his profession after he had 
taken a few lectures, enabled him to obtain a thor- 
ough professional education at the Jefferson Medical 
College of Philadelphia. Doubtless he studied 
harder and with better results from the fact that he 
had earned by hard work the means necessary to pay 
his way through college. His first course of lectures 
was taken in 1864, and he graduated, standing well 
in his class, in 1869. He first located in Leechburg 
to follow his profession. May 9, 1865, and has 
been permanently and prosperously engaged 
in practice there since his graduation. He is a 
man who finds exercise for his energies outside of 
his profession, although the greater part of his 
time and attention is devoted to it. In 1873 he 
was one of the leading spirits in organizing the 
Leechburgh bank, and has been a stockholder and 
director in the institution continuously since, uutil 
.1880. He was also among the first to bring fine 
short-horn cattle into the county, procuring them 
in Kentucky in 1878. As a result of the interest 
he has felt in good stock and the action he took to 
secure it, there are now many fine blooded cattle 
and horses in the immediate vicinity. Dr. Hunter 
served two terms as burgess of Leechburgh, and 
during the Pittsburgh railroad riots was surgeon- 
in-chief of Gen. Harry White's staff, 9th division, 
N. G., having been commissioned by Gov. Hart- 
ranft December 29, 1875. On June 29, 1882, he 
was made president of the Armstrong County Pro- 
hibitory Amendment Association, a temperance 
organization which met in Kittanning upon that 
date. He is an elder of the Presbyterian church 
of Leechburg, and superintendent of its Sunday 
school. Highly respected both as physician and- 
citizen. Dr. Hunter occupies a useful position in 
the community, and is an active worker for good. 
Upon May 18, 1875, Dr. Hunter was united in 
marriage with Miss Rebecca Hill, daughter of 
Daniel and Eliza (Kuhns) Hill, who was born in 
Armstrong county June 30, 1853. They have had 
three children — John A. H., born June 18, 1876; 
AnnaLyda,born January 10, 1878, and Robert K., 
born October 19, 1879, all of whom are living. 

MAJOR JOSEPH G. BEALE. 
The family of which the subject of this sketch 
and of the accompanying portrait is a representa- 
tive is one of the oldest in the State of Pennsyl- 
vania. One of the progenitors of the family came 



606 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



over the ocean with William Penn, and, being a 
civil engineer by profession, was employed by the 
proprietor to lay out the city of Philadelphia. 
The family afterward settled in the Tusoarora 
valley, east of the mountains, where they engaged 
in agriculture and manufacturing pursuits, and in 
the year 1800, Washington Beale, grandfather of 
the man whose name heads this biography, crossed 
the mountains and settled in what at that time was 
almost a wilderness near Natrona, or the site of 
the soda-works in the northern part of Allegheny 
county. He accumulated a valuable property in 
this region, and the family flourished, as was nat- 
ural from their enterprise and intelligence. Wash- 
ington Beale, Jr., father of Joseph G. Beale, set- 
tled near his paternal homestead and devoted his 
energies to farming and stock-raising. To him the 
people of this section of country are indebted for 
a practical advantage and improvement. Seeing 
the necessity of a better class of heavy draft horses 
in the manufacturing disti-icts, he went to England 
in 1859 and purchased and imported into this 
country the first English draft horses that were 
ever brought into Western Pennsylvania. From, 
these horses descended the fine stock for which the 
immediate locality is now so much noted. It may 
be mentioned in this connection that Joseph G. 
Beale has taken much interest in the same matter, 
and that in 1875 he imported a superb draft horse 
from Scotland, after a visit to that country with 
his father. 

Joseph G. Beale was born March 26, 1839, and 
reared upon his father's farm. His first enterprise 
undertaken for himself was drilling for oil in the 
Kanawha valley, and he was there when the war of 
the rebellion broke out. 

He won an enviable reputation as a soldier. Im- 
mediately after the breaking out of the rebellion 
and under the first call for volunteers he enlisted 
for three months' service in the Iron City Guards 
of Pittsburgh. Before his time was up, however, 
he re-enlisted for three years and was mustered 
into the United States service in Co. C of the 
9th Pa. Reserves. He was wounded during the 
sixth day of the seven days' fight in front of Rich- 
mond, upon June 30, 1862, and left on the battle- 
field of Charles City Cross-roads, where the rebels 
found him seven days later, he having lain there 
during that time without food, except a few 
crackers. He was taken by them to Richmond and 
placed ipi confinement in the dreaded Libby prison, 
where he remained until the following fall, when 
he was released and sent to Fortress Monroe. 
After the battle in which he was wounded he was 
promoted to captain. His wound, however, was of 



such nature that he was never fit for active service 
again. After leaving the army, and while still 
suffering from his injury, he studied law in Pitts- 
burgh under the Hon. Samuel Purviance and N. 
Nelson, Esq. In 1865 he engaged in the coal 
business, which he sold out in 1868, and then 
bought the Leech property at Leechburgh. Re- 
solved to make his purchase practically useful, he 
began a systematic series of endeavors to induce' 
the building up of manufactures, and in 1872 suc- 
ceeded, by giving land and extending other aid, in 
securing the establishment there of large iron- 
works for the manufacture of fine sheet iron and 
tin plate. In this mill natural gas was first used 
as a fuel. The gas came from a well put down 
by Mr. Beale, in 1869-70, which was the first 
one in this country, or in the world, so far as is 
known, from which gas was used for any kind of 
manufacturing. In 1875 the company who built 
the works having failed, Maj. Beale, with some 
others, bought them and carried on the manufac- 
ture of iron very successfully until 1879. In that 
year he sold out his interest and built the West 
Pennsylvania Steelworks, the first established in 
Armstrong county and the first steelworks in the 
world in which natural gas was utilized. Although 
Major Beale has a number of other heavy interests, 
among them the ownership of a large body of lands 
in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia, he is 
devoting almost his entire time and energy to the 
management of the steelworks, of which he is. the 
sole owner. In maintaining and improving this 
manufacturing establishment, of which he was the 
founder, he has added largely to the material pros- 
perity of Leechburg, and it is safe to say that no 
citizen has done more than he in that direction. 

After the war he was appointed major on Gen. 
Harry White's staff and served in that capacity at 
the time of the Pittsburgh riots. 

JOHN SCHWALM. 

The career of the subject of this sketch is a 
remarkably good illustration of the success that 
can be attained in life, however humble the be- 
ginning, through industry, enterprise and honesty. 

John Schwalm was born iji Hesse-Cassel, 
Prussia, February 27, 1835, and was the son of 
John George and Catharine Elizabeth (Koehler) 
Schwalm. He came to America with his father 
in 1852, landing August 14, and coming immedi- 
ately to Leechburg, in this county, by way of the 
old Pennsylvania canal, from Philadelphia. The 
first labor that he performed was done soon after his 
arrival, for he was determined to make his way to 
an independency in his chosen country, and cared 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



607 



little how he began, provided it was in honorable 
employment. He went out to that part of old 
Allegheny township which is now Bethel, and 
began as a laborer upon the Allegheny Valley 
Railroad. His father bought a small farm in what 
is now Parks township, and his son subsequently 
worked for him a few years. In 1863, however, 
he went into the mercantile business in a country 
store, which he carried on with growing success 
until I8V1. He then went into partnership with 
W. H. Carnahan (under the style of Schwalm & 
Carnahan), and bought what was known as Coch- 
ran's mill, in Burrell township. He was there 
engaged in the milling and mercantile business 
until the fall of 1876, when he went to Leechburg 
and bought the Hill mill property. He built a 
new mill on the site of the old one, in which he 
did a good business until 1881, when it was un- 
fortunately carried away by ice. Mr. Schwalm 
gave the people of Leechburg evidence that he 
intended to remain there, when he came in 1876, 
by purchasing the homestead of David Leech, the 
founder of the town. And a further indication of 
his intention was afforded in 1877, when he erected 
the large two-story store building in which he has 
since carried on a heavy business. He bought also 
and rebuilt the Ulam Hotel, now known as the 
Schwalm House. He is a one-half owner of the El- 
wood flouringmill (the old Leech mill), and has 
an interest in three coal mines in Westmoreland 
county, not far from Leechburg. Besides these 
investments and his store, he owns three farms in 
Armstrong county. His property has all been 
accumulated by his own exertion and enterprise, 
and his quite phenomenal prosperity, extending 
and increasing through a period of more than 
thirty years, marks him as a man of unusual 
ability, judgment and industry. He is in all 
respects worthy of the success he has achieved. 
His business ability has been a powerful factor 
in the improvement of Leechburg, for he has done 
a great deal directly and indirectly to advance the 
interests of the town. He is liberal and public 
spirited, and always one of the foremost in any 
entei-prise for the good of the community. 

In politics Mr. Schwalm is a democrat. He has 
never been an office seeker, but his popularity and 
strength being recognized in his party, he was 
nominated for the assembly in 1882. There was 
a majority of 600 votes in the county for the 
republicans and they made a strong canvass, yet 
Mr. Schwalm was defeated by only sixteen ballots. 

Mr. Schwalm was married in 1854, to Sarah 
Small, daughter of Jacob Small, an early settler in 
that part of old Allegheny township now known 



as Bethel township. The offspring of this union 
were nine children — Catharine Elizabeth (Carson), 
Anna Mary (Taylor), John Matthew, Margaret, 
Matilda, Sarah Amanda, Ida Louisa, Charles Bis- 
mark and Edward Walter. The oldest son is 
engaged in the study of law in Attorney-Gen. 
Brewster's office, in Philadelphia. 

THOMAS BUTLER. 

The subject of this sketch was born February 1 , 
1825, near the great manufacturing city of Bir- 
mingham, England, and was the thirteenth child 
of Joseph and Fanny (Garrington) Butler. There 
was one child younger, and of the fourteen but 
three are now living. The family was in good cir- 
cumstances and the children were well reared, re- 
ceiving a good education and being practically 
fitted for life. The father dying, a portion of the 
family emigrated to America, landing in Boston, 
June .29, 1844. Thomas very soon came to Ches- 
ter county, Pennsylvania, to meet an older brother, 
William, who had come to America before him, 
and whom he supposed to be there engaged in a 
rolling-mill. Upon arriving he found, however, 
that he had left. Although disappointed he went 
to work in the mill, getting $100 bonus, and re- 
mained there three months. He then went to 
Troy, New York, where he worked at puddling for 
the famous iron firm of Henry Burden & Co. 
While there, in 1846, he sent to England for a 
young lady, a neighbor, whom he had known all 
of his life and to whom he was affianced. He met 
this young lady. Miss Elizabeth Darby, in New 
York, and was married to her in Troy, July 18, 
1846, the ceremony being performed at St. Paul's 
Episcopal church, by the Rev. Dr. Van Kleeck. 
After his marriage he moved to Boston, and while 
at work there was hired with others by the Brady's 
Bend Iron Company, and upon March 18, 1847, ar- 
rived at their works, which were the third in the 
United States to turn out T rails. Mr. Butler was 
a thoroughly skilled workman, as good as the best 
in the country, and he very soon quit puddling and 
took a contract for running four heating furnaces. 
This was a responsible and a remunerative posi- 
tion, and although a very young man he filled it to 
the entire satisfaction of the mill owners, and held 
it continuously from 1847 to 1872. While pros- 
pering financially, he was, however, destined to 
suffer a great domestic sorrow, for his young wife 
died September 12, 1847, and was followed to the 
grave only a week later by her infant child. He 
married as his second wife Miss Martha Wassell, 
who like himself was a native of England and had 
come to America at the same time, though ujjon 



608 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



anotlier ship. They were united in wedlock April 
22,1849. A short time before this marriage Mr. 
Butler, seeking a safe investment for the little 
money he earned by his industry and economically 
saved, bought the farm where he now lives in 
Brady's Bend township. He built a house upon 
this farm and improved the property by degrees, but 
did not go there to permanently reside until 1875. 
In 1879 this farm was found to be rich in petro- 
leum, and Mr. Butler leased it in parcels to H. L. 
Taylor & Co. and other operators, receiving cer- 
tain proportions of the production as royalties. 
The land which he had secured by the proceeds of 
his labor thus gave him an independency, which he 
now enjoys in well earned ease and contentment. 
Mr. Butler is a fine example of what a man may 
make himself by earnest, well-directed endeavor 
and by habits of thrift and providence. His ener- 
gies were by no means monopolized by his arduous 
labor, but he sought hj every means at hand to ad- 
vance in knowledge, and became a great reader of 
the best works of classical and current literature. 
He has taken a deep interest in public affairs and 
measures for the general good, and is known as a 
man of practical benevolence and an active, useful 
citizen. His reputation is an enviable one and his 
character one worthy of emulation for those who 
like himself have made the start in life with no 
capital but honesty and industry. In politics he 
is a strong republican, and in religious life a firm 
adherent of the Episcopal church. He is a mem- 
ber of Kittanning Lodge, No. 244, F. and A. M., 
and stands high in the fraternity in this county. 

Mr. Butler has one son, William, surviving of 
the two born of his second marriage. The other 
son, Horace Mann, of most estimable character, 
was killed September 30, 1875, by an explosion of 
glycerine which by some accident had been left in 
the pipe of a torpedo-case which had been sent as 
junk to the ironmill where he was working in 
Pittsburgh. 

WILLIAM ARMSTRONG WILSON. 

The parents of the gentleman whose name stands 
at the head of this biography were Armstrong and 
Jane (Hutchison) Wilson, the former born in 1806, 
and the latter in 1808. They were married in 
1834, upon May 20, and settled in Fairview town- 
ship, Butler county. Three children were born of 
this union- — Hutchison, who was killed when four- 
teen years old (as was also his stepbrother) by a 
stroke of lightning; Maria, who died an infant, 
and William Armstrong Wilson, the subject of 
this sketch, and the only one surviving, who was 
born in 1838. His parents were highly respectable 



jjeople and members of the United Presbyterian 
church. They had succeeded in making for them- 
selves a comfortable home when the father was 
hurt at a barn-raising so severely that he only lived 
a few hours afterward. His son was reared upon 
the farm, and received only the limited education 
which the primitive schools of the time in his 
neighborhood afforded. At the age of twenty- 
four he enlisted in Co. G, 134th regt. Pa. Vols., 
for the nine months service. June 2, 18'64, he 
was married to Miss Mina Hart, daughter of 
William and Elizabeth Hart, of Sugar Creek town- 
ship, Armstrong county. Mr. Wilson had, when he 
was twenty-one years of age, come in posses- 
sion of his father's farm in Butler county, about 
106 acres of land, worth perhaps $30 per acre. In 
1872 petroleum was discovered on the farm adjoin- 
ing his, which led to his leasing 15 acres of land 
to oil operators, who gave him a one-eighth royalty, 
and this led to the sale of the farm for the snug 
sum of $40,000. Soon afterward he purchased his 
father-in-law's old homestead in Sugar Creek town- 
ship, Armstrong county, a good farm of 122 acres, 
on which he has sjnce resided. He gave for this 
farm about $12,000, and has spent fully two-thirds 
of that sum in buildings and other improvements, 
and has made himself a pleasant and beautiful 
home. He has a half interest in a general store 
at Grove City, Mercer county, the capital stock of 
which is $10,000, and his son represents him in its 
management. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members 
of the United Presbyterian church of East Brady. 
In politics Mr. Wilson is purely and strongly re- 
publican. 

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are: An- 
drew Newton, Elizabeth Jane and Ethelda Eudel. 

ROBERT MORRIS. 

The subject of this sketch, one of the oldest and 
most prominent citizens of Freeport, was born in 
Glasgow, Scotland, September 27, 1804, and came 
to this country with his parents, James and Eliza- 
beth (McLaughlin) Morris, in 1819. The family 
first located in Indiana county, from which they 
soon removed, however, to Greensburg; thence 
after a sojourn of several years they went to Pitts- 
burgh, where the lives of the parents were both 
ended, and where they were married. Robert 
served an apprenticeship under his father, and 
learned the carpenter's trade. July 28, 1829, 
he was united in marriage in Allegheny (then 
a borough) with Isabella Gilchrist, who, like him- 
self, was a native of Scotland. In 1832 they re- 
moved to Freeport, where Mr. Morris has ever 
since lived. His wife died in 1854. Four children 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



609 



were the offspring of the union — James M. (de- 
ceased), Elizabeth J. (wife of Judge A. D. Weir, 
of Butler county), Alexander G. (located in Ty- 
rone, Peunsylvania)> and Margaret G. (Mowry), 
deceased. Upon September 11, 1855, Mr. Morris 
married his second wife, who is still living, Mrs. 
Sophia D. Boyd, nee Weir. Mr. Morris has led a 
very active and useful life. Besides working at 
the carpenter's trade and as a builder and contract- 
or, he has taken a prominent part in several en- 
terprises. He was the prime mover in the project 
which resulted in the laying out of the Freeport 
cemetery, and was one of the. original stockholders 
and organizers of the Freeport Planing Mill Com- 
pany, and the Buffalo Milling Company. He has 
several times been elected councilman, and has 
held other offices in the borough government. Po- 
litically he is a democrat, and religiously his affili- 
ation is with the United Presbyterian church. 

GEORGE B. SLOAN. 

His grandfather lived and died in Cumberland 
county, Pennsylvania. His family consisted of 
four sons — Samuel, James, William and David. 
Two of the children of Samuel — John, afterward 
Col. John Sloan, and his sister, afterward Mrs. Gib- 
son — were carried away by the Indians and held 
for some time in captivity by them. James Sloan, 
Esq., lived near Kittanning on the west bank of the 
Allegheny river. He was the first prothonotary of 
Armstrong county, and in his house the first court 
was held. David Sloan, father of the subject of 
this notice, when quite a young man purchased a 
farm in Buffalo township, about two miles from 
Freeport, but being dispossessed by some defect in 
his title, he located in Franklin township about a 
mile from Worthington, on the farm recently 
owned by James Claypoole. He was a tall, portly 
man and very agile. One of his feats was to jump 
over a covered wagon by means of a pole — feats of 
skill and strength being held in higher esteem in 
that day than in this. About 1812 he was killed 
while felling timber, a portion of a falling tree re- 
bounding and striking him with violence. He was 
twice married. By the first marriage there were 
five children — James, David, William, Nancy and 
Jane. James and David removed to the State of 
Indiana, the latter returning to this county and 
locating near Worthington, where he died in 1877. 
Nancy married a Mr. McAdoo and settled in 
Indiana. Jane became the wife of James Clay- 
poole, already mentioned, and died about 1850. 
William died near Worthington eight or ten 
years later. 

The second wife of David Sloan was Nancy 



Jack. Tothem fourchildren were born — .John who 
died in infancy, Samuel and George Byers, twins, 
of whom the former died at five years of age, and 
Margaret, afterward Mrs. John Ma.xwell, now a 
widow and residing in Chicago. Mrs. Nancy 
Sloan, after the death of her husband, was united 
in marriage to Samuel Robinson. Both died near 
Slate Lick, where they are buried. They had four 
children — John, Samuel, David and Isabella, now 
Mrs. Lewis. 

George B. Sloan was born at the family home in 
Franklin township, February 20, 1809. The death 
of his father occurring when he was but three 
yeai's of age, he was left in the care of his mother, 
an amiable, industrious and pious woman. But 
their fortune was slender, and while yet a mere 
boy, George found himself mainly thrown upon 
his own resources. He had good health and a will 
to work, and accepting such employment as in that 
day was to be had (grubbing, chopping, reaping, 
etc.), he gained a livelihood and formed those habits 
of industry and energy that characterized his 
whole after-life. When about twenty years of age 
he spent a winter thrashing grain by hand, as the 
custom then was, in the barn of William Morrison, 
of Slate Lick, a circumstance materially affecting 
his whole after life, as will presently be seen. 

His formal education extended only to the com- 
mon elements of an English course, and for the 
privilege of this he had to walk a distance of two 
or three miles, and pay his own way in a subscrip- 
tion school. 

At the age of twenty-one, December 9, 1830, he 
was united in marriage to Mary, daughter of Will- 
iam Morrison, already named, a union fraught with 
happiness to both. Mrs. Sloan's mother was Martha 
Barnes. Her grandparents were Robert Morrison 
and Elizabeth Culbertson, who resided in Greene 
county, Pennsylvania, near Carmichael's of the 
present day. Her great-grandparents were Will- 
iam Morrison and Elizabeth Hamilton, of Ayr, 
Scotland. In the wife of his choice, Mr. Sloan 
found a true helpmeet; when he wooed he had but 
himself to offer. But from the first she fully and 
cheerfully accepted his lot, and, blessed with good 
health, prudent in counsel, and untiring in energy, 
she contributed her full share to whatever of suc- 
cess he attained in life. 

Upon his marriage he purchased and settled on 
the farm with which his whole after-life was iden- 
tified, at Slate Lick, then in unbroken forest, with 
the exception of a few acres. Beginning without 
capital other than he had in his own faculties and 
endowments, he yet managed to meet his payments. 
Often he prosecuted the woi-k of clearing his land 



610 



HISTORY OF ARMSTEONG COUNTY. 



into the night, lighted by the blazing fires, and 
cheered by the presence of his young wife, sitting, 
with knitting in hand, conveniently by. Their 
first house was a rude cabin of logs, so open that 
the twinkle of the stars could be seen through the 
chinks at night. But the material comforts of his 
home steadily increased. Prudent; he was yet 
progressive, and was ever among the first to avail 
himself of improvements and conveniences. He 
was one of the first to take a newspaper in his 
neighborhood. He owned almost the first machine 
for thrashing grain introduced into the neighbor- 
hood. 

Aside from the ordinary pursuits of the farm he 
engaged to some extent in a variety of other busi- 
ness enterprises. In the general outcome he was 
fairly successful, not amassing great wealth, but 
having as the fruit of his honest industry an easy 
competence. 

To a very large extent he enjoyed the confidence 
and respect of those who knew him. Often he was 
called to make peace and adjust differences between 
other j)eople. In 1854 he was chosen to fill the 
office of county commissioner. In 1859 he was 
elected to the office of sheriff. He also served as 
one of the first jury commissioners under the new 
system. Each of these offices he filled with fidelity 
and to the satisfaction of all concerned. Especially 
as sheriff, while true to the duties of his office, by 
his kindly manner and the allowance of all proper 
indulgence, he won from many the praise of being 
the friend of the poor and the unfortunate. He 
loved to encourage and help those whom he saw 
struggling, as he had done, to gain homes for 
themselves, not infrequently, as it turned out, 
obliging others to his own hurt. 

Early in life he united with Slate Lick Presby- 
terian church, an active and consistent member of 
which he remained to the time of his death, with 
the exception of the three years spent in Kittan- 
uing while he held the office of sheriff, during 
which he was identified with the church in that place. 

When quite a young man he adopted the princi- 
ple of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, 
at a time when few were found to take a position 
generally regarded as radical. For'more than fifty 
years he was a zealous advocate /of the cause of 
temperance, and ever refused in any way to barter 
or compromise his prineiples. 

In his own neighborhood ho was the friend and 
promoter of the cause of education. A school of 
higher grade having been organized, and known as 
the " Slate Lick Classical Institute," in 1870, he 
erected at his own expense a building, and for 
several years gave to this school the free use of it. 



He was the father of six children, two sons and 
four daughters. John Boyd, his second son and 
youngest child, died in Kittanning December 3, 
1 861, in the fourteenth year of his age. Mary Eliza- 
beth, his third daughter, died at Slate Lick October 
7, 1865, at the age of twenty-two years. His other 
children survive: Rev. D. H. Sloan, pastor of 
Presbyterian church, Leechburg, Pennsylvania ; 
Mrs. Rev. J. H. Blackford, of Glasgow, Ohio, and 
Mrs. J. F. Boyd and Mrs. B. S. Robinson, of Slate 
Lick, Pennsylvania. 

In April, 1877, he was stricken by paralysis 
while yet seemingly in his usual vigorous health. 
He never was able to resume any of the activities 
of life. A portion of the time he was able to 
attend church, and to make visits to near-by places. 
He bore his protracted affliction with Christian 
patience and resignation. His golden wedding 
anniversary occurred December 9, 18.80, and was 
duly observed, all his children and many friends 
gathering to extend their congratulations. He 
delighted in the grace of hospitality. His friends 
were always welcomed, and many a wayfarer 
sought the shelter of his cheerful home. 

In October, 1882, his illness took an unfavorable 
turn, and on the 2d day of November he peace- 
fully passed away. His remains repose in the 
cemetery at Slate Lick, but he still lives in the 
influence of his earnest, upright life, and in the 
affections of those who knew him. 

JOHN THOMPSON JACKSON. 

The subject of this brief sketch was born 
February 23, 1837. February 25, 1864, he was 
joined in wedlock with Mary Jane, daughter of 
'Squire William G. and Elizabeth Watson. Four 
children, all of whom are now living, were the off- 
spring of this union. The oldest son, William 
Murray, was born August 17, 1865; Myra E. was 
born September 7, 1867 ; Edwin Stanton was born 
February 19, 1870, and Howard Thompson, June 6, 
1874. This family resides ujjon a good farm of 
about 200 acres, five and a half m^iles northeast 
of Apollo. 

Mr. Jackson served his country during three 
years of the war of the rebellion, and made an 
excellent reputation as a soldier. He enlisted 
in June, 1861, in Co. G, 11th Pa. Reserves (in- 
fantry), entering the service as a private. In 
December, 1862, he became sergeant, and was soon 
promoted to orderly-sergeant. On March 30, 1863, 
he was made second lieutenant, and upon the 18th 
of the following August promoted to fii-st lieuten- 
ant, which position he held until he was honorably 
discharged and mustered out, June 13, 1864. He 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



611 



was wounded at the battle of Fredericksburg, De- 
cember 13, 1862, and taken a prisoner. At Gaines 
Hill, on the June previous, he was taken prisoner 
and confined on Belle Island. 

JAMES Y. JACKSON. 

James Y. Jackson was born July 21, 18.31, on the 
old home farm owned by his father, and on which 
he now lives. He was united in marriage with 
Miss Wilhelmina R. Townsend, in 1856. Her par- 
ents were Henry and Catharine (Ulam) Townsend. 
She was born April 20, 1839, and died April 2, 
1880. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were born twelve 
children, five sons and seven daughters, whose 
names, together with the dates of their births, are 
as follows: Laura V. (wife of W. W. Beatty), born 
July 28, 1857 ; Katie E. (wife of Jay P. Wilson), 
born May 8, 1859 ; Hannah M., born November 15, 
1860 (died November 5, 1865) ; Winnie Z., born 
January 11, 1863 ; Ada M., born December 19, 
1864 ; Carrie A., born October 11, 1866 ; Hany S., 
born April 17, 1868; Berton W., born May 3, 1870; 
John Sherman, born January 31, 1872 ; James E., 
born November 1, 1873 ; Florence W., born Sep- 
tember 3, 1875, and Arthur N., born November 21, 
1877. 

Mr. Jackson has been a farmer all of his life, and 
a respected citizen. In company with his brother, 
Samuel M., he owns the old homestead, consisting 
of over 400 acres of land, well-impi'oved, and con- 
stituting one of the best farms in the southeastern 
part of Armstrong county. 

JOSEPH AND JOSEPH I. CAMPBELL. 

Joseph Campbell was born in Ireland in 1808, 
and his father dying when he was quite young, he 
was adopted by an uncle, who cared for him until 
he reached manhood, and then, after paying a visit 
to his mother, whonii he had not seen since he was 
first separated from her, he came to America. He 
first took up his residence in Pittsburgh, and se- 
cured a position as clerk in a mercantile house. 
Afterward he worked on the Pennsylvania canal, 
earning and saving the money, $202.06, with which 
he purchased, in 1834, 100 acres of land in Valley 
township, upon which not a tree had been cut. In 
1837 he married Margaret Irvin, and about 1838 
they moved onto the farm, where he had already 
made a clearing and built a log cabin. Although 
surrounded by adverse circumstances, they rose 
superior to them through patient toil. Slowly the 
land was cleared, and the lonely home improved 
by the addition of hard-earned conveniences. Both 
were hard-working, thrifty, honest people, respected 
by all who knew them. Mr. Campbell was a mem- 



ber of the Methodist church, and was for years a 
class leader ; his wife was a member of the Pres- 
byterian church. Mrs. Campbell's death occurred 
March 29, 1846, and from that time the father en- 
deavored by increased care for his children to com- 
pensate in some degree, however small, the loss of 
a mother's influence. His own death occurred in 
October, 1858. He left two sons : .Joseph I., born 
January 6, 1841, and John, born in 1844. 

Joseph I. Campbell for several years after his 
father's death rented and continued upon the home- 
stead farm, and in the meantime bought land ad- 
joining. Subsequently he purchased his brother's 
interest, and is therefore the sole possessor of the 
paternal estate, which through his skillful manage- 
ment has been transformed into one of the best 
homes in the county, as may be seen by a view of 
the house and surroundings, which appears upon 
another page. Mr. Campbell is now numbered 
among the progressive and successful farmers of 
the county. In politics he is a republican. 

Upon Sejjtember 5, 1860, Mr. Campbell was 
united in marriage with Miss Isabella Irvin, a lady 
of Irish parentage, born in Kittanning in 1828. 
Her death occurred December 29, 1882, preceded 
by that of her son John I., which took place De- 
cember 6. The family thus suffered a two-fold 
bereavement. Mrs. Campbell was a most estimable 
wife and mother, and much loved in the Episcopal 
church, of which she was a member. Her surviv- 
ing children are : Irvin T., Mary and Joseph. 

JAMES FOWLEE. 

John Fowler, father of the subject of this sketch, 
was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 
1776. He lived for several years in Westmoreland 
county, and married there, in 1802, Miss Margaret 
Carson. His wife died in 1803, leaving one child, 
and Mr. Fowler soon afterward removed to Butler 
county, where he followed, as he had in West- 
moreland, the occupations of millwright and car- 
penter. In 1807 he married as his second wife, 
Frances Turner. The fruits of this union were six 
children of whom three are living — James, Sarah 
and Margaret C. 

James Fowler was born in 1817, and reared uj^on 
a farm in Parker township, Butler county. His 
chief employment was that incidental to farm life, 
but he was engaged for several years in cabinet- 
making and cai-pentry, in both of which trades he 
obtained considerable skill. His advantages for 
obtaining an education were quite limited, as he 
could only attend the common country schools of 
the neighborhood, which were far inferior to those 
of the present day. Nevertheless he obtained 



61^ 



HISTORY OF AEMSTRONG COUNTY. 



througli other channels quite a fund of informa- 
tion, while he was still a young man. On Feb- 
ruary 22; 1844, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Ann L. Leonard, and in 1851 he came to 
Armstrong county, purchasing and settling upon 
twenty-nine acres of rough, unimproved land in 
what is now Hovey township. This he cleared 
and brought into good condition, handling some 
of the timber upon it (and much more besides) in 
a sawmill which he put up in 1852, and which 
he operated for six years. In 1859 he went across 
the Allegheny and leased a hotel in Foxburg, 
which he carried on for seven years. In the mean- 
time it had been found that the lands in the 
northwestern part of Armstrong county were 
valuable oil territory, and he sold his hotel lease 
and began leasing his land in small parcels to the 
operators who thronged into the country. Soon 
some test wells were put down and petroleum found 
in abundance. He received from one-sixth to one- 
quarter of the oil produced upon his land as 
royalty, and it was only a comparatively short 
time before he had $40,000 -in the bank as a result. 
Not long afterward he and the Messrs. Fox, of 
Foxburg, established the ferry at that place, which 
proved a profitable investment. The amount of 
travel, however, became so great that an iron 
bridge was thrown across the river to accommo- 
date it, and in this he invested about $20,000. He 
retained his interest in this until quite recently, 
when it was sold to the railroad company. Mr. 
Fowler has at this time, in addition to the place 
where he resides, a good farm of about 128 acres 
in Kittanning township, a farm in Plum Creek 
township, and a valuable property in Manorville. 
He ranks among the most enterprising citizens of 
the county, is a man of large usefulness to the 
people among whom he lives, and his friendly and 
kindly disposition have made him generally es- 
teemed. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fowler are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

They have been the parents of six children, 
four of whom are living — Marion L., Charlotte A., 
James T. and Nelson M. Charlotte A. married 
Philip Foust, and resides at St. Petersburg, 
Clarion county; James T. married Hannah E. 
Roof, and resides with his parents; Nelson M. 
married Jennie R. Reed, and lives near Manor- 
ville, in which village he carries on a drug store. 

OBEDIAH BARNHART. 

The Barnhart family have been prominently 
identified with the early settlement of Western 
Pennsylvaiaia, especially the county of Butler. 
The Barnharts, as their name would indicate, are 



of German extraction. John William Barnhart, 
the progenitor of the American branch of the 
family, came from Germany in 1764 and settled in 
Westmoi'eland county. He died in January, 1822. 
Three of his sons, Phillip, Rudolph and Daniel, 
emigrated to Butler county in 1796, and were 
among the very earliest settlers in the region around 
Millerstown, and did much to redeem the country 
from a wild, uncultivated region to one fitted for 
the habitation of man. 

In January, 1836, Mr. Barnhart purchased the 
primitive gristmill which was erected by Abraham 
Lasher in 1805, and also a tract of 150 acres, 
which includes the land on which Millerstown 
is now located. Mr. Barnhart soon tore down the 
ancient log mill and erected a more modern 
building. 

Soon after coming into possession of the prop- 
erty in 1836, Mr. P. Barnhart laid out Millerstown, 
which took its name from the location of the mill, 
although the postofiice is known to this day as 
Barnhart's Mills. Mr. Barnhart thus became the 
founder of what was destined to become a pros- 
perous village. Phillip Barnhart died in 1860, 
after a long and useful life, respected by all. Mr. 
Barnhart raised quite a family of children, one of 
whom, also named Phillip Barnhart, Jr., married 
Susannah Kemerer, and they became the parents of 
four children — Henry (deceased), Maigaret, Jere- 
miah (deceased), and Obediah. After the death of 
his first wife in 1851, aged fifty-one years, he mar- 
ried her sister Catharine, by whom he had three 
children — Susannah (deceased), Mary, Catharine 
(deceased). 

Mr. Barnhart, who died October 1, 1861, aged 
forty-seven years, was for the major portion of his 
life engaged in farming, although he for a time 
was engaged in milling at the old mill site. 
Obediah Barnhart was born in Millerstown, May 
10, 1848, and in 1869 was married to Miss Rosaniia 
Aldinger (born June 19, 1848), daughter of David 
Aldinger, of Millerstown. Their children are 
Walter H., born November 9, 1870; Laura A.', 
born November 2, 1872; Harmon D., born January 
22, 1875. When, in 1875, Mr. Barnhart moved to 
his present farm of 110 acres in East Franklin 
township, it presented anything but an inviting 
appearance, being incumbered with old buildings, 
but a fine view of his residence, which appears on 
another page, will show it to be now numbered 
among the best farms in the township. 

Mr. Barnhart still retains the home farm in 
the vicinity of Millerstown. Mr. and Mrs. Barn- 
hart are members of the Reformed Church of 
Kittanning. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



(',13 



JOHN HILL. 

Among the pioneers of Western Pennsylvania 
was the Hill family. They came from " east of 
the mountains," and settled near Salem, West- 
moreland county. While residing here the father 
of the family was captured by a band of Indians, 
and taken to Hickory Flats, above Oil City, where 
he was mercilessly slaughtered. He left three 
children — John, Jacob and Hannah. John, the 
eldest, was born in 1772, and became the possessor 
of the old homestead, where he lived for many 
years diligently engaged in clearing and improv- 
ing the farm. He frequently related to his family 
in after-years the trials and hardships through 
which they were obliged to pass, notably among 
them their persecution by the Indians, from whom 
they used to flee to blockhouses for a place of 
safety. It was also frequently necessary to cor- 
ral their stock against the depredations of the 
savages. Reared as he was amid scenes of danger 
and toil, he became a fine type of the hardy pion- 
eer to which the present and succeeding genera- 
tions are and will be deeply indebted. He was 
well known as an expert with the ax, and for a time 
followed the business of erecting log houses and 
barns, in which he was exceptionally successful. 
In an early day he erected a grist and saw mill on 
Beaver Run, and settlers for a radius of twenty 
miles visited his mill with their grists, and some- 
times they were so far behind owing to low water, 
notwithstanding the mill was run Sundays as well 
as week-days, that settlers would wait two weeks 
for their grist, camping out near the mill. About 
1800 he built a gristmill on the river, to which 
place he moved his family. The millsite included 
some seventy acres of land, which was acquired 
by settler's right. He also erected a mill on the 
Kiskiminetas. In 1812 he moved to a tract of 
land in Allegheny, now Gilpin township, Arm- 
strong county, now in possession of one of his 
sons, and soon became one of the most successful 
farmers of that section. His sagacity was evi- 
denced by his planting an orchard of 1,000 apple 
trees, while his farm was visited by neighbors 
from miles around to pick cherries from the nu- 
merous trees he had planted. He became an expert 
in the manufacture of wooden moldhoard plows, 
then exclusively used. He was one of the com- 
missioners appointed by government to clear out 
the Kiskiminetas river. A member of the Lu- 
theran church, he was a man of strong religious 
sentiments, and church services were frequently 
held in his barn. His death occurred January 9, 
1848, and thus quietly passed away another of 
that band of noble pioneers who now only live in 
39 



the memory of a grateful posterity. He was twice 
married, first to Elizabeth Waltz, who died October 
13, 1817, and by whom he had ten children — Mary, 
Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Levi, Eli, Daniel, Hiram, 
Israel and Deborah. His second wife was Susan 
Ammon, who is still living at the advanced age of 
ninety-two years. They became the parents of 
nine children — Hetty, Leah, John, Ammon, Char- 
lotte, Phillip, Sarah, Noah and Seni. One of his 
sons, Ely, w^as born in 1807, and died in Leech- 
burg, October, 184.3. Arriving at manhood's estate, 
Eli, in connection with his brothers, Levi and 
Jacob, engaged in the manufacture of salt, and 
drilled the third well in this section for this valu- 
able product. They drilled altogether some 
eight wells, and became quite extensive salt manu- 
facturers. Eli, Levi, Daniel and Hiram also en- 
gaged in the mercantile business in Leechburg, 
which they carried on quite extensively for about 
four years. 

Eli Hill married Susan Ashbaugh, who died in 
March, 1878, aged about sixty-two years. They 
became the parents of children as follows : John, 
Eveline, Margaret (Barr), Priscilla (Lytle). Their 
son, John Hill, was born in Allegheny township, 
Westmoreland county, December 6, 1832, and grew 
to manhood's estate with no other educational ad- 
vantages than those accorded the farmers' sons at 
that time. Having inherited the genius for 
mechanism so prominent in his grandfather's 
character, he learned the carpenter's trade, and 
soon became a successful contractor and builder, 
which avocation he followed until 1872, when he 
engaged in the lumber business in Leechburg, 
which is still carried on, but since 1879 in con- 
nection with his son, Charles A., under the firm 
name of John Hill & Son. Mr. Hill was one of 
the original association organized in 1872, that the 
year following established a bank known as the 
Leechburg Banking Company, and was one of the 
first directors, which office he held until the spring 
of 1878, when he was elected cashier, which posi- 
tion he still retains. Mr. Hill has been school 
director, and held this position when the present 
fine school building was erected in Leechburg. In 
politics he is a republican, and, although always 
exercising the rights of the elective franchise, is 
no aspirant for office. Starting in life with his 
own resources — energy, perseverance and indus- 
try — as his only capital, he has made a success in 
life, and is now accounted as among the most ener- 
getic, successful, honored and respected citizens of 
Leechburg. January 8, 1857, he was married to 
Mary Jane, daughter of Charles and Ann (Mears) 
McCauley, who was born April 20, 1833. They 



ou 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



have been blessed with two children — Charles A., 
born December 9, 1857, and Edward, born April 
19, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are both members of 
the General Synod Lutheran church. 

HIRAM H. WRAY. 

Hiram H. Wray, prominently identified with the 
mercantile interests of Leechburg, was born Janu- 
ary 24, 1848, in Kiskiminetas township, Armsti'ong 
county, and was the son of John M. and Margaret 
(Townsend) Wray. His father followed farming^ 
and the son was reared to that calling, sharing its 
healthful toils. After receiving his preliminary 
education in the common schools, he attended the 
Elder's Ridge Academy in Indiana county, and then 
took a course of instruction in the Iron City Com- 
mercial College, from which he graduated in 1864. 
Entering his father's store at Olivet, he gained his 
first practical knowledge of business. From there 
he went to Mahoning, where he was engaged as 
bookkeeper for Jeremiah Bonner, and the follow, 
ing year he took charge of the Adams Express 
office at that point, then the northern terminus of 
the Allegheny Valley Railroad, and at the same 
time became the representative of the Good Intent 
Mail Line. He remained at Mahoning until the 
spring of 1867, and then returned to Shady Plain, 
where he became a partner with his father in a 
store, under the firm name of J. M. Wray & Son. 
He continued to be identified in the management 
of that business and its branches until 1872, when 
he came to Leechburg to take charge of the books 
of the firm of Beale, Rodgers & Burchfield. He 
was connected with that firm in a very responsible 
position until 1873, when he purchased an interest 
in the business of Ashbaugh & Co (now Ashbaugh, 
& Wray). The firm as now constituted has car-' 
ried on business continuously and successfully since 
1875, and is one of the best-known firms in Leech- 
burg, or, for that matter, the southern part of the 
county. Their place of business is located di- 
rectly across the river from Leechburg. 

At or about the same time that Mr. Wray formed 
his present business relation, he became the owner 
and editor of the Leechburg JSnterprise, which had 
been established two years before, in 1873. He 
edited this journal with ability through the Cen- 
tennial year, and transferred it to Messrs. Truxal 
& Hill, in 1877. He was one of the prime movers 
in the project of establishing the Leechburg Bank, 
and has been for a number of years one of its di- 
rectors. He has also identified himself with various 
other business enterprises, notably among them 
that of the introduction of the new process flour- 
ing-mill, in which he was associated with five other 



gentlemen. The mill referred to is located at 
Leechburg, and is known as the " Leechburg Mill- 
ing Company." It is doing a large merchant busi- 
ness, and was the first to adopt the "gradual re- 
duction system," now in general use. Mr. Wray 
has also given special attention to stock-growing, 
and, in company with Robert Wray, is breeding 
superior Southdown sheep. He is also rearing 
Clydesdale and thoroughbred horses. 

Upon September 7, 1880, Mr. Wray was united 
in marriage with Miss Alice M. Harrison, daughter 
of John and Eliza (Sampson) Harrison, of Alle- 
gheny county, who was born December 28, 1855. 
Two children have been born to them — Edith M 
and John Harrison ; the foi'mer died in infancy. 
Mrs. Wray's father was of English descent and re- 
lated to the famous Featherstone family. He came 
to this country when nine years of age with his 
parents, who settled in Germantown, near Phila- 
delphia, where he was reared. He remained here 
until he was twenty-one, when he emigrated west- 
ward, and settled in Allegheny county, where he was 
pi-ominently identified with its business interests, 
and was noted as one of the pioneers in importing 
English and Scotch draft horses, a business in 
which he was engaged up to the time of his death, 
which occurred from an accident, in 1879. 

THE JACKSON FAMILY— WILLIAM J. JACKSON. 

James Jackson and his wife, Sarah (Thompson) ' 
Jackson, came to this county about 1 798, and settled 
two and a half miles east of Apollo. He was born 
in Ireland, and his wife in America. James, their 
son, was born September 4, 1806, and his wife, Jane 
McCartney, in Indiana county, August 31, 1811. 
They had nine children, as follows : Nancy Y., 
Sarah T., Martha Jane, Elizabeth, Walter F., 
William J., Maria J., James T., and an infant, 
not named. These children are all now dead ex- 
cept William John Jackson, who still lives on the 
old homestead farm, containing 270 acres of fine 
land, and is one of the best known residents of this 
part of the county. He was born March 1, 1845. 
.On the 1st of August, 1866, he was united in mar- 
riage with Martha E. Watson, who was born June 
1, 1846. They have had nine children, whose 
names, with dates of their births, are as follows : 
Walter F., born September 16, 1867 ; Ida I., Octo- 
ber 29, 1868 ; Zilla M., February 18, 1870 ; Lizzie 
J., November 6, 1871 ; William B., March 25, 
1873 ; James M., September 1, 1874 ; Horace P., 
February 24, 1876; Herbert W., February 18, 1878; 
and John Clifton-, March 13, 1881. 

Mrs. Jackson's father and mother were William 
G. and Elizabeth M. (Brown) Watson. 'Squire 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



(Hf) 



Watson, as he was commonly called, was a justice 
of the peace for several years, and sheriff of Arm- 
strong county for three years, being elected in 1850. 
He died December 5, 1881, at the age of sixty- 
eight. His wife, born in 1814, died May 1, 1864. 
They were the parents of seven children, of whom 
Mary J., Susan E., Martha E. and Nancy M. are 
living. Those deceased are Thomas M., Margaret 
J., and an infant daughter. 

THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY. 

One of the earliest settlers of the county, and 
one now represented by a lai'ge family, was George 
Shoemaker, who came from Virginia and located 
at Cochran's mills, in what is now Burrell town- 
ship, about the year 1800. His wife was Margaret 
Miller. They were the parents of ten children — 
Isaac, John, Peter, Daniel, George, Jesse, Joseph, 
Catharine (Blogher), Margai'et (Hind), and Han- 
nah (Uncapher). Of these all are now deceased 
except Daniel, who resides at Rosston, and has 
three sons, I. W., L. J. and A. L., all of whom 
are ministers of the Baptist church. Peter Shoe- 
maker married Sarah Ringer and settled at Oak- 
land, where he followed farming and was a very 
successful and widely known man of affairs, until 
his death, which occurred in 1872. He was the 
father of twelve children, ten of whom grew to 
maturity, and eight of whom are now living, as 
follows : Isaac, in Mahoning township; William, 
in Clarion county; Catharine (Young), in Madi- 
son township ; Mary (Montgomery), in Manor; 
Jesse and George on the old homestead; Joseph 
B. and Sarah in Madison. 

George Shoemaker, son of the original pioneer 
progenitor of this family, was a rdinister of the 
Gospel and founder of the church of Brethren in 
Christ, which was formed by a body who seceded 
from the Dunkards. This church was organized 
at Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland county, about 
18-34, and for a number of years, chiefly through 
the labors of Rev. Shoemaker, flourished very 
fairly, but since his death in 1867 a portion of its 
adherents have merged themselves with the Pree- 
Will Baptists. George Shoemaker married Lydia 
Newcomer. Their son Jacob attained national 
celebrity as the founder of the Philadelphia Elocu- 
tionary College. An older son, John, now lives in 
Kansas. Joshua, who is a minister, resides in 
Madison township, and Sarah (Neff) in Westmore- 
land county. 

THE SHOEMAKER FAMILY. 
Solomon Shoemaker, father of George Shoema- 
maker, the well-known old resident of this county, 
was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1770, and 



emigrated from there to Armstrong in the fall of 
1799. Prior to his becoming a pioneer here he 
had married Miss Elizabeth Uncafer, who was also 
a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and born in 
1774. Upon their arrival here Mr. Shoemaker en- 
tered 340 acres of land, and built upon it a cabin 
in which he and his wife lived until 180G, when he 
completed a stone house, which served them as a 
more comfortable home. This house, the first of 
its kind erected in the township, is still standing, 
but is commencing to show the ravages of time. 
In it Mrs. Shoemaker cooked over the great fire- 
place all of her married life, never owning a cook- 
stove. In this old house, too, she used the spin- 
ning-wheel, and spun the flax from which she made 
all of her own, her husband's and her children's 
clothing. She died in 1846, and her husband in 
1854, after rearing a family and passing through 
the hardships and privations peculiar to the life of 
the pioneer. There were born to them six chil- 
dren, three sons and three daughters, whose names 
were: John, Joseph, Catharine, George, Margaret 
and Elizabeth. The three last named are living. 

George Shoemaker was born May 26, 1804. He 
now owns a portion of his father's old homestead 
faiTU, which he has cleared and brought into a fine 
state of cultivation, principally by his own labor. 
He lives upon this land, about 225 acres, in a 
house which he built in 1834. Mr. Shoemaker 
married in December, 1826, Miss Elizabeth Grimm, 
who was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1808. The fruits of this union were six 
children, whose names, with dates of birth are 
as follows: Jacob, born September 21, 1827; John, 
November 1, 1830 (died in 1864, leaving a wife 
and three children); Catharine, February 11, 
1834; Elizabeth, August 23, 1838; Marj', June 22, 
1845, and Solomon, April 6, 1847. 

The parents of Mrs. George Shoemaker, Jacob 
and Margaret (Silvees) Grimm, were both born in 
this state, and were early settlers in Westmoreland 
county, where they lived until their deaths. They 
had twelve children, of whom Adam, Margaret and 
Elizabeth are living. 

CHRISTIAN MARDORF. 

This gentleman, one of the prominent manu- 
facturers of Freeport, was born in the city of 
Melsungen, province of Hesse-Cassel, Germany, 
January 23, 1847. In 1852 the family came to 
this country and located in Butler borough, But- 
ler county, Pennsylvania, where the father followed 
his trade, that of a tanner. His son Christian was 
brought up to this trade, and at the age of fifteen 
began to work at it regularly, having before that 



616 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



time engaged in it at intervals. After completing 
his term of apprenticeship he followed his calling 
in Pittsburgh, where he remained until the war 
broke out. He went into the army, and was at 
Richmond and Petersburg. After the close of the 
war he went to East Liverpool, Ohio, where he 
engaged in the manufacture of leather in company 
with his brother Augustus. After the expiration 
of two years they came to Freeport, where they 
established the business of which Christian Mar- 
dorf is now the sole proprietor. At first the busi- 
ness was conducted on the most rigorously econo- 
mical principles, and in a comparatively small 
way. Having been reared in the business and 
thus securing a thorough, practical acquaintance 
with all of its details, and having also a sincere 
desire to produce only the best goods, it was not 
long before his leather obtained the reputation 
which it deserved abroad, and his business in- 
creased to such an extent that he was obliged to 
improve his facilities. Since the date of establish- 
ing the tannery in Freeport, 1867, the business has 
grown steadily from its small beginning, until at 
the present Mr. Mardorf's sales amount to fully 
$'7.5,000 per annum. It is still increasing although 
no traveling salesmen are employed, and additional 
facilities for manufacturing must soon be provided, 
a fact which affords positive evidence of the su- 
periority of the goods His patronage comes from 
all parts of the great region between Maine and 
Missouri. 

Mr. Mardorf was married in 1869 to Miss Wil- 
helmina, daughter of Andrew Zimmerman, of 
Jefferson township, Butler county. Both are con- 
sistent members of the Lutheran church of Free- 
port. 

JAMES DOITTT. 

A native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
born November 10, 1832, now a resident of Arm- 
strong. James Doutt, thrown upon his own re- 
sources at the early age of fourteen years with no 
capital save industry, finds himself in the prime of 
his manhood enjoying a well earned independency. 
His first work was performed for Reynolds & Rit- 
chie, furnace proprietors. He was engaged for five 
years in this county, and has since followed the 
furnace business until the year 18*75. In April, 
1854, he was married to Miss Hannah Shall, who 
was born in Armstrong county, May 18, 1835. 
Soon after their marriage this young couple re- 
moved to Ironton, Ohio, where they remained un- 
til 1870, when they went to Greenup county, Ken- 
tucky. When Mr. Doutt located in Ironton he had 
but $7 in cash, but securing employment at once in 
a furnace owned by a certain Robert Hamilton, he 



succeeded by hard work and frugality in acquiring 
and saving sufficient means to enable him to begin 
housekeeping. While in Ohio and Kentucky he 
accumulated by his labor so much more money 
than was necessary to support his family that he 
found himself able to purchase his mother's estate 
from the heirs. He returned to Armstrong county 
in 1875 and settled upon this property — a farm of 
137 acres of as good land and well improved as can 
be found in Cowanshannock township. Mr. Doutt 
is a republican in politics, a man of sterling char- 
acter and a respected citizen. 

The offspring of the marriage of James and 
Hannah (Shall) Doutt were eleven children, whose 
names, together with dates of birth are as follows; 
Lizzie J., born January 30, 1855; Daniel F., 
March 22, 1857; Martha Ann, September 13, 1861; 
James Albert, January 20, 1863; Tillie B., April 
12, 1865; Maggie B., October 15, 1867; Emma V., 
March 26, 1869; Essie R., May 15, 1871; Addie M., 
December 80,1873; Cora E., February 12, 1874; 
and Ettie L., October 10, 1876. 

JACOB LIAS. 

The man whose name heads this sketch was born 
in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, May 27,1811, 
where he spent his youth. In the spring of 1831, 
his mother having died, he came with his father to 
Wayne township, Armstrong county. In the fall 
of the following year, October 4, 1832, he married 
Miss Susanah Schrecengost, a native of the town- 
ship, born June 22, 1814, and daughter of Martin 
and Christiana Schrecengost, who were very early 
settlers. Eleven children were born of this union, 
eight of whom are living — James W., Eliza Ann, 
Asbey M., Elzada C, Leander E., Cyrus B., Mary 
C. and Laura C. Those deceased are Sarah Jane, 
McKindra C. and Curtis E. Soon after their mar- 
riage Mr. and Mrs. Lias settled in the old home 
farm which belonged to Mr. Lias' father, and there 
they lived for fifteen years. Then they removed 
to the farm in the northern part of Cowanshan- 
nock township, where they now reside. This farm 
purchased by Mr. Lias consists of 237 acres of 
land. His grandparents on both sides of the house 
and also his wife's were of German birth or ex- 
traction and had followed farming. Mr. Elias' 
name has been by common usage abbreviated to 
Lias, and an uncle of his, John Elias, was so called 
before him. 

ROBERT COCHRAN. 

Robert Cochran was the son of Robert and 
Catharine Cochran, an old pioneer family who set- 
tled in Allegheny county, where he was born in 
the year 1805. He learned the carpenter's trade 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



()17 



when a boy and worked at it for fifteen years in 
Pittsburgh when that city was quite a small place. 
At first he received only seventy-five cents per day, 
and the largest wages he received were $1.50 per 
day. In 1835 he married Margaret Green, born in 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, about 1818, but 
then living in Harrison county, Ohio, where she had 
immigrated with her parents. Eighteen months 
after their marriage a child was born and the 
mother died. This child, Margaret Elizabeth, also 
died in her eleventh year. 

In 1843 he married as his second wife Mary 
Richardson, who was born in Allegheny county, 
October 16, 1816. By this union there were born 
five children, as follows : Robert L., born March 
16, 1848; Edwin G., born September 10, 1850; 
Willison A., born April 7, 1853 ; Marietta Ann, 
born June 16,-1857, and Alice K., born December 
16, 1860. Only Willison A. and Alice K. are now 
living, the latter unmarried and residing with her 
brother in Leechburg. The mother of these 
children died September 6, ISVl. 

Mr. Cochran came to this county early enough 
to experience some of the disadvantages of life in 
a comparatively new country. He planted corn 
on the ground where Leechburg now stands, when 
it was partly timbered. In that early day the arti- 
cles which were put upon the table were corn- 
bread, hominy, mush and milk, tea made from 
herbs grown in the garden, and coffee made from 
corn and rye. The clothing then worn was chiefly 
made from the flax which the settlers raised. In 
Mr. Cochran's family the clothing was mostly of 
linen spun by his young wife. They were com- 
pelled to live cheaply in order to raise their little 
family of children and to educate them, and some- 
times their clothing and food supply was not as 
abundant as they might wish. Mr. Cochran now 
lives a retired life, making his home with his son, 
Willison A. This young man is employed as a 
sheet-iron shearsman in the Leechburg ironmill, 
and by steady hard work has secured for himself a 
pleasant home as well as become the owner of 
several houses in Apollo which bring him in a fine 
income. He was married in 1879 to Miss Sarah E. 
Gosser, who was born in this county in 1858. They 
have one child, Robert Lee. 

HENEY KIPP McKALLIP. 

Archibald McKallip, father of the old citizen of 
Leechburg whose name stands at the head of this 
brief biographical sketch, was the son of a pair of 
Scotch immigrants, and was born on shipboard 
while they were en route to America, in the year 
1774. He married Catharine Kipp, who was of 



German descent, and born in this state in 1770. 
Archibald McKallip died in 1842, and his wife in 
1844. They had a family of nine children, of 
whom Henry K. and Nathaniel are the only ones 
now living. 

Henry Kipp McKallip was born January 9, 1809, 
and married Miss Mary Kelley, daughter of Daniel 
and Mary (Idings) Kelley, who was born Decem- 
ber 10, 1817. By this union ten children were born, 
whose names in the order of their age are as follows: 
Labana S., Amanda C, Caroline, (Rev.) John K., 
Joanna Jane, James Albert and Mary Hannah. 
Caroline and two children not named are deceased. 

Mr. McKallip has been an industrious, prudent 
and successful business man. He has been con- 
stantly engaged in the mercantile trade since he 
was twenty-one years of age, and now carries on a 
large store, and owns besides four farms in West- 
moreland county, and a number of houses in Leech- 
burg. His commencement in business was made 
with a capital of only $100, for one-half of which 
amount he received a credit. He has transacted 
business carefully, and as a result has now an in- 
dependency. He is an upright and respected citi- 
zen and widely known in southern Armstrong and 
northern Westmoreland counties. 

JOHN KEELY. 

John Keely was born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, February 19, 1810, and was the son 
of Daniel and Mary Keely. The family moved to 
Indiana county, and his father died February 7, 
1851, at the age of seventy-four, and mother March 
25, 1846, at the age of sixty-three. 

In 1833 John Keely came to this country and 
purchased the farm in Kiskiminetas township, 
which he now owns. He carried on a tannery 
until 1864, but has since that time devoted himself 
entirely to agricultural pursuits. 

Upon March 4, 1841, he married Miss Nancy 
Watson, daughter of Robert and Sarah Watson, 
early settlers of the township. She was born Octo- 
ber 29, 1821, and died August 18, 1881, leaving 
five children, the survivors of ten of whom she 
was the mother. The following are the names of 
these children, together with dates of births and 
deaths: Mary E., born July 4, 1843; William W., 
December 15, 1845; Sarah J., March 27, 1848; an 
infant, 1850, who died the same year; Nancy M., 
August 23, 1852; James H., July 11, 1855; Alice 
Ann Amanda, May 8, 1857; Flora E., January 25, 
1859; John N., January 22, 1861, and Mary M., 
July 9, 1862. Deaths occurred as follows: John N., 
September 8, 1861; Nancy M., March 23, 1862; 
James H., April 2, 1862; Mary E., May 13, 1862. 



618 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



THE TRUITT FAMILY. 
Thomas Truitt, from whom sprang the Truitt 
family of Madison township, was born in New Jer- 
sey, in 1789, and came to this county about 1800, 
with his father, Parker Truitt. The latter did not 
long remain here, moving to the State of Indiana. 
Thomas Truitt was in the war of 1812, and, 
returning from his tour of duty in 1813, married 
Lydia, daughter of Thomas Williams, who was 
an early settler of Madison township. She was 
born in 1'794. After his marriage, Mr. Truitt 
worked upon leased land until about 1832, when 
he bought the farm in the northern part of the 
township, on which one of his sons now lives. 
He remained there until his death, which occurred 
in 1854. His wife died in 1866. Their children 
were : Anderson (deceased), Elizabeth (Hetrick), 
G. W., Thomas and D. J., all residents of Madi- 
son township, Mary (Buzzard), who lives in Ohio, 
J. A., a farmer of Mahoning township, and Will- 
iam, who lives in Clarion county. 

THE CRAIG FAMILY, 

of Madison township, is one of the largest in its 
territory, or, for that matter, in the county. George 
Graig was born in Butler counfy April 6, 1798, and 
came to Armstrong county in 1831, settling where 
his son Alexander T. now lives, where he resided 
and followed farming until his death in 1862. 
Before leaving Butler county he married Magdalen 
Conrad, of Harmony, who still survives and lives 
with her son, Alexander T., at the old home- 
stead. Mr. and Mrs. Craig were the parents of 
twelve children, of whom nine are now living. 
Their names are: Samuel H., John A., James A., 
George W., Thomas G., William H. H., Alexander 
T., Elizabeth, Margaret (Hines), Nancy Ann, Mary 
Jane (Fox) and Nancy Elizabeth (Fox). Of these 
William H. H., Elizabeth and Nancy Ann are 
deceased. The first-named of these three was a 
member of the 78th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., and died 
in Andersonville prison. Samuel H. was also a 
member of the 78th regt., and James A. was in 
the 107th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf. They both live in 
Madison township, as also do their brothers John 
A., George W., Thomas G., Alexander T., and 
their sisters Margaret and Mary Jane. Nancy 
Elizabeth resides in Pine township. 

JOHN WANAMAKER. 

The parents of John Wanamaker, the old and 
well known resident of Leechburg, were Henry 
and Susannah (Silves) Wanamaker. The former 
was born in this state in 1792, and died August 
7, 1860, and the latter born in 1794, and died 



January 14, 1880. They had ten children: John, 
Elizabeth, Annie, Cyrus, James, Henry, Joseph, 
George, Esther and Caroline; Joseph and George 
are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wanamaker removed 
from Westmoreland county, in 1813, and settled 
in Allegheny township (now Gilpin), where the 
remainder of their lives were spent. 

Their son John was born in this county Feb- 
ruary 22, 1814. He was joined in wedlock with 
Miss Margaret Wagley, daughter of John and 
Catharine (Beck) Wagley, upon May 31, 1838. 
She was born January 25, 1814, in what is now 
Burrell township, where her parents were early 
settlers. The fruits of this union were seven chil- 
dren, whose names with their respective dates of 
birth are as follows: Mary Ann, born July 28, 
1839, died May 11, 1863; James, born June 21, 
1841, died same year; Sarah, born. July 2, 1842, 
died same year; Eliza (now the wife of Henry 
Byrer, and living in Shelby, Ohio), born June 23, 
1844; Emma (now the wife of Levi Hill, of 
Leechburg), born October 21, 1847; Martin L., 
born March 12, 1849 (he married Sarah Jane Art- 
man, and has two children, Emma Irene and EflEa 
Thirza); Elizabeth the youngest of the family of 
children (now the wife of Joseph Bowers, of Ve- 
nango county), was born October 4, 1851. 

Mr. Wanamaker has followed the furnitui-e and 
undertaking business most of his life in Leech- 
burg, and is one of the most respected citizens of 
that town. 

THE MILLER FAMILY. 

Jacob Miller, the progenitor of this family, was 
one of the earliest settlers of Kiskiminetas town- 
ship, where his descendants now reside. He was 
born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1774, and his 
wife, Mary Uncafer, was born the same year. They 
emigrated to this county in the spring of 1803, 
the year the county was organized judicially, and 
lived here the remainder of their lives, rearing a 
family of five children. Jacob Miller died May 3, 
1856, and his wife in 1821. Their children were: 
Joseph, born October 31, 1798, died October 31, 
1862; John, born February 18, 1800; Margaret 
(wife of David Black), born December 18, 1803; 
William, born May 13, 1806; Andrew, born April 
15, 1814; and Mary, born 1809, who died in 
infancy. 

Andrew Miller,, who owns the old homestead 
farm, and lives upon it, married June 21, 1855, 
Miss Mary Jane Baker, who was born in West- 
moreland county, October 4, 1834. They have 
had eight children, as follows; Wilhelmina, born 
September 18, 1856 (wife of William McKustry, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



C, 1 i) 



and a resident of Kiskiminetas township); Oliver 
Milton, born February 25, 1860; William John, 
born November 21, 1861; Jacob Andrew, born 
July 7, 1865; David Franklin, born July 21, 1867; 
Harry A., born February 10, 1810; an infant not 
named, born January 31, 1874, and Ida Rosetta, 
born Ajsril 27, 1875. Andrew Miller has been all 
of his life a farmer. He owns about 130 acres of 
laud, the old homestead, which is well improved 
and valuable. 



KITTANNING TOWNSHIP. 

David Shoemaker was born in Columbiana 
county, Ohio, in 1828; moved to Armstrong county, 
Pennsylvania, 1844; is of German descent. 

James Hielman, a son of Jacob Hielman, of Ger- 
many. James PI. was born on his present farm in 
1829. 

Isaac Hielman, son of Daniel Hielman, who 
died in this county in 1832. Isaac was born in 
1821 ; now lives on the same place where born ; is 
of German descent. 

Jacob H. Schall enlisted August 24, 1864, in 
the 6th Heavy Pa. Art., Co. M, discharged July 
3, 1865, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at close 
of war. 

Benjamin Evans enlisted August 9, 1862, in Co. 
C, 139th Pa. Vols.; discharged on June 21, 1865, at 
Washington, District of Columbia; received a 
severe wound in left wrist at battle of Wilderness; 
was taken prisoner at Fredericksburg on May 8, 
1864, and lay five months in rebel prison at Rich- 
mond, Virginia, when he was exchanged. 

Charles Nichols enlisted August 18, 1862, in Co. 
K, 155th regt. Pa. Vol. Inf., in Pine township; dis- 
charged June 2, 1865, at Washington, District of 
Columbia; served the entire time in the army of 
the Potomac in the oth corps. 

William H. Barnett enlisted September 7, 1863, 
Co. H, 6th regt. U. S. A.;dischargedMay 29, 1865. 

Josiah J. Shaffer, son of Philip and Susanah 
Shaffer, was born in Kittanning township July 25, 
1838; taught school ten years, and is postmaster 
and merchant at Blanket Hill. 

William K. Gibson enlisted August 29, 1861, in 
Co. A, 78th Pa. Vol. Inf.; discharged October 12, 
1864; laid in the hospital at Bridgeport, Alabama, 
six weeks with smallpox, from which has never 
fully recovered. 

Solomon S. Peters enlisted September 1, 1862, 
at Brady's Bend, in Co. C, 139th regt. Pa. Vols.; 
discharged June 6, 1865, at West Chester, Philadel- 
phia; lost leg at the battle of Fisher Ilill, West 
Georgia, by fragment of a shell. 



John Brice enlisted in Co. H, Gtii regt., in July, 
1863; was killed in battle in front of Petersburg, 
Virginia, June 4, 1864; went fromTempleton, Arm- 
strong county, Pennsylvania. 

Peter Brice enlisted in Co. H, 6th regt., July, 
1863; was killed at Dead Bottom, Virginia, same 
year. 

J. J. Shaeft'or enlisted February 23, 1864, Co. 
D, 112th Pa. Vols.; discharged January 22, 1866; 
was slightly wounded in hand at Chaparis farm, 
Virginia, October-29, 1864. 

WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 

William W. Caldwell enlisted August 23, 1862, 
in Co. K, 155th Pa. Vol. Inf. ; discharged May, 
1863. 

Ephraim Morrow enlisted May 15, 1861, in Co. 
K, Pa. Reserves, " Buck Tail Regt.," and was trans- 
ferred in November, 1861, to the U. S. Signal 
Corps ; was discharged June 17, 1864. 

William T. McParland enlisted August 27, 1861, 
at Kittanning, Pennsylvania, in Co. H, 78th regt. 
Pa. Vol. Inf. ; discharged November 4, 1864, at 
Kittanning. 

Frederick Broombaugh enlisted August 28, 
1862, at Eddyville, in Co. A, 78th regt. Pa. Vols. ; 
discharged May 12, 1865, at Nashville, Tennessee. 

David S. Cochran, enlisted October 13, 1861, at 
Kittanning, Pennsylvania, in Co. G, 78th Pa. Vols.; 
discharged November 4, 1864. 

VALLEY TOWNSHIP. 

Ernest Miller enlisted September 7, 1861, Co. B, 

Pa. regt. ; discharged for disability October 

15, 1863, at Chester Hill. 

Jesse F. Hyskell enlisted June 28, 1861, at 
Camp Wright, Pennsylvania, in Co. F, Oth Pa. 
Reserves ; discharged May 12, 1864, at Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania ; wounded in leg severely at battle 
of Antietam, Maryland, in September, 1862. 

Archaberd A. Marshall was mustered into the 
state service in Co. G, 22d regt., on September 16, 
1862, called into the service by the governor of 
Pennsylvania for state defense. 

John Cochron was mustered into state service in 
Co. G, 22d regt., September 16, 1882 ; called into 
service by the governor of Pennsylvania for state 
defense. 

Jeremiah Bowser enlisted November 25, 1864, 
at Belknap, in Co. I, 76th regt. Pa. Vols. ; dis- 
charged in April, 1865, at Washington, District of 
Columbia. 

Joseph T. Irwiii was mustered into the state 
volunteer service as captain of Co. G, 22d regt.. 



620 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



September 16, 1862, called into service by the- 
governor of Pennsylvania for the state defense. 

David L. Marshall enlisted September 5, 1864, 
in Co. M, 5th Pa. Heavy Art. ; discharged on July 
8, 1865, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

John T. Mathews enlisted December 12, 1862, 
at Kittanning, Pennsylvania, in Co. M, 2d Pa. 
coj'ps ; discharged July 24, 1865, at Cloud's Mill, 
Virginia ; captured at the battle at Ream's Sta- 
tion, Virginia, July 12, 1864, and in the following 
prisons : Libby, Andersonville, Charleston and 
Florence, South Carolina — nine months in all ; 
paroled at Wilmington, North Carolina, April 6, 
1865. 

SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP. 

William IL, son of William and Margaret 
Wilson, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1835; resides on a farm of 160 acres, 
purchased by his father in 1844; was married in 
1857, to Lenna A., daughter of William and Mary 
Armstrong, of Indiana county, Pennsylvania. He 
is a farmer and stock dealer. Postoffice, South 
Bend. 

Z. J. Heilman, son of William and Margaret 
Heilman, was born in Armstrong county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1851; followed farming until March, 
1882, when he embarked in mercantile business at 
Idaho, where he keeps a full line of goods such as 
is usually found in a village store. Was married 
in ISYS, to Rosannah, daughter of Joseph and 
Anna N. Klingensmith. Postoffice, South Bend. 

Henry, son of Robert and Elizabeth Townsend, 
was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
in 1823; came with his father to this county in 
1825. At the age of twenty-eight commenced the 
mercantile business; came to South Bend in 1862, 
where he still resides. Was married to Levena, 
daughter of David and Mary Boggs, who died 
September, 1875, leaving two children. In 1876 
was married to Rebecca, daughter of Mathew and 
Mary Harbinson. Postoffice, South Bend. 

George I., son of John H. and Frances A. Smith, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1825; was raised a farmer; learned blacksmithing, 
which business he carries on at South Bend. In 
1873 was married to Eliza J., daughter of Samuel 
and llettie France. Postoffice, South Bend. 

Lebius, son of William and Esther Heinselman, 
born in South Bend, Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, 1828, where he still resides on a part of the 
old homestead, having 1 04 acres. Was married in 
1853, to Jane, daughter of Jaj-ed and Elizabeth 
McCandless. Postoffice, South Bend. 

John N., son of James and Sarah Wherry, was 
born near South Bend, Armstrong county, in 1847 ; 



was reared on a farm. He learned the tanning 
and currying trade, in which business he is now 
engaged. Was married in 1872, to daughter of 
James and Margaret Walker. Postoffice, South 
Bend. 

Thomas T., son of John and Jemima Wherry, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1848; was raised on a farm, resides on the old 
homestead, 81 acres of which he now owns, one 
mile south of South Bend. In ] 874 was married 
to Ida B., daughter of James and Susan Arm- 
strong. Postoffice, South Bend. 

James, son of William and Nancy Devers, was 
born on the place where his father settled in 1 802, 
in Armstrong county, where he has always resided, 
and is engaged in farming. In 1880 was married 
to Margaret, daughter of Samuel and Catharine 
Klingensmith. Postoffice, South Bend. 

Simon P., son of Robert and Elizabeth Towns- 
end, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, 
and resides on a part of the old homestead. In 
November, 1857, was married to Elizabeth J., 
daughter of John and Elizabeth Townsend, of 
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. Postoffice, 
South Bend. 

John L., son of Robert and Elizabeth Townsend, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1840. Has always lived on a portion of the old 
homestead, of 400 acres, 134 of which he now 
owns. In 1864 was married to Jemima D., 
daughter of John Wherry, Esq. She died in 1867, 
leaving one child, a daughter. In 1871 he married 
Mary J., daughter of Charles and Nancy Boer. 
Postoffice, Olivet. 

Robert H., son of James and Nancy Wilson, was 
born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 1851. 
He has followed surveying seven years. Is at pres- 
ent the county surveyor. In 1879 he was married 
to Emma, daughter of James and Jane Blakeley. 
Postoffice, Olivet. 

Labanah W., son of James and Sarah Fulner, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1832, on the farm where he now resides, he owning 
110 acres of the old homestead. He .was married 
in 1861 to Elizabeth, daughter of James and Sarah 
Black. Postoffice, Olivet. 

Walter H., son of James and Susan Armstrong, 
was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 
1853. He is engaged in farming, and resides on 
the farm purchased by his father in 1864, known as 
the Samuel France place. His father died in 1857 
at the age of fifty-four years. Postoffice, South 
Bend. 

Thomas B., son of Alexander and Leah Coulter, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



621 



1845. In November, 1871, was married to Clara 
J. Pike, a native of Ohio. Postoffioe, South Bend. 

James T., son of James and Sarah Wherry, was 
born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 1865, 
and was married in 1880 to Elizabeth, daughter of 
Leon and Jane King. Postoffice, South Bend. 

James, son of James and Magdalena Rupert, was 
born on the old homestead where he now resides, 
one and a half miles north of Girty. He is a 
farmer, and has served three terras as justice of the 
peace. He was married in 1862 to Margaret A., 
daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Klingen smith. 
Postoffice, Girty. 

Noah, son of Phillip and Elizabeth Rupert, was 
born in 1840 on the old homestead, where he now 
resides with his parents. He has an only brother, 
Sok)mon, in Kansas, engaged in farming. Post- 
office, Girty. 

Solomon, son of George and Elizabeth Rupert, 
was born in 1826 on the old homestead near Girty, 
75 acres of which he now owns. He was married 
in 1868 to Catharine, daughter of Nicholas Reef en. 
Postoffice, Girty. 

Alexander J., son of Anthony and Jane Mont- 
gomery, was born at South Bend on the old home- 
stead in 1833; is a farmer and stock dealer; was 
sheriff of Armstrong county from 1870 to 1873. 
He entered the bonds of matrimony in 1871 with 
Mary, daughter of John and Mary Jane Valentine, 
of Allegheny City. Postoffice, South Bend. 

James McNess, Jr., is a son of James and Eliza- 
beth, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, al- 
though for many years they resided in Butler 
county, where his father died in 1843 and his 
mother in 1846. James, Jr., came to Armstrong- 
county in 1875 and settled at Girty, where he com- 
menced the manufacture of stone jugs and crooks, 
in which he is still engaged. His business has in- 
creased until his annual sales aggregate $5,000; 
he employs eight laborers. He was married in 1858 
to Sarah Van Dyke. Postoffice, Girty. 

Rev. Lycurgus Mechling, son of William and 
Catharine Mechling, was born in Butler county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1841. At the age of twenty 
years he enlisted in the 63d Ohio Vol. Inf. He 
veteraned and served until August, 1865; was four 
times wounded and still carries the scars of his 
numerous encounters on his face, in which is lodged 
a piece of a confederate bullet. Since the war he 
graduated at the Glade Run Academy in Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania, and at Jefferson College, 
Washington county, Pennsylvania, and is also a 
graduate of the Western Theological Seminary at ' 
Allegheny City. He became pastor of the Elder- 
ton Presbyterian church in 1877, and was ordained 



June 29, of that year. The church had 87 mem- 
bers at the time he became its pastor, but under 
his ministrations it has increased in membership 
until at present it numbers 121. His brother, G. 
W. Mechling, D.D., has been for twenty-six years 
pastor of the Glade Run Presbyterian church. 

PLUM CREEK TOWNSHIP. 

Rice Henderson, son of Brice and Anna Hender- 
son, was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, in 
1829 ; came to this county in 1846 and settled at 
Elderton, where he now resides. He followed 
blaoksmithing twenty-five years ; has since fol- 
lowed farming; was for six years county commis- 
sioner; was married in 1848 to Nancy Clark, 
daughter of Alexander and Jane Clark. She died 
in 1862. His second marriage was in 1863, to 
Martha J., daughter of Judge Robert and Mary 
Woodward. Postoffice, Elderton. 

David B. Coulter, son of William and Sarah 
Coulter, was born in Elderton, Armstrong county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1833 ; was raised on a farm ; 
present occupation, plastering ; was married in 
1856 to Rachael Smith, daughter of ex-Sheriff 
George and Elizabeth Smith. Postoffice, Elder- 
ton. 

David A. Buckley, son of Jacob and Eva Buck- 
ley, born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1856. He learned the blacksmith trade, which 
business he carries on in Elderton at the present 
time. In 1878 was married to Mary, daughter of 
David and Elizabeth Altman. Postoffice, Elderton. 

Henry Hargrave, son of John and Ann B. Har- 
grave, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 
1837 ; came to Armstrong county in 1841 with his 
father, who engaged in the marble business. In 
1873 Henry returned to Philadelphia, but came 
back in 1875 ; since then has continued the busi- 
ness established in Elderton in 1841 by his father; 
was married in 1861 to Isabel, daughter of Lewis 
and Margaret Lukens. Postoffice, Elderton. 

John Waterson, son of John and Margaret 
Waterson, was born in Ireland; came to Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania, with his parentis in 1841, 
where he still resides ; was reared on a farm ; 
engaged in mercantile business in Elderton in 
1861, where he keeps a general stock of goods ; 
was married in 1865 to Sarah J., daughter of Alex- 
ander and Eleanor Elgin. Postoffice, Elderton. 

William N. Ralston, son of John and Jane 
Ralston, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he still resides ; has been for many 
years engaged in mercantile business. Postoffice, 
Elderton. 

W. B. Henderson, son of Samuel and Sarah 



622 



HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY. 



Henderson, was born in Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1849 ; was raised on a farm. He 
is a wagonmaker by trade, which business he has 
carried on in Elderton since 1870 ; was married in 
1871 to Sarah A., daughter of Esquire Alexander 
and Jane Clark. Postoffice, Elderton. 

T. N. Ralston, son of John and Jane Ralston, 
was born in Elderton, Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1845 ; follows farming and makes a 
speciality of wool growing ; was married in 1871 
to Eliza J., daughter of Augustus and Mary Read. 
Postoffice, Elderton. 

J. A. Blaney, son of Hugh andHannah Blaney, was 
born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 1832; 
been engaged in mercantile business twenty-four 
years ; in 1857 married Minerva, daughter of Will- 
iam and Jane St. Clair. Postoffice, Elderton. 

Dr. J. K. Parks, son of Hugh and Hannah 
Parks ; born in Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1828 ; cam'etothis oountjMn 1855, where 
he has practiced medicine ever since ; is at present 
located in the village of Whitesburg; was married 
i;i 1853 to Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Agnes 
Ludwick. Postoffice, Whitesburg. 

J. P. Dunmire, son of Joseph and Mary Dun- 
mire, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1840 ; is a farmer and merchant and is 
justice of the peace. In 1874 married Mary J., 
daughter of Michael and Harriet Rugh. Post- 
office, Whitesburg. 

Jacob Kough, son of William and Elizabeth 
Kough ; born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, 
in 1826 ; came to Ai-mstrong county in 1849, and 
purchased the property known as the Allen farm ; 
also owns a good gristmill known as the Walker 
mill. He does a general custom business. Was 
married in 1850 to Elizabeth, daughter of Josejjh 
and Mary Dunmire. Postoffice, Whitesburg. 

Isaac N., son of Frederick and Rachel Boarts, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1853 ; was raised on a farm, and was married in 
1876 to Margaret, daughter of A. and J. G. McKee. 
Has been engaged in mercantile business some 
two years at Cherry Run. Keeps a general stock 
of goods such as is usuallj'^ found in a village store. 
Postoffice, Elderton. 

Richard T., son of Thomas and Elizabeth Pol- 
lard, was boru in England in 1848 ; came to 
America in 1868, and first settled in Morris coun- 
ty, New Jersey ; came to Armstrong county in 
1875. .His principal business has been farming. 
For the last four years has been a minister in the 
German Baptist church. He has a three-foot vein 
of coal on his farm. Was mai-ried in 1876 to Mrs. 
Hannah Kimmel, daughter of Joseph and Catha- 



rine Shoemaker, of Red Bank township, Armstrong 
county, Pennsylvania. Joseph Shoemaker was 
also a minister in the German Baptist church. Post- 
office, Elderton. 

Joseph Buckley, son of Thomas and Frances 
Buckley, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1829. He followed the blacksmith busi- 
ness for twenty-eight years; at present owns a 
farm of 154 acres on the line of Armstrong and 
Indiana counties. In 1854 was married to Eva, 
daughter of Michael and Mary Truby. Postoffice, 
Elderton. 

James S., son of David and Margaret Ralston ; 
born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania ; came to 
Armstrong county in 1869 and settled on the farm 
known as the David Ralston farm. ' In 1859 mar- 
ried to Maria A., daughter of William and Hannah 
Blakeley. Has a farm of 115 acres. Postoffice, 
Elderton. 

Mathew R. Hall, son of Clark and Hannah Hall, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1832 ; purchased the farm where he now resides, 
near Elderton, of 100 acres, in 1857. In 1858 mar- 
ried Mary A., daughter of James and Catharine 
Neal. Postoffice, Elderton. 

Daniel, son of Daniel and Christianna Frailey ; 
born on a farm of 150 acres, where he now resides. 
Was three j^ears in the Pennsylvania cavalry ; was 
married in 1866 to Sarah, daughter of William and 
Mary Baxtei\ Postoffice, Elderton. 

James M., son of James and Mary Christie, was 
born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 
1822; came to Armstrong county in 1860, and 
purchased 123 acres of land, where he now resides, 
near Green Oak. Was first married to Catharine 
Davidson, who died in 1865; second marriage was 
with Elizabeth, daughter of Casper and Catherin 
Kaufman. Postoffice, Atwood. 

John A., son of Samuel and Leah Woodward, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1846; was raised on a farm. At the age of seven- 
teen years enlisted in the 6th Pa. Heavy Art. 
for one year; after the war, 1876, purchased one- 
half interest in the Shaffer gristmill, which he 
still owns with Linus Shaffer; they do a custom 
and merchant milling business. He was married 
in 1868 to Elizabeth, daughter of John and Anna 
.C. Kiniple. Postoffice, Elderton. 

John F., son of Samuel and Rebecca Bell, was 
born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 1840. 
Married in 1865 to Sarah J., daughter of Joseph 
and Jane Stewart. Postoffice, Elderton. 

James M., son of Chas. and Susan Moore, was 
born in Ireland in 41812; came to Pennsjdvania in 
1849, and to Armstrong county in 1869; pur- 



RIOGRAPIIKJAL SKKTfUIKR. 



()2.'{ 



chased 102 acres of laiul of Augustus Miller, where 
ho now resides. Was married in 18+0 to Rachael, 
daughter of John and Elizabeth Ijradshaw. Post- 
oflicc, Nultoi). 

Robert, son of David and Elizabetli McCullough, 
was born on the farm of 140 acres, where he now 
resides, two miles west of Elderton, in 1829. Was 
married in IR5a to Nancy, daughter of Hugh and 
Mollie Klgin. She died in 1872, leaving three 
children. lie married for his second wife Bell, 
daughter of James and Mary Patton. Postoffice, 
Elderton. 

John, son of David and Elizabeth McCullough, 
was born in Plum Creek township, Armstrong 
(H)un(y, about two miles west of Elderton. Mar- 
I'ied lilizabeth, daughter of Micliael and Eli/.abcth 
Rupert. Postofliee, Elderton. 

BURRELL TOWNSHIP. 

J. W. McKoo, M. D., son of William and Harriet 
T. Mclvee, is native of Armstrong county, lie is 
a' graduate of Wooster University, of Cleveland, 
( )hio. He has practiced medicine at Cochran'vS Mills 
some eight years successfully, lie was married to 
Amanda, ilimghter of John and Christina King, 
in 1872. His .postoffice address is Cochran's Mills. 

J. Kinnard, son of Isaac and Mai'y A. Kinnard, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and 
a resident of Burrell township. He follows teach- 
ing and working in a woolon-f.actory. Postoffice, 
Cochran's ]\Iills. 

W. 11. Carnahan, son of John and Mary Carna- 
han, was born in Allegheny county in 1830, and in 
184-1 came to Armstrong county, lie was raised 
on a farm and taught school winters. Engaged in 
mercantile business in 1863. Was engaged for 
some time ih the manufacture of lampblack. 
In 1800 he engaged in mercantile business at 
(.^'ocliran's Mills, where he has since erected a fine 
business block, and is now the leading merchant 
of that village. He is also extensively engaged in 
I'arming. 

John Cooper, son of Naboth and Jane C. Cooper, 
was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He 
<'.ame to Armstrong county April 18, |,s7ri. He 
engaged in farming until twenty-two years of age, 
when he learned milling. In 1875 he purchased 
the Cochran mill, which now has foui' runs of stone. 
It is the best mill property in this section of the 
county. He ships qaite a quantity of flour. Post- 
office, Cochran's Mills. 

Adam Lookabaugh, son of Peter and Eveline 
Ijookabaugh, was born on the Maryland and Penn- 
sylvania line, in 1821. In 1820 he came to Alle- 
gheny county and settled within four miles of 



Leechburg. He is engaged in farming on 1 tn 
acres, purchased in 1854, on which lie has made 
some very line improvements and is a successful 
agriculturist. He undoubtedly has coal on his 
farm and has recently discovered what seems to bo 
rich iron ore in considerable quantities. 

W. R. Ramaley, son of Wm. and Mary A., was 
born in Armstrong county in 1841 ; occupation, 
farming and teaching. Is said to bo the only man 
on the east side of the county who holds life certi- 
ficate to teach. He does job printing; has a farm 
of 112 acres. Postoffice, Cochran's Mills. 

Jackson Davis, son of George and Susanna D., 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1840; is a farmer by occupation, and has l)een jus- 
tice of the peace nine years. He married Nancy 
Cessuro, daughter of' William and Elizabeth. 
Postoffice, Cochran's Mills. 

George Slease, son of Jacob and Ann Slease,was 
born i:i Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 1825. 
He is engaged in farming on 144 acres near Coch- 
ran's Mills. Married in 1840 to Helen, daughter 
of .luhn and Susannah King, Postoffice, Cochran's 
Mills. 

O. J. Woodward, son of Samuel and Leah, is a 
native of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. He 
was reared on a farm. Has been a partner of H. 
A.King in the mercantile business for the jtast 
ten years. In July, 1 874, was married to Christena 
R., daughter of John and Christena King. Post- 
office, Cochran's Mills. 

II. A. King, son of John and Clu-istena King, 
was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, in 
1852, and was raised on a farm. In 1872 engaged 
in mercantile business in comj)any with (). J. Wood- 
ward, one mile east of Cochran's Mills, where ihey 
keep a general stock <<( i^oods. He was married to 
Clarissa, daughter of Samuel and Leah Woodward, 
in 1878. Postoffice, Cochran's Mills 

Lee Hileman, son of Jacob and Catharine Hih!- 
man, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, 
in 1845. lie is a farmer,and owns one of the best 
farms in Burrell township. Postoffice, Cochran's 
Mills. 

Daviil Myers, son of Henry ,iiul llli/.aliclli My- 
ers, was born in Ai'mstJ'ong county, I'onnsylvania, 
in 1858; raised on a farm. Since 187!) lie lias 
clerked in the store of W. II. Carnahan. Post- 
office, Cochran's Mills. 

Amos Altman, son of Isaac and Elizabeth Alt- 
man, born in Armstrong county, Penn.sylvania, 
1843. Farmed until 1876, at which time he 
engaged in mercantile business at Cochran's 
Mills, where he still resides and keeps general 
stock, also postmaster. Was married in 1800, to 



r.24 



HISTOKY OF AKMSTROKG COUNTY. 



Mary M. Schall, daughter of Micliael and Susanali 
Schall. 

S. M. Gibson, son of William and Rebecca G. 
Gibson, born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, 
in I.SoV, farmer and teacher, resides on a farm of 
f-io acies, at Cooper's Milln. Was married 1859 
Id Kli/,al)cth George, daughter of Peter G. His 
niollier's nanio wiim Plant. Postotlice, Cochran's 

IMiils. 

('OVVANSHANNOCK TOWNHIIIP. 

John Hoyor, a native oC Somerset county, Penn- 
sylvMuiii, settled in Cowanshannock townNliij), in 
isiil, or the I'ollou'ing year, and married Miss 
Mary Keers. They were the j)arenls of eleven 
children, of whom John A. Hoyer, a successful 
farnu'r of this township, is one. He married Miss 
Mary E. St. Clair, daughter of Capt. William 
St. Clair, of AAHiitesburg. 

A. W. Beer, of Cowanshannock township, is the 
sou of Jacob and Catharine (Wampler) Beer, and 
-was born near where he now resides. He has 
carrie<l on a store at Blanco for about ten years, 



and is one of the active, enterprising men of this . 
part of the county. He has been considerable of 
a traveler, and was once shipwrecked off the coast 
of Central America. 

George B. McFarland settled in Kittanning about 
1838, coming from Washington county, of which 
he was a native. In 184:2 or the following year ho 
removed to Rural village, in which place as iu Kit- 
tanning he carried on a general store. About IHtO 
he bought the Phienix Furnaoe on Mahoning creek, 
which he successfully carried on until his dcsatli, 
which occurred in Se|i(embcr, 1 85 I. A son, Roliort 
M\'l<'arlauci, now resides in Cowanshanndck lown- 
ship. 

Henry Lanster was born in llesse-Dannstadt, 
Germany, and first settled in this county in Kit- 
tanning township in 1855. He located in Hughs- 
ville in 1868, and is now interested in the milling 
business with Mr. David Sowers, as is also his 
brother, Peter Lanster, of Allegheny City. Mr. 
Henry Lanster married Miss Anna C. Koch, 
daughter of John Koch, of Kittanning township. 



G41 3 8 



